posted
Much like there is a Vertigo Review thread and a Wildstorm Review Thread, I'd now like to start a Top Cow review thread (since it too kind of feels like an imprint, this time of Image, though I think it is its own company technically).
My reading experience with Top Cow has traditionally been about zero. I know of the Company's history and I actually really like Marc Silverstri's work quite a bit from his days as the penciller on Uncanny X-Men. Seeing Silvestri artwork is a big bonus for me when I buy comics. But I have actually never read a single issue of Witchblade or The Darkness, the company's big two properties--that is until recently when when I picked up the $1.00 reprint issue of Witchblade #1.
I know Top Cow has a bit of a bad reputation for TnA comics, largely because of early 90's Witchblade and probably because it suffered from its association with 90's Image but it certainly doesn't seem that way anymore. It's major writers are Ron Marz, who is most famous for GL, but really should be more famous for his EXCELLENT work at Crossgen (Scion, Path, Way of the Monkey and others), and Phil Hester who has done various DC and independent work. It's definitely a company that puts artwork at the forefront but I think in this era, they give equal credence for writing.
I'm particularly interested in anyone who buys Witchblade or Darkness and wants to give reviews. From what I understand, Dale Keown largely uses Top Cow to publish his Pitt property as well.
I did purchase Wanted back a few years ago, which was probably my first Top Cow comic (I think there might be a thread around here). I think Vee still collects Hunter/Killer, so if he wants to give some thoughts or provide a link to that thread, I'd welcome it.
Another thing Top Cow does is something called "Pilot Season" in which they would have 5 one-shots in a given year and then the fans would vote on which one they liked the most and it would be an ongoing series. I think Season 2's winner was Velocity, a member of Silvestri's original Top Cow property Cyberforce (which I do have the first few issues from way back). This year, Silvestri is teaming up with the soon to be iconic Robert Kirkman who any comic book fan with any real reading credentials already knows is the awesome writer of the Walking Dead and other awesome series. Kirkman is doing all five, and his name is all I need to pick up a comic book these days because he's *that* good. So I picked up Murderer and Stealth which seemed to be the most interesting; if you read the reviews on those links you'll see that I think both were so good as opening issues that I will absolutely buy the ongoing series should either series win the contest, hands-down, no more decision making needs to be done. Both were beyond terrific and I heartily recommend either one-shot pilot season issue to the casual fan looking for something really different (particularly Stealth).
So please, post your Top Cow thoughts! I have a particular review to post shortly and I've actually bought enough of their stuff lately to think the company deserves a thread of its own. Remember--this is all new ground to many of us and a solid review could actually convince some of us to purchase the comic!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
So, after buying a few solid Top Cow products lately and trusting the writing skills of Ron Marz after his tremendous output at Crossgen, I picked up Magdalena #1 by Marz and Nelson Blake II (pencils) & Sal Regla (inks).
I was also partially in the premise: the Magdalena is a heroic position held by the Church working for them throughout the years to combat evil, and the bloodline extends back to Jesus and Mary Magdalene (like the Da Vinci Code). I love this sort of thing and after Da Vinci Code mania I studied quite a bit on actual real historical texts about a possible bloodline of Christ. The latest Magdalena has some doubts about some of the high ranking members of the Church so there is political intrigue as well (I guess that is controversial but honestly, any large governmental or religious organization will have its share of shady characters even today).
Magdalena I think stretches back to the 90's a franchise but was likely lost in the plethora of Image female TnA comics; now is a better era to roll the concept out, and especially under the gifted hand of Ron Marz who can write an attractive woman lead while still making her incredibly competent, likeable and vulnerable at the right times (see: Crossgen's Sojourn starring Arwen).
Marz shows off his writing skills in introduces the characters, concepts, and tension and is able to move the plot along with conflict all over the place. I think he does a great job hooking in the reader. The dialogue and pacing are spot on, and the series has no superhero qualities to it really, but feels like a solid horror/adventure comic (which I think is basically what Top Cow is known for).
