Full Wanted DVD & Blu-ray Disc Details

James McAvoy (Atonement) and Academy Award® winners Angelina Jolie (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) and Morgan Freeman (Dark Knight) star in the sexy, visually stunning, action thrill-ride Wanted, coming to DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def on December 2, 2008 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, creator of Day Watch and Night Watch, two of the most successful films in the history of Russian cinema, brings his incomparable imagination and innovative cinematic style to bear on the explosive story of an ordinary man transformed by destiny into a powerful assassin. Based on Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series, Wanted blazes new cinematic trails with double-barreled surprises around every corner. Director Bekmambetov leads his extraordinary cast, which also includes Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Terence Stamp (Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace) and Common (American Gangster), through a twisted maze of intrigue packed with twofisted action.

With its visually inventive effects, experience Wanted at its best on Blu-ray Hi-Def. With picture perfect visuals and flawless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound, the high definition version of Wanted can be viewed on any Blu-ray player or PlayStation®3. Only on Blu-ray Hi-Def, fans can get an exclusive look at the film's never-before-seen alternate opening, go deeper into the making of the film's mind-blowing effects in crystal clear high definition, and via the power of BD-Live, host a text chat with friends while watching the movie in synchronization.
READ MORE.

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Comics Win Big At Spike TV's Scream Awards

"Wanted" star Angelina Jolie won the Best Actress in a Fantasy Movie or TV show award for her role as Fox." READ MORE.

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Bernardin & Freeman talk Top Cow's Genius

What if the greatest military genius of our generation was born and raised on the battleground of South Central, Los Angeles? That’s the question that writer Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman set out to answer in “Genius,” their entry in Top Cow’s second annual Pilot Season competition. Now that their fan-favorite entry has emerged as one of the top two vote-getters of Pilot Season 2008, Bernardin and Freeman are being given the opportunity to continue the story, and CBR News caught up with both writers to get the details.

The military genius in question is a young girl named Destiny Ajaye, who Bernardin likens to Hannibal, Alexander, Patton or Washington. “She’s a savant-level military genius,” Bernardin told CBR. “Now, she was born in South Central, L.A., into an environment that has been known to eat its young, or have its young taken by the authorities. She decides that enough is enough and secedes a two-square-block area from Los Angeles proper. And given her natural skill set, that involves lots of blood.” READ MORE.

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Matt Timson explains the making of the cover to IMPALER #1

My name is Matt Timson (and not Tim Matthews- which is a common misconception) and I'm currently lucky enough to be the artist for Impaler, written by William (Bill) Harms and published by Top Cow.
Having previously worked on zombie stuff, I was quite keen to make the switch to vampires, as there's something inherently nasty and evil about a vampire that makes it even more frightening than a zombie to me. A zombie doesn’t really know what it's doing- it's all about staggering from place to place, looking for the ever more elusive brains it seems to hanker after. You can outrun a zombie. You can outwit a zombie (and if you can't, frankly, you deserve to get eaten). You can even stand your ground against one or two, if you keep your wits about you and don't mind bashing their brains in. Vampires, on the other hand, are genuinely evil in my book. They're fast, deadly, intelligent and extremely difficult to kill if you're just some poor slob in the wrong place at the wrong time. The best you can hope for is that the Sun will rise before they find your hiding place, or that they'll kill you quick if not. They delight in what they do and I get the impression that feeding is secondary to the enjoyment of simply tearing people apart for fun. That's something I really wanted to get across- that these guys are having the time of their (un)lives as they peel your face off, crush your skull and lap up the resulting rivers of blood that gush out- which is why most of my vampires are grinning or laughing. They can get a bit angry too, of course, but the main thing I'm going for is a sense of enjoyment. READ MORE.

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The CG Channel interviews Kenneth Rocafort

When Kenneth Rocafort was a child he spent his time making his own superman comics and drawing robots. Before long he started to follow what European Artists were doing in comics.

He first discovered Heavy Metal magazine when some of his father's friends were going through one. "when I picked it up they would say. 'Hey its not for your age' and take it away' ' Kenneth remembers. But even from that brief glimpse into the adult comic, he was already intrigued by the Science Fiction and Fantasy orientation of the stories.

Kenneth's own work is show no fear of color. These colorful images present a stark contrast to the dark and sinister story lines that fill his head. It gives fiefdom project a sense of balance that other comics don't have. After all just because the story is dark, morbid and filled with evil, doesn't mean that the world and the character s within it have to be illustrated with dulled out grays and sepia tones. READ MORE.

