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

Newsarama: Marz Talks NECROMANCER's Return in Top Cow's Witchblade

You can't keep a good character down. After years in publishing purgatory, Top Cow's Necromancer is returning in fine form in the pages of this month's Witchblade #137.

Necromancer was originally introduced back in 2005 with a miniseries by writer Joshua Ortega and superstar artist Francis Manapul. In the series, a teenage girl named Abby van Alstine is taken into a supernatural subculture and given powers she barely knows how to control. She's forced to learn about her new self and this new world she's fallen into, while trying to live through her own teenage years.

In the years since that 2005 miniseries, Necromancer has had sporadic appearances over the years with the most recent being a one-shot Pilot Season book over two years ago. Regardless of her intermittent appearances, a sizeable contingent of comic fans have taken a liking to the character. After years of hiatus, Necromancer is returning to the Top Cow universe in a big way – first with a guest appearance in July 28th's Witchblade #137 and then as a player in Top Cow's big event miniseries Artifacts. But before we get too far, first things first: her return in the pages of Witchblade #137 this month.

Read the full coverage here.
Source: Newsarama

Flashback: CBR recaps Top Cows panel at C2E2

Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo, Top Cow fans were treated to a panel filled with some of the company's most prominent creators including Phil Hester ("The Darkness"), Bryan Edward Hill ("Broken Trinity: Pandora's Box"), Nelson Blake II ("Magdalena") and Ron Marz ("Witchblade," "Angelus"). Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik moderated the panel and covered a wide range of topics, starting with the company's major summer event - "Artifacts."

Read the full article here.
Source: comicbookresources.com

ICV2: Top Cow's Artifacts Event

Top Cow’s scribe-in-chief Ron Marz, who’s been shaping the direction of Top Cow’s top titles, has written a 13-issue series, Artifacts, which will shake the very foundations of the Top Cow Universe. Marz’ saga involves the thirteen artifacts (including the Witchblade and the Darkness) that guide the fate of the Top Cow Universe, and which if they fall into the hands of a single entity, would herald the destruction of mankind. In Artifacts #1, which ships in July, the kidnapping of Hope, the daughter of Sara Pezzini and Jackie Estacado, initiates a plot that could create Armageddon and which lays bare the underpinnings of the Top Cow world in ways that make it easy for new readers to understand and jump in.

Read the full article here

Source: icv2.com

Graze Anatomy: Necromancer iPad

I giggled a little yesterday when I heard Apple describe the iPad as magical. So I thought it'd be appropriate to show Abby from Necromancer working some magic on the revolutionary device.
In all seriousness, I'll be in line to get one in March.


READ MORE.

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Omnicomic blogs about Pilot Season

Top Cow Pilot Season on Myspace
We're rapidly approaching a scenario where just about all comics will be online. I'm not one to argue with which medium is better, print or online, but it seems that just about everything print is slowly going the way of the dinosaur. No, newspapers aren't going to be destroyed by a giant meteor (I know that's not been proven, but its the scenario with most support), rather, online publications are going to replace written publications. In that light, Top Cow has produced five new comics called Pilot Season, and have posted them on Myspace now for free reading. CLICK HERE

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Jonboy Meyers interview

Three months. Jonboy Meyers, his life at a crossroads and his bank account nearly empty, gave himself three months to land a job drawing comic books. If he didn’t succeed, he would abandon his dream and settle into a steady, secure and likely humdrum job. Three months. It took less than one. CLICK HERE

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Necromancer Pilot Season #1 review

Continuing Top Cow’s Pilot Season experiment and contest, this week’s release features The Necromancer. Fans will get to vote on which of the six Pilot Season one-shots will be turned into an on-going series. I mean hey…they do it for TV right? Of Course, the Necromancer is not a new character. Abby Van Alstine was previously introduced in an earlier series and the first six issues were collected in trade paperback several months ago. CLICK HERE

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Review: The Necromancer — Pilot Season #1

I’ve been out of the loop. While the rest of the comic book world was going ga-ga over the original Necromancer miniseries a few years back, I was only just starting to be gently guided back into the comics mainstream under the tender care of Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Warren Ellis’s Planetary trades. CLICK HERE

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Necromancer review

Top Cow is doing something interesting and well worth watching. Over the past few months they have released titles as a “Pilot” — much like a television pilot, fan reaction will determine whether or not the character gets an ongoing title. The titles are Ripclaw, Velocity, Cyblade, Angelus and the topic of this little pocket review.

