CBR Exclusive Preview: Darkness #86

The Darkness #86
Story by: Phil Hester
Art by: Sheldon Mitchell
Cover by: Rafael Albuquerque
Publisher: Top Cow Productions
Cover Price: $2.99

Alkonost, Part 2 of 2!

In the hunt for The Sovereign Jackie and crew strike a deal with an insane Russian mobster and collector of the occult, but his supernatural enforcer wants to add a Darkness wielder to the collection. What is The Alkonost and how does it control even The Darkness itself?

Top Cow Pit artist Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth) joins regular writer Phil Hester (Gen13, The Anchor) for a sinister two-part story. Featuring a cover by Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire)!

See the full preview here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama's Best Shots Reviews The Darkness #85

The Darkness #85 (Published by Top Cow; Review by Lan Pitts): If you really want your dose of anti-hero, then you need to get this issue of The Darkness. The thing is probably the best about Top Cow is the level of accessibility to new readers. If you've just heard about the Darkness character through his video game or word of mouth and not sure what's a good jumping point, I'd say try this issue. Jackie is on a mission to destroy his nemesis', the Sovereign, bodies that he uses as hosts. So, Jackie ends up in Russia where he crosses paths with a former human trafficker that may not be as harmless as he appears. Phil Hester continues to deliver some great, gritty dialog worthy of even the big two's son-of-a-guns. Stealth artist Sheldon Mitchell joins the gang as the new ongoing artist and it's stellar. He has an angular style that is in the same vein as Sean Chen and in some aspects, Frank Quietly. Top Cow has really been on the ball lately and with Artifacts coming up, this is a book that I'm sure will have some great moments in it.

Source: Newsarama

CBR: The Darkness Turns #85

Jackie Estacado has a big year ahead of him.

As the bearer of The Darkness, Estacado is one of the most important figures within the Top Cow Universe, as evidenced by his central role in "Artifacts," the publisher's upcoming 13-issue limited series written by Ron Marz and illustrated by a team of artists including Michael Broussard. But his own adventures can't be discounted either, as "The Darkness" writer Phil Hester has plenty of dark designs ahead for Estacado as the character moves towards his milestone 100th issue. Before that, however, Jackie has to settle his score against the deadly Sovereign.

"The Sovereign is an immortal king from an impossibly ancient civilization who, as punishment for some act of hubris, was cursed to live forever in the idols made in his image during his reign. So, he's basically a ghost that can inhabit and animate statues of himself," Hester told CBR News of Jackie's current nemesis.

Read the full article here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama Exclusive Preview: Darkness #85

THE DARKNESS #85
(W) Phil Hester (A) Sheldon Mitchell (Cov) Aaron Campbell

Alkonost, Part 1 of 2!
When Jackie’s mission to destroy all of the Sovereign’s host bodies brings him into the collection of an eccentric Russian crime boss, he and his crew are confronted with an evil that is all too human.

Top Cow Pit artist Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth) joins regular writer Phil Hester (Gen13, The Anchor) for a sinister two-part story. Featuring a cover by Aaron Campbell (Sherlock Holmes, Green Hornet)!

32 pages Full Color $2.99


See the full exclusive preview here.
Source: Newsarama

Broken Frontier: Top Cow at Phoenix Comicon

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that they will be exhibiting at Phoenix ComiCon in Phoenix, Arizona over the Memorial Day weekend. The four-day event will open to the public on Thursday afternoon, May 27 and run though Sunday, May 30, 2010, at the Phoenix Convention Center. Fans are encouraged to stop by the Top Cow booth (#200-201) to meet their favorite creators, receive free samples comics, and shop for limited edition convention exclusives as well as their favorite Top Cow comics.

Among the creators appearing at the booth will be pencilers Nelson Blake II (Pilot Season: Murderer, Magdalena), Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth, The Darkness), Eric Basaldua (Witchblade: Annual, Hunter-Killer) and inker Ryan Winn (The Darkness). Stop by the Top Cow booth (#200-201) for signing times.

Phoenix ComiCon kicks off at 6PM on Thursday, May 27th and runs to 9PM. The convention will open Friday, May 28th from 12PM to 8PM, Saturday, May 29th from 10AM to 7PM, and Sunday, May 30th from 10AM to 5PM.

Source: Broken Frontier

Broken Frontier Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

Stealth #1 is part of Pilot Season, which is an annual Top Cow initiative which lets readers choose which one-shot will be made into an ongoing series. Usually, different writers and artists compete, but this year each is written by Robert Kirkman. Kirkman is one of the best writers in the industry today, so it’s a safe bet that each issue of this Pilot Season will be equally amazing. Stealth is the third of five books, following Murderer and Demonic, and preceding Stellar and Hardcore. As always, Kirkman meets and exceeds expectations in this non-traditional superhero comic book.