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The Comic Addiction reviews CYBLADE #1

For those of you keeping score at home, pack in 2007 Top Cow started a contest of sorts called Pilot Season. The premise was to take characters that were part of the Top Cow canon and have new creative teams come in and create what is considered a pilot issue for a potential new series about the character. Fans would then be allowed to vote and the winning two pilot issues would become a new series. Cyblade and Velocity were the winners and thus this is the first issue of the new Cyblade series that spins directly out of that one-shot as would the second episode of any new television series. Having been a long time Top Cow fan, I was very curious to see if this experiment would actually work. So far it has, but what about these new titles for Top Cow? Would they work for the fans that voted for them?
As I said before, this first issues spins directly out of the pilot issue for this new series. Dominique, aka Cyblade, has had the Brain Box that was implanted in her by Cyberdata destroyed and now we see what happens after that. There is a lot of good and bad in this issue for me as a reader. READ MORE.

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THE DARKNESS #6 REVIEWS

brokenfrontier.com
The battle between evil and, well … more evil continues in The Darkness, Issue #6. It’s just taken on a new form.

Spoiler alert: There is some peripheral information about the identity of Jackie Estrada’s new foe … so if you think you’d rather read the issue first, take off now. READ MORE.

thequarterbin.com
As with many new series, or relaunches in this case, I generally give the creative team one arc to get me hooked into staying with the title. When Phil Hester and Michael Broussard were announced as the creative team behind Top Cow’s Darkness restart, I had a feeling I might be staying for more than six issues. After reading through this final chapter of “Empire,” that feeling was more than confirmed.
READ MORE.

www.girlsentertainmentnetwork.com
In the last issue, Jackie Estacado was left literally broken (in half) after struggling to regain his power, and his Darkness-created lover Elle gave birth to their son: a being of pure Darkness.

But apparently I missed something, because Jackie’s all badass and feeling well. Yeah, I know it was pretty clear that he would find his way back into the heart of the Darkness again, but they could have shown some link between him being disemboweled and then strutting around the jungle popping heads. Hrm. READ MORE.

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CYBLADE #1 REVIEW

This is the comic I wanted to win Top Cow's 2007 Pilot Season contest. Original creators Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rick Mays are continuing where things left off in the Pilot issue. What I liked about that issue is rather than Cyblade the superhero, we have Cyblade the spy. This is Cyblade when she's 19 years old and working for Cyberdata. The Pilot Issue left off where Cyblade was breaking free of Cyberdata's control and found she was developing feelings for her handler, Rashell. Things started getting (more) complicated when Rashell was targeted to be assassinated for going against Cyberdata and Cyblade is to be the one to do the killing.

Fialkov has said he wants to give this series an Alias type feel (the tv show, not the comic), concentrating on the espinage and action rather than have Cyblade from her Cyberforce days. READ MORE.

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Troy Hickman talks to CBR on his Pilot Season win

Top Cow’s second annual Pilot Season competition has come and gone, and two books emerged victorious: “Twilight Guardian” and “Genius.” The two winners have each earned a new series from Top Cow, and CBR News caught up with “Twilight Guardian” writer Troy Hickman to find out what’s in store for his title character.

“Twilight Guardian is a woman who each night puts on a hoodie and a mask and patrols a nine-block area around her neighborhood,” Hickman said of his new series’ heroine. “Is she a superhero? Maybe. Is she crazy? Maybe. We're learning about her life in dribs and drabs. So far all we're sure about is that she works at a drycleaners, she lives by herself, she spends time with her mother, and she probably had some sort of romantic break-up. Also, she has 22,000 comic books, and she reads one every night (and we the readers get to see a page from each one).”

Hickman says the book has a very broad appeal, and one that is not easily summed up in solicitation copy. “It concerns twilight people, and the lonely feeling of autumn nights, and what a superhero is, and who we are as comic book readers, and about a million other things,” the writer explained. “I end up feeling like a goof because when people ask, the most accurate thing I can say is that it is what it is.” READ MORE.

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NEW WANTED MOVIE DVD / BLURAY TRAILER

CAN'T SEE IT? VIEW IT HERE.

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THE DARKNESS #7 BENEFITS THE HERO INITIATIVE

Top Cow Productions, Inc. and The Hero Initiative proudly announced today a limited-edition variant cover for The Darkness #7 drawn by Phil Hester would be available for sale at Wizard World Texas, taking place November 7-9 at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the books will benefit The Hero Initiative.
The Hero Initiative is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping comic creators in need. It provides them with emergency medical care, funds for essentials in life and assistance to get back into paying work.

