# Comics  > Image Comics >  Top Cow

## SiegePerilous02

So, are there any other Top Cow fans on here?

The only book of theirs I'm currently getting monthly is Witchblade. I was getting Artifacts, but the pace was moving too slowly and now with Ron Marz having left and it being nothing but fill-in issues, I decided to trade wait. 

It really does seem like we've been waiting a long time for the fallout from the original 13 part Artifacts arc to start making sense. For one thing, I'm getting kind of sick of just focusing on Sara, Jackie, Tom, Magdalena and the Angelus when we barely know anything about the other 8 Artifacts. With the Heart Stone now belonging to someone else, I'd love to know where Abigail went, and I'm dying to see more of the Finn/Glory/Enstrom, Ji and Sabine arcs. Plus the details of the Survivor's plan, his role as the Curator and his connection to Tau'ma are still really vague. I'm hoping Marz returns to Artifacts, or uses Witchblade or the upcoming Magdalena mini to tie up some of these loose threads.

I've also been meaning to pick up the Cyberforce and Aphrodite IX trades, especially after hearing that they are merging into one. For anyone who has read them, is there any explanation as to what happened to Aphrodite IV, her creators and/or the Coin of Solomon?

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## Dark-Flux

Im reading all of the "Artifact-verse" Top Cow books and i would agree that the story seems to have been spinning on rims since the culmination of the Artifacts event. Im hoping having Marz back on Witchblade will fix that.
I would say however, that its definitely the Aphrodite IX and Cyber Force books that feel like the flagship "important" titles right now, so id definitely recommend them.
To answer your question TC, Aphrodite IV hasnt really been addressed but the creators of the Aphrodite models and the Coin of Solomon has/is currently being explored.

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## Tayne Japal

I'm currently reading Witchblade and following the Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force story. Cyber Force I dropped because of erratic releases. Artifacts I dropped due to the Talent Hunt stories and I thought it was going on hiatus. I might pick it back up if it gets a dedicated creative team. The "artifacts-verse" seems to be running on fumes. The September Mourning book is set in the same continuity so let's see if they use it as a means to get back to some of those forgotten Artifact bearers. I didn't know there was another Magdalena mini in the works so that's good news.

Other Top Cow books I'm reading are Wildfire and Death Vigil.

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## nebezial

in february 2015..there is another fun book coming  :Smile: 
http://nebezial.deviantart.com/art/j...here-468775053

this is gonna be a fun several years to come!

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## SiegePerilous02

> Im reading all of the "Artifact-verse" Top Cow books and i would agree that the story seems to have been spinning on rims since the culmination of the Artifacts event. Im hoping having Marz back on Witchblade will fix that.
> I would say however, that its definitely the Aphrodite IX and Cyber Force books that feel like the flagship "important" titles right now, so id definitely recommend them.
> To answer your question TC, Aphrodite IV hasnt really been addressed but the creators of the Aphrodite models and the Coin of Solomon has/is currently being explored.


It does seem weird that the Top Cow books are moving so slow, especially when it seems they have so much material to work with. We've been getting the Darkness and the Angelus (both of whom I love, don't get me wrong) non-stop since First Born, can't we get more with the Broken Trinity, Wheel of Shadows and the rest? I'm prob gonna take you up on your recommendation on the sci-fi books, hopefully those actually pick up the slack.

@Tayne: yeah, I think Marz announced the new Magdalena mini on his Twitter and/or Facebook

And "Twitch" looks like a lot of fun! nebezial, while we have you here, and since you might be "in the know," is there anything in the works for Finn, Glori and the other Artifacts bearers? No need for specifics, just would like to know if/when we will see them again. And your artwork is f***ing awesome, btw.

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## daningotham

> I've also been meaning to pick up the Cyberforce and Aphrodite IX trades, especially after hearing that they are merging into one. For anyone who has read them, is there any explanation as to what happened to Aphrodite IV, her creators and/or the Coin of Solomon?


I'm reading Aphrodite IX(or was before it was cancelled, but it will soon by IXth Generation in November I think), Cyber Force and Death Vigil.  All are very good.  I don't think the Aphrodite IV stuff has been fully explained yet.  But I'm guessing it might be addressed in the IXth Generation series.

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## armlessphelan

I'm still reading Artifacts, Witchblade, Aphrodite IX/IXth Generation, and Cyberforce (whenever it releases). I think Darkness Falls was supposed to resolve a lot of the universe resetting stuff, but it fell apart and the story is somehow being rolled into Witchblade. The Aphrodite IX/Cyberforce oneshot lays down a lot of what is happening in the sci-fi side of the Top Cow universe. It's a great place to start on both books, I think. But IXth generation and Cyberforce are still going to be separate books.

And I like Artifacts as an anthology-esque book with one-and-done stories from different (and new) creative teams, but it's clearly not everyone's bag so hey.

I also read Wildfire, Death Vigil, and Tales of Honor. Great books coming from Top Cow. My fave publisher since I picked up the hobby a couple years ago.

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## SiegePerilous02

Yeah, I heard a bunch of stuff about Darkness Falls, like at first it was going to be a three part mini, then a one-shot, and now it's going to be in a few issues of Witchblade. SPOILERS: the latest issue of Witchblade had Sara and Rooney exploring the abandoned Estacado mansion to find clues on how/when Jenny became the Angelus, so maybe this current arc is setting up the Darkness Falls issues? Obviously the Jenny thing must of happened in Darkness Falls, and we need an explanation on what Finch's status is

I hope Darkness Falls does elaborate on the specifics of what Jackie did, and what the Curator's deal is. Reading the earlier issues of Witchblade and Broken Trinity, it doesn't seem like the Curator was originally meant to be the Survivor. And one of the early teaser images for Artifacts featured Sonatine and Tau'ma, neither of whom appeared in the final book, so maybe some last minute creative changes took place?

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## Dark-Flux

Mild spoilers...

Look for more stuff regarding Jackie in The IXth Generation if the Aphrodite IX/CyberForce one shot was anything to go by...

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## nebezial

> It does seem weird that the Top Cow books are moving so slow, especially when it seems they have so much material to work with. We've been getting the Darkness and the Angelus (both of whom I love, don't get me wrong) non-stop since First Born, can't we get more with the Broken Trinity, Wheel of Shadows and the rest? I'm prob gonna take you up on your recommendation on the sci-fi books, hopefully those actually pick up the slack.
> 
> @Tayne: yeah, I think Marz announced the new Magdalena mini on his Twitter and/or Facebook
> 
> And "Twitch" looks like a lot of fun! nebezial, while we have you here, and since you might be "in the know," is there anything in the works for Finn, Glori and the other Artifacts bearers? No need for specifics, just would like to know if/when we will see them again. And your artwork is f***ing awesome, btw.


i don't know about  the plans for finn and glori in the main universe but once teen witchblade takes off,  i do have plans. very extensive and awesome plans.... aaand as you can see , they do include Glori  in that universe  :Smile:

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## Tayne Japal

So...I just read Witchblade #177 and I'm trying to make sense of the cliffhanger. I haven't read too many issues of the Darkness outside the first volume, but has there ever been a female bearer?

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## Dark-Flux

> So...I just read Witchblade #177 and I'm trying to make sense of the cliffhanger. I haven't read too many issues of the Darkness outside the first volume, but has there ever been a female bearer?



Not read Witchblade 177 yet but in regards to female Darkness bearers theres only Jackies sister Capris that comes to mind.

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## macattack80

> So, are there any other Top Cow fans on here?


Right here! I give all their releases a try.  Most stay on the list.  The universe from the Artifacts story is my mainstay though.  I hope they launch solo titles for the Artifact bearers.

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## Tayne Japal

> Right here! I give all their releases a try.  Most stay on the list.  The universe from the Artifacts story is my mainstay though.  I hope they launch solo titles for the Artifact bearers.


