Comic Attack Exclusive Preview: Tracker #5

The good people over at Top Cow have given us this exclusive preview of Tracker #5, the final issue of the series, which comes out next Wednesday! Tracker is written by Jonathan Lincoln with art by Abhishek Malsuni. The cover artist is Francis Tsai. The solicit info for this issue reads as follows:

“The first property from Top Cow and Heroes and Villains Entertainment comes to a pulse-pounding conclusion! FBI tracker Alex O’Roark finally comes face-to-face and claw-to-claw with his maker – the serial killer Herod! But will Alex be able to control his animalistic instincts long enough to extract the sample of Herod’s blood to end his own suffering?”

Per the norm of Top Cow books, the art in this series is vibrant; from the pencils to the coloring, it just looks great! So what’s going down here in this preview? Essentially Alex’s girlfriend, Tory, has apparently been murdered by the ever elusive perpetrator, Herod. Alex has been hunting Herod since he killed a bunch of people on the blue line in issue #1, and he soon learns it’s because Herod needs to feed on Lupine blood in order to survive. Oh yeah- Herod and Alex are both werewolves! Now Alex is faced with a tough question- is he willing to lose the woman he loves in order to kill the man he hates?

See the full preview here.
Source: ComicAttack.net

Blogcritics Books Reviews Tracker #4

Purely for the fact that Tracker tries to do something different with the werewolf genre and that it's accompanied by some good, solid artwork makes it a good pick up for anyone whether you've followed the series or not.

Read the full review here.
Source: blogcritics.org

Hollywood Jesus Reviews Tracker #4

I haven’t read the previous books, so to jump into a story one issue away from completion is rarely a good thing. I do give credit to Johnathan Lincoln for making this particular story so easy to grasp. He gave enough in the first page to get a sense of what’s happened so far. Plus, the artwork by Donovan captures the mood of the story very well.

When you look at O’Roark, you can’t help but feel sorry for him. He has become a person so obsessed, that he is slowly fading away. We all go through similar situations, but the question is, how far do we let it take us? We will find enemies in our path that are going to push, some harder and stronger than others. The key is to find solace in the knowledge we don’t have to fight it alone. Jesus fights our battles for us, and helps bring back color to our faded lives.

Read the full review here.
Source: live.hollywoodjesus.com

Player Affinity Reviews Tracker #4

Alex O'Roark is a werewolf... that works for the F.B.I. Alright that's a bit miss leading. Alex is a F.B.I. agent assigned to stopping an elusive serial killer that's been killing for sixty years. Alex made the biggest break in the case by getting a photo of the unknown killer. Alex's real problem is that the serial killer, named Herod, is a werewolf and the reason that Alex has become one as well. Now Alex must not only stop Herod, but save himself from turning into a werewolf permanently.

Read the full review here.
Source: playeraffinity.com

UGO Exclusive Preview: Tracker #4

Exclusive Preview of Top Cow’s Tracker #4

Story: Jonathan Lincoln
Art: Derec Donovan
Cover: Francis Tsai

The first property from Top Cow and Heroes and Villains Entertainment is here!

FBI tracker Alex O'Roark and his partner Jezebel Kendal become more and more desperate to capture serial killer Herod and resort to using a young boy afflicted with lycanthropy as bait. Will the risky gambit come back to bite them?

32 Pages / Full Color / $3.99

See the full preview here.

Source: UGO

Geeks of Doom Reviews Tracker #2-3

At the end of issue #1, there’s a personal note from writer/creator Jonathan Lincoln, where he passionately writes about the series and thanks the reader for taking a chance on it. That’s all I need to see to get me to give the rest of the issues — there will be five in all — a shot. When I see the love a creator has for his work, that love is contagious. It helps that by the time I got to the end of issue #3 I was like, ‘Who is Herod? I need to know!!!’

Now back to Herod, I don’t feel we get enough of him, and in issue #3 when we see the bus massacre flashback, I’m not so convinced we’re seeing the real killer, but that’s just my own hunch. Issue #3 is packed with a lot of information and leaves us with a lot of unanswered questions: Will O’Roark survive this ordeal? Can Tucker really be trusted? Will Jezzie ever be of any use? Will Tory finally get laid? We have two more issues of Tucker to go before all will be revealed (hopefully), and I’m definitely looking forward to it.