The Darkness, a long-running series from Top Cow that was adapted into a hit videogame in 2007, is the continuing saga of Jackie Estacado, a former mob hitman-turned-crime boss who inherited a curse that allows him to create and control nearly anything he can imagine as long as he’s in darkness. The series is currently written by Phil Hester (FireBreather, Green Arrow) and drawn by Michael Broussard (Unholy Union). For this issue, however, guest artist Jorge Lucas (Pilot Season: Ripclaw) gives Broussard a spell, but Hester happily agreed to donate his art skills to create a special variant cover. READ MORE.

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Another interview with Troy Hickman on his Pilot Season win

For the second year Top Cow has released a collection of comics called Pilot Season. Every week a new issue comes out for a month and at the end, readers vote which story they love, etc and in the end the two most voted gets a shot for a mini-series! Today we're visited by one of the winners, Troy Hickman, writer of the Twilight Guardian! Greg: Welcome, all, to greatness that is my column Face To Greg! Today a crazy guy visits my mind in the name of Troy Hickman!




Hey, Troy, how are you doing?

Troy Hickman: I'm fit as a fiddle and ready for scripting! I'm anxious to write some comics. Quick, hand me some paper and a pen. I'm turning everyone into a Skrull. C'mere, Greg, I'm painting your face green.

Greg: Dude... (fighting Troy off) quit it! Green's not my color! Jeez. Now... can you tell us about yourself for those who are ready to become big fans of yours in the very near future?

Troy: OK, let's see if I can do this in 100 words or less (not counting anything before the colon): Troy Hickman is a comic book writer known for Pilot Season's #1 book, Twilight Guardian, as well as the double-Eisner nominated Common Grounds, City of Heroes, Witchblade, Turok, ACTOR Comics Presents, and a ton of Indy and small press books you probably haven't heard of. His work tends to be equal parts comedy and drama, and focuses on characterization. He also teaches at a college in his Hoosier homeland. He hopes to work full-time in the funny-book biz sometime soon, and is going to be putting forth his efforts to make that a reality. He can also count to 100. READ MORE.

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Top Cow January Solicitations

Velocity #1

(W) Joe Casey (A) ChrisCross (Cov) ChrisCross, Kenneth Rocafort

Another Pilot Season winner gets its “series premiere.” Cyberforce’s resident speedster, Velocity, gets her own solo series because you voted for it!
Even with her super-speed, it seems the past still has its way of catching up with Carin Taylor. When a certain blue-skinned mogul reappears in her life to make her an offer she shouldn’t refuse, Velocity discovers that saying no can get her killed!
Featuring spectacular art by ChrisCross (Captain Marvel, Firestorm) and a stunning variant cover by Kenneth Rocafort (Madame Mirage).

Cover A – ChrisCross and Snakebite
Cover B – Kenneth Rocafort

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series


Impaler #2

(W) William Harms (A) Matt Timson (Cov) Matt Timson

The massive vampire army, numbering in the millions, pushes west, out of New York and into Pennsylvania. Desperate to hold the line against the undead horrors, Lt. George Wagner leads a team of soldiers in the defense of Philadelphia. And back in New York, Victor is healed by the most potent medicine of all – Vlad’s blood.

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series


Starfall Poster

(ART BY) Randy Queen
Randy Queen’s newest heroine is making her way to Top Cow in 2009 so steel yourselves for her arrival with this magnificent, giant poster.

Full Color 24”x36” $7.99 Poster


Cyblade #4

(W) Joshua Hale Fialkov (A) Rick Mays (Cov) Rick Mays

The table is set for the final showdown between Cyblade and Cyberdata. Dominique must face her toughest foe yet, in the form of RIPCLAW! More than just her life hangs in the balance, as she must decide between her freedom and the lives of all those tortured by Cyberdata.

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series

Cyblade #1 Kenneth Rocafort Baltimore Comic-Con Variant

(W) Joshua Hale Fialkov (A) Rick Mays (Cov) Kenneth Rocafort
This stunning portrait by Rocafort (Madame Mirage) is a must-have collectible, available in limited supply.

