Below are a few pages from The Art of Top Cow, that’s being released tomorrow.
The Art Of Top Cow Preview Part 3
Here’s a third look at the coffee table tome showcasing some of the great art from Top Cow over the years. The Art of Top Cow is released on July 22.
The Art Of Top Cow Preview Part 2
As promised, here’s the second daily preview of Wednesday’s release of The Art of Top Cow Hard Cover.
The Art of Top Cow Preview Part 1
The Art of Top Cow Hard Cover is released on Wednesday July 22. It’s a full colour coffee table book with an impressive 352 page count from the likes of Marc Silvestri, Dale Keown, Stjepan Sejic, Michael Turner, David Finch and many more. Top Cow describes the mammoth tome thusly;
The Art of Top Cow is a gigantic collection that combines The Art of The Darkness, The Art of Witchblade and The Art of Marc Silvestri, plus select additional pieces drawn by some of the best artists to have graced the pages and covers of Top Cow titles. This is the definitive art collection for the ultimate art fan.
This over-sized 10” x 12” coffee table book will feature a beautiful dust cover with a unique poster printed on the inside of the dust cover.
I thought I’d share a few random pages a day with you every day until its release, because any excuse is a good one to show great art. Feast your eyes on the gorgeous artwork below. Consider it a gallery of babes and brutes.
Superman/Batman #62 Review
There was a time when this title and JLA were among my favourite DC series. They were always reliable. However the last 2 or 3 years, like any monthly book, has seen its fair share of ups and downs, creatively speaking. This issue is a return to form though I gotta say. Anytime I see Michael Green and Mike Johnson’s names under the writing credit I know I’m in for a treat. The duo have catapulted this series back to where it belongs with their handful of issues together.
Since Batman is dead and has been replaced by the original Robin, and Superman is hanging out on New Krypton, this series has either had to focus on out of continuity tales, or place greater support on the multitude of great satellite characters that both titular heroes have acquired over the years.
This issue focuses on Robin (TIm Drake) and Supergirl and right from the …bat I noticed something was a little off. Tim is wearing his awesome red and black costume, which he gained in DC’s One Year Later stories after Infinite Crisis and before Final Crisis. However as this is touted as his first team-up with Kara, he should be in his green and yellow costume. Yes, I notice these things. I’d expect DC too as well. That’s a minor hiccup though.
Rafael Albuquerque’s art is just superb here. He really plays of the youthful energy by the two teenaged leads and depicts their interactions with a light touch. What did surprise me was the menace and horror with which he shows Joker and later, Mr. Zsasz. Basically the story has the costumed pair quelling a riot at Arkham Asylum, while Supergirl learns for the first time what dread Gotham holds. When Joker is introduced he’s standing in a doctor’s coat holding a freshly amputated leg in his hands, causing the Kryptonian to smack him around, which doesn’t help matters. A few pages later Tim has the same reaction when they meet Mr. Zsasz surrounded by sliced corpses bathed in an eery red light. Despite the manga flavour of the pencils, Albuquerque really sells the terror of Arkham and its inhabitants tremendously well. He makes Killer Croc a monster and Poison Ivy a babe.
There’s no real surprises here. We don’t know why Batman and Superman leave their partners, apart from a JLA mission, and they don’t return, and it’s a standard beat up the bad guys adventure. What elevates it somewhat are Tim and Kara’s interactions out of costume in a coffee shop talking about working with their respective mentors. The differences between the pair shine through in their crime fighting approaches too, with Kara’s naivete and Tim’s seen-it-all attitude being shown in a subtle way.
It’s a simple, done in one story with delicious pages and a streamlined approach, and sometimes in the world of comics, that’s more than enough.
Coheed And Cambria Kills Audio With Boom
Press release below about a new comic from the increasingly diverse BOOM! Studios, written by Claudio Sanchez of the band Coheed and Cambria. The book launches in October but a preview book, and vinyl figure will be available at next weekend’s Comic-Con at San Diego.
Claudio Sanchez, the celebrated creator of the COHEED AND CAMBRIA mythology, including the best selling sci-fi mini-series, THE AMORY WARS, is back with an entirely new concept! One of the most unique and powerful minds in rock and comics unleashes possibly the most provocative new comic of 2009: KILL AUDIO!
Shipping this October from BOOM! Studios, fans can get a first look at KILL AUDIO this July at Comic-Con International, when Claudio Sanchez signs the KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK available only at the BOOM! Studios Booth #2543. In addition to the KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK, fans will also get a chance to purchase the monotone variant of the KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE, limited to 1200 pieces. The KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE will only be available during signing times.