Read the full review here.

Source: Geeks of Doom

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Project Fanboy Reviews: Tracker #3

Reviewer Comments:
Alex O'Roark's hunt for the serial killer Harod continues but it hits close to home when a decapitated head shows up on his doorstep. That's where Tracker #3 by Jonathan Lincoln kicks off and this third issue continues Trackers solid story.

The writing is a solid mix of a police-procedural and a hunt-for-a-serial-killer story with a werewolf twist. It also has a good blend of action and character drama. All in one issue Lincoln gives you relationship drama, investigation drama, partner tension, a chase sequence, a dream sequence, and more mystery, and thanks to Lincolns even pacing it all works together and reads smooth, this issue is jam packed with happenings but it doesn't ever feel like too much is going on, its very easy to follow.

The art, by Francis Tsai, continues to be a great way to see this story told. His line work is clear and defined. His style is dark and gritty. His story telling is solid, and man can he draw some horrifying looking sequences.

Lincoln and Tsai continue to steer this book on course as its a solid action book with characters you care about. I continue to be impressed by Tracker, its a simple twist on a familiar genre but it's creative team knows what it's doing and continues to make it a solid read.

Rating:

Source: Project Fanboy

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Best Shots Reviews Angelus #2 and Tracker #3

This week, Best Shots reviews Angelus #2 and Tracker #3, both out in stores now!

Angelus #2 (Published by Top Cow; Review by Lan Pitts): Little can be said that hasn't already been said on the what Ron Marz has been doing over at Top Cow, especially with characters like the ones in Angelus. Dani Baptiste is still learning the ropes of being an embodiment of light, and handling it quite well all things considering. She manages to get a history lesson on her purpose and more Divine situations, and still save her quasi-girlfriend from muggers. God bless her. Marz continues to weave an impressive story, and the conclusion of the issue just opens up a new can of worms, or maybe something more Satanic. Stjepan Sejic's art is pretty good, but not as sharp as it has been in earlier works. Still, I love the imagination he has and how can you say "no" to a demon train? choo choo.


Tracker #3 (Published by Top Cow Productions; Review by George Marston: It took me a few pages to get into Tracker, but it hooked me by the end of the issue. The plot is interesting; an FBI profiler and his partner seek a mysterious killer, only to become embroiled in a mystery of supernatural proportions. While the supernatural elements seemed at first like an afterthought, as the issue went on, they became more of a focus and much more interesting. In this issue, several important secrets are revealed about the serial killer known as Herod, and Alex O'Roark begins to come to grips with the horrific affliction he now faces. The police procedural bits tend to drag, and Jonathan Lincoln's dialogue isn't exactly gripping, but it serves the story, things move along quickly enough not to be bogged down too much. The art stands out, though it is a bit one-note in its "acting;" many characters wear the same expressions regardless of the scene or context. However, the watercolor finishes are nice, and there are certainly bits where Francis Tsai certainly shines. It is clear that he puts a lot of effort into using interesting angles and compositions to keep long scenes of conversation interesting, though occasionally this distorts his proportions more than necessary. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with Tracker #3, and look forward to more.

Source: Newsarama's Best Shots

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Broken Frontier Previews Tracker #3. Out Today!

Tracker #3
(W) Jonathan Lincoln (A) Francis Tsai (Cov) Francis Tsai

The first property from Top Cow and Heroes and Villains Entertainment is here! FBI tracker Alex O'Roark and his partner Jezebel Kendal race against the clock to capture the serial killer Herod before he kills again. When Herod drags Alex's fiancé, Tory, into their game of cat and mouse, Alex may unleash the beast caged within...

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited series


Source: Broken Frontier

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UGO.com Exclusive Preview: Tracker #3

Mint Condition: Exclusive Pages From Top Cow's Tracker #3
Writer: Jonathan Lincoln
Artist: Francis Tsai

The first property from Top Cow and Heroes and Villains Entertainment is here! FBI tracker Alex O'Roark and his partner Jezebel Kendal race against the clock to capture the serial killer Herod before he kills again. When Herod drags Alex's fiancé, Tory, into their game of cat and mouse, Alex may unleash the beast caged within...