Full Color 32 pages $10.00 convention exclusive


Pilot Season Winners Pack

(W) Joshua Hale Fialkov, Joe Casey, Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman, Troy Hickman
(A) Rick Mays, Kevin Maguire, Afua Richardson, Reza (Cov) Rick Mays, Kevin Maguire, Afua Richardson, Hendry Prasetyo

The first two years of Pilot Season have produced four winners: Cyblade and Velocity from 2007 and Genius and Twilight Guardian in 2008. Missed out on what everyone else thought was worth voting for? Here’s your chance in this discounted pack of all four issues!

Full Color 32 pages each $6.99 Comic Set (x 4)


Witchblade #124

(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic
Witchblade wielders Sara Pezzini and Dani Baptiste find themselves at odds over the fate of a girl Dani has taken on as a dance student. Could this be the end of their friendship and perhaps the start of something far more deadly? This issue sets the stage for a storyline that will change Sara, Dani and the Witchblade forever!

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series

Dragon Prince #1 David Finch B/W Lone Star Comics Variant

(W) Ron Marz (A) Lee Moder (Cov) David Finch
An exclusive convention cover by the inimitable David Finch in pristine black and white.

Full Color 32 pages $10.00 convention exclusive


Witchblade “Ring in the New Year” Pack

(W) Various (A) Various (Cov) Various
To celebrate the new year, here’s a random assortment of 10 past issues of Witchblade, offered at an unbeatable price. Sets are limited!

Full Color 32 pages each $9.99 Comic Set (x 10)


The Darkness #10/74

(W) Phil Hester (A) Michael Broussard (Cov) Dale Keown, Frazer Irving
To reclaim his soul from the demonic Sovereign, Jackie must defeat his last champion – a trailer park meth lord who happens to be immortal. Cut off from his full power, Jackie travels to the dark underbelly of the American heartland to execute a man who cannot die. Black Teeth continues the startling “Crooked” storyline and sets up the game-changing events that will alter The Darkness forever.
Artist Michael Broussard returns as we count down to the 75th issue overall of The Darkness!

Cover A – Dale Keown
Cover B – Frazer Irving

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series

Broken Trinity #2 Marc Silvestri Baltimore Comic-Con Variant

(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic, Phil Hester (Cov) Marc Silvestri
An iconic image of the Top Cow Trinity drawn by the artist who had a hand in all of their creation.

Full Color 32 pages $10.00 convention exclusive


Midnight Nation Oversized Deluxe Hardcover

(W) J. Michael Straczynski (A) Gary Frank
Midnight Nation is a thought-provoking story with religious overtones about a police officer in limbo who goes on a cross-country search for his soul but encounters some mighty obstacles along the way. J. Michael Straczynski’s provocative storytelling and the fantastic art of Gary Frank (Action Comics, Squadron Supreme) captivated readers with its mix of action, horror and drama built around a message of hope, loyalty and sacrifice.
Collected now for the first time in a deluxe, oversized hardcover, this edition includes Midnight Nation #1-#12, the Wizard #½ issue, a spectacular cover gallery and never-before-seen extras!

Full Color 304 pages $34.99 hardcover


Witchblade Vol. 6 Trade Paperback

(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic
The new era of Witchblade featuring the team of writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic begins here! The pair committed to staying on the title until at least issue #150 and their first complete arc together is collected in this trade paperback. If you’ve never read Witchblade, this is the perfect place to start!
Collects Witchblade #116-#120 and features an eye-catching cover gallery that includes pieces by Sejic, Greg Horn, Luke Ross and Marc Silvestri.

Full Color 144 pages $14.99 trade paperback

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Troy Hickman talks more about his Pilot Season win

Eisner-nominated writer Troy Hickman took a few seconds out of his busy schedule to answer some questions surrounding his recent win of Top Cow's Pilot Season contest, and his upcoming series Twilight Guardian (due out in late 2009).

Ryan Eldridge: The Twilight Guardian seems to be the exact opposite of everything one would expect from a super-hero character. What was the inspiration for the character?

Troy Hickman: Gosh, I hope she's not the exact opposite, or she'll be out there committing crimes! You have a point, though; she doesn't really follow the standard superhero template. Twilight Guardian has some inner urge that drives her to patrol the streets at night, even though she's not necessarily going to encounter Arnim Zola or the Ultra-Humanite (and if she does we'll undoubtedly be getting a cease and desist letter!). The inspiration for her comes from my own sleepless nights walking the streets of suburbia, and from all the quirky but compelling folks I've met along the way.

READ MORE.