Read the full review here.
Source: brokenfrontier.com

Comics Podcast Network Spotlights Pilot Season: Stealth #1

John Mayo and Bob Bretall discuss SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #1 by DC, ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #1 by Marvel and PILOT SEASON: STEALTH #1 by IMAGE COMICS.

Get the podcast here.
Source: comicspodcasts.com

Jimmy's Juke Joint Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

The first reason is that the concept behind Pilot Season is to provide comic readers with fresh new concepts that fans can get behind. It’s a fun experiment that tends to turn out more good comics than bad. This issue takes the concept of a fresh and new idea and dunks it with the power of Dwight Howard and the elegance of Lebron James. The idea of a superhero suffering through the late stages of Alzheimer’s is a very neat idea. I really would like to see this as a maxi series. A long run wouldn’t work but a maxi with the same emotion present in this story would be amazing.


Read the full review here.
Source: multiversitycomics.com

Broken Frontier Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

Stealth #1 is part of Pilot Season, which is an annual Top Cow initiative which lets readers choose which one-shot will be made into an ongoing series. Usually, different writers and artists compete, but this year each is written by Robert Kirkman. Kirkman is one of the best writers in the industry today, so it’s a safe bet that each issue of this Pilot Season will be equally amazing. Stealth is the third of five books, following Murderer and Demonic, and preceding Stellar and Hardcore. As always, Kirkman meets and exceeds expectations in this non-traditional superhero comic book.
As far as I know, Stealth is a completely novel idea. It’s about an aging armor-clad vigilante named Stealth, who has started to lose his mind in his old age. He begins attacking misdemeanor criminals and mistakes his son for his brother. As the story progresses, we learn that although all of his symptoms fit Alzheimer’s disease, there may be something else at work in his mind. This adds to the mystery surrounding the origins of the Stealth armor. Unfortunately, Stealth’s son, Todd, doesn’t have time to explore this possibility as his father’s mistakes get larger and more costly. Finally, after the biggest mistake of all, Stealth reveals that the “men with the light” are coming to “fix” him.


Read the full review here.
Source: brokenfrontier.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

One Metal Reviews PIlot Season: Stealth #1

The brain responsible for The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Marvel Zombies splatters its gray matter and creative goo all over the pages of this year’s Top Cow Battle of the Comics. With Marc Silvestri illustrating covers, Robert Kirkman now grinds away at scripting five distinct pilot issues in a whirlwind funny book election that once challenged a hodgepodge of writers and artists to present a numero uno idea that would steal readers’ hearts forever.

Read the full review here.

Source: onemetal.com

Major Spoilers Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

Imagine you just found out that your father is a Superhero. THE Superhero. Now imagine that his doctor has just diagnosed him with Alzheimer’s. How do you take care of a superhero who can’t remember who you are?

Read full review here

Source: majorspoilers.com

The Quarter Bin Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

Imagine this: you’re a middle-aged man. Your life is kind of falling apart. You’re divorced and not happy about it, and your Alzheimer’s-stricken father has just moved in with you because he can no longer take care of himself. Only, as it turns out, your father isn’t just an aging man losing his memory; he’s a famous masked vigilante, and has been his entire life. This is the position in which Todd finds himself in Stealth #1, the latest entry in Top Cow’s yearly Pilot Season.

Read full review here.

Source: thequarterbin.com

Comic Book News Reviews PIlot Season: Stealth #1

In the latest issue of Robert Kirkman’s “Pilot Season” comic, he introduces fans to Stealth, a super hero resembling Venom and the Falcon from Marvel Comics.

The story centers around Todd, a recently divorced middle aged man who is putting a daughter through college. Todd is caring for his father, James, who is suffering from Alzheimers.

Read full review here.

Source: cosmicbooknews.com



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Blogcritics Reviews Stealth #1

To be honest I picked up this issue because it had a fairly bad-ass looking cover. The character on the front looked like a cross between Spawn and Archangel from X-Men, awesome. After reading the issue I discovered that it’s more than just an awesome cover.

The issue is part of Top Cow’s Pilot Season. Basically, Top Cow applies the TV show principal to comics, except they add in a whole lot more fan interaction. The 2009/10 Pilot Season sees Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri teaming up for five one-issue comics. Once all five comics have been released, fans are able to vote for their favorite one. At the end of voting the character with the most votes will receive their own Top Cow series. It’s an interesting concept which they’ve been running since 2007 with a fair degree of success.

Read full reeview here.

