Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Top Cow October 2008 Solicitations

OCTOBER 2008 CHECKLIST

Cyblade #1 Joshua Hale Fialkov/Rick Mays/Kenneth Rocafort $2.99
Broken Trinity: Witchblade Ron Marz/Nelson Blake II/Jeffrey Spokes $2.99
The Darkness #9/73 Phil Hester/Jorge Lucas/Dale Keown $2.99
Dragon Prince #2 Ron Marz/Lee Moder/Jeff Johnson/Oeming $2.99
Impaler Vol. 1 Trade Paperback Harms/Marinkovich/Postic/Tsai/Leon $14.99
The Art of Wanted Hardcover Top Cow’s Finest $29.99
Witchblade Compendium Vol. 2 Hardcover Top Cow’s Finest $99.99
READ MORE.










Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Pilot Season : The Core Preview

Pilot Season: The Core #1

(W) Jonathan Hickman (A) Kenneth Rocafort (Cov) Jonathan Hickman


The Core is the center of the known universe where ancient and well-established species have created powerful empires, federations and cooperatives. The Core is also the most dangerous place in existence, and younger races are not welcomed warmly. When the first human is appointed to an extraterrestrial Special Forces unit, the soldier must first earn the respect of his peers as he fights for the recognition of his species.
The writing of critically acclaimed scribe Jonathan Hickman (Nightly News, Pax Romana) and the distinct stylings of Madame Mirage artist Kenneth Rocafort combine for this unique Pilot Season book!

Full Color 32 pages $3.99 Pilot Issue BUY NOW.







SDCC '08 - Top Cow Panel

A room filled to capacity greeted the Top Cow panelists as they made their way to the stage Saturday afternoon at San Diego Comic-Con. The gathering featured bumper crop of panelists for the roughly hour-long panel included: Joshua Hale Fialkov, Publisher Philip Sablik, Paul Dini, Founder Marc Silvestri, President Matt Hawkins, Clayburn Moore, Seth Green, Hugh Sterbakov, William Harms, Randy Queen, Sarah Oaks, Ron Marz, and Editor Rob Levin. READ MORE.




Magdalena casting announcement on IGN

Goss, the British actor who played baddie Prince Nuada in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, has signed on to star in Magdalena, a feature film based on the Top Cow comic of the same name. Jenna Dewan (Step Up, The Grudge 2) has also been cast in the film. READ MORE.




CBR covers Turner Tribute panel @ SDCC

On Sunday afternoon at Comic-Con International in San Diego, a large panel of industry professionals gathered in two rows on the dais along with a packed room of fans and other friends to remember beloved comic book artist Michael Turner, who recently passed away from cancer at age 37. READ MORE.




CCI: Image Gets "United"

With the pre-show announcement that writer Robert Kirkman would become the first partner at the company since its 1992 founding, Image Comics seemed to have unleashed its biggest piece of news before this year's Comic-Con International even began. READ MORE.




"Magdalena" stars to make Comic-Conappearance

Top Cow Productions Inc. announced today that actors Jenna Dewan (“Step up,” “The Grudge 2”) and Luke Goss (“Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “Blade II”), who were recently announced as starring in a movie based on The Magdalena comic series, will appear at the publisher’s panel on Saturday, July 26 at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about their involvement with the project. In addition, the actors will sign “Magdalena” posters at the Top Cow booth (#2329) after the panel. Dewan will also appear at the Top Cow booth on Friday for an hour-long signing. READ MORE.




Myspace Comics Previews Twilight Guardian and Broken Trinity

MySpace Comic Books has previews of Twilight Guardian and Broken Trinity #1 READ MORE.



Wizard's Quarterback reviews Broken Trinity #1

Sara Pezzini is out playing mom when she realizes she's being followed by one of Jackie Estacado's goons, a fact she's none too happy about. But this goon in question holds the key to an ancient artifact, which is sure to pop up and threaten both the Witchblade, the Darkness and the Angelus. Meanwhile, you get some radical flashbacks to ancient Norse times, where Frost Giants and Fire Demons are throwing down like it's "Braveheart" time. READ MORE.




Rotten Tomatoes covers Magdalena and Witchblade movie announcements

Red Sonja isn't the only "bad girl" to get movie news this week. Nope, Hollywood has finally figured out that guys may like scantily clad girls, but they LOVE scantily clad girls with sharp pointy objects. So, the Witchblade movie continues to develop, with Michael Rymer, READ MORE.




