Guerilla Geek: Artifacts #1 Goes to Third Printing + Artifacts #0 in its Entirety

Top Cow Productions, Inc. is proud to announce that the first issue from their mega-event series, Artifacts, has sold out for a second time at Diamond and will head back to the printers for a third printing to meet demand, a first in Top Cow history.

To celebrate, and as a thanks for all your support, Top Cow is offering you Artifacts #0 in its entirety. Enjoy!

Read the full release and read Artifacts #0 in full here.
Source: Guerilla Geek

Techland's Panel of the Week: The Darkness: Four Horsemen #1

The Darkness Four Horseman #1
The Darkness is going to take on the four horseman of the apocalypse. These horseman ride Harley's and look like some stereotypical Hell's Angels. If you're going to take on an order like that you can't bring The Mystery Machine to the party, oh no. You're going to need a grinning Darknessmobile.

See more panels from this week here.
Source: Techland

Graphic Policy: Top Cow at Baltimore Comic-Con 2010

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that they will be returning to the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con, Baltimore’s premier entertainment convention, this weekend August 27-28,2010. This marks the third consecutive year the publisher has had a presence at the show.

Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik and Direct Market Liaison Atom! Freeman will be bringing writer Ron Marz (Artifacts, Witchblade) and artist Nelson Blake II to the show. Marz and Sablik (Pilot Season: The Asset, Last Mortal) will be on hand for signings both days at the Top Cow booth. In addition, Sablik will be available throughout the show for portfolio reviews for aspiring artists.

The publisher will be offering an exclusive Baltimore Comic Con variant cover to Velocity #1 for the event by Michael Broussard.

Read the full release, including mention of our panel, here.
Source: Graphic Policy

CBR Exclusive Preview: Magdalena #3

Story: Ron Marz
Art: Nelson Blake II, Sal Regla, Dave McCaig
Cover: Ryan Sook
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: Sept. 1, 2010

The Star of the Forthcoming Feature Film Gets Her Own Series!

Descended from the bloodline of Christ, Patience is the latest incarnation of the Magdalena. Armed with the Spear of Destiny, she is tasked with destroying any and all evil... even if it takes the form of a little boy. Patience might be able to destroy the boy's demonic protectors, but can she bring herself to murder a child who could ultimately prove to be innocent?

See the full preview here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama Exclusive Preview: Angelus #5

Angelus #5 (of 6)
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic

Just as Dani and Finch's relationship reaches a turning point, Dani must embrace the role of the Angelus once again, finally facing down an enemy who has lurked in the shadows and plotted her doom. Forced to make a choice between her humanity and her life as the Angelus, what will Dani choose?

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited series

See the preview pages here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama's Best Shots Advance Reviews: The Darkness: Four Horsemen #1

There's no other way to say it -- The Darkness: Four Horsemen is just plain fun. There's a real exuberance here, a no-nonsense thrill of violence, not to mention some refreshing visuals... even if you don't know much about the mobster-gone-demonic-weapon Jackie Estacado, this is the kind of book that'll make you root for the bad guy.

But let's focus on the book's true strength here -- Jeff Wamester and Felix Serrano bring the goods, with some artwork that's like a cross between David Lafuente and Rafael Albuquerque. It's particularly interesting coming from Top Cow, who you associate with the ultra-detailed linework of Nelson Blake II or the computer effects of Stjepan Sejic -- I don't think I've ever seen art like this on their books. And it looks great -- in a lot of ways, Wamester excells with people in their civilian clothes even more than the demonic armor, giving the acting and expressiveness some real weight. His composition is also really well set, particularly with a two-page sequence where the Darkness runs wild -- you combine that with some lush colorwork from Felix Serrano, and this book is worth it for the visuals alone.


Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama: Image & Top Cow November 2010 Solicitations

Some long-awaited collections, new number 1s, and of course continuing tales from Image and Top Cow are the highlights of this month’s solicitations. Scroll through to see what they have to offer for November 2010!



THE DARKNESS #89
story PHIL HESTER
art SHELDON MITCHELL
cover BANE
NOVEMBER 3
32 PAGES / FC / ONGOING SERIES
$2.99
Outer Darkness, Part 1 of 6!
With the threat of the Sovereign finally removed from his life, Jackie believes he can get some well-deserved rest. Beaten and worn down, Jackie simply wants some brief peace. But just as he believes he has a grasp on the true nature of The Darkness, Jackie’s world is opened up to another dimension all together. And with it, the Darkness War begins...