Necromancer was released on Halloween — really, it doesn’t get much better for marketing synergy than that — and this title could have some legs. The main character is Abby. She’s a necromancer, able to raise the dead. The first time she did this was with a dead dog in the middle of the road, when she was a small child — as you can imagine, it weirded her out just a bit. CLICK HERE

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Necromancer interview with Josh Ortega

Pilot Season continues this month with “Necromancer: Pilot Season” #1 by Joshua Ortega and Jonboy Meyers. As part of our continuing coverage, CBR News caught up with comics writer and novelist Joshua Ortega to get the details on “Necromancer: Pilot Season” #1. CLICK HERE

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DRAWING THE NECROMANCER: TALKING TO JONBOY MEYERS

The Necromancer: Pilot Season one-shot is due out on Halloween, and given the subject matter it's appropriate. The Necromancer concerns young Abby van Alstine, who shares a connection with a demon that threatens to consume her body and soul. Saved for the time being by a mysterious mage and put into a normal school life, her supernatural past won't leave her alone. READ MORE

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Review: The Necromancer — Pilot Season #1

A Pilot Worth Watching

See, I’ve been out of the loop. While the rest of the comic book world was going ga-ga over the original Necromancer miniseries a few years back, I was only just starting to be gently guided back into the comics mainstream under the tender care of Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Warren Ellis’s Planetary trades. READ MORE

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Reviews-Necromancer and Velocity

CYBERFORCE'S resident speedster, Velocity, finally gets her groove on in this one-shot brought to you by Joe Casey (UNCANNY X-MEN, AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES) and Kevin Maguire (JUSTICE LEAGUE, SUPERMAN/BATMAN)! How does a young heroine find love when she's the target of an all-new batch of super-villains?! Pure pop superheroics unlike anything Top Cow fans have ever experienced! CLICK HERE

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REVIEWS - Velocity & Necromancer

Velocity & Necromancer get reviewed over at jazmaonline.com
CLICK HERE to read more.

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NECROMANCING: JOSHUA ORTEGA ON PILOT SEASON: THE NECROMANCER

Several years ago, California-based publisher Top Cow released a 6 issue miniseries called The Necromancer. CLICK HERE to read the full interview with writer Joshua Ortega.

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Necromancer PS #1 preview

Top Cow has provided Newsarama with a First Look at The Necromancer: Pilot Season #1, an upcoming installment of their “Pilot Season” program of titles, which sees the character once again teamed with writer Joshua Ortega. CLICK HERE

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SNEAK PEEK: The Necromancer Pilot Season #1

(W) Joshua Ortega (A) Jonboy Meyers (Cov) Francis Manapul

After the tragic and haunting events of THE NECROMANCER BOOK I: SOMETHING IN THE WAY, Abby van Alstine revisits her past, learns more about her strange connection to the Dark Age demon Mali, and encounters a monstrous creature that threatens to consumer her with its sickly evil. Original series writer Joshua Ortega (FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER, STAR WARS) returns to his Harvey nominated co-creation alongside cover artist Francis Manapul (WITCHBLADE, IRON & THE MAIDEN) with interior art by breakout talent Jonboy Meyers (DANGER GIRL, NINJA SCROLL), and a surprise ending that will have fans clamoring for more Necromancer!



Full Color 32 pages $2.99 pilot issue

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Jonboy Meyers Necromancer interview

I've been drawing all my life and I remember as a kid putting together my own comics with my own characters in them--but professionally I've been doing it about 4-5 years. CLICK HERE

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