A new solo/duo/team book based on the Artifacts bearers stemming form the pages of Witchblade would be welcomed by me. I vote for the doctor currently bearing the heart stone. The artifacts-verse is running on fumes. Silvestri needs to put Cyber Force to bed and put those resources into something else. 10 issues in two years? I rather have a new Hunter-Killer book and let Cyberforce's story be told in the back pages of Aphrodite IX/IXth Generation. I'll grab the new Magdalena mini coming out next year simply because I don't have much to choose from.

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## Arkhilokhus

> So...I just read Witchblade #177 and I'm trying to make sense of the cliffhanger. I haven't read too many issues of the Darkness outside the first volume, but has there ever been a female bearer?


I don't think it was ever said explicitly, but I suspect not.  The closest would be Jackie's twin Capris, but she has only a small portion of the Darkness (although she seems better at using what she has).  When she was introduced, it was noted that this was the first time the bearer had had a twin.  So she's pretty unique.  All the other Darkness bearers that have been mentioned were male.  And I think they'd have to be to keep the line going - I mean, if there was a female host, and she died as soon as she conceived a child, that would also be the end of that child, right?

Going back to the current mess of the continuity, I'm pretty curious what happened to Finch.  I was sad about what they did to Dani, as she was my favorite character, especially after inheriting the Angelus.  No use crying over spilt milk, though, I suppose.  It seems like they're setting up a sitch for Jackie to return (I presume he'll either be resurrected or the Darkness will find a new host) and find his eternal enemy to be Jenny.

I don't mind the one-shots in Artifacts, but it is a little disconcerting to read a story narrated by Jackie in one book, then go to Witchblade where he's dead.

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## Tayne Japal

Seems like Postal now has some long-term plans. Bryan Hill will be doing full time writing duties with Issac Goodhart committing to at least 23 issues. I'm eager to see how this new Top Cow that will be focusing on creator owned will do over the next few years. 

Full article. http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/08/...p-cows-postal/

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## juan678

before Twichblade now Switchblade Page 14 Art by Nebezial thanks :Smile: 
switch page 14

*Story and Art by STJEPAN SEJIC*

http://nebezial.deviantart.com/gallery/42514070/twitch

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## juan678

Witchblade 185 Minipreview FINAL ISSUE OF 20 YEARS OF WITCHBLADE art by Nebezial

in color

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## juan678

topcowofficial

    So the Line Webtoons website and the “Line” apps that are available on IOS and android now have FREE Cyber Force on it. They’ll be releasing the first two Cyber Force Rebirth volumes over the next few months that leads into a completely *NEW 12 ISSUE ARC by Matt Hawkins, Marc Silvestri, Bryan Edward Hill and Rodrigo Zayas that will run throughout 2016.*
    If you’re participating in this year’s Talent Hunt (which quite possibly could be the last) then here’s some free research material for you.

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## juan678

Witchblade 185 Art by Nebezial Goodbye

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## juan678

IXth GENERATION #8
STORY: MATT HAWKINS
ART / COVER B: ATILIO ROJO
COVER A: STJEPAN SEJIC
DECEMBER 23 / 40 PAGES / FC / T+ / $4.99
*SERIES CONCLUSION*
The final issue of the IXTH GENERATION hits shelves in this oversized story. Will the future come to an end?

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## Dark-Flux

Well, thats the last book of the original Top Cow U gone.
Im looking forward to Switch, but am still kinda sad.  :Frown: 

Still, i imagine we'll see retooled versions appear at some point down the line. Hopefully in the interim Top Cow may manage to expand their audience with their new focus on creator owned stuff.

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## armlessphelan

> Well, thats the last book of the original Top Cow U gone.
> Im looking forward to Switch, but am still kinda sad. 
> 
> Still, i imagine we'll see retooled versions appear at some point down the line. Hopefully in the interim Top Cow may manage to expand their audience with their new focus on creator owned stuff.


Yeah. I came into the Top Cow universe late (post-Rebirth), but those were some amazing books. Sad to see them all go away. But Top Cow has been shifting away from fantasy and more towards science fiction, which is much more my wheelhouse. It's been a pretty organic transition, too. Plus, SWITCH!

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## juan678

> IX Generation 5 Preview art by Atilio Rojo




*Ix Generation 6 Preview not 5*

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## Shaggy

The first issue of Cyberforce Artifacts was posted this Thursday over at Line Webtoon so the Top Cow Universe ain't dead yet.

http://www.webtoons.com/en/action/cy...t?title_no=531

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## juan678

THE 13th ARTIFACT (ONE-SHOT)
STORY: AMIT CHAUHAN
ART: ELI POWELL
COVER: LINDA SEJIC
MARCH 2  / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99
2015 TOP COW TALENT HUNT WINNER!
Stranded on a mysterious alien planet after her shuttle crashes, astronaut Valentina Kedr is desperate to find a way to survive. With her oxygen rapidly running out, she decides to explore her new surroundings. Upon discovering a civilization on the planet, will her curiosity lead to her downfall?

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## juan678

*If Witchblade Returns, She Won’t Be Sara Pezzini*
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/12/...-matt-hawkins/

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## Tayne Japal

I figured that would be obvious.

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## Tayne Japal

Recently read the first issue of Symmetry. By the strength of that issue it may take over Postal as my favorite New-Top Cow book. According to ComiChron, sales of the first issue appeared to be good (I bought it digitally) so I hope it turns out to be a hit.

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## juan678

THE DARKNESS: HOPE (ONE-SHOT)
STORY: CHARLIE HARMON
ART: D.P. DWYER
COVER: LINDA SEJIC
APRIL 6 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99
TALENT-HUNT WINNING CREATIVE TEAM!
In the future, Hope Estacado is a crusading science reporter and her father Jackie, the "World's Greatest Hero," has retired to the suburbs to live out his golden years in quiet contemplation. Hope's about to make a discovery that will shake her to her core--a discovery that will have dark ramifications for the entire human race--and Jackie might be the only one who can help.

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## Tayne Japal

Top Cow is giving away 50 comics for free if anyone has been hesitant to try some of their series.


http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/03/...nstorekickoff/

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## juan678

IXTH GENERATION 8 
http://www.comicbookresources.com/co...ge-comics-2016
 AProdite IX Deux ex machina :Confused:   Velocity ........... Chairwoman :Confused:  What if?

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## Tayne Japal

Some preview art for Symmetry #5. I've really been enjoying this series.

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## ireactions

This was intended as a blog post and possibly a to-be-expanded outline for an ebook, so I apologize or the length. It's a retrospective on WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS.

When reading long running comics, you often get the bleak sense that what goes up will inevitably come crashing down. I was recently re-reading every issue of WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS. 

It was quite a shock to see how terrible they were for many prolonged periods of time -- and how both titles eventually found writers who were absolutely perfect for them, transforming both titles into superb comic books with dynamic lead characters and brilliant explorations of their core concepts. It was also rather sad to see how these writers who personified WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS eventually moved on and their departures basically killed the comics. First, WITCHBLADE:

*The David Wohl/Christina Z./Michael Turner era:* WITCHBLADE started out badly. The concept was excellent: New York homicide detective Sara Pezzini gets a mystical gauntlet that's an invincible weapon with a mind of its own. But writers David Wohl and Christina Z. wrote slow, tedious tales where our tough NYC cop was more bystander than protagonist. 

*Fetish Comics:* They didn't delve into the mysteries of where the Witchblade came from or what its powers were, they didn't tell stories of Sara learning how to use it. They just wrote fetish scenes with Sara in a metal bikini or long-haired, taciturn assassin Ian Nottingham poses dramatically and Sara is inexplicably attracted to this unrepentant murderer for hire. 