Source: blogcritics.org






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Newsarama's Best Shots Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a knockout!

Gliding on equal parts style and high concept, Robert Kirkman has nailed it out of the park with Stealth, an all-too-human take on the power -- and the fallibility -- of costumed crusaders. While previous chapters of Kirkman's Pilot Series have arguably skewed more towards violence for violence's sake, this series wins you over by giving its characters inescapable and all-too-relatable instances of conflict, doubt and loss.

Read the full review here.

Source: Newsarama

CBR Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

Set in Dearborn, Michigan, this book hits like the Image books of yesteryear. It sets up a believable world with the first image and doesn't slow down from there. We meet Todd as he returns home –- a home he is trying to establish as a recent divorcee. His ex-wife is trying to make the transition easy for the two of them, but Todd has also taken on the task of caring for his elderly father in addition to trying to stay connected to his daughter who is away at college.

Peppered into the revelations of Todd's situation are the adventures of Stealth, a locally popular superhero. Stealth appears to be a hybrid of Falcon and Batman with all of Batman's attitude, decking a set of kids spray-painting a building with a ferocity that might be better directed towards homicidal maniacs. The beatdown raised an eyebrow from me, but not much more than that.

While I may not be familiar with Sheldon Mitchell, I am quite impressed with the effort put forth here. Mitchell's style is as close to a house style as Top Cow has. Keeping in mind that Marc Silvestri is the head of the house of Cow, certain artistic comparisons are unavoidable and Mitchell should be proud to share those comparisons. The art on this book isn't going to set the world on fire, but it is solid, consistent, and dynamic. Mitchell does a great job of varying the characters in the book. The doctor Todd consults with isn't a cookie-cutter clone of the protagonist, and Todd's ex-wife, Alicia, isn't a pin-up model labeled as a supporting character. This is a book that looks like the real-life adventures of Todd.

"Stealth" packs a surprise twist that caught me off-guard.



Read the full review here.

Source: CBR

Battlemouth Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

In 2007, Top Cow Productions introduced Pilot Season. Borrowing an idea from many television production companies, six different issues were released over several months; once all the issues had been released, voting was opened to “readers like you” putting the fate of the six series in your hands. The first year was a huge success, bringing in more than four million votes and assuring that Top Cow would carry on this tradition for years to come. Earlier this year, it was announced that Robert Kirkman (EIC Image Comics, The Walking Dead, Battle Pope) would create this Pilot Season’s five stories for readers to vote on. Cover art would be created for these books by none other than Marc Silvestri. So far, only two titles have been released since Pilot Season started in December 2009 with Murderer and Demonic (which I reviewed here) both of which have been well received.

This week brings the release of the newest addition to Pilot Season, Stealth #1.

Read the full review here.

Source: Battlemouth

Examiner.com Highlights Pilot Season: Stealth #1 This Week

Did you miss free comic book day? Have no fear, drop by your local comic book shop and check out the issues. Most shops have plenty of extras so there are sure to be left overs.

Looking at this weeks (May 5) upcoming comic release highlights:

Pilot Season: Stealth #1 (Image) – This is the third Pilot Season book from Top Cow all written by Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead) but drawn by different artist. This particular issue is drawn by Sheldon Mitchell with cover by Marc Silvestri. The story is about a man who has gone through a divorce, his daughter is failing college and his dad is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. After taking his dad into this home he finds out dad has been a superhero all his life. Don't be fooled by the superhero tab. If you've read Walking Dead by Kirkman you know that zombies are not the focal point of the story. He has a way with human interaction drama. Your purchase and your vote online will determine whether the series continues or not. There will be five Pilot Season issues in all.


Read the full article here.

Source: Examiner.com

Comic Vine Reviews Pilot Season: Stealth #1

Once per year, Top Cow releases their new ideas and concepts for new books through what they call " Pilot Season." Look at that, we even have a page on Comic Vine explaining what it is! Often, these stories are really good, but unfortunately, not all of them become ongoing series. The cool thing about Pilot Season, however, is that readers get to pick which of their favorite of all the Pilot Season releases should receive an ongoing title. If you are a fan of Top Cow, and have been looking forward to Pilot Season, then you are probably already excited about the new stories that are coming out. This week, Top Cow released Stealth, written by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) with concept art from Marc Silvestri (Witchblade) and interiors by Sheldon Mitchell. So how did the new concept measure up?

The Verdict - 4/5
The issue is really solid. The art compliments the story very well and Kirkman's writing is stellar. It is a strong story, and the issue is really engaging. It is a quick read that will leave you feeling for the characters. If you like stories about flawed superhero's, then you are going to enjoy this.

Read the full review here.

Source: Comic Vine