To see the rest, go here.
Source: Newsarama

CBR Reviews Witchblade: Due Process

Phil Smith writes an intriguing and compelling story. The guilt that Pezzini feels over her lack of action a decade previous and Hicks’ transformation make for some tense and complex scenes. Hicks wants to return to his family, but his wife wants nothing to do with him because of the company he kept in prison. Smith adds a surprising element to that dynamic by making Hicks’ wife black, but that isn’t fully explored or made entirely clear in the art.

Read the full review here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama's Best Shots Reviews Witchblade: Due Process

Phil Smith is not Ron Marz, and he doesn't have to be. He's given Sara a different voice here, but nothing that deviates from what Marz has set up these five years or so. She is more "cop" here than Artifact Bearer here and it's interesting to note that there is none of her supporting cast. No Julie, no Gleason, no Hope. Just Sara. Which is fine considering the nature of the story: it's Sara on a personal mission. It feels more direct that way.


Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

CBR: Image/Top Cow Solicits for November 2010

Image Comics has released solicitation information and images for new books and products shipping in November, 2010.



ARTIFACTS VOLUME 1 TRADE PAPERBACK
story RON MARZ
art MICHAEL BROUSSARD
cover TOP COW’S FINEST
NOVEMBER 17
160 PAGES / FC / TRADE PAPERBACK
$9.99
Catch up on the Event of the Year!
Discover the series that has everyone buzzing with this introductory priced trade paperback collection released to coincide with the beginning of the second chapter of the yearlong event! Separately, thirteen mystical Artifacts will guide the fate of the Universe. Together, thirteen Artifacts will end the Universe. When a mysterious antagonist kidnaps, Hope, the daughter of Sara Pezzini and Jackie Estacado, Armageddon is put into motion. Starring virtually every character in the Top Cow Universe, this is a series for diehard fans and new readers alike.
Written by Top Cow Universe architect Ron Marz (Witchblade, Magdalena) and featuring art by Michael Broussard (The Darkness), this volume collects Artifacts #1-#4 along with the Free Comic Book Day #0 issue and a beautiful cover gallery, behind-the-scenes extras, and much more!
“ It’s loud, widescreen comic book mayhem that sticks to the roof of your brain” – 4 out 5 stars – Comic Book Resources
“…dramatic and heavy…visually striking…” – Newsarama
“…great writing and great art are in perfect tandem.” – Crave Online
“I have a feeling this book is going to be huge.” – 4.5 out of 5 stars – Comicvine

To see the whole November 2010 solicitations for November, go here.
Source: CBR

Graphic Policy: Witchblade: Due Process Preview

WITCHBLADE: DUE PROCESS #1 ONE-SHOT

(w) Phil Smith (a) Alina Urusov (cov) Alina Urusov

Sara has to make amends with an innocent man she sent to prison.

Before young Sara Pezzini was called to bear the Witchblade she made a horrible mistake that destroyed a man’s life. Today that man is being released from prison and has to put the pieces of his life back together. In order to protect his family, this desperate father made a deal with demonic forces, and now it is time to pay. When Sara tries to reach out and make her past wrong right, she’s confronted by demonic forces. The stakes: a man’s very soul.

Written by Phil Smith (Trinity: Blood on the Sands) with art by Alina Urusov (X-23, Young Avengers).

Full Color 32 Pages $3.99


Read the full release and see the preview here.
Source: Graphic Policy

CBR: SDCC's The Image Comics Panel

The Image Comics Show at Comic-Con International in San Diego kicked off as PR and Marketing Coordinator Betsy Gomez introduced the fan-filled crowd to an all-star lineup of writers including Robert Kirkman ("Walking Dead," "Invincible"), Joe Kelly ("I Kill Giants"), Marc Guggenheim (writer of the "Green Lantern" film), John Layman ("Chew"), Ben McCool ("Choker"), and Nick Spencer ("Forgetless").

Betsy Gomez then took the opportunity to mention two upcoming projects from Top Cow writer Ron Marz ("Witchblade," "Artifacts"). Image has picked up Marz and Lee Moder's "Shinku" as a full-color monthly series, with the series focusing on vampires versus samurai. Marz previously released an ashcan issue at Baltimore Comic-Con in 2009. Additionally, Image and Top Cow are jointly collaborating on Marz's "Firebreather vs. Dragon Prince," with more details to be revealed at the Top Cow panel.

