Newsarama Video: Filip Sablik Talks Artifacts, Velocity & Pilot Season

Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik talks to Newsarama about Artifacts, Velocity Pilot Season, Murderer, Stealth and Stellar.

Watch the video here.

Source: Newsarama

Philadelphia Daily News: Title character of 'Murderer' not your average hit man

Comics Guy was deciding which comic to review this week when he came across a book that seemed to scream from the shelves: "Come on! Check this out!"

The book was "Murderer," from Image's Top Cow imprint. The title itself had a coolness factor to it. Despite all the violence in comics through the years, from classic superhero action to gritty crime comics, Comics Guy could not recall a comic with that title.

"Murderer" was co-created by Robert Kirkman and Top Cow CEO Marc Silvestri, who seem determined to make "Murderer" distinct from vigilantes like the Punisher. Kirkman obviously did not want to settle for brutal cliche or have Jason, the title character, be a mob hit man, a serial killer, psychopath, sociopath or a run of the mill "I'm-running-around-hacking-people-up-murderer." Kirkman eschews all of these well-worn archetypes and came up with a unique reason for the murdering, something that makes him a compelling character that readers will want to know more about.

Read the full article here.

Source: Philadelphia Daily News

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The Quarter Bin Reviews Pilot Season: Demonic #1

The Quarter Bin reviews Pilot Season: Demonic #1:

On its own and without the comparisons to Murderer, Demonic is an interesting concept, and I would keep reading it. I want to see where it goes, and if Scott has any chance for redemption whatsoever. He’s not going to give up his family without a fight, but it’s going to be nearly impossible for him to continue living as a killer by night and police officer by day.
Pilot Season: Demonic is on sale now for $2.99.

Read the full review here.

Source: The Quarter Bin

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Living Between Wednesdays

Living Between Wednesday's Jonathan takes a look at this week's Pilot Season: Demonic #1:

This is the second of the “Pilot Season” books that Robert Kirkman and Mark Silvestri are doing at Top Cow. Last week was Murderer, about a man who has to kill to silence his telepathy and who kills to help people. This week: Demonic, about a man compelled to either murder criminals or to kill his wife and daughter. Once the other three books (Stealth, Stellar and Hardcore, presumably about people who are afflicted by how quiet, bright and eXtreme they are, but manage to do good anyway) have come out then you’ll be able to vote for them on the Top Cow website, with the winner becoming a miniseries. So far, my money’s on Murderer, not only because it’s got the best name of the bunch but because the protagonist of that book spent most of the issue carefully selecting someone bad enough to kill before carefully killing him, while Demonic mostly carved up police officers, and precision is a lot more fun to read about than Demon Wolverine.

Source: Living Between Wednesdays

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Jersey Journal Looks at Top Cow's Pilot Season

The Jersey Journal's William Kulesa takes a look at Top Cow's Pilot Season initiative:

In 2007 Top Cow Productions began an annual initiative known as "Pilot Season." Taking its name from television pilots, Top Cow's Pilot Season program encompasses the release of several books which readers will then be able to vote on, determining two titles which will go on to be published by the company.

Out of the five books, the title with the most impact is "Murderer." Coupled with the cover, which depicts a young man spreading his coat open to display various weapons and implements of violence, "Murderer" excels at the most basic marketing of itself.

To read the rest of the article, go here.

Source: NJ.com

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Indie Comic Book Noise Recommends Pilot Season: Murderer on their Podcast

Indie Comic Book Noise's Derek Coward recommends Pilot Season: Murderer #1 from Robert Kirkman, Marc Silvestri and Nelson Blake II.

To listen to the podcast, go here.

Source: Indie Comic Book News

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Dynamic Forces Reviews Pilot Season: Demonic #1

Dynamic Forces' Damian Smith reviews the first installment in the 2009 Pilot Season: Pilot Season: Murderer #1.

Writer Robert Kirkman
Artist Nelson Blake II
Inks: Sal Regla
Colourist Dave McCaig
Covers Mark Silvestri (Cover A and B) and Sunny Gho of IFS (Cover A)
Letters: Troy Peteri
Reviewer Damian Smith

Murderer introduces Jason Sparks who as we find out from the first 2 pages can hear the thoughts of those around him from the moment he wakes. From the look of his reaction to it happening it seems that it is something he can not control and if you think about it, how would you control being bombarded with other people’s thoughts all day long?

