Dark Horse Presents #36

Published by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: May 21, 2014
Writer: various
Artist: various
Cover: Ben Stenbeck
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And so ends the second run of Dark Horse Presents, which will return as a third volume in the coming months. Lots of self contained stories in the issue, understandably, and the stories in progress from the last issue all conclude. This month's cover is supplied by Ben Stenbeck and is in relation to the first story in the issue, which he also illustrated. Let's get on to that one then, shall we?

• “Witchfinder: Beware the Ape” by Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck. Sir Edward Grey has another mystery to solve, this time regarding an artifact stolen from one Professor Werner. That artifact is believed to have a supernatural power of sorts, and Grey is there to re-claim it. The suspect, some rich cat named Jerome Bagsby, has a bloody cane and the artifact is displayed proudly on his mantle, which points the finger directly at Bagsby. But was it him?
• “S.H.O.O.T. First: Bett and Byron Chapter 3” by Justin Aclin and Nicolas Daniel Selma. Byron and Bett have a heart-to-heart talk about his not liking her elevating above him in the leadership department, and she wants him to join her on a new team. As they talk, they kill zombies. This could be the end of their working relationship, but probably not.
• “Usagi Yojimbo: The Artist Chapter 2” by Stan Sakai. Yoshi the outlaw painter has decided to move to another area of the world to elude those trying to kill him for his new ideas in the world of art. And he intends on sharing his new visions with students who are eager to learn. Usagi goes with him to help him get to his destination, but there are those out there who want to be sure that doesn't happen.
• “Sunstroke” by Luciano Saracino and Juan Manuel Tumburus. The master of five dogs isn't looking so well, and the dogs are concerned. There's someone else lurking about who looks just like him, but in different clothes, and they think it is his death waiting for the man. Working out in the hot sun, the man just may well succumb to the heat and meet that death. Visually, this is the most interesting tale in the book.
• “Merlon The Magician” by Jaime Hernandez. Magician and apparent crime solver Merlon has it pretty swell with his hottie assistant Lumina, whom he sends on adventures to do his dirty work. One magic show night, he makes her disappear as an illusion, but she really disappears. She ends up going to some alternate realm/universe or another, to a place that worships her for her deeds. They want her to stay with them as they are also magicians, and she can have equal billing status. They try to convince her Merlon is a dink, but never stop to think she might have an idea or two of her own.
• “Bunbun And Sadhead: Forest Friends” by Patrick Alexander. A short tale about a neurotic little pink bunny and his friend, a bald stone. It's a weird little tale with high altitude shit-barf. Yes, that's barf from eating shit.
• “Clark Collins and the Atypical Athlete” by Kel McDonald. The transformation of a chubby girl into a star athlete has one nerd convinced she is a teen wolf. Even her moustache is proof. It's a silly tale that ends in a black eye.
• “Cruel Biology Chapter 4” by Christopher Sebela and Brian Churilla. With little time left to live, the three American soldiers managed to avoid the natives as they all died around them of the horrid drowning-in-your-own-blood disease. But they couldn't escape the disease. The ship they are waiting for doesn't see them, or is avoiding them, either way it isn't coming to rescue them. One of the men will not die on that friggin' island. No way. He may not live, but he isn't dying on that hell hole. This last chapter is the best of the four chapters, and has a satisfying conclusion. Churilla's art needs to be seen in more books.
• “Davey Jones and the Mystery of the Monocle Men Part 3” by Dennis Culver. The kids and their grandfather reunite at the ship/monster of the Monocle Men, and Davey Jones helps them to escape. But did he escape himself? We may never know…
• “Dogstar” by Martin Conaghan. Ever since he found that varmint Otis, all he's seen is how cruel the creature can be. One night out on the Los Perros Prarie, a flying saucer lands to greet Otis and his “best friend”. The encounter causes a bit of a rift between man and man's best friend, and with good reason.
• “Job Interview” by Patrick Alexander. The second Patrick Alexander story in this issue, and easily the better of the two, a man endures an awkward job interview with a mustachioed man with a lisp. This one will have you farting rainbows.

Another great issue of another anthology series ending on issue 36 (remember Marvel's “Epic Magazine”?). Witchfinder: Beware the Ape was thoroughly enjoyable but was so short at just 8 pages, and the way it so abruptly ends with you wanting more. Dogstar is a black and white story, and in with a bunch of color stories it seemed to visually stand out above the rest. Well, aside from Sunstroke. Jamie Hernandez's story was another that rose to the top. His visual style is so appealing, especially in color, and his stories are usually slightly trippy. Another abrupt sort of ending, but still, it's a great segment. The other story that stood out was the last one, Job Interview. It's so stupid and ridiculous it becomes the funniest story in DHP for some time. This issue was a great wrap-up to the series and leaves a fine after taste.