Read about the panel here.
Source: CBR

Image Addiction Interviews Phil Smith on Witchblade: Due Process. Out Now!

On August 18, comic readers will be able to check out Phil Smith and Alina Urusov’s Witchblade one-shot about a man who is wrongfully imprisoned and how the system turn its back on him, but something else stepped in to look out for him – something very sinister. To get you introduced to this one-shot, Phil Smith joined Image Addiction to talk about the story, his motivations behind it, and the process in which the issue took to be made.

Image Addiction: Before we get in to the book, could you let our readers know a little about you? How did you start working for Top Cow?

Phil Smith: I had just gotten out of the Navy and was repairing and installing avionics at the Van Nuys airport and bartending at night. I got into comics by self publishing a 3 issue series with JK Woodward that never made it to market. Fiona Avery showed it to Renae Geerlings and that is how I got my internship 9 years ago. I can’t ever thank Fiona, Renae and Matt Hawkins enough for letting me stay.

Read the full interview here.
Source: Image Addiction

CBR's Comics Should Be Good: Comic Book Legends Revealed

Welcome to the two-hundred and seventieth in a series of examinations of comic book legends and whether they are true or false

COMIC LEGEND: Wanted was based on a pitch by Mark Millar to DC for a Secret Society of Supervillains series.

STATUS: Enough Truth for a True

Mark Millar and JG Jones’ Wanted was about a young man who finds out that his father is part of a secret society of supervillains.

Ever since the hit comic book came out in 2003, it has been rumored that the story was originally written for DC as a pitch by Millar for a mini-series about the ACTUAL Secret Society of Supervillains.

Like many things, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

For more info on that legend and other comic book legends, go here.
Source: CBR

Thanks for All Your Support! 25% Discount at the newly launched Top Cow Store!

Hey Herders,

Top Cow has some exciting news to share with you. The wait is over. The Top Cow Store is now live! Head on over to www.thetopcowstore.com.

We have a bunch of new issues, convention exclusives, trade paperbacks and more. As an extra bonus, all new customers (meaning everybody) gets 25% off your entire purchase at the Top Cow Store.

As you know, Top Cow Store is a new living and breathing extension of TopCow.com. If there is a product that you want that we have made or sold and that we are not currently selling at the Top Cow Store, please email Elena at service@thetopcowstore.com.

Thank you for your continuous support of Top Cow and all that we do!

Top Cow Staff

Pop Matters Reviews Artifacts #1

Tomorrow's Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Do...

“The quotidian will find you out”, visionary writer William Gibson has always been keen to remind readers. Things will happen and will continue to happen. The danger of life on the cusp of the future, is that there might be no danger at all. No monsters lurking under the bed.

Gibson’s comments take on a very visceral sensation with the recent Artifacts #1. There is a preternatural crisis brewing. Strands of destiny are being drawn together. Pieces are blitzing across the board, and ancient forces have been set into motion. But this is not the same kind of ancient destiny you may have encountered in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or more recently in the Harry Potter series or the writings of Stephanie Meyer.

Instead, you’ll find something entirely different in Artifacts #1, you’ll find The Quotidian. The rise of the everyday. As the issue’s two (of the series’ presumably 13) protagonists wind their way through the streets of NYC, wearing the artifact that balances the quintessential light of the universe with the essential darkness, is really no more than any other single thing to do in the daily grind. And so too is carry the Artifact that brings judgment to all before it, the Rapture that doles out hope or despair. This 13-issue limited series already feels very much like, “remember to buy milk, pickup kitty litter and thwart evil”. This is Janis Joplin’s ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ rebooted for the 21st century—no more ‘Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose’, and more a case of ‘Tomorrow’s just another day for nothing left to do’.



Read the full review here.
Source: Pop Matters

Sending Out the Herd Signal: Vote in the 2010 Inkwell Awards

2010 Inkwell Awards voting to commence on August 15 / Awards ceremony in October!
-------------------
For the third successive year the Inkwell Awards will post their ballot for voting online on their website (http://www.inkwellawards.com) on August 15 until one month later on September 15. Anyone can vote whether they be a fan or an industry professional.