Hearing other people’s thoughts is what is driving him to what he does. From thoughts as his grandmother thinking he’s a dead beat who drove his father to his grave to the everyday thoughts of people wanting to postpone meetings and finally to the violent thoughts of those looking to do some harm.

Overall I really enjoyed this issue. I have been reading a lot of oversized comics of late and getting back to a 22 page comic was a welcome change. The story flowed really well from panel to panel and Nelson’s art was able to draw, pun intended, the eyes to what he wanted to see be it a character in the foreground or what he is doing to someone while he is seeing their thoughts.

This is a book that has be intrigued to see where it can go after this, if we will have Jason running from the law going from city to city or what can come of it.

Rating: 8/10

To read the entire review, visit here.

Source: Dynamic Forces

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Heroes Online Digs Image and Murderer

Has anyone else noticed that Image Comics seems to be on a roll these days?

The creator-centric comic company that was maligned in the past (like when they first launched in 1990s) for churning out crappy and late comics has been, as of late, publishing some really great books.

Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was reading so many Image books — or the last time I actually got excited about the company’s offerings.

I mean, I was digging The Walking Dead and Invincible (both written by Robert Kirkman) before, but my love for Kirkman’s work led me to his newest books: Murderer (part of Top Cow’s Pilot Season program) and Haunt (which he works on with Todd McFarlane). I loved Murderer, which got me interested in other Top Cow comics. And I fell for Haunt, which got me taking a second look at Todd McFarlane again — so I started reading Spawn after a looooong break. And that led me to Image United, the crossover blockbuster that’s drawn by all the Image founders.

All that said, if you’re one of those readers who swore off Image years ago, do yourself a favor and give the company another look.

READ MORE.

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JINX Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer #1

Murderer #1
by Robert Kirkman, Marc Silvestri and Nelson Blake II
Published by Top Cow Productions, Inc. through Image Comics

Murderer comes from Top Cow as part of their "Pilot Season" program. From a marketing/publishing standpoint, it's a solid idea. Much like the pilot season season used in the TV industry, the idea is to publish one issue of a concept series. If the public responds well to it, you publish more. Top Cow started this in 2007, with what were basically spin-off books from Marc Silvestri's Cyberforce. For the noobs, Silvestri is the head of Top Cow, which is an independent studio under the Image umbrella.

The 2009 batch, though, definitely has my attention; specifically because of the involvement of Robert Kirkman. Regular readers of my column know how I feel about that tubby bastard. He has put out some of the best original (and even existing) titles over the past 5-6 years, including Walking Dead and Invincible. He is scripting each of the five titles so that bodes well for all of them.

The premise of this first entry into the program is of a dude who can read people's minds, which compels him to find people deserving to be murdered, and does just that. I mean, check out that cover by Silvestri. That's pretty damn badass, especially since our main character, Jason, has ZERO expression on his face. Reading this, I totally got a "Dexter" vibe, which I consider a good thing. I started watching that show on recommendations from my buddy, Archie, and Superfly. Much like Dexter, Jason has homicidal tendencies, but only unleashes them on people deserving of it. The way this issue ends, though, leaves it open for so much more. As of now, I'm rooting for this book to be picked up, but that may change as more titles are released. For now, though, this is definitely a solid buy at $2.99 cover. If they don't come out with anymore, then you're only out 3 bucks. If they do decide to continue it, though, buckle down for a long-term investment.

Who should read this book:
People who have compulsions to be heroic.
People who watch Dexter.
People who discover ancient artifacts that are life-changing if you can just find the right buyer.


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Broken Frontier Presents Top Cow's March 2010 Solicitations

MARCH 2010 CHECKLIST

Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box #2 Rob Levin/Bryan Edward Hill/Alessandro Vitti/Tommy Lee Edwards $3.99
Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box #1 Signed Rob Levin/Bryan Edward Hill/Alessandro Vitti/Tommy Lee Edwards $14.99
The Darkness #84 Phil Hester/Whilce Portacio/Bagus Hutomo $2.99
Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1-5 Signed Set Mark Waid/Kenneth Rocafort $14.99
Tracker #5 Jonathan Lincoln/Francis Tsai $2.99
Berserker #4 Keown “Rage” Edition Rick Loverd/Jeremy Haun/Dale Keown $10.00
Witchblade #136 Ron Marz/Stjepan Sejic $2.99
Pilot Season: Murderer #1 Sketch Variant Robert Kirkman/Marc Silvestri/Nelson Blake II $10.00
Impaler Vol 2 TPB William Harms/Matt Timson $14.99

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Broken Frontier Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer #1

Broken Frontier's Steven Surman is still trying to recover from the shock and awe of the fourth season finale of Dexter, and every little distraction helps. Robert Kirkman’s Murderer #1 is among the more successful stories keeping him occupied; the tale is skillful enough for him to appreciate the motives of a killer while creative enough to introduce a crafty “what-if” scenario that toys with the imagination.