Turner's art, while striking and beautiful in its character designs and linework, had no sense of place or space (sparse backgrounds), no emotional depth (body language and facial expressions were weak) and he couldn't seem to meet a monthly schedule, so there were constant fill-in artists. 

*Typists Supreme and Extraordinaire:* There was also a tedious, juvenile, self-important and visually illiterate tone to the scripts; Wohl and Z. would spend more time describing character traits in captions than showing them through action and dialogue, scholarly and professorial dialogue from villains would drop oddly into casual banter and without Turner's art, none of the characters would stand out. Jake McCarthy was a non-entity, Joe Siry's relationship with Sara was barely explored and Ian Nottingham was unfathomable except as a fetish object.

Superstar Mark Millar once described a certain brand of comic book writer -- the typist: someone who had an administrative role in comics (managers and editors) that they would use maneuver themselves into writing work without having any passion for their material and with nothing to say through their words or characters. Given Wohl's editorial position at Top Cow, he and Z. were in a position to tell any stories in any style -- and their output during this period of creative freedom is a damning indictment of their skills.

*The Christina Z./Randy Green era:* Aside from Randy Green's art lacking Michael Turner's polish, I found the Z. and Green era to be near-indistinguishable from the previous one. Green's art had all of Turner incoherent storytelling, but without Turner's attractive designs and compositions, the flaws were impossible to ignore. 

Like the previous 25 issues, Z's run from #25 - #39 were full of incomprehensible plots and subplots written to support fetish moments like Ian Nottingham being tended to by a young lady whom Nottingham later had sex with before he killed her. Sara's character and the concept of the Witchblade remained largely unexplored.

*Garth Ennis and The Darkness:* And then, on the other end, with have THE DARKNESS, a title which actually started out really well. Nobody would ever consider Ennis to be a typist-class comic writer. There is probably no such thing as a bad Garth Ennis comic; Ennis is a hilariously caustic and crude writer who gifted Jackie Estacado and the Darkness with Ennis' twisted sense of humour. Right from the start, Ennis set up how Estacado was an okay guy in the terrible circumstances of the NYC criminal underworld, but the Darkness would now personify the best and worst (mostly worst) of him. 

Ennis set up Jackie's world perfectly with the vicious mobsters, the Darkness cultists, and Jackie somewhere in the middle. Ennis delightfully characterized Jackie as an adrenaline junkie and hedonist who contemplates suicide after discovering that he can no longer have sex now that his Darkness powers have emerged.

*Fill-Ins and Scripters:* Unfortunately, Ennis didn't stick with the title, leaving after the opening arc and contributing only a few scripts and plots from time to time, developed by other writers. Ennis would later admit that he created THE DARKNESS when he was exhausted, burnt out and running short of ideas for comics, but he encouraged any subsequent DARKNESS writers to make the series their own. 

Sadly, one of those other writers was typist David Wohl, whose lack of imagination and artless, craftless writing and total inability or unwillingness to find the heart of his characters has been documented above. 

There was another, Malachy Coney, who scripted some of Ennis' later plots and wrote some issues alone and he did a decent pastiche of Ennis' grisly sense of humour. THE DARKNESS was a good comic with Ennis and a good Ennis-imitation with Coney, but Coney's solo run was fairly short and I imagine Coney could have only pastiched Ennis for so long. Ultimately, all Wohl and Coney could do was reiterate Ennis' opening arc of mobsters, the Darkness and the cultists.

*A Shortage of Ideas:* Ennis had written THE DARKNESS as a series of jokes about an amoral hedonist hitman who becomes invincible at the cost of no longer being able to have sex -- while also puncturing the pomposity of doomsday cults and the supposed nobility of organized crime. He had expended the bulk of these jokes in his opening run and Coney used up the rest. Ennis' ideas, much like Ennis himself during the writing of THE DARKNESS, were exhausted.

*Scott Lobdell:* Lobdell came aboard THE DARKNESS after writing BATMAN/DARKNESS crossover saw Jackie inspired by Batman to turn against his mobster uncle, Frankie, and hand over evidence to the FBI. It was a solid storyline and it brought Jackie's moral conundrums to a point of resolution -- except Lobdell seemed unable to do much with the aftermath. 

Once Jackie had turned against his crime family, the book floundered for direction. Lobdell had Jackie wandering to different places, getting in random adventures, but there was no unifying theme. Lobdell's sense of humour was a good variant on Ennis', but it felt like filler, marking time until Top Cow figured out what to do with our mobster hitman with supernatural powers once he was no longer a hitman. 

While Lobdell was a professional and did a professional's job, he was unable to find deeper meaning in THE DARKNESS. He didn't know what to do with Jackie or THE DARKNESS. To be fair, neither did Garth Ennis. In contrast to WITCHBLADE, THE DARKNESS was a competent, enjoyable product; it had wit and charm and excitement so long as David Wohl didn't write it. What it lacked was purpose and vision.

*Paul Jenkins (WITCHBLADE):* And then Top Cow developed a relationship with the superstar writer of HELLBLAZER, HULK, INHUMANS and PETER PARKER -- a man who had described WITCHBLADE as "utter crap" and confessed he was only induced to write the series because Top Cow agreed to publish his creator-owned material. Jenkins also came aboard THE DARKNESS. 

While Jenkins' runs on WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS were filled with excellent issues, superb scripting and tremendous insight, he seemed to fade a way from both books in a strikingly short amount of time. On WITCHBLADE, Jenkins immediately tapped into the Witchblade having its own intelligence which would glory in the violence, savagery and death that Sara Pezzini investigated as a police detective. Jenkins crafted strong mysteries for Sara and created tension between Sara's police work and her use of the Witchblade. Keu Cha's artwork was crisp and expressive, as attractive as Turner's but with all the storytelling skills Turner lacked. 

Notably, Jenkins' run on WITCHBLADE was, like Wohl and Z.'s run, still about a homicide detective with a mystical weapon. But it was a professional, readable, psychological and compelling series of issues instead of being composed of incoherent and masturbatory nonsense. The only real problem with Jenkins was that he didn't really define Sara Pezzini; while Wohl and Z.'s incompetent, ineffectual heroine was replaced by a capable police detective, Jenkins didn't give Sara a unique voice or a strong perspective. 

*The Disappearance:* Perhaps it's something he would have developed over time -- except his run abruptly ended in mid-issue with #54 -- the second half of which was written by returning writer David Wohl, joined by new artist Francis Manipul. While Manipul was a magnificent artist with sharp storytelling and vivid images, Wohl's return was also the return of Wohl's incoherent, often incomprehensible stories. Everything Jenkins brought to the table was summarily discarded. 

The Typist Supreme was back.

Jenkins has never elaborated on his brief run and sudden departure. Wohl said in an interview that Jenkins chose to leave. A perusal of Jenkins' bibliography reveals one creator-owned project with Top Cow -- THE AGENCY -- which lasted six issues. Given Jenkins' caustic opinion of WITCHBLADE and AGENCY's brief run, one might theorize that Jenkins was relieved of his unwelcome obligation to write WITCHBLADE.

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## ireactions

*David Wohl Again:* And now we were right back where we started, albeit with a more capable artist. Psychological exploration through character action was replaced with narrative captions lecturing the reader about the character. Peculiar murder mysteries were replaced by baffling, perpetually incomplete subplots that would never be resolved. 

*Death Pool:* Perhaps the most damning indictment of Wohl and Top Cow editorial was Death Pool -- Wohl's closing story arc in which Top Cow declared that a character would be killed off and encouraged fans to vote on the victim. In doing so, Wohl and Top Cow made it clear how little they respected basic narrative craft or characterization when they'd be willing to execute a character not because the story called for it, but because it was decreed through the sheer randomness of a contest.

Some fill-in issues from writers Ian Edington and Troy Hickman made it clear that WITCHBLADE could be at least a decent criminal procedural comic with supernatural overtones if only Top Cow would hire a real writer.