“This is disturbing work, and I mean that as a compliment,” BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid said. “Anyone who’s a fan of THE MAXX or of Robot Chicken should check this out.”
KILL AUDIO follows the adventures of an immortal little troll who struggles to find purpose in a land where creativity is a controlled substance. When musical creativity spirals into chaos, KILL AUDIO discovers his life mission.
Supported by a wildly eccentric posse and a nemesis hell-bent on proving his mortality, KILL AUDIO takes on non-sensical musical sub-genres while traipsing across a vivid landscape, all of which could only come from the intense mind of Claudio Sanchez.
The KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK and the KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE* will be available at the BOOM! Studios booth (#2543) with Claudio signing on Friday and Saturday from 4pm – 5pm.
Written by Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert, KILL AUDIO features mind-melting art by Harvey Nominated Mr. Sheldon with covers by Mr. Sheldon and Kristian Donaldson of DMZ fame. The KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK will sell for $5 while the limited edition monotone variant KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE will sell for $40.
*Please note the Vinyl Figure will only be available during signing times.
Archaia Previews
Archaia is back in a big way and this week have 3 series continuing from where they left off. Details, and pretty pictures, below.
ARTESIA: BESIEGED #3 (of 6)
(W/A) Mark Smylie
As I Lay Dying. Stabbed and poisoned, Artesia hovers on death’s door while ghosts and spirits debate when she will die and King Euwen presses his assault on the city of Abenton and the palisades of the Daradjan camp. After a long (involuntary) hiatus, the saga of Artesia returns.
ROBOTIKA: FOR A FEW RUBLES MORE DOUBLE-SIZE RELAUNCH ISSUE #1&2
Alex Sheikman and David Moran (A) Alex Sheikman (Col) Joel Chua
Special double-size issue relaunching the new Robotika series, combining the previously published issue 1 with the all-new issue 2! When all you’re after is A Few Rubles More, nothing but trouble awaits. Hallucinogenic tadpoles, Black Legion mercenaries, Beppe the Gangster, the Queen, Digital Djhitis and the Three Yojimbos caught in the middle of two rival gangs and a drug deal gone very bad. Now, just when his fighting skills are needed the most, Niko is confronted with his equal and maybe his “even better” – the enigmatic Mister Saint Just! Plus, a Robotika back-up tale “Once Upon A Time…” by David Moran, Brian Churilla (Dark Horse Presents, The Engineer: Konstrukt) and Jeremy Shepherd (The Engineer: Konstrukt).
THE KILLER #9
A Deadly Soul, Part One. A professional. A man of few scruples, nerves of steel, and a steady trigger finger. A man whose crimes might be catching up with him. A man on the verge of cracking. Archaia presents THE KILLER, a hardboiled noir series chronicling one man’s journey through some seriously bad mojo. In this issue: The Killer’s never as deadly as when he is in danger. The survival instinct that guides him drags him through the darkest corners of his soul. Safety and revenge are irreconcilable, and the time has come to choose!
Superman and Ali vs Wednesday Comics
DC’s Wednesday Comics came out this week, on Wednesday! (which is new comics day for US residents).I think fans have put undue pressure on the series, whereas DC are just playing it as an experiment. It’s a grand idea from art director Mark Chiarello, but it’s not the saviour of the comics industry as some would like to believe. However, featuring the first Superman tale in USA Today, with future Supes installments on the USA Today website holds great cross-over potential. The new weekly series is in old newspaper, or tabloid format, at 14″ x 20″ and holds 15 one page stories, by different creative teams. To give you a sense of scale, here’s a bunch of photos of people reading it. There’s some great stories inside, and a flavour for everyone. Most stories are fine for non-fans too, whether it be Teen Titans by Eddie Berganza and Sean Galloway or Green Lantern by Kurt Busiek and Joe Quinones. There’s no continuity tie-downs, but on the flipside there’s not a lot of info about all these characters either. Since they’re being sold in comic shops where nerds dwell, the ideal situation would be for fans to buy a copy for their young relative who may be hooked by the spectacle, or the old relative who may remember the large Sunday funnies of their youth. After they buy a copy for themselves of course.