Admittedly, he's not familiar with the work of Kirkman outside of his role on Ultimate X-Men, a stint that caused him to quit the book. He's heard wonderful things about The Walking Dead, but have yet to pick up the first trade. Which makes the premiere issue of Murderer his latest Kirkman foray after a few years, and he's pleased to say it was a pleasant experience.

The first issue of Murderer is a fun and worthwhile read that’s accessible to anyone. Kirkman handles the psychic sequences with savvy care, allowing them to unfold calmly like diary entries (wholly complimented by the fine lettering of Troy Peteri) until they explode into visual violence. The art of Nelson Blake II is light and fun; it’s not stylized to emit a dark mood, but rather follows a traditional comic structure familiar to standard mainstream comics. This is not a gory or gothic book, but rather a fun and inviting one worth the cover price.

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CBR: Pilot Season: Murderer Sells Out

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that the first installment of the 2009 Pilot Season, Pilot Season: Murderer #1, has sold out at the distributor level.

”We knew that both Robert and Marc were going to deliver in spades with this year’s Pilot Season, but I think both retailers and fans were caught off guard by what a complete package Murderer was,” said Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik, “Nelson Blake, Sal Regla, and Dave McCaig really brought their ‘A’ game to this project and it showed in the end product. We aim to make each of the remaining four Pilot Season projects as good as this one and expect them to each be a brisk sellout.”

Pilot Season: Murderer #1 is 32 pages of moral torment in a character study conjured from the minds of Image Comics partners Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible) and Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri (X-Men/Dark Avengers: Utopia, The Darkness). Artist Nelson Blake II (Magdalena) performs the artistic duties to flesh out the story of a man trying to use his powers for good. Jason Sparks is a man cursed to spend every waking moment being bombarded by the thoughts of strangers around him. The only way to silent the voices, the only thing that buys him a moment of respite…is murder.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. plans to digitally release the comic through channels set up with partnered digital content producers for fans to catch up.

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CraveOnline Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer

Pilot Season kicks off this year with five one-shots from Robert Kirkman and co-creator Marc Silvestri, starting with Murderer. This one-shot holds an original premise that I can honestly say intrigued me right from the get-go. Jason Sparks is a man with a superpower, but like writer Kirkman mentions in his afterword, what if having a superpower isn't all it's cracked up to be? In fact, what if it downright sucks? That's pretty much the jump off point here, as Jason has the ability to hear all of the thoughts of those around him to the point that he can barely think, let alone speak. The only way he can get a few hours of peace and quiet is by killing someone, so he's taken to using his power to kill those whom he decides deserves it.

Murderer gives readers a morally complex plot, and this issue sets a lot of things up that hold plenty of potential for any sort of future stories with these characters. And really, isn't that the entire point of Pilot Season?


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The Comic Podcast Network Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer #1

Comic Podcast Network: Alternate Reality – Episode #264

This is the episode where it gets so thick with the Image love that you can taste it! All this Image love could come from none other than Chris Partin (http://justaboutcomics.com/) who joins us this week as a much needed helper cause Jon didn’t manage to get any comics read this week. So Charlie and Chris do their best to deliver comic reviews you want and need while Jon works the switchboards and provides color commentary, John Madden style.

0:33:25 – Pilot Season: Murderer #1

LISTEN HERE.

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Jimmy in the Garden Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer

Jimmy in the Garden is a sucker for Robert Kirkman so it was a no brainer to pick up his new Top Cow title, Pilot Season: Murderer (even though this meant buying outside of my pull list, which I promised I wouldn’t do this week!). This is the inaugural issue of a possible ongoing series.

Cursed and blessed, Jason Sparks can hear the thoughts of others. You can almost see the gears in Kirkman’s mind working, “What if a guy could hear thoughts? What would he do with that knowledge?” It’s an interesting premise in the hands of a gifted author.

I was intrigued by the premise and how it played out toward the issue’s conclusion. The pieces eventually began to fit and once I reread it, the issue made more sense. This is a series with promise and I’m in for the next installment.

