CBR: Artifacts #1 Goes to Third Printing

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.

The dynamic pairing of writer Ron Marz (Witchblade) with the art team of Michael Broussard (The Darkness), Rick Basaldua (The Darkness), Sal Regla (Magdalena) and Sunny Gho of IFS (Velocity) delivers one of the most accessible and engaging event series to date.

”The rapid sales velocity on Artifacts #1 has been incredibly gratifying and a testament to the fantastic work that the entire creative team of Ron Marz, Michael Broussard, Rick Basaldua, Sal Regla, and Sunny Gho have been doing,” commented Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik, “We’ve never gone to a third printing, but this is our biggest event to date and we want our retail partners to know that we are fully behind it.”

Read the full release here.
Source: CBR

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

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

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

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

The opening pages of Stellar are as deceptive as they are pretty. Just when it looks like Robert Kirkman's Pilot Season comic is going to be your standard butt-kicking-heroine-in-space romp, things take an unexpected turn when the title character's spilled blood burns the ground beneath her. That's because Stellar is not only super-powered, but also highly radioactive. Like futuristic lepers, she and a handful of other unlucky metahumans have been exiled because of their toxicity — a side effect of unexplained experiments that gave them their powers.

Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama Reviews Artifacts #1

Review by Amanda McDonald

I'm pretty open minded, so there are a lot of kinds of books I love for a variety of reasons. What's so lovable about this one? This is the kind of book you read, and immediately want everyone around you to read it too so you can all talk about how awesome it was.

The concept is simple enough -- thirteen artifacts are placed with bearers around the world. These artifacts represent primal powers and are all balanced by the witchblade, however the thirteenth artifact is hidden. The thirteen book series will assumedly focus on a different artifact and bearer each issue. In addition to the main story, the issue also includes a short origin story explaining the witchblade.

The key here is Ron Marz's storytelling.

Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

Comic Vine Reviews Artifacts #1

Wow... just wow. As stated in my pre-cursor to the review, I know very little about what's going on in the book. Luckily, Ron Marz did a great job of making everything in this universe easy to understand and explained just enough not to annoy the hardcore fans, but give enough to the new reader so some of us didn't feel lost and confused. Ron Marz's writing is solid, engaging, and leaves you wanting more. The art, pencils by Michael Broussard, inks by Rick Basaldue & Sal Regla, and colors by Sunny Gho are what really pulls everything together for me. It has a great, distinct style that's easy on the eyes, yet full of detail. In addition, there are some great bonus pages in the back including a quick recap on the Origin of Witchblade and a list of the key players in this book.

Read the full review here.
Source: omicvine.com

CBR Reviews Artifacts #1

Seven words in and this comic establishes the tone: mature readers only, please. Sara Pezzini has her gun drawn and cuts an intimidating first image in this series. From there, there’s action, violence, and suspense, including an issue-ending scene that is simply heartbreaking.

Top Cow magnificently identifies the major players in this story with two pages of quick bios describing the seven critical characters of this issue, but in the story, itself, the characters are smoothly identified by those they run into and the circumstances surrounding them. Sara Pezzini introduces herself as she comes to the rescue of a priest being attacked by a demon. Later in the issue, Tom Judge is pegged by the enigmatic Curator, who is set up to be a pivot point for the action and drama of this series.

There’s plenty of action and drama in this single issue. The Curator clues Judge (and the reader by proxy) in to what this series is going to be all about. “There are forces in motion,” he tells Judge. Those forces seek to draw together thirteen ancient artifacts -- including the Witchblade, the Darkness, and Judge’s Rapture cross -- which would result in the destruction of the universe.

The storytelling is cinematic and effective.

Rating:

Read the full review here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama's Best Shots Reviews Velocity #1

Velocity #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Kenneth Rocafort and Sunny Gho
Lettering by Troy Peteri
Published by Top Cow Productions
Review by Erika D. Peterman
Click here for preview

Speedster Carin Taylor -- AKA Velocity -- will be familiar to Cyberforce fans, but you don’t need a primer to enjoy this spin-off on its own merits. Carin, a heroine with a quick wit to match her feet, tells readers everything they need to know early on: “I run fast.”