As previously reported, the 2010 Nomination Committee made up of various respected industry professionals, was chosen last fall/winter and they voted on nominees for the ballot this past spring. Previously the ballot had been posted during the spring and then the summer, respectively, but this year, in order to coordinate the voting period to precede the live awards ceremony that takes place in October, they had to adjust their schedule.

Vote here.

Read more about the Inkwell Awards here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama: It's Samurais vs. Vampire in Image's SHINKU

Image Comics is being taken over by samurai and vampires.

That’s the story coming out of Comic-Con International: San Diego and the Image Comics Show panel Friday, as a new ongoing series pitting vampire versus samurai was announced. Shinku, by writer Ron Marz (Witchblade, Green Lantern) and Lee Moder (Painkiller Jane, Dragon Prince), tells the store of an epic confrontation between two feuding Japanese clans – one vampire, one human – and the modern day high-noon showdown with the last surviving human and an underground army of vampires.

Although it’s first full issue isn’t set to debut until Spring 2011, Shinku was first glimpsed with an “ashcan” Marz & Moder released last year during the convention season, which is still available via Westfield Comics. Newsarama covered Shinku back then during its early days, and we return to the title upon the news that its been greenlit as an ongoing series at Image Comics. For more, we talked with Ron Marz by phone about the project

Read the full article here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama: FIREBREATHER & DRAGON PRINCE Team-Up @ Top Cow

Yes, they're both half-dragon/half teenage boy, the offspring of human mothers and mythical dragon fathers. And yes they're both new to the comics' scene over the last few years. But according to their respective creators, that's where the similarities between Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn's Firebreather and Ron Marz, Jeff Johnson and Lee Moder's Dragon Prince end. 



And they're putting their money where their mouth's are this fall inviting the comparison confident readers will see the contrasts in Firebreather vs. Dragon Prince, a Top Cow one-shot announced Saturday afternoon at the Top Cow panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego.

In the four-issue Dragon Prince miniseries released just two years ago, a teenager named Aaron Chiang is revealed to be the son of a dragon and the last heir to the dragon kingdom.

Read the full interview here.
Source: Newsarama

CBR's Robot 6: Food or Comics?

Welcome once again to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we'd buy based on certain spending limits -- $15, $30 to spend and if we had extra money to spend on what we call the "Splurge" item.


If I had $15, I'd get…

Artifacts #1 ($3.99) looks like a good stepping-on point, so I'll give it a try. It's a big, complicated story about the 13 artifacts that control the universe, and how some shadowy entity is trying to bring them together to destroy everything. It sounds a bit grandiose, but what the hell, it's summer reading. Then I can spend that last dollar on one of Dark Horse's dollar comics, Sin City: The Hard Goodbye.

Read the full article here.
Source: CBR

CBR's Read Pile Picks Witchblade #137

THE READ PILE FOR AUGUST 11TH, 2010

"Witchblade" #137 was a cute done-in-one using a diary entry as a framing device for a necromancer guest star to befriend the title character.

Read the Buy/Read Pile here.
Source: CBR

Blog@Newsarama: Top Cow Hires New Direct Market Liaison

Top Cow has announced that Brave New World Comics’ Atom! Freeman, seen on the right, has been hired as the company’s new Direct Market Liaison.

Freeman will be working with retailers to promote Top Cow’s publishing lineup through comic shops and the Direct Market.

Brave New World won the Eisner Spirit of Retail Award in 2008. “He’s been one of the retailers I go to regularly for insight and advice on the direct market and Brave New World is one of my favorite stores in the country,” Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik said in a statement. “When the opportunity presented itself to hire Atom! to help us in our efforts in the direct market, I leapt at the chance.”

But fans of Brave New World, don’t fret just yet — Freeman’s wife and partner Portlyn will continue to run the Santa Clarita-based store.

Source: Newsarama

Ideology of Madness' Podcast Reviews Artifacts #1

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it is that tacos are awesome. If there are two things we can all on agree on it is that crimes must be punished, wrongs must be righted, injustice will not stand. In this week’s episode of Funnybooks, we kick the show off by addressing the rudeness of others before jumping into a week full of terrific new comics including Top Cow’s Artifacts event, a ton of books from Radical, and even more from the big two. Plus, we discuss the new DVD release Batman: Under the Red Hood.

Get the podcast here.
Source: ideologyofmadness.spookyouthouse.com

Quarter Bin Reviews Pilot Season: Stellar #1

...thanks to the pacing of Kirkman’s story and the art of Bernard Chang. The heroine herself really stands out as a female lead, with a unique look and attitude. She seems hard as nails, but she’s clearly not; she can be sad, lonely, even vulnerable, despite having these superhuman abilities.