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Multiversity Comics Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer

Pilot Season: Murderer #1
Written by Robert Kirkman, Illustrated by Nelson Blake II

Once the realization that these thoughts were not his own and that Jason was a very powerful telepath with no control over those powers...well, it all came together. From that point on I was hooked, frantically turning pages to see how he would handle the thoughts he had heard in a young, beautiful woman who had come by who was scared for her life.

Murderer was assuredly an enjoyable read, and one that is pretty interesting conceptually. Considering it's part of the co-developed Pilot Season projects by Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri, it should be.

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Impulse Creation Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer

Welcome to another installment of—wait, Pilot Season? Hold the presses! Okay, you probably noticed the change in title, and that's because Top Cow is kicking off another annual Pilot Season, a neck-to-neck challenge that pits one pilot comic against another for a spot at a regular comic series. To honor the event and keep you up to speed, we'll be following the releases and reporting back to you each month. Now back to our regularly scheduled feature:

As comic book readers ourselves, we at Impulse know how important it is to get a quality bang for money spent on a single issue. Comic prices add up, after all! So every so often we’ll take an in-depth look at a new title or mini-series. We’ll give you the heads up on whether it's is worth getting into or passing up. If it's good, then you'll know. If it's not so good ... well, we read it so you don't have to.

Top Cow's Pilot Season begins with Murderer #1, written by Robert Kirkman with pencils by Nelson Blake II.

The comic's ending makes the story worthwhile. One thing's for sure: By the last page, Murderer promises volumes more than it let on.


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Comic Alliance's Hot Ink Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer

YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO GET IN HIS HEAD - Pilot Season: Murderer 1

Popular culture has taught me that there are two kinds of telepathy. There's the good, desirable kind where you can selectively read other people's thoughts, turning that ability on and off at will. This kind of telepathy generally leads to a heightened, compassionate understanding of the human condition and a valued place on a team of heroes.

Then there's the other kind of telepathy. The kind where other people's thoughts flow uncontrollably into one's mind, with no off switch. This kind of telepathy usually leads to those afflicted with it huddling in a corner, hands pressed against their temples, yelling things like "No!" and "The voices, make them stop!" to no one in particular. Unfortunately for Jason Sparks, he ended up with the second kind. And since he's the protagonist of a book called "Murderer," you can probably guess he's not dealing with it all that well.

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CBR's The Buy Pile for the week of December 7

Every week Hannibal Tabu goes to a comic book store called Comics Ink in Culver City, CA (Overland and Braddock - hey Steve, Jason, Vince and Sally) and grabs a whole lotta comics. Thursday afternoons you'll be able to get his thoughts (and they're just the opinions of one guy, so calm down) about all of that ... which goes something like this ...

Stuff worth noting

Speaking of creepy, "Pilot Season: Murderer" #1 had an interesting mix of "Dexter" and Mastermind Excello from "The Twelve," as a man tortured by his looks inside of the minds of others exacts fatal vengeance on those who would do wrong. His twitchy, hesitant mannerisms are starkly juxtaposed to his modus operandi and the end result is somewhat uncomfortable. Perhaps with an art team that could, say, work with the smoothness of a Kevin Maguire or a Jamie McKelvie or a Nicola Scott, the "acting" could carry it through that, but unless you're looking for a moodier, weirder sort of vibe than you get from Frank Castle (pre-monster movie) then this migh

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SciFi Pulse Reviews Pilot Season: Murderer #1

The holiday season is fast approaching, and we’ll start the celebration with a holiday special and a debut issue from one of SciFi Pulse's favorite writers, Robert Kirkman.

2. Murderer #1. I don’t think I can get much farther from the previous book than by reviewing this “Pilot Season” comic written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Nelson Blake II for Top Cow Comics.

I’ve often mentioned how much I enjoy Kirkman’s writing, and this issue doesn’t disappointment. In a text page at the back of the book (where Kirkman usually chats with fans), he talks about the fact that he just plain liked the title, “Murderer.” “I don’t recall anyone ever doing a comic with that title — and it’s a cool title,” he says. “There’s got to be something to this guy, a reason for the murdering … something to make him a compelling character that we the reader would want to know more about.”

The cover is intriguing, as we see the man the book will be about wearing a shirt that says, “If you are reading this, it means you are a bad person and are about to die.” That grabbed my attention, I’ll tell you.

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