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William Harms talks about the IMPALER series to Comic Monsters

On the heels of the first trade paperback shipping in October, Top Cow Productions, Inc. is excited to continue to publish Impaler in a new ongoing series that launches in December, written by William Harms and drawn by British newcomer Matt Timson (Popgun).

We spoke with IMPALER writer/creator, William Harms about the project.

The Big Bad Wolf: For those that have not checked out the series before, can you provide a synopsis of Impaler?

William Harms: In a nutshell, vampires attack and destroy New York City. From there, they push west, intent on destroying first the United States and then the rest of the world. The only thing standing in their way is Victor Dailey, a retiring New York City homicide detective, and Vlad Dracula, the "impaler". Vlad has spent the last 500 years in limbo, waiting for the vampires to return, and he's not a happy camper. READ MORE.

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Mention of FRESHMEN comic in interview with Seth Green

Seth Green might be a comic actor, but he takes acting very seriously — even for a cameo, and even for a movie like “Sex Drive.”

“I’m straight-up Daniel Day Lewis the way I approached the role,” Green boasted.

To portray an Amish character named Ezekiel — even an Amish character who has spent a lengthy amount of time outside the Amish community — Green did his research. He watched “Witness.” He watched “Kingpin.” And then he went Method.

“I spent time in Pennsylvania,” he claimed. “I interned at Dutch Wonderland. I learned how to make soap and rope.” READ MORE.

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Review of THE DARKNESS #6

The Story: After embracing the Darkness in order to survive being blown to bits, Jackie Estacado faces off against his child, a being borne of nothing but pure Darkness. It is a battle of revenge-fueled rage versus primal, ancient evil as the Empire arc comes to an explosive conclusion.

What’s Good: Pretty much everything. Jackie Estacado continues to be one of the most compelling comic characters around, and this issue of The Darkness is a prime example of why. For a book that focuses almost entirely on the action, this one has a surprising amount of depth. And as far as action is concerned, it doesn’t get much better than this. The epic battle is visually stunning, full of entertaining banter, and it all resolves in a surprisingly clever fashion.
READ MORE.

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NEW DARKNESS TRADE TO BE OFFERED FOR $4.99 IN COMIC SHOPS

In an effort to reach out to new and lapsed readers and retailers of The Darkness, Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced it will be offering the upcoming THE DARKNESS: ACCURSED Vol. 1 trade paperback for the discounted price of $4.99.
The Darkness: Accursed Vol. 1 will contain the initial storyline by current series writer Phil Hester (Green Arrow, Firebreather) and artist Michael Broussard (Unholy Union). The six-issue story, entitled “Empire,” kicks off the third and most current volume of The Darkness, which Hester took over writing in December 2007. It is an ideal jumping-on point for readers interested in discovering the modern Darkness series. The collection will also contain a cover gallery featuring pieces by Dale Keown and Stjepan Sejic.
“The Darkness: Accursed Vol. 1 represents not only a fresh start for new readers, but a dramatic turn of events for longtime fans of the book or the video game,” explained Phil Hester. “You don’t need to know every last detail of Jackie Estacado’s past. If you ever played the game or read the book and imagined yourself in Jackie’s shoes, as I have, this storyline is a logical extension of those thoughts. And if you’re simply looking for blood-spattered mayhem, sexy femme fatales, gritty crime, plus a dose of existential horror, we got that, too!”
Anyone who is apprehensive about picking up this book because they think have to read up on past Darkness issues, no need to worry. READ MORE.

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The Comic Addiction reviews DARKNESS #6

Last issue of the Darkness ended with Jackie lying torn in half and the Darkness being born into its own body. Needless to say, things were not looking good and it made my mind wonder - what's going to happen next?
We don't get a lot of explanation in this issue as to how Jackie is able to pull himself back together. We're told that the only reason he was able to was because the Darkness entity was weak upon its "birth" and wasn't in full control of all of the Darkness. OK. I can buy that. As convenient as it may seem to some, it makes sense to me, so I'm good with it. Last issue's ending saw Jackie making a decision to fully embrace the Darkness and this lack of control by the Darkness entity works because not even the Darkness would have given Jackie the credit he deserves from the dialogue we get during this issue.

There is a lot of action in this issue, but I almost looked past it because of the inner dialogue Jackie was having as well as what the Darkness was telling Jackie as they fought. There are moments when the Darkness doesn't seem to be evil, in the truest sense of the word. The Darkness questioned Jackie's decisions he's made in his life. One of the biggest was with the power of the Darkness Jackie could have ended war in the world, but chose to be a mobster. Could the Darkness bring peace to the world? If it did, what would the world be like? Its an interesting concept that Phil Hester is putting out there in that statement. READ MORE.