How fast? So fast that she’s been spotted in two places at once -- or at least so it seems. However, Velocity isn’t a Bionic Woman by choice, and she’d much rather watch old movies in peace than dodge gun-blasting robots. If this issue is any indication, she’s going to spend a lot of time doing the latter.

There’s a fine line between witty and snarky, but writer Ron Marz makes Velocity’s brand of sass endearing. Her assessment of “that whole vibrate your molecules thing” might not go over well with some hardcore Flash fans, but it is funny. She’s confident with hints of vulnerability, and most importantly, she keeps her cool when all hell breaks loose — even when confronted by the former Dr. Erasmus Paine, who is easily one of the most disgusting villains in comics.

Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama's Best Shots Reviews Velocity #1 Again!

Velocity #1 (Published by Top Cow; Review by David Pepose; Click here for preview): Reading the original Pilot Season pitches, it was clear that Velocity pulled ahead from the rest not because of her super-speed, but because of the strength of her personality. And that quality, that level of charm for our scarlet-haired speedster, shows no signs of stopping in Velocity #1. Writer Ron Marz has been working overtime with many of Top Cow's properties, but I have to say, this is his most accessible "Moo-niverse" work yet. We get who Carin is from the very first page, from her super-fast dodging to the adorable wink she gives the reader. Which brings me to artist Kenneth Rocafort. The amount of emotion he gives our heroine is palpable, and I really enjoy what he does with jagged, shifting panels (even as Sunny Gho's colorwork, I would argue, clashes with Rocafort's style, with his dark palette and intrusive angles). But that certainly isn't enough to stop Velocity, a really fun read that has a smart high concept and definitely hits the ground running.

Read more reviews from Best Shots here.
Source: Newsarama

CBR Reviews Velocity #1

"Velocity" finally gets some more printed pages. I'll admit that I've never given Cyberforce much time and even less of my comic book allowance over the years, so this issue is tabula rasa for me. This is the first step of my run.

Marz's characterization of Velocity is refreshing. She knows who she is and is confident in her own skin -- which is a whole other story in and of itself – and is not ready to become a victim...

Rating:

Read the full review here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama's Best Shots Reviews Velocity #1

Velocity #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Kenneth Rocafort and Sunny Gho
Letters by Troy Peteri
Published by Top Cow
Review by Lan Pitts
Click here for preview

"My name is Carin Taylor. Carin with a C instead of a K and an I instead of an E in case you were wondering. Or you can just call me Velocity. I run fast."

There are very few mainstream books out on the market that features a hero without a city to save, without a love interest, without a sidekick, without having to worry about a secret identity, without worrying about holding a job outside your superhero one...yeah, you get the picture. Yet here is Velocity in her own mini-series, and in this first issue at least, it truly is a solo book. It's her against the bad guys. No back up from Cyberforce (not to say they won't show up later in the series) and you really get the feeling it's her against all odds.

Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

Scoop Reviews Velocity #1

We’ve enjoyed a lot of comics from Top Cow Productions over the years, going all the way back to the earliest days of Cyberforce and ranging on up through more recent offerings such as Madame Mirage and Hunter-Killer, but it’s been a long time since we liked one as much as Velocity #1.

The story is pretty straightforward, and on the surface it’s fairly traditional superhero stuff: Carin Taylor (Velocity) must race against the clock to save her Cyberforce teammates and herself from former Cyberdata scientist with an axe to grind. Okay, like we said, it sounds pretty basic.

Only, when was the last time you got to read a really, really good, straightforward superhero comic? It’s not the common occurrence it should be.This one is not good; it’s great. It captures the spirit and energy of the title character and sets the stage for what should be a solid limited series.

Writer Ron Marz, artist Kenneth Rocafort and colorist Sunny Gho deserve the credit for this one, which we’ll be recommending to a lot of friends. Rocafort's art has always been great eye candy, but this is good storytelling as well as beautiful images. Very nicely done. Bravo!

Source: Scoop