Broken Frontier

Dark Horse Books is proud to present the first volume in a prose series based on the incredibly popular duo the Dirty Pair, which is available to U.S. fans for the first time! Haruka Takachiho’s best-selling novels in Japan are the subject of an animated series, three motion pictures, and a series of graphic novels.

Charged with keeping the peace and investigating crime among the stars in the far future, the Worlds Welfare Work Association prides itself on a reputation of safety and regard for life and property. But try telling that to WWWA Agents Kei and Yuri, codename “the Lovely Angels,” who—because of their penchant for destruction—are better known as the Dirty Pair. Part female James Bond, part walking disaster, if the Dirty Pair are called in on a case one thing is certain: they’ll catch the bad guy but you may not live to tell about it!

In Volume 1, the Angels are called in to investigate the cataclysmic destruction of the Gravus Heavy Industry facility on the planet Dangool. What they find there hurls the pair into a danger-filled trek across the galaxy. Created by popular science fiction author Haruka Takachiho in 1979, the Dirty Pair are among the most beloved characters in popular anime and science fiction circles.

“Back in the prehistoric days of the anime invasion—also known as the 1980s—some of the first animes I looked at were the Dirty Pair films,” said Robert Simpson, editor of the translations for the novel series. “I say ‘looked at’ and not ‘watched’ because the bootleg videotapes weren’t subtitled or dubbed; I barely knew what was going on! But I loved the sheer mayhem and action of them, and as the films and TV episodes and Adam Warren’s comic made their way into the public eye I inhaled them all. I couldn’t be happier that the original novels are seeing print in English after all these years, and I’m enjoying reading where Kei and Yuri got their start. Hope all of the readers out there are excited as well!”

The Great Adventure of the Dirty Pair Volume 1 features story by Haruka Takachiho with illustrations by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko.  It will arrive on shelves June 13 and retail for $8.95.