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WITCHBLADE ANIME ON ITUNES

Funimation and Top Cow Productions, Inc. are excited to announce “Witchblade – The Anime Series” is now available on iTunes. Fans can download the first episode for free from now until October 26th.
From the renowned anime studio GONZO, Witchblade is the saga of a woman who must bear the burden of a terrible force of destruction known as the Witchblade. Based on the comic book series from Top Cow Productions, the anime series goes into the future to tell the tale of a new bearer of the Witchblade and the conspiracy that surrounds her burden. Witchblade is the first U.S. comic book property to be made into an anime.
Masane Amaha is a woman on the fringe of society, bouncing rootless from town to town with no memory of the past and no clue as to what the future holds. But upon her arrival back in Tokyo, chance and circumstance conspire to unleash the fury of the Witchblade. The ancient weapon stirs. Conscripted into the service of the Doji Group and hunted down by the emissaries of the NSWF, Masane will find herself an unwilling ground zero for the swelling chaos fast approaching.
A new bearer of the Witchblade has been chosen. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin.
Download the Episode.

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Ron Marz talks about his exclusive deal with Top Cow on CBR

Top Cow recently announced that “Witchblade” writer Ron Marz has signed an exclusive contract with the company for the next three years. As part of the deal, Marz is slated to continue his work in the Top Cow Universe with titles like "Broken Trinity," as well as produce a number of creator-owned works under the Top Cow banner, the first of which is the recently debuted "Dragon Prince." CBR News caught up with Marz to get the details on his upcoming projects.

There were a number of reasons Marz decided to put all of his eggs in one basket. “The majority of the projects I had lined up were going to be at Top Cow anyway,” the writer told CBR. “And they made a component of the deal an ability for me to come in and do a fairly regular stream of creator-owned work, which, frankly, you’re not going to find at most other publishers that do work-for-hire. And more than anything, probably the fact that I just enjoy working for those guys a hell of a lot. They’ve treated me great since day one. They have a fairly hands-off editorial policy, which means I can tell the stories that I want to tell in the way I want to tell them. And I like everybody I work with, so there really wasn’t a downside.” READ MORE.

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Ron Marz teases the upcoming War of Witchblades storyline:

Back in Witchblade #103 Sara Pezzini, the modern-day bearer of the Witchblade gave it up...well, gave part of it up, to Danielle Baptiste. Transference of powers, right? A staple of comic book characters where a legacy is passed on to another.

Well, not quite so simple.

While Dani has wielded her portion of the Witchblade since (the series is currently on issue #121) Sara has remained in the background, as a large chunk of the storyline focuses on her and her new baby (born in the First Born event, collected in the Witchblade volume 5 trade). Apparently, there’s a battle a ‘brewin’.

Beginning in issue #125, Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic will tell the six part “War of the Witchblade,” which will show just what happens when you split the Witchblade between two bearers. The covers at right are to Witchblade #125 and are by Chris Bachalo. READ MORE.

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Lying in the Gutters debuts Kenneth Rocafort’s variant covers to VELOCITY #1

"Velocity," one of the winners of Top Cow's Pilot Season 2007 is finally getting a series in 2009 by Joe Casey and ChrisCross. READ MORE.

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CBR selects Sara Pezzini as one of its top 5 Italian-American Superheroes

In honor of Columbus Day, here’s the Top Five Italian-American superheroes!!

Enjoy! READ MORE.

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CBR writer and his 11-year-old daughter review DRAGON PRINCE #2

The all-ages adventure of Aaron Chiang and his mother continues in a new issue of the first storyline in this Top Cow comic.

Marz picks up right where he left off in the first issue, with Aaron and his mother on the precipice of a terrible calamity. Aaron carries the lineage of dragons in his veins, and that lineage is the target of a secretive enclave looking to eliminate dragons through their own magic.

Moder's art here is strong and clean, aptly aided by the colors of Blond (that just seems weird to type). Moder's work has evolved quite substantially since his days on "Stars and STRIPE," almost to the point where his work here feels like it could be a completely different artist. A very keenly detailed, clean-lined different artist, but different nonetheless. The sensibilities of Moder's design here are more straightforward, more cinematic, than they were in "Stars." Here, that works very well. It provides a realism to this tale that might otherwise be hard to grasp, given the fantastic nature of the feature characters.
READ MORE.