Witchblade TV series covered in The Oklahoman

The tale of the Witchblade, an ancient weapon first seen in comics, blazed the path for original cable TV programming, says the publisher of the "Witchblade” comic books. "Witchblade,” the television series, will be released Tuesday on DVD. READ MORE.




Newsarama reviews Witchblade TV Series DVD collection

Way back when, before Turner decided its TNT channel should be all-comedy, it tried to go toe-to-toe with the likes of FX and Spike. One of its more daring dramas was to make a series out of Top Cow’s Witchblade. READ MORE.




Birth Of A Comic

Blair Butler visits Top Cow Productions to find out what goes into making a comic-book, from concept to publication.



HAVING PROBLEMS SEEING THIS MOVIE CLICK HERE.


Fresh Ink Genius review



HAVING PROBLEMS SEEING THIS MOVIE CLICK HERE.



Wanted comic vs movie review



HAVING PROBLEMS SEEING THIS MOVIE CLICK HERE.



Saturday, July 26, 2008

Matt Hawkins talks “Witchblade” movie

Last month, the big screen adaptation of Top Cow’s “Witchblade” was officially announced. The franchise, which has already spawned a two-season TV series back in 2000 and more recently a Japanese anime, is being developed for a live-action theatrical release by Platinum Studios, Top Cow Productions and Arclight Films. Top Cow’s Marc Silverstri and Matt Hawkins are executive producing the film, and CBR News caught up with Hawkins to get some early details on the fledgling production. READ MORE.




Friday, July 25, 2008

SDCC '08 - Image Founders Unite in Image United


Image United will give a whole new meaning to the term "jam session."

As announced at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, the Image United mini-series that debuts next year will be created by six of the artists who founded the publishing company 16 years ago -- Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino, Rob Liefeld, Whilce Portacio, and Todd McFarlane -- along with the newest Image partner, writer Robert Kirkman. But what is really different about this jam session is that each artist will draw the characters he created -- sometimes meaning one scene of the series will have six artists working on it. READ MORE.



Thursday, July 24, 2008

TOP COW ANNOUNCES THE MAGDALENA MOVIE

Meet the stars of the upcoming film based on Top Cow’s holiest character

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 23, 2008 – Top Cow Productions Inc. announced today that actors Jenna Dewan (“Step up,” “The Grudge 2”) and Luke Goss (“Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “Blade II”), who were recently announced as starring in a movie based on The Magdalena comic series, will appear at the publisher’s panel on Saturday, July 26 at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about their involvement with the project. In addition, the actors will sign “Magdalena” posters at the Top Cow booth (#2329) after the panel. Dewan will also appear at the Top Cow booth on Friday for an hour-long signing. READ MORE.




Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Marc Silvestri Talks Witchblade, Magdalena Films

Still hot on the heels of the successful film adaptation of Wanted, Top Cow Productions has movement on two more movie projects for their comic book properties.

As rumored last month and confirmed on Monday by Variety, Michael Rymer of Battlestar Galactica fame will direct and co-produce a film version of the Top Cow character Witchblade. READ MORE.




Tuesday, July 22, 2008

TOP COW ANNOUNCES 2008 SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON


July 22, 2008 – Top Cow Productions Inc. announced its schedule today
for this week’s San Diego Comic-Con, the nation’s biggest and best comics and pop culture extravaganza to be held at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California from July 23 - 27.
Top Cow will set up shop at Booth #2329 and heads into the convention with exclusives,
preview books, free goodies and a long list of guests, headlined by Top Cow CEO and founder Marc Silvestri (Witchblade, The Darkness, Cyberforce), artist J.G. Jones (Wanted) and writer Paul Dini (Madame Mirage).

Actor and producer Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy) and writer Hugh Sterbakov
will be on hand to sign copies of their new Freshmen comic, Freshmen: Summer Vacation
Special and the new Vol. 1 hardcover. During their signing (see schedule below), they will be joined by renowned sculptor Clayburn Moore to premiere the prototype of the Nightmare Puppeteer Torso Statue, based on the lead female Freshmen character. The limited-run statue will ship in early 2009 but will be available for pre-order at Comic-Con and comes with a signed Certificate of Authenticity and an exclusive mini-litho, available only at the signing. READ MORE.



True Blood: The Great Revelation PREVIEW

On behalf of our partners at Spacedog Entertainment, we are pleased to give you the first look at pages from True Blood: The Great Revelation, a print and online comic book based on HBO’s new original series created by Alan Ball, True Blood℠.

