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Dark Horse Presents, commonly abbreviated as DHP, is a long-running, three-volume comic book anthology series published by Dark Horse Comics. Since its launch in 1986, it has been published in several different incarnations — it was the company's flagship title until its cancellation in September 2000, was relaunched as a digital publication on the MySpace social networking site from July 2007-August 2010, and finally made a return to print in April 2011.
Dark Horse Presents has featured numerous Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comic book stories over the course of its history, alongside stories featuring other Dark Horse properties and characters. In particular, it is notable for being the birthplace of the Alien vs. Predator franchise, which began with the first ever Aliens vs. Predator story published in Dark Horse Presents #36 in February 1990.
Overview
Dark Horse Presents, along with Boris the Bear, was the first comic book to be published by Dark Horse Comics. It has primarily been a black and white series, although occasional annuals and special issues have been printed in color. From 1992-1994, Dark Horse concurrently produced a second anthology series, entitled simply Dark Horse Comics, that featured full-color stories. These two series, together with the UK-based Aliens magazine, account for most of the comic short story releases in the Alien, Predator and Alien vs. Predator franchises — although there have also been a handful of other one-shots, special issues and short stories.
As well as regular monthly anthology releases, Dark Horse Comics have also released a number of one-shot annuals and special issues under the Dark Horse Presents title.
History
The first print run of Dark Horse Presents was cancelled with issue #157 in September 2000. It was (and remains) Dark Horse's longest-running continual publication. Over the course of its fourteen-year run, many of the characters and properties it introduced were spun-off into their own successful series, including Concrete, Sin City and Aliens vs. Predator.
In July 2007, Dark Horse Presents was relaunched online as a color supplement on the company's page at Myspace.com, under the title Myspace Dark Horse Presents (MDHP). This incarnation of the anthology lasted until August 2010, when it was again cancelled.
Finally, the series made a return to the printed format in April 2011 as Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 2. In August 2014, the series was scaled back from an 80-page publication to 48 pages and again relaunched, as Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 3, but it continues to be published monthly.
Contents
Note that only Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator content is listed below. The series also contained numerous other comic book stories, but these have been omitted as they are irrelevant to the franchise.
Volume 1
- Dark Horse Presents #24 (Nov 1988)
- Aliens
- Aliens cover by Mark A. Nelson
- Dark Horse Presents #34 (Nov 1989)
- Aliens (Aliens vs. Predator (1990 series) prologue, part 1 of 3)
- Aliens cover by Chris Warner
- Dark Horse Presents #35 (Dec 1989)
- Predator (Aliens vs. Predator (1990 series) prologue, part 2 of 3)
- Predator cover by Chris Warner
- Dark Horse Presents #36 (Feb 1990)
- Aliens vs. Predator (Aliens vs. Predator (1990 series) prologue, part 3 of 3)
- Aliens vs. Predator cover by Chris Warner and Dave Dorman
- Dark Horse Presents #42 (July 1990)
- Aliens: Advent (part 1 of 2)
- Aliens cover by Paul Guinan
- Dark Horse Presents #43 (Aug 1990)
- Aliens: Terminus (part 2 of 2)
- Aliens cover by Paul Guinan
- Dark Horse Presents #46 (Nov 1990)
- Predator: God's Truth
- Predator cover by Dave Dorman
- Dark Horse Presents #56 (Nov 1991) aka Giant Dark Horse Presents Annual 1991
- Aliens: The Alien (part 1 & 2)
- Jam cover featuring Aliens by John Byrne
- Dark Horse Presents #67 (Nov 1992)
- Predator: Race War (Predator: Race War (series) prologue, part 1 of 3)
- Predator of Two Worlds homage/spoof cover by Ray Lago
- Dark Horse Presents #68 (Dec 1992)
- Predator: Race War (Predator: Race War (series) prologue, part 2 of 3)
- Predator cover by Ray Lago
- Dark Horse Presents #69 (Jan 1993)
- Predator: Race War (Predator: Race War (series) prologue, part 3 of 3)
- Predator cover by Ray Lago
- Dark Horse Presents #101 (Sept 1995)
- Aliens: Incubation (Batman/Aliens prologue, part 1 of 2)
- Aliens cover by Bernie Wrightson
- Dark Horse Presents #102 (Oct 1995)
- Aliens: Incubation (Batman/Aliens prologue, part 2 of 2)
- Aliens cover by Bernie Wrightson
- Dark Horse Presents #117 (Jan 1997)
- Aliens: Headhunters
- Aliens cover by Duncan Fegredo
- Dark Horse Presents #119 (Mar 1997)
- Predator: No Beast So Fierce
- Jam cover featuring Predator by Troy Nixey
- Dark Horse Presents #121 (May 1997)
- Dark Horse Presents #124 (Aug 1997)
- Predator: Bump in the Night
- Predator cover by Val Mayerik
- Dark Horse Presents #137 (Nov 1998)
- Predator: Demon's Gold
- Predator cover by Dan Norton
- Dark Horse Presents #140 (Feb 1999)
- Aliens: Once in a Lifetime (Aliens: Apocalypse - The Destroying Angels prologue)
- Aliens cover by Rick Leonardi
- Dark Horse Presents #146 (Sept 1999)
- Aliens vs. Predator: The Web (part 1 of 2)
- Aliens vs. Predator cover by David Michael Beck
- Dark Horse Presents #147 (Oct 1999)
- Aliens vs. Predator: The Web (part 2 of 2)
Volume 2
- Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 2 #12 (May 2012)
- Aliens: Inhuman Condition (part 1 of 6)
- Aliens cover by Sam Kieth
- Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 2 #13 (June 2012)
- Aliens: Inhuman Condition (part 2 of 6)
- Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 2 #14 (July 2012)
- Aliens: Inhuman Condition (part 3 of 6)
- Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 2 #15 (Aug 2012)
- Aliens: Inhuman Condition (part 4 of 6)
- Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 2 #16 (Sept 2012)
- Aliens: Inhuman Condition (part 5 of 6)
- Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 2 #17 (Oct 2012)
- Aliens: Inhuman Condition (part 6 of 6)
Volume 3
- Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 3 #2 (Sept 2014)
Annuals and special issues
- Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special (Apr 1991)
- Aliens: Reapers
- Aliens vs. Predator (Aliens vs. Predator (1990 series) epilogue)
- Jam cover featuring the Alien by Frank Miller
- Dark Horse Presents: Aliens Platinum Edition (Apr 1992)
- Reprints first four Dark Horse Presents Aliens stories in color
- Dark Horse Presents Annual 1997 (Feb 1998)
Trivia
- Dark Horse Presents #24, released in November 1988 and featuring an Aliens short story (later renamed Aliens: Theory of Alien Propagation), is sometimes referred to as the first Aliens comic to be published by Dark Horse, but this incorrect. That honor actually goes to Aliens (1988 series) #1, which was released in July 1988. The short story is actually a companion piece to that series.
External Links
Dark Horse Presents on Myspace
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