Speaking of nostalgia, I dusted off another large comic I haven’t looked at in years. It’s not as large as WedCom however, but in the spirit of big comics, I thought I’d share a few pages of 1978’s Superman vs Muhammad Ali, in all it’s faded paper glory. The cover boasts the story as, “the fight to save earth from star-warriors” and is deliciously drawn by Neal Adams, which makes the pages seem even bigger. Inside is a de-powered Supes fighting Ali for the right to save earth from aliens. It’s written by Denny O’Neill and has ’70s attitudes written all over it.
Marvel’s October Covers
October’s Strange Tales #2, has 2 nifty covers by indie star Peter Bagge showcasing the green, and red Hulk. Incredible Hercules #136 also arrives in October and underneath the great Rafael Alberquerque cover is a story of the new Thor vs the new Hercules. Check them out.
North 40 #1 Review
This new series from the DC imprint Wildstorm is a freak fest and I think it will continue to build upon the chills. Written by Aaron Williams (PS238) with art by Fiona Staples (Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor) the series is like a creepy European horror film that they’d only show on TV past midnight. With hints of BOOM! Studios’ Cthulhu Tales mixed with the nasty small town characters of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deliverance North 40 launches from the gate like a crazed horse with flaring nostrils and bleeding hooves. We are the terrified jockey gasping for air and wondering where this strange beast beneath us is going.
The series is set in Conover County, which is the kind of town where everyone knows each other and where there’s nothing to do except drink, fight or gossip. That all changes after two foolish high schoolers open what looks like the book of the dead, Necronomicon. Now if you roll your eyes and start thinking this sounds like the plot of a cheesy ’80s film with bad lighting and rubber monsters, you’d be wrong. This is a genuinely atmospheric tale that happens at breakneck pace. Scenes never really last longer than to establish the various characters (veteran sheriff, bored young waitress, town outcast, etc) before horror knocks on their door in the form of flying vampire creatures, odd voices that order an arcane ritual and other assorted weirdness. Every character and scenario is interesting enough and Williams handles realistic dialogue colliding with fantastic chills with a superb blend.
Staples’ art is reminiscent of the light touch of Phil Noto, with few lines and muted colours. It’s not an approach I thought would’ve worked in this context, but it really does. Staples sells the environment dutifully, with its parched lawns and endless sky.
North 40 could just have easily been a Vertigo book and there’s an interesting behind the scenes 2 part look at how the series developed over at the new Wildstorm blog, with a glimpse below. Also included in this issue is a 3 page preview of August’s Red Herring 6 ish mini-series.
For fans of mature horror and people in desperate situations, North 40 will help you get freaky.
Marvel Pics Galore
Below is the J. Scott Campbell cover to Amazing Spider-Man #601 which is released on August 9 and is the kick-off of Mary Jane Month. The issue is written by Mark Waid and also includes a 6 page story written by Brian Bendis with art by Joe Quesada. That’s special. Also on sale in early August is the second printing of Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #1, by Victor Gischler and Bong Dazo. Lastly here’s 3 X-Men related covers from this week’s comics.
War Of The Witchblades Conclusion
September’s Witchblade #130 will end the epic War of the Witchblades saga that has exploded from the Top Cow title as of late, and will reveal who exactly will be the new Witchblade, and Angelus, wielders. Top Cow are playing coy and have revealed three alternate covers for the issue, with the identities up for debate. Press release, and covers, below.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that “War of the Witchblades” will reach its conclusion in Witchblade #130. Who will emerge as the sole bearer of the Witchblade? Will it be Sara Pezzini or Dani Baptiste? Or will it be a completely new bearer? And who will become the new Angelus?
Witchblade #130 will be the landmark 50th issue of Witchblade written by Ron Marz, The issue is also the 22nd collaborative Witchblade comic with Ron Marz and Sjepan Sejic. Witchblade #130 is expected in comic book stores on Wednesday, September 9, 2009.
Ron Marz had this to say about the issue:
“The book has very much been a two-character drama since we introduced Dani. We might not have had both characters in every issue, but both characters were definitely a presence in the book. At the end of this storyline, we’ll be back to focusing on one character and that character’s life.”
“There are a lot of different plot threads going on in this arc – Sara, Dani, Sara’s sister Julie, Dani’s friend Finch, the Angelus. And while they might seem like disparate threads now, they’ll all tie together.”
“I will say this: when I kill somebody in one of my books, they stay killed if I have anything to say about it. Death shouldn’t be a revolving door, because it saps the drama out of a story. Sara’s first partner, Jake, took a dirt nap, and it’s gonna stay that way. If somebody is really dead, they’re dead.”