HBO and Top Cow Productions have partnered to release the comic series, True Blood: The Great Revelation, which serves as the prequel to the upcoming HBO series “True Blood” by Alan Ball (“Six Feet Under,” “American Beauty”) and based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. The comic book is written by David Wohl (Witchblade, The Darkness) with art by Jason Badower (HEROES online comic), colored by Blond and story by Brian Cain and Gregg Hale (“The Blair Witch”) at Campfire.

The printed version of the book premieres at San Diego Comic-Con and will be available free of charge to Comic-Con attendees (visit the Top Cow at booth #2329). The first full 16 pages of the story will be available starting July 24th at HBO.com/TrueBlood, with new installations every Wednesday. The book contains eight pages of bonus material that includes an interview with Alan Ball. The back cover features poster art from the series which premieres online today and in print on Thursday.

Here’s a brief summary of the story:
True Blood: The Great Revelation tells of a world where vampires emerge from the shadows to join everyday society. After centuries of living in darkness, they are able to make their presence known with the advent of a synthetic blood – Tru Blood – created by a Japanese company, which allows them to co-exist peacefully with humans without murderous feedings. But for many humans this revelation is greeted with the fear of the unknown. In the midst of a new community of people struggling for acceptance in society, the ancient and wise “Vampire King” of California, Lamar, is summoned to Tokyo for a meeting with the executives of the company that produces Tru Blood, where he’ll learn of their broader aspirations and the role they’ve devised for him.

HBO will also be hosting a panel session with Alan Ball & Charlaine Harris and the cast of “True Blood” on Thursday, July 24 at 4:30pm in room 6CDEF of the San Diego Convention Center.

For more on the show and the comic, visit HBO.com/TrueBlood.

“True Blood” premieres Sunday, September 7th at 9pm, on HBO.





Monday, July 21, 2008

Michael Rymer signs on to direct Witchblade movie

"Battlestar Galactica" stalwart Michael Rymer will direct and co-produce "Witchblade," a feature film adaptation of the Top Cow comic.

The fantasy, which was recently set up for movie treatment (Daily Variety, May 12), involves a jewel-encrusted gauntlet that bestows extraordinary powers upon the possessor, one chosen female from each generation. READ MORE.




CBR has sneak peek of True Blood, comic we are publishing for HBO

In anticipation of the new HBO vampire series “True Blood,” Top Cow Productions will debut at Comic-Con International in San Diego a comic book prelude one-shot to the show called “True Blood: The Great Revelation” by writer David Wohl (“Witchblade,” “The Darkness”) with art by Jason Badower (“Heroes”) with colors by Blond from a story by Brian Cain and Gregg Hale (“The Blair Witch”), and CBR brings you an exclusive preview of the first five pages. READ MORE.





The Art of Witchblade PREVIEW

The Art of Witchblade
(A) Marc Silvestri, Michael Turner, Keu Cha, Stjepan Sejic, Mike Choi, and many more! (Cov) Marc Silvestri

Beautiful artwork has always been a hallmark of the WITCHBLADE franchise, and now for the first time you can have the creme de la creme in one high-end art book! This oversized 9” x 12” softcover coffee table art book features selected works from the artists that defined the Witchblade legacy, including Marc Silvestri, Michael Turner, Keu Cha, Stjepan Sejic, Mike Choi, Francis Manapul, Randy Green and Adriana Melo. Printed on the highest-quality paper, featuring an embossed cover, and additional interviews and text pieces, this collection can’t be missed!

Full Color 96 pages $19.99 art book








Girls Entertainment Network interview with Ron Marz on BROKEN TRINITY

Girls Entertainment Network interview with Ron Marz on BROKEN TRINITY READ MORE.





Interview with Jay Faerber on PILOT SEASON: URBAN MYTHS

Jay Faerber got his start as a comic writer with Marvel, writing ‘Generation X’ and New Warriors’. In 2001 he made the move to creator owned comics and has since written and created the high profile hits ‘Noble Causes’, ‘Dynamo 5′ and ‘Gemini’ at Image Comics. A fan favourite creator, Jay has received much critical acclaim and a reputation for quality, entertaining comics. READ MORE.





Comic Vine interview with Ron Marz on BROKEN TRINITY

Comic Vine: You and Stjepan Sejic are working on Broken Trinity and Witchblade (until at least issue 150), what's it like seeing your stories with his art? It's almost scary how lifelike it can look.