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Nerdage podcast reviews DRAGON PRINCE #2

Kyle Roberts and I hit on some of the week’s biggest comics, including Action Comics 870, Deadpool 3, Dragon Prince 2 and X-Men Original Sin.
I’m aware that as I post this, the date is wrong on the vodcast.

– Matt Price

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Milo Ventimiglia talks Berserker comic

WIZARD: Where did the idea for Berserker (arriving in 2009 from Top Cow) come from?
VENTIMIGLIA: Berserker came from the great brain of Rick Loverd. He was a staff writer on "Friday Night Lights." Russ [Cundiff], my producing partner at Divide, and I had a meeting with him talking about projects he was working on or wanting to work on. He passed us Berserker and we just fell in love with this almost pilot script that he had written. We try and look for guys that are much like ourselves, that are very passionate about the projects that they're working on, and Rick has no lack of passion on Berserker.

What is Berserker about?
VENTIMIGLIA: Berserker is about a group of people that find out that they're a part of this ancient Norse mythology and they have something in their body make-up that makes them go into a murderous rage, to literally go berserk and rip people, life and limb, apart. The scary thing is that they can't distinguish when they're going berserk. When they're "'zerking out," they can't distinguish between an enemy and a loved one. You may be in a battle and rip apart all your enemies, but you turn toward your comrades and you rip them apart, too.
READ MORE.

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TOP COW SKATEBOARDS

Top Cow Productions, Inc. and Graphic Image Skateboards are proud to announce new Witchblade and Darkness skateboards are available for purchase starting November 1, 2008. Pre-orders are now being accepted.

These skateboards are available as deck only, complete with trucks and wheels, and are made from seven plies of hard rock maple and feature high-resolution graphics that are nothing short of spectacular. A very limited number of skateboards are available signed by Top Cow Productions founder and CEO Marc Silvestri, who co-created Witchblade and The Darkness.

“The partnership with Top Cow is simply surreal to me,” marveled Andrew Brousseau, founder of Graphic Image Skateboards. “When Image and Top Cow were founded back in 1992, it really revitalized for me the excitement that was once found in visiting the local comic book store. And so in partnering up with Top Cow today to make skateboards, I really feel it’s an incredible opportunity to revitalize the excitement that was once found in buying a new skateboard deck.” READ MORE.

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GEN reviews Madame Mirage TP

From the magical mind of Paul Dini (Countdown, Detective Comics) comes a new, original femme fatale story that combines elements of film noir, tech and superhero comics. Superbly drawn by rising star Kenneth Rocafort (Hunter-Killer), this volume collects “Season 1″ of this amazing story, a cover gallery, and insightful behind-the-scenes material, plus an all-new cover by Rocafort!

When they are wronged by a group of super-villains, a pair of sisters uses their technological know-how to wreak revenge, but are they overmatched, or is it all a part of the plan? With more twists than a Chubby Checker dance marathon, Madame Mirage will keep you guessing until the very end! READ MORE.

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THE DARKNESS # 6 PREVIEW

The Darkness #6
(W) Phil Hester (A) Michael Broussard (Cov) Dale Keown, Stjepan Sejic

The smashing conclusion of the “Empire” storyarc is here, as Jackie Estacado faces off against a foe that is pure evil incarnate. Matching brains and brawn against this formidable enemy will test Jackie’s strength, acumen and resolve as it becomes clear to him that The Darkness power is more than just a sinister force – it is an agent of rage-filled destruction hell-bent on ridding itself of Jackie once and for all. Writer Phil Hester (Superman: Confidential, Green Arrow) and rising star Michael Broussard (Unholy Union) put the stamp on their momentous first arc on The Darkness.

Cover A – Dale Keown
Cover B – Stjepan Sejic

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
SEE THE PREVIEW.

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Comic Geek Speak interviews Troy Hickman about winning Pilot Season

Twilight Guardian was one of the two winners of this year's Pilot Season contest at Top Cow. We spoke with writer Troy Hickman about his creation as well as his history with comics. (53:31) READ MORE.

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WANTED DVD Set for Release on December 2

Uni eyes home video for the holidays
DVD, Blu-ray gift sets include 'Wanted,' 'Incredible Hulk'

Universal Studios Home Entertainment this week is announcing an ambitious ramp-up in its home video gift set initiative, hoping that one secret to success in these rocky economic times lies in the hearts of collectors.