*Paul Jenkins and Dale Keown:* In contrast to WITCHBLADE, Jenkins seemed to immediately find a voice for Jackie Estacado in THE DARKNESS -- he was a somewhat moral man in a murderous criminal profession who engages in a vengeful one-man war on the mob only to find himself enslaved, not only to criminals, but to the Darkness. Jenkins kept Jackie as an unrepentant murderer while insisting that his victims were always vile and indicating that it might be Jackie's fate to become no different from those he killed for money and power.

In far more serious stories than Ennis, Coney or Lobdell had attempted, Jenkins explored how the Darkness could merge with the darkness in Jackie's heart and the bleakness of his life as he finds himself pulled back into criminality where even his victories felt like defeats. Jenkins restored Jackie's criminal life, but made the Darkness a dark, psychological representation of Jackie's inner demons and his crime family. He had found the next chapter to Garth Ennis' twisted action comedy, albeit rejecting most of the comedy.

*The Second Disappearance:* But then, after about a year, Jenkins faded from THE DARKNESS as he had on WITCHBLADE. Once again, it's unclear why Jenkins vanished from a title to which he'd brought great publicity and skill -- or why the hell David Wohl had to come in after Jenkins left. Despite a strong set of issues from Ron Marz as well,THE DARKNESS seemed to go on an unplanned hiatus with a a one-shot or a crossover mini-series here and there. 

*Ron Marz:* And then everything changed. Ron Marz was hired to write WITCHBLADE and his work from #80 - #150 is a true golden age where the title was finally acclaimed for its writing as well as its art. Marz began his story with Pezzini in a coma, using obvious narrative devices like an all-knowing Curator and his shop of magical artifacts to give new supporting character Detective Patrick Gleason a crash course in #1 - #79.

*Identity:* When Sara awoke from her coma, Marz began to redefine Sara, giving her an inner life, a series of emotional hurdles, some complex relationships and transformed Sara from being a body to a person. Wohl and Z. had lazily failed to give Sara a strong supporting cast; Marz explored how Sara was an isolationist who avoided social contact and how her infatuation with Nottingham had left her alone. Marz presented replaced Wohl's objectified, fetishistic portrayal Sara's sexuality by giving Sara a sex life.

The self-importance of the series was effectively punctured in a scene where Gleason asked Sara to use the Witchblade to retrieve a stuck can of soda from an unyielding vending machine. Marz also went ahead and gave the Witchblade an origin, something Wohl and Z. had inexplicably failed to ever even hint at. 

*Vision:* Like Jenkins, Marz presented a version of WITCHBLADE that was still about a homicide detective with a mystical gauntlet investigating strange crimes, but with a skill and craft that eluded Wohl and Z. Marz's scripts created a deadly, frightening atmosphere in Sara's cases. All her monsters all represented some aspect of human nature from a child's sense of fight or flight to civilization having created a disposable culture. 

But unlike Jenkins, Marz was able to turn Sara into a full-fledged, multi-layered character who was the perfect protagonist to carry the Witchblade, delving into paranormal crime with an investigator's structured, analytical perspective and using the Witchblade in various ways -- brute force, telepathy, flight, transmutation -- making it constantly exciting to see what the Witchblade would do next. 

WITCHBLADE went from sub-literate masturbatory material to becoming an eerie supernatural criminal procedural fuelled with an earnest sexuality and a forceful sense of feminism. WITCHBLADE became one of the finest comics on the stands.

*Phil Hester and THE DARKNESS:* Hester came aboard THE DARKNESS with a bang, revealing Jackie to be far from his life in a crime family and now running a small country and engaged in the drug trade. While Hester built on Jenkins' use of the Darkness as a representation of Jackie's inner demons, Hester dove directly into the flaws of the Jackie Estacado character, eschewing Jenkins' view that Jackie was a fairly decent person in a corrupt and bloody profession. 

Hester noted that Jackie was selfish, childish, unimaginative, violent, reacting instead of acting, consumed with shallow thrills of fighting. While Marz was subdued in rebuking his predecessors, Hester outright condemned Ennis, Coney, Lobdell and Jenkins in his storyline. The Darkness gained separate form from Jackie and declared Jackie to be pathetic, noting how limited Jackie's use of his powers had been, how Jackie had been given infinite power yet done little but become a better criminal. 

Where Jenkins had used the Darkness to represent Jackie's fears and demons, Hester used the Darkness to represent Jackie's failures and weaknesses, and THE DARKNESS became the story of a man diseased by the monstrosity of his curse and his character flaws, searching for redemption and freedom.

*Paradox:* It's strange how THE DARKNESS and WITCHBLADE were both brilliant concepts, yet it took many years and lousy issues before they found writers who not only understood how to capitalize on the series but were willing to remain for long runs. It's also strange that WITCHBLADE could allow most writers to produce at least an adequate cop-with-superpowers story, yet the title languished with substandard writing pre-Marz while THE DARKNESS, a title that spent its pre-Hester run stretching out Garth Ennis' jokes, had consistently stronger writing.

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## ireactions

*Finale:* Both Marz and Hester decided to close out their runs on WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS at the conclusion of the ARTIFACTS crossover. While their departures were sad, they had clearly achieved everything they'd hoped for by the time their last issues saw print. THE DARKNESS had been revitalized; WITCHBLADE had arguably never been vital until Marz. Marz ended his run on WITCHBLADE at #150 and his 80 issues had turned the series into a strong platform for continued supernatural investigations with a terrific heroine. Hester wrote THE DARKNESS #65 - #100 and had reworked the series into an exploration of human frailty, ending his run with Jackie Estacado in full control of the Darkness. New writers were hired; Tim Seeley for WITCHBLADE, David Hine for THE DARKNESS. The future looked bright.

*Crash and Burn:* THE DARKNESS was cancelled 16 issues after Phil Hester left. WITCHBLADE was cancelled 35 issues after Ron Marz left. While it's pointless to lay blame on any one creative or administrative individual involved, something clearly went wrong. 

*Losing Touch:* With WITCHBLADE, Tim Seeley wrote Sara Pezzini as a private investigator (no longer a police officer) scraping by in Chicago after the Marz run. Seeley had some brilliant concepts (magic users who siphon life from youth, a hipster Antichrist, a former Witchblade wielder who was now an alcoholic). 

However, there were certain strengths of the Jenkins and Marz run that Seeley chose to move away from without replacing them with new strengths. Jenkins and Marz created a firm sense of reality to New York City, populating it with plausible people and locations with the Witchblade and other fantasy elements being surrounded by more grounded situations. 

Seeley filled Sara Pezzini's new supporting cast and city with supernatural figures and individuals with even the one down to Earth supporting cast member being an antagonist. WITCHBLADE had generally kept a few toes in reality; Seeley took the book completely into fantasy and his fantasy was ultimately very distant and detached from anything resembling human experience. Seeley took stabs at making Sara relatable -- struggling for money, being harrassed by a police officer -- but these elements would disappear from the series for months at a time as Sara visited fairy town or fought and dated wizards.

WITCHBLADE was still a professional, enjoyable product, but it had lost the odd blend of procedural crime and fantasy and failed to create an equally strong platform. Furthermore, while Marz had used the Witchblade and Sara to express themes of feminism, sexuality, montrosity and other aspects of human nature, there seemed to be no deeper meaning to Seeley's work on the title.  

*Trapped in a Cycle:* With THE DARKNESS, we had David Hine. While Hine developed the situation Hester had left behind -- Jackie in full control of the Darkness, Hine very quickly chose a route that eliminated almost every enjoyable aspect of THE DARKNESS under Hester, Jenkins, Coney and Ennis. Hine had Jackie give up the Darkness only for the Darkness to become a doppelganger of Jackie who then took over his life while Jackie was imprisoned in a basement.