Ron Marz: Well, I wouldn't have signed onto the book through 2010 if I didn't really dig what Stjepan was doing. It's a collaboration I'm really happy with. I know I can give him the epic stuff, and it's going to come back looking fantastic. But I know I can also give him dense character pages that depend on mood and expression, and he’s going to nail that, too. Stjepan is also an idea factory. He's constantly throwing ideas and designs into the mix, so this is a true collaboration, not just an assembly line where I write and he paints. READ MORE.




BROKEN TRINITY # 1 PREVIEW

Broken Trinity brings together the Witchblade, The Darkness and Angelus once more, but this time the stakes are even higher as a new artifact is discovered, forever upsetting the balance of power. By the conclusion of the crossover, a major new player will be introduced into the Top Cow Universe, while at least one established character will be gone forever. The team of Marz and Sejic that dazzled you with First Born and their ongoing adventures on Witchblade is back to change the face of the Top Cow Universe one more time. Also featuring part one of a stunning triptych variant cover by Dale Keown.









BROKEN TRINITY' #3 COVER BY DALE KEOWN

Here's a sneak peek of Dale Keown’s cover to Broken Trinity #3, which hits stores in September. It is the third part of a three-part poster—the other two parts will appear on the covers to issues #1 and #2. READ MORE.




Sunday, July 20, 2008

Exclusive Preview: Starfall Preview Book

Top Cow and Randy Queen have provided Newsarama with a preview of the Starfall Preview Book that will be available at San Diego Comic Con --- “The high concept of the series is this: Space pirates crash land on an uncharted jungle planet and unknowingly unleash a degenerative nanobot technology that turns the local dinosaur and cannibal populace into raging zombies!” explained Queen. READ MORE.




Thursday, July 17, 2008

Three’s a Crowd Ron Marz Speaks About Broken Trinity

Top Cow is bringing their own flavor to the summer blockbuster with Broken Trinity. We had a chance to speak with the crossover’s writer, Ron Marz, about the big event and what it means for Top Cow going forward. And what’s this about dating Megan Fox and Marissa Miller? Hit the jump to find out for yourself. READ MORE.




Ron Marz talks Broken Trinity

Top Cow’s 2007 “First Born” event saw Sara Pezzini -- aka Witchblade-- give birth to Darkness wielder Jackie Estacado’s child, a baby girl named Hope. This year’s “Broken Trinity” finds the three pillars of the Top Cow Universe, the Witchblade, the Darkness and the Angelus, locked in mortal combat once again. CBR News spoke to writer Ron Marz about “Broken Trinity,” a three-part event featuring art by “First Born” artist Stjepan Sejic, which Marz promises will have large and far-reaching repercussions in the Top Cow Universe. READ MORE.




Victory Lap: Joe Casey on Top Cow's Velocity

Being able to run fast has its advantages. And so does having writer Joe Casey and artist Kevin Maguire on your side.

The Top Cow character Velocity learned that lesson when the character won one of two coveted spots as an ongoing series by winning Top Cow's inaugural Pilot Season initiative. Originally created in 1992 by Marc Silvestri for his Image launch book Cyblade, Casey and Maguire's Pilot Season tale told a story of a teenage girl trying to balance a social life with a superhero. Being the fastest girl on earth can only help so much. READ MORE.




Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Universal announces Wanted video game

Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group (UPDPG) is creating a video game based on Universal Pictures' blockbuster action-thriller "Wanted", starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie. The game will be published worldwide by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and is being developed by renowned game developer GRIN, best known for its work on the Tom Clancy: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter series and the upcoming Bionic Commando. The film, which was released on June 27, 2008, has earned $192 million in worldwide box office to date. READ MORE.




Wizard SPOTLIGHT: 'BROKEN TRINITY'

Ron Marz plans on breaking apart the trinity of the Top Cow Universe, which made the naming of the company's latest three-issue summer event Broken Trinity rather easy. READ MORE.




Marc Silvestri interview

Marc Silvestri began his career at DC Comics but it was at Marvel that got his first taste of stardom, drawing Uncanny X-men from 1987 to 1990 and Wolverine from 1990 to 1992. For some that might have been the pinnacle of a comics career, but Silvestri was just getting started. In 1992 he forged an alliance with six other atists to form the breakaway comics company Image Comics. READ MORE.




ICV2 reports on Wanted sequel

In an article about Universal giving producer Marc Platt a five-year extension, Variety has confirmed that Platt has begun work on a sequel to Wanted with director Timur Bekmambetov and writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. Brandt and Haas are also working with Bekmambetov on an adaptation of Christian Gossett’s science fiction graphic novel The Red Star for Universal (see “The Red Star Optioned”). READ MORE.