Stellar’s vulnerability and weakness were best displayed by a few panels showing her showering off after her latest misadventure. What could have quickly become an excuse to show off a naked lady instead focused on her face, her emotional breakdown. I love tiny moments like that, when we get to see who a character really is, not just who she presents herself as to the outside world.


Read the full aritcle here.
Source: thequarterbin.com

Twitter Report: Ron Marz Talks the Yogi Bear movie poster

@ronmarz If the next Yogi poster has Ranger Smith in a--less chaps and a ball gag, I think we'll know something is up.
-Ron Marz, Writer ("Green Lantern," "Witchblade")

Read more comic tweets here.
Source: splashpage.mtv.com

League of Comic Geeks Reviews Artifacts #1

As a setup issue and introduction to the TCU, Artifacts #1 succeeds admirably. If you've never dipped your toes in the Top Cow waters, this really is the perfect jumping-on point, and an extremely enjoyable one at that. Ron Marz has a deft hand at characterization (as he demonstrated with the excellent Velocity #1, probably one of the strongest debut issues I've ever read), and keys us in to the major players within a line or two of dialogue. He also knows when to apply economy and let the art speak for itself. Together with the enormously talented Broussard, he delivers a cinematic experience that keeps the interest high and the pages turning, though its easy to pause when the art looks this good (with a tip of the hat to Sunny Gho's stellar coloring). A two-page spread explains the whole premise of the event, letting us know the players and what's at stake, while back-up character descriptions provide some history for those of us not so in-the-know. The team also proves they're not afraid of pulling any punches by ending the issue with a (literal) bang.

Read the full review here.
Source: leagueofcomicgeeks.com

Cosmic Book News Reviews Artifacts #1

Writer Ron Marz tells us himself that he is creating something new out of the old Top Cow Universe and what material he is presenting here for the first time, which is going to pay off for longtime readers and new readers alike. If you are new to the Top Cow Universe, more than likely you may be familiar with a couple of their denizens, namely the Witchblade and Darkness. These two are only pieces of a puzzle as there are other characters that make up the big picture as well. What’s great about this is that you need not worry about being heavily engrossed in the continuity of Top Cow as Marz gives us an introduction to each of the characters, whether it be in the main story itself or at the end with a series of write-ups. I love when comics include a bit of background on the story, whether it be month-to-month or information such as this.

The story itself is heavy on action, mystery, intrigue and drama; artist Michael Broussard did an amazing job showcasing Sara Pezzini as the first page testifies. The panel layouts were well done, heightening the emotion we readers feel as we read the dialogue. Broussard and company gave us some gorgeous art and the subtle positioning of the female body was appreciated! Top Cow is renowned for their fabulous art; no surprise to veteran Top Cow readers.

Read the full review here.
Source: cosmicbooknews.com

Kitty Pryde's Reviews Artifacts #1

Do you need to be up to date? Nope. Not at all. In that case this issue works extremely well. Marz does a great job, using the characters and secondary characters to bring us up to speed. The conversation between agents of the Angelus and Darkness, explaining why they are watching the daughter of Sara Pezzini, seems natural but explains just what we need to know. The art is great. Broussard fits squarely between the work of Silvestri and the work of Kenneth Roccafort. He's got a looser line than Silvestri but not as messy as Roccafort. Good layouts, good figures. Excellant choices of viewpoints. His work has a gritty feel to it. Works for this story. The colors chosen are great as well. Really help create an atmosphere for the story.



Read the full review here.
Source: kittyspryde.forumotion.com

Comic Book Revolution Reviews Artifacts #1

Artifacts is off to a great start, this doesn't exactly leave the world in shambles and leave me dying to see what happens next because of it, but its great character work, gorgeous artwork and the promise of great and epic things to come heave me very excited. While 13 issues is a big commitment, I highly recommend you jump on now as things are really going to heat up now and I can't wait to see more, a great start to what I have high hopes to be a great event

Read the full review here.
Source: comicbookrevolution.net

Ideology of Madness Reviews Artifacts #1

Artifacts #1 is awesome. There’s really no other way to describe it. While new readers to the Top Cow Universe will find plenty to enjoy, long-time readers are going to have a field day with a beloved character’s return, and the death of a major player. While both events will of course be interesting to those unfamiliar with the history of the Top Cow characters, the emotional core of the storyline will definitely be more interesting to those who know the characters involved.