Full Color, 32 pages, limited series $2.99

See the rest of the preview pages here.

Source: UGO.com

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Major Spoilers Reveals Top Cow's March 2010 Solicits

Top Cow sent Major Spoilers the cover images and solicitation information for titles arriving in March 2010.

Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box #2 (of 6)
(W) Rob Levin & Bryan Edward Hill (A) Alessandro Vitti (Cov) Tommy Lee Edwards

The Road to ARTIFACTS Begins Here!

Finn and Glori, the bearers of the Glacier and Ember Stones, have discovered that a mysterious cult is after Pandora’s Box, one of the 13 Artifacts. Will they be able to not kill each other long enough to prevent the Disciples of Eden from destroying the world? Or will they revert to their destined roles?

From newcomers Rob Levin (The Darkness: Shadows & Flame) and Bryan Edward Hill, (Broken Trinity: Aftermath) and artist Alessandro Vitti (Secret Warriors). Featuring covers by Tommy Lee Edwards (1985)!

Full Color 32 pages $3.99 limited series
Expected Ship Date – March 17th, 2010


Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box #1 Signed Edition
(W) Rob Levin & Bryan Edward Hill (A) Alessandro Vitti (Cov) Tommy Lee Edwards

Get this limited edition issue signed by writers Rob Levin and Bryan Edward Hill. Quantities are limited, allocations may occur.
Full Color 32 pages $14.99 Signed Edition


The Darkness #84
(W) Phil Hester (A) Whilce Portacio (Cov) Bagus Hutomo

“Hunt The Darkness”
Jackie Estacado, the current bearer of the Darkness, has escaped from Fort Knox, but a Hunter-Killer team is hot on his heels. Will Jackie be able to defeat a team of trained government ultra-sapiens before daybreak?

For one issue only, special guest artist Whilce Portacio (Hulk, Spawn) joins The Darkness team! Featuring a cover by Bagus Hutomo (Shrapnel: Arteseia Rising).

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Expected Ship Date – March 31st, 2010


Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1-5 Signed Set
(W) Mark Waid (A) Kenneth Rocafort (Cov) Various

Get all five issues of Top Cow’s 2009 crossover event in this convenient set! As an added bonus, fans will receive the first issue signed by artist Kenneth Rocafort (Madame Mirage)!

Full Color $14.99 Set (x 5 Comics)


Tracker #5 (of 5)
(W) Jonathan Lincoln (A) Francis Tsai (Cov) Francis Tsai

The first property from Top Cow and Heroes and Villains Entertainment comes to a pulse-pounding conclusion!
FBI tracker Alex O’Roark finally comes face-to-face and claw-to-claw with his maker – the serial killer Herod! But will Alex be able to control his animalistic instincts long enough to extract the sample of Herod’s blood to end his own suffering?

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited series
Expected Ship Date – March 31st, 2010


Berserker#4 Keown “Rage” Edition
(W) Rick Loverd (A) Jeremy Haun (Cov) Dale Keown

Get this limited edition variant cover previously available only through the Top Cow Store by Dale Keown. Quantities are limited, allocations may occur.

Full Color 32 pages $10.00 Top Cow Store Exclusive


Witchblade #136
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Sejic

“Pantheon” Part 3 of 3, Guest-starring Aphrodite IV!

Sara Pezzini, the current bearer of the Witchblade, is caught between the deadly robotic assassin Aphrodite IV and the corrupt mega-corporation Cyberdata. Even with a mystical gauntlet at her disposal, will Sara be able to walk away from this encounter?

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Expected Ship Date – March 3rd, 2010


Pilot Season: Murderer #1 Sketch Top Cow Store Variant Cover
(W) Robert Kirkman (A) Nelson Blake II (Cov) Marc Silvestri

Get this limited edition sketch variant cover by co-creator Marc Silvestri, previously available exclusively from the Top Cow Store. Quantities are limited, allocations may occur.