2 more Urban Myths: Pilot Season REVIEWS

2 more Urban Myths: Pilot Season REVIEWS from Inked.koietai.com, & The Q Review.




Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Pilot Season: Urban Myths reviewed on Best Shots

The best thing about the Pilot Season line of titles, at least from my experience, is that the writers of the various titles really have done a good job of quickly engaging the reader. READ MORE.




Witchblade #119 a Wizard cover of the week

So you ask yourself, "why did Matt pick this cover?" Well let me tell you something personal about myself, I enjoy two (smoking hot) females, holding huge guns battling it out. READ MORE.




Marc Platt is 'Wanted' at Universal

Universal Pictures has reupped "Wanted" producer Marc Platt for five years, keeping Marc Platt Prods. on the lot through late 2012.

Deal comes as Platt begins work on "Wanted 2" with director Timur Bekmambetov and writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. READ MORE.




Monday, July 14, 2008

Review of Witchblade #119

Witchblade #119 is a quick read, but it serves as a great example of everything I like about the series. By framing the story within an internal affairs review, Ron Marz really lets Sara Pezzini shine as a character. Her story of a battle with cyborg assassin, Aphrodite, is sprinkled with sarcasm and it really adds a lot to what could have been a pretty dry tale. READ MORE.




Review of Pilot Season: Urban Myths

When I saw the Pilot Season schedule, I couldn’t help but feel that Top Cow saved the two titles with the most potential, Urban Myths and The Core, for last. Jay Faerber, author of Urban Myths, and Jonathan Hickman, author of The Core, are personal favorites of mine and I have been looking forward to their contributions to the Pilot Season for quite some time. READ MORE.




Saturday, July 12, 2008

The Witchblade anime is hitting in the UK and here’s a review of Vols. 1-3

A US comic gets the anime treatment, courtesy of the masters of style-over-substance, GONZO. You know this series is going to look good, but just for once it's not all show - there's a good show under the hood as well... READ MORE.




Witchblade is one of the superheroes we can’t live without

For every lame super hero that we've quickly forgotten over the years, the bad-ass favorites have filled the void with their larger than life abilities. Since super heroes became popular way back in the early decades of 20th century, few have stood the test of time to be considered necessary heroes. Since the super hero universe is becoming an expanding sea of super goodness, with new heroes cropping up all over the place, there are only a select few the world can't live without. READ MORE.




Comic Book Goblin reviews Pilot Season: Urban Myths

Jay Faerber has created an astoundingly original comic that deserves to be picked up for an ongoing series. Urban Myths is inventive and funny and I haven’t read such a unique comic in ages. READ MORE.




Thursday, July 10, 2008

FRESHMEN: SUMMER VACATION SPECIAL REVIEW

Its been a while since Top Cow released a new Freshmen comic, and its nice to see as its definitely an interesting new property that I'd love to see more of. The first two series were really well done, very enjoyable, and I'd love to see more of the kids and their stories. Its clear that Sterbakov loves his kids too, and has plenty more stories to tell with them, especially from this one-shot. The plot of this one-shot is fairly simple, based on the format, but its also a lot of fun, with some surprising depth and characterization. From the beginning, its the atmosphere, sense of humor and characterization which Sterbakov has utilized to make this a compelling series to read, and this one-shot is no different. It ends on a somewhat sombre note, but its an appropriate one, especially after the last two series and now this one-shot.
READ MORE.



Wednesday, July 09, 2008

The Quarter Bin reviews Witchblade #119

A new storyline kicks off in this week’s Witchblade, and we’ve got an advance review/preview for you guys. Hit the jump to see just what Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic have to do with this green-eyed vixen. READ MORE.




Joshua Hale Fialkov talks Cyblade

ast year, five one-shot comic books and their creative teams competed for the change to become ongoing series in Top Cow's inaugural Pilot Season initiative. Only two could win, and the winners were determined by fans' voting on Top Cow's myspace website. Over 4.1 million votes were cast, and when the dust settled there were two winners: Cyblade and Velocity. READ MORE.




Review: Pilot Season Genius

The latest edition into the Top Cow pilot program, Genius, answers the question of what would happen if the mind of Genghis Khan was placed into the body of a teenage gangbanger. Seventeen-year-old prodigy Destiny was born on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Able to anticipate the moves of any individual before they make it, she does what any person would do with these abilities: declare war on the LAPD. Uniting the local gang members in the neighborhood, Destiny creates an army in an effort to take back her streets and possibly even Los Angeles itself. READ MORE.