Read the full review here.
Source: ideologyofmadness.spookyouthouse.com

Westfield Comics Reviews Artifacts #1

Marz frequently says that, albeit with different wording. The nice thing is he doesn’t just preach it, he practices it. I was helping a customer just yesterday, and seeing what he had in his pull list — Magdalena and Velocity (two other recent new Marz series from Top Cow) — I mentioned Artifacts (and its basic concept of bringing together of the Top Cow Artifacts for Universe changing epicness) to him. He added it to his pull list almost immediately. He, as a reader, felt comfortable buying Artifacts sight-unseen based off of the ease of coming into the other series and not knowing the back stories.

Read the full review here.
Source: westfieldcomics.com

Crave Online Reviews Artifacts #1

Artifacts is the long awaited thirteen part series from Witchblade/Darkness scribe Ron Marz and plethora of artists from the Top Cow camp. This is another event series where the very fate of mankind is up for grabs as forces of good and evil clash in an epic struggle.

Now as much as I enjoy stories with Lanterns and attacks on Viking worlds, there’s something about Artifacts that could teach the big two a lesson in pacing and storytelling. Not only does Ron Marz’s story give us what we want from an event series, it gives a little more.

The art by Michael Broussard is some of the most exciting work he’s done to date. The panels leap off the page with solid lines and a tremendous feel for motion. Broussard has not just dedicated himself to painstaking detail but also to bringing a real sense of life and desperation to the work.

Read the full review here.
Source: craveonline.com

Flames Rising Reviews Artifacts #1

Ron Marz is writing Artifacts, but joining him for the artwork are Michael Broussard on pencils, Rick Basaldua and Sal Regla on inks, and Sunny Gho on colors. The art team does a phenomenal job — it’s not Sejic’s surrealistic style from Witchblade and Angelus, but there’s a great deal to look at in these images, from shattering stained glass to a scruffy looking Tom Judge walking out of the panels. On one page, Sara lets loose with her gun, and in each progressive, page wide panel, the witchblade grows longer on her arm until she’s armored up and ready to fight. (There’s one panel that suffers from “comic-book-women-have-painfully-enormous-breasts” syndrome, but only one.)

The ending of this issue with a “holy crap, they just did that?” moment means we’re likely to get a lot of world shifting moments in this series. If you haven’t been reading any of the Top Cow series, I’m not sure this is the right place to start, but based on the recap from the Curator, Marz is trying to make it easy for new readers to dig in to the universe. If it keeps the tone of issue one, this is going to be a great ride.

Read the full review here.
Source: flamesrising.com

Comic Book Jesus Reviews Pilot Season: Stellar #1

The premise for the book is an intriguing place to start. We’re not told the main character’s name, but can assume her nickname is Stellar. Essentially, she’s 1 of 5 soldiers who have been genetically enhanced on Earth. The powers are good, but the fact that the radiation within them causes other humans close to them to get sick is not so good. Nor is the fact that Stellar’s fellow volunteers were driven mad (and apparently evil) by the process. Stellar is the only one who desires to be a hero, so uses her powers to wander the universe doing just that, all the while aware she’s truly alone. All of that is a great spring board for an even greater tale, and Kirkman wisely drops hints about all this throughout each page turn. No awkward exposition here! Chang’s art is a nice blend of emotional moments and sci-fi splendour. His layouts are dynamic and there’s never a page without a sense of drama or danger. Creatures and characters look real; leaning more towards Star Trek than Wars. My vote’s on Stellar. Kirkman, as he reveals in his afterword, has a host of ideas for this book and I hope we get to see them. Stellar is but a tasty appetiser to what could be a potential buffet

Read the full review here.
Source: comicbookjesus.com

Nfamous Gamers Reviews Artifacts #1

With excellent writing by Ron Marz, and art chores handled by Michael Broussard, Rick Basaldua, Sal Regla, and Sonny Gho, Artifacts brings together some of the best talent Top Cow has to offer to bring their fans an exciting and entertaining ride. Issue one delivers just enough intrigue to make you need to pick up the second part of the event but delivers the right amount of action and answers that make reading this book fulfilling. And if you doubt just how exciting this storyline can be, let me just say that the casualties have all ready started as one character doesn’t make it out of issue one alive. I will personally admit that I have been waiting for this storyline for the better part of a year now and I am glad that the first issue didn’t disappoint. Top Cow fans, this one is a must have. Comic fans in general, if you have never read a Top Cow boo, pick this up and you will be a fan in an instant. In any case, I give this issue my highest recommendation.