Hester had once described the appeal of THE DARKNESS as an amoral character with astonishing powers engaged in horror-fantasy action but with strong psychological underpinnings. Hine's dark fairy tale, while well-crafted and sharply-scripted, removed both the fun action elements (absent since Jackie had cast out the Darkness) and the meaningful psychological elements (again, absent since Jackie had cast out the Darkness). Instead, the book shifted to disturbing sequences of the Darkness clone infiltrating Jackie's life and Jackie's daughter getting involved in mystical intrigue while the lead character languished.

*Paradox:* It's interesting that while Marz and Hester reimagined WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS significantly, they were still the same comics they'd been since #1 -- supernatural criminal procedural and action horror -- just with a different skillset behind the keyboard. In contrast, Tim Seeley's WITCHBLADE and David Hine's THE DARKNESS went the route of dark fairy tales, and in a way that alienated their books from the elements that had come before. 

It's a difficult trap to escape; stick too closely to the previous template and you're just an imitator, veer too far from what came before and you're mismatched to the title. The sales of THE DARKNESS fell dramatically until Top Cow elected to end the series on a cliffhanger with #116 and do a massive crossover with WITCHBLADE and ARTIFACTS that would also be a series finale. This was to be a three-issue finale mini-series: DARKNESS FALLS.

*Darkness Doesn't Fall:* Despite WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS having stumbled, the two titles were still building tremendous intrigue with ARTIFACTS in marching towards a cataclysmic war between the Witchblade, the Darkness and the cast of ARTIFACTS. The war would break out in DARKNESS FALLS, to be written by David Hine and drawn by Stjepan Sejic. Except Sejic abruptly posted on Facebook that Top Cow had cancelled DARKNESS FALLS due to the low sales of THE DARKNESS' final issues. 

The issues of ARTIFACTS and WITCHBLADE continued to indicate a shocking confrontation with the Darkness -- and then both books presented the aftermath of the war -- but the main event was completely missing, glimpsed only in a brief flashback where Sara had killed Jackie Estacado -- an event Top Cow deemed unworthy of full-fledged publication.

This failure to deliver a climax to a year of foreshadowing made Top Cow look unprofessional and absurd. It'd be as thought Marvel published all the tie-ins to AVENGERS VS. X-MEN but failed to print AVENGERS VS. X-MEN itself. The war ended with a whimper, having taken place offscreen. 

*Ron Marz 2.0:* Mercifully, Ron Marz returned to WITCHBLADE during this ridiculous embarrassment and brought with him his flair and skillful storytelling. He quickly set up an effective status quo with Sara as the sheriff of a small town, restoring the criminal procedural element to Sara's stories and giving her a new partner who was a fairly grounded character. It was a good run, but unfortunately interrupted by Top Cow deciding to publish a truncated-to-two-issues of DARKNESS FALLS in the middle of one of Marz's storylines. 

*Darkness Falls Flat:* Despite David Hine scripting this version of DARKNESS FALLS, it was clear that the delay and the shortened length did the story no favours. Published a year after it was meant to see print, this rushed storyline barely featured Jackie Estacado and offered no exploration of his psyche or his state of mind or what it meant to see him killed off at last. 

Surely, the full three issues from Hine would have had all the depth and meaning needed to deepen the tale, but at two issues, Hine's script visibly struggles just to explain how Sara gets a weapon that can kill Jackie and destroy the darkness. It was anti-climactic, it was clumsy and it was far too late.

One would wish that THE DARKNESS had been cancelled a little earlier -- such as #100 with Hester's ending.

*Silver Lining:* Shortly after DARKNESS FALLS, the WITCHBLADE comic was cancelled at #185 and thankfully, Marz presented a strong, effective conclusion that served Sara in all the ways DARKNESS FALLS didn't serve Jackie. In a stunning script, #185 establishes that Sara has had the Witchblade for 20 years -- retroactively declaring the comic to have taken place in real-time even though the actual published issues seemed more like a floating timeline. Sara moved on from the Witchblade and the Witchblade moved on from her -- but as with THE DARKNESS, a stronger ending would have been the ARTIFACTS-era ending.

*Cancellation is Always Hard:* There are times when one despairs in reading comics to the end of their lifespan -- because the end of a serial fiction intended to continue indefinitely would suggest that something went horribly, horribly wrong that made it unfeasible to keep publishing the series. 

In the case of WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS, it would appear that a shift in tone and the failure to print a much-hyped and foreshadowed crossover killed them both, in addition to the difficulties of following up on two visionary writers who had arguably brought the titles to their greatest heights and a natural point of closure that would make all subsequent installments seem like unwanted epilogues.

*A Strong Vision:* But in some ways, this re-read is also deeply inspiring, because THE DARKNESS and WITCHBLADE were two meandering, confused titles that suddenly gained a voice, a purpose, a direction and became meaningful titles with something worthwhile to say. And all it took was gaining writers who respected what the series could be and appreciated the core concept and had practical, effective methods to explore every ounce of potential within the characters and ideas. 

When reading Phil Hester's issues of THE DARKNESS and Ron Marz's issues of WITCHBLADE, it's very clear that every comic needs creators like these. Not necessarily these specific writers, but writers who are deeply engaged with their characters and material and who really have something to say that they can only say with these specific people and situations.

----------


## Dark-Flux

/\ A very well thought out analysis. And unfortunately I cant disagree with it  :Stick Out Tongue: 
Makes me yearn for a return to that golden age of Marz and Hester. The only real saving grace of Top Cow since those two left has been the works of Matt Hawkins on his creator owned stuff and Aphrodite. 
But at least we have Switch now!

----------


## Tayne Japal

I'm quite enjoying the creator owned books Postal, The Tithe, Sunstone, and Symmetry and I hope Top Cow finds success through those. I think they still need to attract one or two more quality writers to launch creator owned books through them. Maybe we'll see Witchblade/Darkness relaunches by 2020.

----------


## ireactions

While I loved Marz and Hester's work on WITCHBLADE and THE DARKNESS, I do think that once they wanted to leave, they had to leave. Writers who have told the stories they want to tell and don't move on end up writing the ugly hackwork that David Wohl and Christina Z. churned out. It's a tough situation and while the Marz and Hester runs are superb, I got the sense for much of these titles' lifespans that Top Cow editorial didn't really know what to do with them. The pre-and-post Marz and Hester eras show tremendous indecision and a painful lack of vision for both books.

Another weird thing: David Hine wrote a DARKNESS mini series during the Hester run: THE FOUR HORSEMEN. Hine's mini series is a terrific take on the Ennis version of THE DARKNESS: crazy, bizarre supernatural action horror with a creepy sense of humour. But he (understandably) tried to do something different when following Hester.

I recently got around to reading THE DARKNESS: HOPE, a one-shot focused on Jackie Estacado's daughter -- and I have to say, this issue is a very nice series finale for THE DARKNESS. It's either an alternate continuity to the post DARKNESS #116 storyline where Jackie survived the events of DARKNESS FALLS or it takes place after Jackie was inevitably resurrected. Reading it made me feel a bit better about the failure of DARKNESS FALLS to give Jackie a resounding send-off; THE DARKNESS: HOPE contains precisely the right note of ambiguity and insight into Jackie for his final story. I'm glad Top Cow did this.

----------


## juan678

Nebezial in Twitter
2016, sunstone5 and death vigil2; 2017 ravine vol 3
first arc will be as it is, 7 issues and then after that about 200 page thick graphic novels,(extra big comic) XD
so... once switch first arc is done i'm quitting comics. never liked the format, publishing and soliciting always felt like hassle, instead

----------


## juan678

*Magdalena New Serie by Tiny Howard y Christian Dibari San Diego Top Cow Panel
*

----------


## juan678

*Tom Judge  Judge global*


 Cyberforce webtoon was announced as was a new book featuring the character Tom Judge (“Rapture”) that will be scripted by Bleeding Cool’s own Dan Wickline. When approached for comment Dan stated that he will be working with “Rom, the artist I did two issue of Artifacts with (#36 and #37) which focused on Tom Judge. She was a winner of one of the Top Cow talent hunts and I am excited to work with her again. I plan on… taking Judge global. The Rapture, his artifact that allows him to shift into the big monstrosity is only one of its powers. There is another that doesn’t get used nearly as much.