Witchblade & Urban Myth Reviews

A complete turn around. This is the best way to describe the past 30-some issues. Interest in this book has skyrocketed since acclaimed veteran Ron Marz took over as writer. He started off with a major bang and hasn’t slowed down since. Witchblade has claimed her spot as the rightful cornerstone of the Top Cow Universe. READ MORE.




Reflections: Hugh Sterbakov

It’s not quite time to call the crazy superpowered kids from Top Cow’s sleeper-hit series sophomores, but it’s getting darn close.

The first two volumes of “Freshmen,” co-created by Hugh Sterbakov and Seth Green and written by Sterbakov, covered the first year in the lives of average college students who just happened to be in a lab when a mad scientist’s experiments went horribly awry, giving them strange powers and abilities. One character can jump into other people’s minds and control them, two have telekinesis, one can cause earthquakes with his stomach, one can make anyone drunk with a single burp, and one grew a very long penis. READ MORE.




WIZARD SPOTLIGHT: 'URBAN MYTHS'

As a pretty big Faerberite (Noble Causes and Dynamo 5 kick all kinds of ass), news of the Image writer's involvement in Top Cow's Pilot Season got me all tingly and giddy inside. Compounded by the fact that his story revolved around a world infused with elements of Greek mythology—of which I'm a nerdy aficionado of—the days leading to the release of Urban Myths seemed almost endless. But like a refreshing glass of warm milk on a cold and bitter night, the boys at Top Cow sent over a preview copy of the book to save me from my madness—or for review. Either way, it works READ MORE.




TOP COW ART GALLERY

BRAVE NEW WORLD IN SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA
HOSTS ‘TOP COW’ GALLERY SHOW

Original artwork by Marc Silvestri, Eric Basaldua, Michael Broussard and Sheldon Mitchell to be on display and for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society
in Michael Turner’s honor

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 8, 2008 – Brave New World Comics, Santa Clarita, California’s premiere pop culture superstore, is excited to announce An Evening with Top Cow Productions, featuring the art of Marc Silvestri and the Top Cow Crew.

Brave New World Comics, a recent nominee for the Eisner Spirit of Retailing award, has a long history of working closely with artists and creators. “The Gallery space is a big part of why we moved into this location,” says Atom!, (the proprietor with particularly pithy punctuation). He continues, “We have had a couple of soft openings since the Gallery opened in March, and we are thrilled to have the Top Cow Crew as our first mainstream comic book event. I’ve seen the art, and our customers are going to be blown away!”

Top Cow Productions, Inc. is one of four autonomous studios that comprise Image Comics. Founded by Marc Silvestri, a 27-year comic book veteran, Top Cow has long held a tradition of producing great artists, including Turner, David Finch, Joe Benitez, Brandon Peterson, Billy Tan, Francis Manapul, Mike Choi and Tyler Kirkham. With Silvestri and current studio artists Eric Basaldua, Michael Broussard and Sheldon Mitchell, Top Cow publisher Filip Sablik is excited about the show and says, “Marc has always said that he’d stack the fine talent in our studio against any fine art gallery show and we’re thrilled that Brave New World is giving us the opportunity to showcase our artists in their beautiful new gallery space. It will be a rare opportunity for fans of Top Cow to see some of the originals, up close and personal, and see for themselves the level of craftsmanship and artistry that goes into each page.”

The gallery opening and reception will be held in the Gallery @ BNW on Saturday July 12th, at 8 p.m., with the 20-plus pieces of original comic art by the artists on display through the middle of August. Admission is free, and all of the artwork on display will be for sale. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Cancer Society, in the name of artist Michael Turner. “We have great respect for the creators in our industry, and losing Michael has made us all appreciate the dedication that these artists have to their work and their fans,” added Portlyn, co-owner of Brave New World Comics.

Brave New World Comics is located at 22722 Lyons Ave., in Santa Clarita, at the corner of Lyons Ave. and Chestnut, in the yellow Victorian buildings. For additional information, please contact Atom! Freeman, owner of Brave New World Comics and Gallery @ 661.259.4745,
atom@bravenewworldcomics.com.




Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Freshmen: Summer Vacation Special review

Top Cow's great series is back with a really fun summer special. Written by Hugh Sterbakov with pencils by Sheldon Mitchell this summer special has a great story and some cool extra features. READ MORE.