Read the full review here.
Source: nfamousgamers.com

Comic Book Page Podcast Chats Pilot Season 2010 with Filip Sablik

Bob Bretall talks with some of the creators about items in the July 2010 Previews catalog.

Items mentioned:
Top Cow Pilot Season 2010: Interview with Filip Sablik
Pilot Season: 39 Minutes: Interview with William Harms
Freedom Fighters #1: Interview with Jimmy Palmiotti

Get the podcast here.
Source: comicbookpage.com

Comic Attack Attends SDCC's Berserker Signing

Little did I know that the creators of Top Cow’s Berserker would be in attendance too, signing copies of the book’s hardcover volume which collects the first 6 issues of the bad ass series! I got myself a copy and had it signed by writer/creator Rick Loverd, artist Jeremy Haun, letterist Troy Peteri, and producers Russ Cundiff and Milo Ventimiglia. Yes, THE Milo Ventimiglia of Heroes fame. I actually met Milo last June when he and the same crew (minus Loverd and Lucas) signed at- you guessed it- Collector’s Paradise for the Berserker #1 release. We had people out the door for that party and it was a treat to see these dudes again. Even though I arrived at the tail end of the signing, Milo was cool enough to take some pictures with me. He even remembered me from Collector’s Paradise. Yeah, he’s the man.

Read the full article here.
Source: comicattack.net

Twitter Report: Ron Marz Remembers Mike Wieringo

August 12 is a somber day in comics. Tom Brevoort pointed out today that it's not just because Mike Wieringo and Mark Gruenwald died on that particular date, but because two talents in the industry passed away in their 40s long before anyone would have expected them to. Both figures showed up in thoughts around the comics Twittersphere this morning as their accomplishments were remembered.

@ronmarz Ringo was actually supposed to draw part of a "jam job" Namor Annual I did with the guys at Gaijin Studios.
-Ron Marz, Writer ("Green Lantern," "Witchblade")

Read the full Twitter Report for 8/12/10 here.
Source: MTV Splash Page

CBR Exclusive Preview: Witchblade: Due Process

Sara has to make amends with an innocent man she sent to prison.

Before young Sara Pezzini was called to bear the Witchblade she made a horrible mistake that destroyed a man’s life. Today that man is being released from prison and has to put the pieces of his life back together. In order to protect his family, this desperate father made a deal with demonic forces, and now it is time to pay. When Sara tries to reach out and make her past wrong right, she's confronted by demonic forces. The stakes: a man's very soul.

Written by Phil Smith (Trinity: Blood on the Sands) with art by Alina Urusov (X-23, Young Avengers).

Catch the exclusive preview here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama Best Shots Advanced Reviews: Witchblade #137

Review by Vanessa Gabriel

I like it when I am surprised. I had not pulled Witchblade previously, and this was a good read. I suppose I lucked out with this being a stand-alone story. The issue stars Abigail van Alstene; her back story and current circumstance. Abby crosses paths with Sara, thus inserting the character Necromancer back into Top Cow continuity.

Ron Marz introduces Abby seamlessly as she narrates the issue with her account of the recent events in her life. She has just relocated to Los Angeles from Colorado, is in her senior year of high school, has taken a liking to art classes, is under the tutelage of a 300 year old sorcerer to hone her magic, and can talk to the dead. Naturally, she takes a trip to New York with fellow art students to visit the museums, and ends up finding an ally in Sara Pezzini.

In just one issue, I heart Abigail van Alstene. I care about what is going to happen to her, and I want to know more, please.

Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama Exclusive Preview: Witchblade #137 [Out Tomorrow!]

WITCHBLADE #137
(w) Ron Marz (a) Stjepan Sejic (cov) Stejpan Sejic

“Raise the Dead”, Guest-starring The Necromancer!
Sara Pezzini can gain an important ally in Abby van Alstine, the Necromancer ... but only if Sara can keep her alive! Abby's visit to New York City is interrupted by a demonic attack, and her only chance for surival is entering the world of the Witchblade.

Full Color 32 Pages $2.99

See the preview here.
Source: Newsarama