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## juan678

*Witchblade and Darkness* :Confused: 
When asked about well known, but absent, property The Darkness Hawkins admitted that both it and the classic Witchblade are being worked on and will return but at this time they were not ready to announce anything. He followed this by stating that there would be further development on this project discussed at the next New York Comic Con.

----------


## Paulie Blade

> *Witchblade and Darkness*
> When asked about well known, but absent, property “The Darkness” Hawkins admitted that both it and the classic Witchblade are being worked on and will return but at this time they were not ready to announce anything. He followed this by stating that there would be further development on this project discussed at the next New York Comic Con.


Okay, I am excited. I was afraid they would be done with those characters for good. I wouldn't mind if they went with Hope as The Darkness and someone comepletely new as Witchblade.

----------


## mrjinjin

> *Magdalena New Serie by Tiny Howard y Christian Dibari San Diego Top Cow Panel
> *


I can't wait for this.  Any idea when?  Also, I think it's a mini series.

----------


## armlessphelan

I'm glad to see a return to the Top Cow Universe. I was afraid that it was dead and they'd instead moved on to the Hawkins-verse. Also, Stjepan Seijic quitting monthlies to do OGNs is also good news. He's Croatian so the monthly grind probably irked his European sensibilities.

----------


## nebezial

hah! XD actually i'm turning to graphic novels because i have been having significant health issues, so graphic novels are easier to plan around and schedule

----------


## armlessphelan

> hah! XD actually i'm turning to graphic novels because i have been having significant health issues, so graphic novels are easier to plan around and schedule


Let's hope that a reduced workload helps out. It sucks that you've been dealing with this for so long.

----------


## Batarang

> hah! XD actually i'm turning to graphic novels because i have been having significant health issues, so graphic novels are easier to plan around and schedule


oh... so sorry to hear this... i really like your work at Top Cow. Get well soon...

----------


## armlessphelan

Just saw on Twitter that an Aphrodite V series is coming. Ongoing or mini, I dunno, but Bryan Edward Hill is gonna be writing it. I'm curious if it's tied to the current Cyberforce run on LINE Webtoon. Wasn't that the Rebirth model's number?

----------


## Paulie Blade

Yeah, a V appeared in Cyberforce Rebirth. Wasn't she wielding the Coin of Solomon? Could be something related to that.

----------


## Batarang

I'm not fimiliar with the Aphrodite cyborgs ? (not sure if they are cyborgs) but i couldn't find the complete Aphrodite IX HC anywhere... so i couldn't read it, this is why i'm not fimiliar with Aphrodite concept...  but so far i grabed First Born Deluxe and Artifacts Deluxe HCs  Yay ! i have been away from Top Cow for a long time but i'm returning now.  :Big Grin:  Once the deluxes and bunch of Witchblade TPBs which i bought arrive, a very heavly nostalgia filled reading awaits me. (i can't wait) i think i will get Darkness and Witchblade compendium 2nd volumes next. I couldn't find the first volumes anywhere with a reasonable price unfortunatly. :/ (please republish them Top Cow). I must add that Darkness and Witchblade are characters who have special place in my heart... they are the characters  who have been created at my childhood and teen years, kind of my generations characters. I really liked them when i first read them at my teen years and early 20s.

----------


## armlessphelan

> I'm not fimiliar with the Aphrodite cyborgs ? (not sure if they are cyborgs) but i couldn't find the complete Aphrodite IX HC anywhere... so i couldn't read it, this is why i'm not fimiliar with Aphrodite concept...  but so far i grabed First Born Deluxe and Artifacts Deluxe HCs  Yay ! i have been away from Top Cow for a long time but i'm returning now.  Once the deluxes and bunch of Witchblade TPBs which i bought arrive, a very heavly nostalgia filled reading awaits me. (i can't wait) i think i will get Darkness and Witchblade compendium 2nd volumes next. I couldn't find the first volumes anywhere with a reasonable price unfortunatly. :/ (please republish them Top Cow). I must add that Darkness and Witchblade are characters who have special place in my heart... they are the characters  who have been created at my childhood and teen years, kind of my generations characters. I really liked them when i first read them at my teen years and early 20s.


Yeah, they're cyborgs. Aphrodite IV is the model involved with the Witchblade stuff pre-Rebirth, V is with Cyberforce post-Rebirth, and IX is super far in the future (it's a bit hazy whether the first volume with Davids Finch and Wohl is the exact same unit as the Hawkins/Sejic one or if the continuity changed slightly with Rebirth). They're generally tied to the Coin of Solomon, but just what that link is beyond bearing it is as-of-yet unknown.

Glad you're getting back into Top Cow! I fell out of it for a few months, but am currently playing catchup for the Eden's Fall crossover.

----------


## Dark-Flux

The Hawkins Aphrodite IX series is available in trade btw. And the story is directly continued in IXth Generation.

----------


## Batarang

> Glad you're getting back into Top Cow! I fell out of it for a few months, but am currently playing catchup for the Eden's Fall crossover.


what can i say, a fox  always ends up at fur store... lol  (i hope it makes sense. lol) what i mean is as a 90s kid comics book guy, i will always end up at Top Cow, Image lol 





> The Hawkins Aphrodite IX series is available in trade btw. And the story is directly continued in IXth Generation.


There is no way that i'm gonna buy another Top Cow Tpb after Witchblade... the first trade of Witchblade just fell apart after i had turned 3 pages... :/ i'm still angry. The built of Top Cow tpbs are terrible. They are Image too but for some reason they don't get the same built as other Image tpbs.

----------


## nebezial

ah yes the year of wtf trades, i remember it well. we changed the printer since but , holy crap, that year was a nightmare, 

here is a trade

and here

and there

and some behind the couch...   shudder.

----------


## Dark-Flux

On the plus side Ive gotten into creating custom HC binds of comics these last few years and Top Cow sure do make it easy to dismantle trades with minimal effort ;P

----------


## Batarang

> ah yes the year of wtf trades, i remember it well. we changed the printer since but , holy crap, that year was a nightmare, 
> 
> here is a trade
> 
> and here
> 
> and there
> 
> and some behind the couch...   shudder.


So i was unlucky enough to get the old print but i'm scared to get another trade now... The witchblade trade just arrived today and fell appart in my hands so my pain is fresh lol That's also why i bring the subject up... i don't know, i guess from here on i'm a Compendium HC and Deluxe HC guy lol i heard great things about their built.

----------


## juan678

Christian DiBari Teaser cover n 1 Magdalena February or March 2017 :Confused:

----------


## Batarang

Yay ! Magdalena !  :Big Grin:  

We need hard cover editions of Magdalena. May be a Complete Magdalena like they did with Aphrodite IX.  :Smile:

----------


## juan678

other teaser today

----------


## juan678

In top cow page is Free :Smile:  in pdf

----------


## juan678

> other teaser today


*Magdalena coming March 2017! Tini Howard, Ryan Cady and Christian DiBari are the dream team!*

----------


## Ballistic

So excited for the new Magdalena series to come out. I have my fingers crossed for a nice, long run.

----------


## armlessphelan

> So excited for the new Magdalena series to come out. I have my fingers crossed for a nice, long run.


I thought it was a miniseries? Either way, the return of the Top Cow Universe makes me super happy because it's definitely been missed.