Pilot Season: Urban Myths review

It’s time once again for the next installment in Top Cow’s Pilot Season 2008. Things are more heated than I ever thought they would be, with this week’s entry into the contest being yet another serious contender. Who would have thought that a comic about a big guy in a mask would quickly become my favorite of all this year’s Pilot Season books? Hit the jump to find out what Urban Myths #1 is all about before it goes on sale later this week. READ MORE.




Interview with Pilot Season: Urban Myths writer Jay Faerber

Do you know the way to New Athens?

OK, maybe you haven't heard of it. It's in a world where Greek mythology is the religion of choice, and those Greek gods themselves make it a point to meddle in the lives of the citizens. These gods serve as both the religion people pray to, but also active participants in their everyday lives. For all your godly problems, there's someone you can call: private eye Jack Medusa. From his surname you can guess who his mother is, and like his mother he has a face that can turn people to stone – maybe that's why he wears a mask. READ MORE.

Brave New World hosts Top Cow art opening

Brave New World Comics, Santa Clarita’s premier pop culture superstore, is excited to announce An Evening with Top Cow Productions, featuring the art of Marc Silvestri and the Top Cow Crew.

Brave New World Comics, a recent nominee for the Eisner Spirit of Retailing award, has a long history of working closely with artists and creators. “The Gallery space is a big part of why we moved into this location”, says Atom!, (the proprietor with particularly pithy punctuation). He continues, “We have had a couple of soft openings since the Gallery opened in March, and we are thrilled to have the Top Cow crew as our first mainstream comic book event. I’ve seen the art, and our customers are going to be blown away!” READ MORE.

IN STORES THIS WEEK

Witchblade #119
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic, Luke Ross

A mysterious green-haired assassin is running amok in Manhattan, and not even New York City’s Finest can stop her. But there’s one more cop standing in the killer’s path, and she’s armed with more than her department-issue revolver. The Top Cow crossover no one predicted!
Cover A – Stjepan Sejic
Cover B – Luke Ross




Pilot Season: Urban Myths #1
(W) Jay Faerber (A) Jorge Molina (Cov) Jorge Molina

Journey to New Athens — a modern-day world where humans still worship the Greek Gods and the Greek Gods still meddle in the lives of men. In this world, if you think your wife’s cheating on you, first you pray to Aphrodite for a way to win her back. If that doesn’t work, you hire Jack Medusa, private eye, to get the goods on film. Son of the infamous Medusa, Jack wears a metal mask to protect the people around him. He’s a social leper but a damn good P.I., and he takes on cases the police won’t touch.

This Pilot Season entry comes from fan-favorite writer Jay Faerber (Dynamo 5, Noble Causes) and fresh newcomer Jorge Molina (Superman/Batman Annual). BUY NOW




Monday, July 07, 2008

Comic Vine reviews Pilot Season: Urban Myths

Journey to New Athens — a modern-day world where humans still worship the Greek Gods and the Greek Gods still meddle in the lives of men. In this world, if you think your wife’s cheating on you, first you pray to Aphrodite for a way to win her back. If that doesn’t work, you hire Jack Medusa, private eye, to get the goods on film. Son of the infamous Medusa, Jack wears a metal mask to protect the people around him. He’s a social leper but a damn good P.I., and he takes on cases the police won’t touch. READ MORE.





Newsarama Best Shots review of Witchblade #119

The latest issue of Witchblade is told almost entirely in a flashback sequence, which I’ve always found to be a bit annoying. Detective Sara Pezzini is being interrogated by Internal Affairs over a recent incident and Pezzini relates the details in the flashback sequence. She and her partner had just finished investigating a murder scene when she was attacked by an incredibly fast, and invisible assailant. READ MORE.






The Quarter Bin review of Freshmen: Summer Vacation Special

Last week, Top Cow and TheQuarterbin brought you a preview of Freshmen: Summer Vacation Special, a one-shot letting readers know what the supernatural students of Freese College are up to during their break. We got a chance to read the full issue, so hit the jump to hear more. READ MORE.










Interview with Pilot Season: Genius co-writer Adam Freeman

Many residents of Calabasas are known for their wealth and success, a large number of them working in the entertainment industry- either in front of or behind the camera.

Adam Freeman, executive producer for Gene Simmons' reality show "Family Jewels," operates behind the scenes, yet, without him, the busy rock 'n' roll life of the KISS front man might remain a secret from the television-viewing community. READ MORE.


Saturday, July 05, 2008

PREVIEW: WITCHBLADE # 119

Witchblade #119
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic, Luke Ross

A mysterious green-haired assassin is running amok in Manhattan, and not even New York City’s Finest can stop her. But there’s one more cop standing in the killer’s path, and she’s armed with more than her department-issue revolver. The Top Cow crossover no one predicted!

