CBR Reviews Velocity #2

“Velocity” #2 showcases the eponymous heroine’s abilities and problem-solving abilities as she’s left with the task of saving herself and her Cyberforce teammates from a deadly virus in under an hour. It’s a fun, breezy read with gorgeous art.


Read the full review here.
Source: CBR

Broken Frontier Exclusive: Witchblade #144 (15th Anniversary Issue) Cover

Top Cow has given BF an exclusive look at the covers to Witchblade #144, which is the 15th Anniversary issue!

Read more about Witchblade #144 here.
Source: Broken Frontier

UGO Exclusive First Look at Magdalena #4 Cover

UGO's got a first look at the next cover of Top Cow's hot comic, Magdalena!

Magdalena #4

Story: Ron Marz
Art: Nelson Blake II
Cover: Ryan Sook
32 pages / FC / $3.99

Patience, the latest in a long line of The Magdalena, bearer of the Spear of Destiny, and Kristof, her mentor and Knight of Malta, continue to race around Europe hunting a demonic cult intent on bringing about the era of the Anti-Christ. With Patience doubting whether she will be able to fulfill her duty or not, the Church moves to ensure that their servant will do its will... even if that servant is not Patience.

See the cover in all its glory here.
Source: UGO

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

Newsarama's Best Shots Review: Angelus #5

This mini-series has excelled in showcasing Dani as a stand-alone kind of character and out of Sara Pezzini's shadow. The action is terrific, the dialog is clever and crisp and the art is beyond superb. Anyway we can get this into an ongoing, Top Cow?

Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

Things From Another World: Ron Marz, Nelson Blake II & Ryan Sook Talk About Magdalena

Top Cow’s Magdalena series follows a line of female warriors who can see into the human heart and give them the chance to redeem themselves–or feel the wrath of her Spear of Destiny! Descended from Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, the Magdalena is the protector of the Catholic Church and defender of the innocent!

Although the character of Magdalena has been around since 1998, her ongoing series, starring the newest Magdalena, Patience, just debuted this year. We recently had the chance to speak with her creative team, writer Ron Marz, artist Nelson Blake II, and cover artist Ryan Sook, and pick their brains about Magdalena’s past, present, and future!

TFAW.com: Hi guys, thanks for telling us more about Magdalena! Ron, can you catch our readers up on the history of Magdalena?

Ron Marz: There’s a Magdalena selected in each generation, a descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. So each Magdalena literally has the blood of Christ running through her veins. The line of Magdalenas has served as the Catholic Church’s monster hunters and enforcers for more than a thousand years. It’s not a job that engenders a long life expectancy, unfortunately. Patience is the current Magdalena, but issue #1 seemed to hint there’s someone else waiting in the wings.

Read the full interview here.
Source: Things From Another World

Newsarama's Best Shots Advance Review: Magdalena #3

Nelson Blake II's use of sharp angles keeps the story at a nice pace as well as engages the reader. Showing how Magdalena moved around the building a la Batman, was a change of pace and I just wonder how easy it was to creep around with that armor on. Blake's action shots are drawn beautifully with a high impact feel. When somebody is shot, stabbed, or punched, you can sense the impact he was going for. His demonic designs are creative and feel they impose an actual threat, without them being over done. Sal Regla's inking style compliments Blake's pencils exceedingly well. The first six pages of Mags prowling around is evident of that. Dave McCaig's colors are brilliant as always. The use of reds and yellows is still dominant, but he has a chance to work with blues and purples.

Read the full review here.
Source: Newsarama

CBR Exclusive Preview: Velocity #2

VELOCITY #2
STORY BY
Ron Marz
ART BY
Kenneth Rocafort
COVER BY
Kenneth Rocafort

The Pilot Season Winner is Back!

As the members of Cyberforce lay dying from a fatal techno-virus, their only hope for survival is their teammate Velocity. Carin Taylor has never been more in need of her super-speed as the races around the globe, trying to find and cure her teammates before the same virus kills her. The issue continues the inaugural creative union of writer Ron Marz (Witchblade, Angelus) and artist Kenneth Rocafort (Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer).

See the full preview here.
Source: CBR

Broken Frontier Exclusive Preview: Witchblade #138

Top Cow offered BF an exclusive preview to Witchblade #138, coming to stores this week, September 22, 2010.

Witchblade #138
(W) Ron Marz
(A) Stjepan Sejic
(Cov) Stjepan Sejic

The Witchblade has borne many wielders in many eras, perhaps even in other realms. Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic tell a fantasy tale of epic proportions as only they can. And the connection to Sara Pezzini may surprise even the most devoted fan!

Full Color, 32 pages,
$2.99, ongoing series


See the full preview here.
Source: Broken Frontier

Graphic Policy: Top Cow at Baltimore Comic-Con 2010

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that they will be returning to the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con, Baltimore’s premier entertainment convention, this weekend August 27-28,2010. This marks the third consecutive year the publisher has had a presence at the show.

Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik and Direct Market Liaison Atom! Freeman will be bringing writer Ron Marz (Artifacts, Witchblade) and artist Nelson Blake II to the show. Marz and Sablik (Pilot Season: The Asset, Last Mortal) will be on hand for signings both days at the Top Cow booth. In addition, Sablik will be available throughout the show for portfolio reviews for aspiring artists.