----------


## thelastboyonearth

Check out all these Top Cow comics available on Groupees: https://groupees.com/topcow

----------


## Pauul

> Yeah, a V appeared in Cyberforce Rebirth. Wasn't she wielding the Coin of Solomon? Could be something related to that.


Aphrodite IV wields the Coin of Solomon pre-Rebirth, however Francesca Taylor is seen wearing the Coin during _Witchblade #185_.

Aphrodite V appeared in _CyberForce_ and is getting her own series.

Aphrodite IV was last seen in _Artifacts #13_ after the universe reset, unless you count the version that appeared in the alternate future depicted in _The Darkness: Hope_ one shot. This was set in a reality where Jackie Estacado never died.

However, Aphrodite IV will be reappearing, if only briefly, later this month in the _CyberForce: Artifacts #0_ one shot.



I hope you'll excuse the shameless self promotion, because the strip in question was written by me. It is a Talent Hunt Runners-Up book, however I did my continuity research and the strip has been drawn by Jim Towe who is the new artist for _Youngblood_.



So, it should be worth a look, even if it's simply because you'll get a chance to see Jim Towe draw Aphrodite.

I hope at least a few of you decide to pick it up on *December 28th*.

----------


## Tayne Japal

> Check out all these Top Cow comics available on Groupees: https://groupees.com/topcow


Great bundle for a beginner.

----------


## Paulie Blade

> I hope you'll excuse the shameless self promotion, because the strip in question was written by me. It is a Talent Hunt Runners-Up book, however I did my continuity research and the strip has been drawn by Jim Towe who is the new artist for _Youngblood_.


If this is canon, then I'm all for it. Don't get me wrong, I think the entire Talent Hunt concept is great, but it's confusing when the resulting books contradict the continuity and have this almost fan-fiction feeling about them. That being said, I still enjoyed the Hope one-shot.

Anyway... There's something that is itching me a little bit -- the fact that in Aphrodite IX v2 and IXth Generation (set in 2800s) we've already seen the distant future of the Top Cow Universe and we've also seen the not-that-distant (2100s? Can't recall exactly) future in Cyberforce Rebirth. It produces the feeling of futility, that whatever we see now in the new incarnations of Witchblade, The Darkness and Magdalena is irrelevant as we already know what happens next. *Unless* the Top Cow folks already saw it through and are planning another reshaping of the Universe which will discard the Aphrodite-future as well  :Confused:

----------


## Dark-Flux

Its been a while since i read it but wasnt Cyber Force Rebirth set in present times - they just used those blinder things to hide their existence?

----------


## Paulie Blade

This is an excerpt from IXth Generation #1:




> The Aphrodite Protocol was initiated in the late 20th Century in an attempt to save humanity from a predicted extinction level event that became reality in the year 2102 AD.


I suppose Cyberforce Rebirth was when the Protocol was initiated, which means it was taking place in the late 20th century. So yeah, you are right. So if the revamped Top Cow Universe books take place in the present times, they should already take those events under consideration.

----------


## juan678

Aphrodite IX AND The Aphrodite Protocol  TIMELINE
http://www.cbr.com/aphrodite-ix-the-hidden-files-1/

----------


## thelastboyonearth

> Great bundle for a beginner.


I agree. Soo many comics!

----------


## thelastboyonearth

http://www.cbr.com/excl-hawkins-robe...gedy-of-dante/

Check out this interview with Matt Hawkins and Darick Robertson to promote the new Top Cow one-shot: Dante!

----------


## juan678



----------


## Javasaurus

> Great bundle for a beginner.


I took the plunge an purchased the $15 dollar bundle. 

Since most of the material is new to me, I'm curious if there is an ideal reading order for some of it. Aren't Witchblade, the Darkness, and the Magdalena part of the same universe (more or less). If so, can I just read the individual collections independent of each other? Or is there a better approach. I'm open to suggestions from those who are familiar with the Top Cow work.

----------


## juan678

March 2017
Magdalena #1
Story: Ryan Cady Tini Howard
Art / Cover:Christian Dibari

March 22 / 32 pages / Full Color / T+ / $3.99
The Magdalena has always defended the world from demonic evil, empowered by the blood of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene in her veins. But when a brush with death leaves her gravely wounded, Patience decides to seek out the next in the bloodline and train her replacement. The replacement, meanwhile, is having enough trouble with finding her purpose even without the whole holy- warrior gig

----------


## Tayne Japal

So, how about that Eclipse comic? I've been enjoying it so far. The first few issues appear to plant seeds that can explored later in the title's run. Hopefully this can join Postal and Think Tank as nuTop Cow hits (i.e. pass 10 issues).

----------


## mrjinjin

> March 2017
> Magdalena #1
> Story: Ryan Cady Tini Howard
> Art / Cover:Christian Dibari
> 
> March 22 / 32 pages / Full Color / T+ / $3.99
> The Magdalena has always defended the world from demonic evil, empowered by the blood of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene in her veins. But when a brush with death leaves her gravely wounded, Patience decides to seek out the next in the bloodline and train her replacement. The replacement, meanwhile, is having enough trouble with finding her purpose even without the whole holy- warrior gig


Gonna get this one!

----------


## capuga

> So, how about that Eclipse comic? I've been enjoying it so far. The first few issues appear to plant seeds that can explored later in the title's run. Hopefully this can join Postal and Think Tank as nuTop Cow hits (i.e. pass 10 issues).


I loved Eclipse so far. An unexpected gem.

----------


## Paulie Blade

> I took the plunge an purchased the $15 dollar bundle. 
> 
> Since most of the material is new to me, I'm curious if there is an ideal reading order for some of it. Aren't Witchblade, the Darkness, and the Magdalena part of the same universe (more or less). If so, can I just read the individual collections independent of each other? Or is there a better approach. I'm open to suggestions from those who are familiar with the Top Cow work.


I'm not sure which comics they included, but probably it's the best idea to start from Witchblade and then move onto additional artifact bearers once they appear - i.e. The Darkness appears first in Witchblade #10, then Magdalena appears in The Darkness #15 and so on.

Anyway... So Magdalena is going to have a new protagonist... Interesting...

----------


## Ballistic

> March 2017
> Magdalena #1
> Story: Ryan Cady Tini Howard
> Art / Cover:Christian Dibari
> 
> March 22 / 32 pages / Full Color / T+ / $3.99
> The Magdalena has always defended the world from demonic evil, empowered by the blood of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene in her veins. But when a brush with death leaves her gravely wounded, Patience decides to seek out the next in the bloodline and train her replacement. The replacement, meanwhile, is having enough trouble with finding her purpose even without the whole holy- warrior gig


Man, this solicit makes me super nervous. I hope Patience stays the Magdalena. She is one of the best characters in the Top Cow Universe.




> I loved Eclipse so far. An unexpected gem.


Agreed. It's a fantastic book. I even double dipped and pre-ordered the trade to support it.

----------


## Javasaurus

> I'm not sure which comics they included, but probably it's the best idea to start from Witchblade and then move onto additional artifact bearers once they appear - i.e. The Darkness appears first in Witchblade #10, then Magdalena appears in The Darkness #15 and so on.


Thanks! That's exactly the type of advice I was looking for.

----------


## Pauul

> If this is canon, then I'm all for it. Don't get me wrong, I think the entire Talent Hunt concept is great, but it's confusing when the resulting books contradict the continuity and have this almost fan-fiction feeling about them. That being said, I still enjoyed the Hope one-shot.
> 
> Anyway... There's something that is itching me a little bit -- the fact that in Aphrodite IX v2 and IXth Generation (set in 2800s) we've already seen the distant future of the Top Cow Universe and we've also seen the not-that-distant (2100s? Can't recall exactly) future in Cyberforce Rebirth. It produces the feeling of futility, that whatever we see now in the new incarnations of Witchblade, The Darkness and Magdalena is irrelevant as we already know what happens next. *Unless* the Top Cow folks already saw it through and are planning another reshaping of the Universe which will discard the Aphrodite-future as well


Well, I'm a bit of a continuity geek, so my story _Weaponeer_ is fully set in present day continuity.