The artwork by Blake & Regla is also very good, and I like the penciler/inker team-up style, which is used to good effect. Two minor complaints are (A) the coloring seems a bit muted and off and (B) the backgrounds seem empty in places which LWers know bugs me. Neither is that glaring but they are noticeable.
The main character, Patience, the current Magdalena, is very interesting and likable right from the get-go. In an era where Wonder Woman could sure use some contemporaries in terms of powerful, strong female leads, there's always the hope a character like this could grow in popularity and join her.
I'm actually surprised I liked it as much as I did. It feels like a Crossgen comic combined with the Da Vinci Code with the Top Cow style (or what I perceive as its style). I will certainly be getting a few more issues and seeing where things go from there and if I'll add to the pull list. More updates will follow!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I've read very little Top Cow over the years. I tried Hunter/Killer because Waid was involved, and found it "meh", quickly dropping it. Also tried the Tomb Raider series when it began as the T&A attracted me. Dropped it after the first arc.
The two that I followed all the way thru were JMS's Rising Stars and Midnight Nation. Rising Stars had its moments definitely. Didn't hurt that they got Brent Anderson to finish off the last third of it on art after they had a series of artists on the first two-thirds.
But Midnight Nation was the more satisfying experience. It was half the length of Rising Stars and featured beautiful gary frank art throughout. The supernatural/metaphorical nature of the story was very engrossing and unusual. I'd say fans of Lost might want to pick up a trade of this sometime and give it a whirl. It's not anything like the same story, but thematically they complement each other very well. Lost souls looking for redemption, anyone? (I definitely need to put this on the re-read list some time, as I've never gotten to read it consecutively in a timely manner with all the production delays it suffered from.)
So, really, the two Top Cow series I enjoyed the most barely qualify as such as both are singularly JMS visions. The various artists, however, have been prominent at Top Cow at one time or another.
By the way, Cobester, I think In-Stock trades is still offering free Witchblade trades (first and second trades) with other purchases, one per order. I dunno if you plan to use IST in the future, but it's an option. I haven't ordered from IST since they started that promotion, but I certainly wouldn't turn down free trades if offered.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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Thanks for the tip on IST! While the free trades promotion would have been awesome (Witchblade or anything really), the 50% Project Superpowers TPBS is something I would absolutely hit-up. I did plan on making a relatively big order in the near future. This deal might get me to finally do it.
PS - I remember reading the first trade of Rising Stars back in college (the guy who got me into Preacher & Sandman passed it to me) but I hardly remember it and never followed up. Maybe one day I will.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Midnight Nation was interesting. Definately makes you think. I need to read it again...been a few years.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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I just read the Midnight Nation series (after having read issue #1 a couple of years ago). It was very engrossing: a journey of the soul (more precisely, a quest for one's soul) in a realm between life and death, filled with people and things forgotten or abandoned by society. The traveler is an LAPD detective who was fatally shot, had his soul taken and now has one year to recover it.
He is accompanied by a young woman, who has been companion to many others before on this sort of quest, and who reveals, bit by bit, what's going on. It's pretty late in the series that we find out who/what she is, although you certainly have a clue from the beginning.
It's quite a sad story, with a good surprise ending.
posted
Wow, a lot of love for Midnight Nation, which I've not only never read but can't remember if I ever even heard of it before. Definitely worth checking out.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
As I mentioned elsewhere, I was at a local comic book convention in CT a few weeks ago, which was co-hosted by my local CBS. In addition to picking up some awesome small press stuff and tons of hard to find back issues, there were also a bunch of freebies! And hey, I once said I’d buy any comic for $1.00—for exactly $0, I’ll certainly grab anything!
So, I picked up Magdalena #3, since a few months ago I bought #1 and thought it was okay. I decided after not to continue the series since it didn’t jump out enough at me to allocate a certain amount of $$ each week. What I read in #3 didn’t do much to change my mind—everything within was perfectly adequate, but it didn’t just have that ‘oomph’ I needed.