The publisher will be offering an exclusive Baltimore Comic Con variant cover to Velocity #1 for the event by Michael Broussard.

Read the full release, including mention of our panel, here.
Source: Graphic Policy

CBR Exclusive Preview: Magdalena #3

Story: Ron Marz
Art: Nelson Blake II, Sal Regla, Dave McCaig
Cover: Ryan Sook
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: Sept. 1, 2010

The Star of the Forthcoming Feature Film Gets Her Own Series!

Descended from the bloodline of Christ, Patience is the latest incarnation of the Magdalena. Armed with the Spear of Destiny, she is tasked with destroying any and all evil... even if it takes the form of a little boy. Patience might be able to destroy the boy's demonic protectors, but can she bring herself to murder a child who could ultimately prove to be innocent?

See the full preview here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama Exclusive Preview: Angelus #5

Angelus #5 (of 6)
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic

Just as Dani and Finch's relationship reaches a turning point, Dani must embrace the role of the Angelus once again, finally facing down an enemy who has lurked in the shadows and plotted her doom. Forced to make a choice between her humanity and her life as the Angelus, what will Dani choose?

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited series

See the preview pages here.
Source: Newsarama

CBR: SDCC's The Image Comics Panel

The Image Comics Show at Comic-Con International in San Diego kicked off as PR and Marketing Coordinator Betsy Gomez introduced the fan-filled crowd to an all-star lineup of writers including Robert Kirkman ("Walking Dead," "Invincible"), Joe Kelly ("I Kill Giants"), Marc Guggenheim (writer of the "Green Lantern" film), John Layman ("Chew"), Ben McCool ("Choker"), and Nick Spencer ("Forgetless").

Betsy Gomez then took the opportunity to mention two upcoming projects from Top Cow writer Ron Marz ("Witchblade," "Artifacts"). Image has picked up Marz and Lee Moder's "Shinku" as a full-color monthly series, with the series focusing on vampires versus samurai. Marz previously released an ashcan issue at Baltimore Comic-Con in 2009. Additionally, Image and Top Cow are jointly collaborating on Marz's "Firebreather vs. Dragon Prince," with more details to be revealed at the Top Cow panel.

Read about the panel 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

Newsarama: It's Samurais vs. Vampire in Image's SHINKU

Image Comics is being taken over by samurai and vampires.

That’s the story coming out of Comic-Con International: San Diego and the Image Comics Show panel Friday, as a new ongoing series pitting vampire versus samurai was announced. Shinku, by writer Ron Marz (Witchblade, Green Lantern) and Lee Moder (Painkiller Jane, Dragon Prince), tells the store of an epic confrontation between two feuding Japanese clans – one vampire, one human – and the modern day high-noon showdown with the last surviving human and an underground army of vampires.

Although it’s first full issue isn’t set to debut until Spring 2011, Shinku was first glimpsed with an “ashcan” Marz & Moder released last year during the convention season, which is still available via Westfield Comics. Newsarama covered Shinku back then during its early days, and we return to the title upon the news that its been greenlit as an ongoing series at Image Comics. For more, we talked with Ron Marz by phone about the project

Read the full article here.
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama: FIREBREATHER & DRAGON PRINCE Team-Up @ Top Cow

Yes, they're both half-dragon/half teenage boy, the offspring of human mothers and mythical dragon fathers. And yes they're both new to the comics' scene over the last few years. But according to their respective creators, that's where the similarities between Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn's Firebreather and Ron Marz, Jeff Johnson and Lee Moder's Dragon Prince end. 



And they're putting their money where their mouth's are this fall inviting the comparison confident readers will see the contrasts in Firebreather vs. Dragon Prince, a Top Cow one-shot announced Saturday afternoon at the Top Cow panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego.

In the four-issue Dragon Prince miniseries released just two years ago, a teenager named Aaron Chiang is revealed to be the son of a dragon and the last heir to the dragon kingdom.

Read the full interview here.
Source: Newsarama

CBR's Read Pile Picks Witchblade #137

THE READ PILE FOR AUGUST 11TH, 2010

"Witchblade" #137 was a cute done-in-one using a diary entry as a framing device for a necromancer guest star to befriend the title character.

Read the Buy/Read Pile here.
Source: CBR

Ideology of Madness' Podcast Reviews Artifacts #1

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it is that tacos are awesome. If there are two things we can all on agree on it is that crimes must be punished, wrongs must be righted, injustice will not stand. In this week’s episode of Funnybooks, we kick the show off by addressing the rudeness of others before jumping into a week full of terrific new comics including Top Cow’s Artifacts event, a ton of books from Radical, and even more from the big two. Plus, we discuss the new DVD release Batman: Under the Red Hood.

Get the podcast here.
Source: ideologyofmadness.spookyouthouse.com

Twitter Report: Ron Marz Talks the Yogi Bear movie poster

@ronmarz If the next Yogi poster has Ranger Smith in a--less chaps and a ball gag, I think we'll know something is up.
-Ron Marz, Writer ("Green Lantern," "Witchblade")

Read more comic tweets here.
Source: splashpage.mtv.com

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