“Somebody ends up with the Witchblade, somebody ends up as the Angelus. But I’m not telling who. That’s why we solicited three different possible versions of the Sejic cover to #130. Obviously we’re only going to press with one of them – but the question is, which one?”
Witchblade #130 will ship with three covers; one by regular artist Sejic revealing the identity of the new Angelus bearer, as well as two covers by classic Witchblade artist Adriana Melo (Ms. Marvel) featuring Sara and Dani respectively. The issue will carry a cover price of $2.99, maintaining Top Cow’s pledge to lock in a $2.99 cover price for all their normal comics in 2009.
Secret Warriors #6 Preview
Jonathan Hickman (he of The Nightly News fame) is now firmly entrenched at Marvel, and that’s a very good thing. He brings a great dramatic and creative flair to his work. The latest issue of his new Secret Warriors series hits shelves on July 29,a nd is co-written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Stefano Caselli. Here’s what Marvel say about the issue:
Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors have launched their offensive against Norman Osborn’s H.A.M.M.E.R., but the foot on Fury’s throat might be a sign that things won’t end well! Marvel’s most acclaimed new series of the year continues in Secret Warriors #6, as red-hot scribes Brian Michael Bendis (Dark Avengers) & Jonathan Hickman (upcoming Fantastic Four), team with Young Gun artist Stefano Caselli for the next shocking chapter in Nick Fury’s war against the Dark Reign! What role does HYDRA play in this battle? What are Stonewall’s powers? And just what does Fury have up his sleeve? Strap in for answers—and a shocking conclusion that rocks Marvel’s world of subterfuge to its core! Plus, don’t miss an exciting variant cover by Tomm Coker, celebrating the sexy 70s!
and here’s some text-free preview pages.
Star Wars: Invasion #1 Review
Now I’ve probably read less than forty novels in my life, but my younger brother is a huge Star Wars fan and for the last few years has made a point to read every SW novel he can get his hands on. I too share his enthusiasm for George Lucas’ greatest work, but haven’t delved as deeply in to the Expanded Universe that broadens the scope of events seen in the films. I have read a few of the novels which centre on the vile Yuzzhan Vong however and have loved them. This alien race which despises technology and is immune to the ways of the Force is one of the best creations in the Star Wars world. It’s not easy to create credible enemies for the powerful Jedi, but as I read of the Vong I was instantly scared and sickened. I always thought they’d make an awesome enemy in a film, game or comic adaptation. And here we are. Dark Horse knows how to handle licensed properties like no-one else. They’ve taken Star Wars in to bold new places and this latest mini-series looks to continue that tradition. As editor Randy Stradley mentions in the afteword, now is the time for this comic.
Written by fellow Aussie, and playwright Tom Taylor Invasion is a five issue mini that follows the Yuuzhan Vong as they focus their horrific marauding ways upon the peaceful Artorian people. Obviously, the Artorians have no idea what’s in store for them, and no real defence when the attack comes. Most are carried away as terrified captives by the brutal scaly creatures, while the king (a veteran of the Battle of Hoth, as seen in The Empire Strikes Back) and his risk-taking son Finn do their best to save their planet. The focus on this 40 pager is not the Vong. In fact they hardly appear, but when they do they look as horrific as I imagined when reading the books.
This series is set 25 years after the first Star Wars film amid the New Jedi Order era, in which an older Luke Skywalker is gathering fresh Jedi recruits. He appears here and reminds all that he is one bad dude when he wants to be. So far it doesn’t appear to tie in to any of the Vong novels so I’m curious as to where Taylor and artist Colin Wilson (2000 AD) take this. The desperation is laid on thick with the quick battle on Artoria and Skywalker shows interest in training Finn as a Jedi, which is something that holds promise.
Wilson’s art is detailed, with a flair for costume design and page design, particularly in the numerous fights. There have been so many alien races and planets seen in SW over the decades, but Wilson does an admirable job in the few pages he’s given to flesh out the people of Artoria with a Middle Eastern flavour. Wes Dzioba’s colours add a great richness and depth to Wilson’s pencils, making the pages pop with variety.
It’s an intriguing set up and I hope to see more of the Vong’s harsh religion and culture in the following issues, as that’s one of the things that make them so unique. With the novels, there’s some great source material to mine from. I look forward to this being a dark and ominous series, and hopefully the rest of the Skywalker clan will show up at some point.
You can see a preview of this ish here. There’s also an original 16 page preview on starwars.com by the same creative team set before this first issue.
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