Baltimore: The Infernal Train by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
All aboard, comic book collectors and horror fans. Baltimore: The Infernal Train has arrived. Choo-choo....chew.
While Baltimore hides out in Budapest awaiting the arrival of the sadistic Judge Duvic, a strange woman shows up with a bizarre invention she promises will rid the world of vampire plague.
By Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Ben Stenbeck, Dave Stewart. Published by Dark Horse Comics.
The first issue of The Infernal Train was released on September 4th. There will be three issues in this story. Issue #2 will be released in October. Issue #3 will be available in November.
If you haven't read any of the Baltimore comics yet, here's the backstory:
It all began with BALTIMORE, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, which Christopher Golden calls "the coolest project [he's] ever been involved with." Written by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, this illustrated novella took Hans Christian Andersen's classic story and turned it into a gothic tale, complete with dark and stormy nights, strangers brought together by a mutual acquaintance, battlefields in war-torn countries, and, oh, yes, vampires. Months after a devastating plague ends World War I, Europe is suddenly flooded with deadly vampires. Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier determined to wipe out the monsters, is on the hunt for the creature responsible for this chaos and his own personal tragedy. What he uncovers is a terror as horrific and frightening as any he's seen on the battlefield.
There's more to that story: Dark Horse Comics has published additional mini-series and graphic novels, and even more Baltimore stories are on the way. BALTIMORE: THE INFERNAL TRAIN is the newest mini-series in the line. This month, you can also pick up the third volume of collected Baltimore stories, BALTIMORE: A PASSING STRANGER AND OTHER TALES.
Check out Christopher Golden's site - specifically the Baltimore page - for more information on the series. Also check out the electronic press kit (EPK), which contain an excerpt of the first book, a video interview with the authors, the original press release, and more.
I have to tell you all what happened when I was writing this post, because it's a perfect example of how my life works: As I was typing up this post, I was watching the film Frequency, which I've easily seen a dozen times. It's one of those movies that, when I see it in the TV listings, I immediately click over to it. I have told people that I want to make a boxed set of Frequency and the book The Boys are Back in Town by Christopher Golden and sell it to people who, like me, are keen on causality and dig stories that show what happens in the present day when someone somehow changes the past.
So the end credits of Frequency rolled by, and I'm still typing away, and the next thing they show is an ad for the new TV series Sleepy Hollow, which I will definitely be sampling. Earlier today, I saw a billboard for the show and reminded folks to read Sleepy Hollow High by Christopher Golden and Ford Lytle Gilmore in the meantime.
Immediately following the Sleepy Hollow TV spot was an advert for Sons of Anarchy. I started cracking up. Not because SoA is a comedy (it definitely is not) but because the SoA comic book series was written by Christopher Golden, with art by Damian Couceiro, and it just so happens that it was profiled in USA Today earlier today. SAMCRO fans can pick up the first issue next Wednesday, the day after the show's season premiere. High-five to Boom! Studios for getting the perfect pub date - and the perfect author. Golden is not only a fantastic writer, but he's also a fan of the series, and he's certain to do it justice.