The studio has unveiled an unprecedented slate of 11 gift sets aimed at holiday shoppers, encompassing new theatrical releases and catalog titles. And for the first time, Blu-ray Disc is a factor; last year at this time Universal was still an exclusive supporter of the HD DVD format, which finally bowed out of the high-def format war last February.

"We've learned from experience that home entertainment enthusiasts eagerly look forward to such collectible editions of their favorite films and TV shows," said Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Three of the theatrical releases coming to home video in both the DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats: "The Incredible Hulk," coming Oct. 21; "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," due Nov. 11; and "Wanted," arriving in stores Dec. 2.

Click here to read more of the story, including what extras are going to be on the WANTED DVD.

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Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman talk about winning Pilot Season

These days, you know when something's popular when it produces a sequel. And for Top Cow, last year's Pilot Season contest proved so popular that they quickly brought it back for a second round earlier this year. The now-annual initiative pits six one-shot "pilot comics" head-to-head for two spots as ongoing series. After all issues are released, Top Cow allows readers to vote for their favorite.


READ MORE.

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Reflections with Ron Marz

The journey to get “Dragon Prince” from the heads of creators Ron Marz and Jeff Johnson to the stands of your local comic book store was quite a long one, encompassing two publishers, one replacement artist, and five years. Finally, a little over a month ago, the first issue of the four-issue “Dragon Prince” miniseries was released by Top Cow. Lee Moder has taken over the art duties from Johnson, who is still providing the covers, but the concept has changed little since it was originally formed all those years ago.

“Dragon Prince” centers on Aaron, a boy of thirteen, who is raised by his mother and is an outsider at school.

READ MORE.

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READ DRAGON PRINCE #1 FREE

Dragon Prince #1
(W) Ron Marz (A) Lee Moder (Cov) Jeff Johnson, Stjepan Sejic

Writer Ron Marz has revitalized Witchblade and is the architect behind the acclaimed First Born and Broken Trinity crossover events. Now, joined by artist Lee Moder (First Born: Aftermath, Painkiller Jane), Marz debuts DRAGON PRINCE, a four-part modern fantasy with equal doses of magic and martial arts mayhem.

Like a lot of teenagers, Aaron Chiang feels he’s never fit in, though he’s never known why. But all that changes when he learns the truth of his heritage: He is the Dragon Prince, last of his kind and heir to the bloodline of all dragons. Hunted to the brink of extinction by a secret society of wizards, dragonkind’s survival is now in Aaron’s hands.

Featuring spectacular covers by Jeff Johnson (Amazing Spider-Man), Stjepan Sejic (Witchblade) and David Finch (New Avengers)!

READ DRAGON PRINCE #1.

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TOP COW TO LAUNCH NEW VAMPIRE ONGOING SERIES IN DECEMBER

IMPALER #1
Follows October release of trade paperback that collected the first story arc

On the heels of the first trade paperback shipping in October, Top Cow Productions, Inc. is excited to continue to publish Impaler in a new ongoing series that launches in December, written by William Harms and drawn by British newcomer Matt Timson (Popgun).

After seeing the potential in the property based on the story in the Impaler Vol. 1 trade paperback (Diamond item no. AUG082292), Top Cow quickly commissioned creator and writer Harms for more. READ MORE.

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Troy Hickman talks about winning Pilot Season

These days, you know when something's popular when it produces a sequel. And for Top Cow, last year's Pilot Season contest proved so popular that they quickly brought it back for a second round earlier this year. The now-annual initiative pits six one-shot "pilot comics" head-to-head for two spots as ongoing series. After all issues are released, Top Cow allows readers to vote for their favorite.

This year, the two titles that made it to the winner's circle were Twilight Guardian and Genius. In fact, Twilight Guardian received the highest number of votes, totaling 29% of the over all vote. Amid the celebration, we've tracked down Twilight Guardian creator/writer Troy Hickman to talk about winning and what's next. READ MORE.

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Dragon Prince #1 is online for free at Aint It Cool Comics.

We previewed Top Cow’s DRAGON PRINCE #1 by Ron Marz and Lee Moder a few weeks ago. The good folks at Top Cow want to let you all read it here for free before making your way to the comic store this Wednesday for issue two. Check out the entire first issue. READ MORE.

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Review: Witchblade #121

After last issue’s Dani-heavy storyline, Witchblade #121 puts the focus back on Sara Pezzini. This issue brings Sara and her partner (in more ways than one!) Detective Gleason to Crown Heights in order to investigate the brutal murder of a rabbi in a devout Jewish community. Hit the jump for more. READ MORE.

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