Full Color 32 pages $10.00 Top Cow Store Exclusive


Impaler Volume 2 Trade Paperback
(W) William Harms (A) Matt Timson (Cov) Matt Timson

International Horror Guild Award finalist William Harms (Wolverine: The Anniversary) returns to his bold new re-imagining of the vampire mythos with a second volume!
Millions of vampires have descended upon America. In a desperate attempt to defeat them, the US military nuked New York City. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. The legendary vampire HUNTER, Vlad the Impaler, has returned to stop them, and NYC Detective Victor Dailey has become his unwilling companion. Joining Harms for this volume is up-and-coming painter Matt Timson (Popgun).
Collects Impaler Vol. 2 #1-6 plus a cover gallery and bonus material.

“Impaler remains an excellent take on vampire mythos and a great horror comic in general.” —Fangoria
“Hands down one of the best books on the market today” – Ain’t It Cool News
“Harms and Timson don’t hold back.” – CBR
“The concept from start to finish is just plain old-fashioned cool” – Newsarama

Full Color 160 pages $14.99 trade paperback

Expected Ship Date – February 10th, 2010

MATURE READERS

READ MORE.

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Comixology Previews Tracker #2

By: Jonathan Lincoln, Francis Tsai
Format: FC, 32pg., LIMITED SERIES
Publisher: Top Cow
On Sale: December 23, 2009

Description
The first property from Top Cow and Heroes and Villains Entertainment is here! Alex O'Roark, the FBI's top tracker and now a werewolf, must keep his curse a secret from his partner Jezebel Kendall and his fiancé Tory Reyes, while hunting a deadly serial killer, Herod, who is the only one who can offer Alex the answers he seeks. Why? Because Herod is the werewolf who passed his curse onto Alex!

READ MORE.

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Newsarama Brings You More Werewolf Action with a Preview of TRACKER #2

Tracker #2

(W) Jonathan Lincoln (A) Francis Tsai (Cov) Francis Tsai

The first property from Top Cow and Heroes and Villains Entertainment is here! Alex O'Roark, the FBI's top tracker, is on a crash course through Hell. He's been infected with the werewolf virus. The FBI is suspicious. His partner, Jezebel Kendall, is falling for him. His fiancé, Tory Reyes, is worried sick. And, he must keep his horrific secret from everyone as he hunts down Herod, the world's most dangerous serial killer. Why? Herod has answers. He's the werewolf who infected Alex!

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited

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Fangoria Reviews Tracker #1

If you think about, cops and creatures of the night have a lot in common. They’re tough. They do most of their activity in the wee hours of the night. They’re scary, especially unshaven. Sometimes, they sit in one place for hours on end for their target to arrive. And once in awhile, they turn into something else when pissed off. Whether or not it’s upon a full moon is quite debatable.

It’s a wonder why we don’t see more crossovers between cop shows and werewolves, but TRACKER from Top Cow Comics mixes the two perfectly with a yellow and blue make green seal of approval. It’s mature and gritty, yet mysterious and supernatural, allowing the reality to lead the fiction into believable circumstances. Writer Jonathan Lincoln almost treats this comic book like a television show, and perhaps it once was as the sharp dialogue and step-by-step motion within a crime scene make it pretty hard to ignore that observation. The interesting aspect of that notion is television writing has become more like a comic book these days, and so why not reverse the structure of a cop drama seen on the major networks and let it play out in a graphic novel format? As comic book readers continue to read the books well past the ideal state of mind set out by moms and girlfriends, the true nature of comic book storytelling must mature as well. TRACKER treats the reader like a full-on adult, and it’s comfy for those that are tired of capes, masks, and neon tights flying all over the place.

READ MORE.

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CraveOnline Reviews Tracker #1

With tweens and vampires being all the rage right now in popular culture, I was fairly ecstatic to find Top Cow publishing a book about werewolves, and not the Paramore-grooving, Stephanie Meyer kind. Tracker #1 is a crime procedural first and a supernatural werewolf tale second.

Written by Jonathan Lincoln, Tracker #1 wastes no time introducing the key players, along with their relatively cookie cutter personalities. You've got your main character Agent O'Roark, the hard boiled FBI agent who allows his guilt of letting the killer go to overwhelm him. You've got Agent Jezebel Kendall, the no-nonsense female agent who is overworked and undersexed, as well as partners with our lead. You've got Agent Grant, the jealous co-worker who is more interested in impressing Agent Kendall than solving the case. And of course, you have the worried girlfriend of our main character that fears she is getting too close to a man that will surely get himself killed in the line of duty. Despite these cardboard cutout personalities, Lincoln is able to provide a solid narrative into which these characters feel at home.