The script was tight, the dialogue wasn’t forced and the artwork was clean and beautiful. I even like the premise of the character quite a bit, and the religious aspect of it all. But battling demons and anti-Christs is honestly a bit by the numbers at this point for me; I feel like we see that more than we see super-villains. I found I couldn’t get excited or take it all that seriously.
I wonder if I had some long-term connection with the character if I’d still be picking it up? Surely I’ve kept collecting Wonder Woman when the series has been way worse than this?
I continue to find it tough to get into the Top Cow universe. There are some pretty good comics being published by them, but they just aren’t connecting with me in the way I like.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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One of the best writers in comics these past years has been David Hine. His Spirit stories were fantastic and his Bulletproof Coffin series shows he's one of the more creative and dynamic writers out there. I also think he, tied with Scott Snyder, wrote the very best 'Dick Grayson Batman' stories during that phase. He's impressed me enough to follow him around a bit.
Which leads me to a pretty well known, and perhaps now iconic series, the Darkness. Along with Witchblade, it's Top Cow's flagship and one of the few 'new icons' of the last 30 years, like Hellboy, Spawn, etc. I've never actually read a Darkness story before (though I understand my man Garth Ennis was involved back in the day). I had no great desire to dive into the series, but I also have no objection to trying the character out.
What it comes down to is whether it's a good story, and just as he's done so often, Hine delivers one. It's a more personal / introspective problem made manifest through the magical powerset, and this is done with great effect because the character of Jackie Estacado appears to be a complicated, layered person. I found myself kind of interested in him, though a lot of that is how Hine presents the story. I'm also intrigued by the Top Cow mythology and how Hine only uses it subtly.
The art was also very strong. Top Cow has a good rep for finding talent before they become famous. That's almost always been the case for when I buy their comics (which isn't often).
I think I'll get the next issue, #102. This one, #101, is a nice jumping on point.
Anyone ever read the Darkness? I know it's got a legion of dedicated fans, and people like it because of the video games.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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I've never read the Darkness, but I do know that Ann Nocenti claims she did preliminary work on the concept and received neither credit nor compensation.
posted
While I've given up on the "Top Cow Universe", I am enjoying a great little series Think Tank that is a terrifc hard science-fiction series. It's intelligent on all levels: plot, character, story devices, and thus far its been a great commentary on the industrial military complex without getting too preachy.
It also has a great flawed yet likable lead, which isn't always easy to do when the lead is a genius.
The writer is quintessential Top Cow editor Matt Hawkins and here with his creator-owned work you can see he's really delivering his best stuff and itching the science scratch. He is obviously a big science nerd and makes no bones about that in the story and on the letter's page.
The artwork by Rahsan Ekedal is also top notch. It is very unique in that it is dynamic yet cartoony in places.
[ October 24, 2012, 07:52 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
So with the first five issues totally free, I couldn't pass up trying out Cyberforce which is undergoing a total relaunch with an emphasis on sci-fi (in the tech subgenre as you'd expect). I thought the first issue was actually pretty good!
There is a definite world-building / seeds of epic scope aspect that I find appealing, all with a lead character to keep you firmly planted on the ground. The lead is a likable young female that's tougher than she looks, with one of Silvestri's strengths. It's also chalk full of other characters that may or may not be allies or enemies, all of whom are interesting. Story wise, there was perhaps too much to take in all at once with a lot of bouncing around, but I'm hoping #2 will calm that down.
Art wise, it's clearly an art-first series and in that way it delivers on all levels. Khoi Phal delivers the best work I've ever seen from him, and its obvious he's taking cues from Silvestri in terms of character design and layouts, which are his strengths.
I've never read an issue of Cyberforce in my life, other than possibly skimming through the original #1 twenty years ago. And I'm glad. Because coming into this with a fresh mind, I'm surprisingly pleased by what I'm seeing so far. And with four more free issues to go, I'll stick around for sure.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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