Cover A – Stjepan Sejic
Cover B – Luke Ross

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 Ongoing Series







PREVIEW: Pilot Season Urban Myths #1

Pilot Season: Urban Myths #1
(W) Jay Faerber (A) Jorge Molina (Cov) Jorge Molina

Journey to New Athens — a modern-day world where humans still worship the Greek Gods and the Greek Gods still meddle in the lives of men. In this world, if you think your wife’s cheating on you, first you pray to Aphrodite for a way to win her back. If that doesn’t work, you hire Jack Medusa, private eye, to get the goods on film. Son of the infamous Medusa, Jack wears a metal mask to protect the people around him. He’s a social leper but a damn good P.I., and he takes on cases the police won’t touch.

This Pilot Season entry comes from fan-favorite writer Jay Faerber (Dynamo 5, Noble Causes) and fresh newcomer Jorge Molina (Superman/Batman Annual).

Full Color 32 pages $3.99 Pilot Issue







Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Harms Talks Impaler

Several years back, William Harms' critically acclaimed vampire series "Impaler" was cancelled after only three issues. The series, which cast real-life Dracula Vlad the Impaler as a vampire hunter as opposed to lord of the vampires, is being revived by Harms and Top Cow, first with an "Impaler" trade, and then a new "Impaler" ongoing later this year. CBR News spoke to Harms to get the details. READ MORE.






CBR reports on Wanted

It's a hit -- and that doesn't mean "an assassination." From the minds of Mark Millar and JG Jones, the Universal Pictures release "Wanted" raked in $51 million over the weekend. The action movie averaged $16,000 per-theater, and the saga continues overseas, with $33 million from 1,922 theaters in 22 markets. READ MORE.




Hester on Word Balloon

The coverage from the Wizard World Chicago Con floor continues on this edition of the Word Balloon podcast.

Host John Siuntres spent some time with a number of creators all weekend long, and in this episode, he catches up with: READ MORE.




Wizard Covers Top Cow panel

The Top Cow panel was hosted by the following: writer Phil Hester, artist Kenneth Rocafort, publisher Filip Sablik, CEO Marc Silvestri and VP of Editorial Rob Levin.

The panel outlined Top Cow's big summer event, Broken Trinity, which they described as a thematic bookend for last year's event, First Born. It will crossover between Witchblade, Darkness and Angelus.

Darkness #5 will be going to press soon, while #6 will be going by San Diego.
READ MORE.




Newsarama talks Wanted box office

Pixar's latest entry in the summer animation market was the #1 film at the North America box office Friday, but Wanted, the R-rated Universal actioner based on Mark Millar's comic book series, may wind up the Monday "buzz" champ. The film scoring an estimated $18.8 million dollars, which would put it on pace to score some $48-50 million this weekend, well in excess of most predictions/expectations. READ MORE.




Mark Millar on Wanted Part 2

Today we wrap up our conversation with Wanted writer Mark Millar about seeing his and JG Jones Top Cow miniseries move from six comic book issues to a movie starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman opening this weekend.
READ MORE.




PVP's Scott Kurtz gives Wanted a thumbs up

WANTED was a lot better than I expected. I think it’s the first time I’ve enjoyed the movie more than the comic book it was based on. In the comic, WANTED was about Super-villains who banded together, took out all the heroes and secretly ran the world. In the movie, WANTED is about a fraternity of assassins who must kill in order to maintain the greater balance of good and evil in society.v READ MORE.




Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Freshmen: Summer Vacation Special #1 Preview

We're pleased to offer you a preview of the Freshmen: Summer Vacation Special #1, which goes on sale this Wednesday, July 2 in comic shops. In addition, we have the hardcover version of Freshmen Vol. 1 coming out this Wednesday.

Freshmen is a comic book co-created by Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy) and his childhood buddy, Hugh Sterbakov (Robot Chicken). In this extra-sized issue, writer Sterbakov picks up after the events of Freshmen II: Fundamentals of Fear. Freshmen year is over for the superpowered kids of Freese College, but just when they thought they could relax, a new threat arises in the form of a giant plant monster! The fractured team reunites to stop the menace, but defeating the monster bears parallels to some of their personal lives, and in the end, many lessons are learned.

This issue is illustrated by first-time artist Sheldon Mitchell. In addition to the brand-new story, there are Extras in the back, including a sketch gallery, the making of one of the cover, and a first look at Clayburn Moore’s Puppeteer Torso Statuette.