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Come Visit Top Cow at San Diego Quarterly Con This Weekend!

Hello Top Cow Herd!

Top Cow will be at this Sunday's San Diego Quarterly Con at the Scottish Rite Event Center!

Come out and join us on November 15 between 10a - 4p. The Top Cow table will be at Space #18 and we'll be joined by some awesome faces: Nelson Blake II, Rick Basaldua, and Francis Tsai.

Hope to see you there!

READ MORE.

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Project Fanboy Reviews Tracker #1

What happens when a man who is tasked with protecting society from monsters (both figuratively and literally in this case) is becoming one himself? That's the question Jonathan Lincoln seeks to ask and answer in the new miniseries, Tracker, from Top Cow. It's sort of a werewolf twist on a hard boiled tale of an FBI agent tracking the man responsible for grizzly acts of public mass murder...or something like that...but you know what? I think its good, pretty darn good.

The script, by Lincoln, moves quickly (in a good way) introducing the reader (in quite a grizzly and gory and also good way) to the life of FBI agent Alex O'Roark. A man on a mission if there ever was one, O'Roark, is likeable and rough around the edges, the way any good public defender is, and I think that's much of why this comic works, you feel for O'Roark and what's happening to him. Lincoln's script successfully draws you into his life, predicament, and the cast of characters that surround him, that includes his rightfully concerned girlfriend, and tough talking partner Jezebel.

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Major Spoilers Reviews Tracker #1

Tracker #1
Publisher: Top Cow, Image, Heroes and Villains Entertainment
Writer: Jonathan Lincoln
Artist: Francis Tsai
Cover A: Francis Tsai
Cover B: Darick Robertson and JD Smith

Federal Agent Jezebel Kendall is rather upset when she answers a call to what initially looks to be a simple bus crash. But upon entering the bus, she finds a charnel house of human remains. This is the work of the serial killer she knows as Herrod. But thinks get even stranger when she calls her partner, Alex O’Roark only to find him on the bus under a pile of bodies, clutching his cell phone more tightly than his life.

Overall, I liked the book. There was a werewolf/cop movie out SEVERAL years ago called Full Eclipse that starred Mario Van Peeples that I always loved, and while this does not have any real resemblance to it, I could not help but be reminded of that movie. With the big push now being in vampire and werewolves, Top Cow and HVE have picked a great time to have Tracker pounce on the reading public, and earns 4 out of 5 stars.

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Best Shots Reviews Tracker #1

At first glance, Top Cow’s new miniseries Tracker seems to be that company’s answer to Wolverine (not that they, and everyone else in the industry, haven’t used Logan-like characters before, but this pointy-toothed, wacky-haired feral man seems spot on). Getting inside, though, you’re one splash-page away from realizing that this is not the kind of book that ever could have gotten approved by the Comics Code Authority.


I’m a sucker for this style of art, and Francis Tsai handles it well. One of the weaknesses of many comics painters is to make the faces of anyone in the background so general as to be more or less a blur of flesh-colored something. Not so here; while the main characters would have to walk a mile in someone’s watercolored shoes to be as deliberate and detailed as an Alex Ross painting, the world they inhabit is a lot more real than most comics painters bother with, and the humanity in their expressions helps to make them relatable.


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Famous Monsters Reviews Tracker #1

To say Top Cow’s new title Tracker is a werewolf comic doesn’t seem quite fair; it doesn’t really capture the scope of the thing. It would be more accurate to call this a gritty, character-driven police drama… with werewolves in it.

The book, which hits stores next Wednesday, follows Alex O’Roark, an FBI agent who is tracking a mass murderer who appears to be something more than human. When he gets caught in, one of the killers attacks himself, he barely escapes with his life – and leaves part of his humanity behind. Suddenly, Alex finds himself manifesting new abilities and urges of a decidedly animal nature. His sense of smell is super-humanly sharp; he’s got a shorter temper and a lust for violence; he’s agile and durable enough to survive a 5-story leap while tracking his attacker.

What’s nice about this book is that writer Jonathan Lincoln makes us aware of these manifestations, of the change that Alex is going through – but they’re not really the point.

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