There is a preview up at Newsarama now so I can talk about the story a little bit; http://www.newsarama.com/32372-cyber...acts-0.html#s8

If you check out the preview, my story is the third one, you can see the first two pages of it.

I actually pick up a plot thread left dangling by Ron Marz in _Witchblade #136_.

Camilla Zhang's Velocity story is definitely set within continuity as well.

The first story by Kelly Bender, featuring Aphrodite IX, is a bit more difficult to place, but probably fits.

As far as I know, Top Cow is keeping continuity with the IXth Generation era. If you've been reading the CyberForce Artifacts series released exclusive on Line Webtoon, then you'll know that continues to set up later events in the IXth Generation.

If you haven't been reading CyberForce on Line Webtoon, it's available free to read here; http://www.webtoons.com/en/super-her...t?title_no=531

----------


## thelastboyonearth

New Think Tank coming in March:





> EXCLUSIVE PAGES REVEALED FROM THINK TANKS UPCOMING FIFTH ARC
> ANIMALs first issue arrives March 1st
> 
> 
> Image Comics and Top Cow Productions are pleased to present an exclusive sneak peek from the upcoming fifth story arc of THINK TANK, the ongoing tech-minded sci-fi series from Top Cow COO Matt Hawkins and artist Rahsan Ekedal.
> 
> THINK TANK VOL 5 #1 Cover A (Diamond code: JAN170669) and Cover B (Diamond code: JAN170670), both featuring cover art by series artist Rahsan Ekedal, will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, March 1st. Final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, February 6th.
> 
> 
> ...


ThinkTankv5-01_covA.jpg

----------


## Dark-Flux

BC reporting on a new Witchblade TV series at NBC.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/01...rns-tv-series/

Pretty light on info though, so i imagine its early days.

----------


## juan678

In  Cbr
http://www.cbr.com/witchblade-tv-ser...velopment-nbc/

----------


## Tayne Japal

> BC reporting on a new Witchblade TV series at NBC.
> 
> https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/01...rns-tv-series/
> 
> Pretty light on info though, so i imagine its early days.


If it does get made, I hope it's aired on Friday night to keep the show somewhat close to the material.

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## Semper

Im a fan of the Darkness series. Too bad that it ended. I didnt like that ending. Im also reading Artifacts, but they need to explaij more about the other artifacts.

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## Paulie Blade

> Im a fan of the Darkness series. Too bad that it ended. I didnt like that ending. Im also reading Artifacts, but they need to explaij more about the other artifacts.


The Darkness is getting a reboot, according to Matt Hawkins. Unfortunately - not sooner than Witchblade and Witchblade is not coming out until next year, which altogether makes it a bit of a wait.

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## Tayne Japal

Top Cow Kickstarter for Golgotha graphic novel is live!

http://https://www.kickstarter.com/p...44384/golgotha

http://http://www.cbr.com/top-cow-go...ns-bryan-hill/

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## juan678

Sara Pezzini Coplay by  Carol Zara
http://topcowofficial.tumblr.com/pos...ara-carol-zara

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## Dark-Flux

Cyber Force revival from Matt Hawkins, Bryan Hill and Atilio Rojo;

http://www.cbr.com/cyber-force-reboot-top-cow/amp/

Always down for more TCU books and Hawkins and Hill are strong writers so im excited for this.
The fact that theyre commited to a monthly release of 25 issues is nice too.

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## juan678

Reebot"2 IX Generation 8 Deux ex Machina

Velocity Daughter Chairwoman; But :Confused:  Aphrodite IX killed the Chairwoman (the main antagonist) when she was seven by using the Wheel of Shadows to go back in time

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## Ballistic

> Cyber Force revival from Matt Hawkins, Bryan Hill and Atilio Rojo;
> 
> http://www.cbr.com/cyber-force-reboot-top-cow/amp/
> 
> Always down for more TCU books and Hawkins and Hill are strong writers so im excited for this.
> The fact that theyre commited to a monthly release of 25 issues is nice too.


Hill and Hawkins make a great writing team and I'm really digging the plot they came up with. Not to mention we'll have Silvestri on covers  :Big Grin:  Also I'm not a big fan of digital comics so I'm excited to hear that they will be collecting the Cyberforce: Artifacts series in trade.

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## daningotham

I'm really excited for this so now I need to get caught up on IXth Generation as I didn't end up getting that series for some reason.  I just ordered IXth Generation Vol 1 and 2 but noticed that there are 4 one shots also that aren't in the trades?  Is it just Apollo IX, Artemis IX, Athena IX and Poseidon IX?  I'm also really excited for Cyber Force Artifacts.  I got issue #0 when they printed that one but they didn't print any other ones.  And I'm not into digital comics either so I'm excited to read those finally.

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## Tayne Japal

With that creative team, this is a reboot I can support.

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## Dark-Flux

> I'm really excited for this so now I need to get caught up on IXth Generation as I didn't end up getting that series for some reason.  I just ordered IXth Generation Vol 1 and 2 but noticed that there are 4 one shots also that aren't in the trades?  Is it just Apollo IX, Artemis IX, Athena IX and Poseidon IX?  I'm also really excited for Cyber Force Artifacts.  I got issue #0 when they printed that one but they didn't print any other ones.  And I'm not into digital comics either so I'm excited to read those finally.


The one-shots were showcases for the talent hunt winners. Not really integral to the story told in IXth Generation.

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## daningotham

> The one-shots were showcases for the talent hunt winners. Not really integral to the story told in IXth Generation.


Ok, cool, thanks for the info.  I will still pick them up as I'm a completionist. ;-)

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## J. D. Guy

Hi.

For anyone who's more in the-know, what's the current status, if any, on _The Darkness_ series?

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## Dark-Flux

Still cancelled. And it'll be back at some undetermined point in the future.

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## J. D. Guy

> Still cancelled. And it'll be back at some undetermined point in the future.


Thanks.  :Smile: 

Oh well. Back to wait, I guess.

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## Paulie Blade

There was an interview with Matt Hawkins a couple of months ago (so technically the plans could have changed already), where he said The Darkness would be back after Witchblade comes back. And Witchblade comes back some time next year.

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## Dark-Flux

I dont recall them saying 2018?

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## Paulie Blade

It was something I asked Matt about on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/topcowmatt/statu...21005307629570

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## Dark-Flux

BC are reporting that a new Medieval Spawn/Witchblade series was quietly announced at SDCC...

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## prismablue

IS Top cow still a studio publisher and have any regular books coming out? Im an off the rack shopper and My LCS doesn't carry anything by them. they told me to check kickstarter

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## capuga

> IS Top cow still a studio publisher and have any regular books coming out? Im an off the rack shopper and My LCS doesn't carry anything by them. they told me to check kickstarter


They're currently publishing at least the Hawkins-verse titles (Think Tank, Postal, Samaritan). And I believe new Magdalena will be coming soon as well as a reboot of Cyber Force.

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## Tayne Japal

> IS Top cow still a studio publisher and have any regular books coming out? Im an off the rack shopper and My LCS doesn't carry anything by them. they told me to check kickstarter


I recommend checking out Ecilpse. It's ongoing. Romulus was pretty good, but may be on hiatus because the artist is doing a Marvel project.

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## Katatonia

As far as I know, besides Sejic's series and Hawkin's stuff. Top Cow is basically dead. The sites pretty much done for as well. Silvestri pretty much dropped/abandoned it. You knew it was the end when Witchblade and the Darkness were both cancelled.

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## Dark-Flux

So "apart from all the books they publish" they are dead, lol.

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## Katatonia

They might as well be, I mean, I do love Top-Cow they had some good shit. Besides Silvestri at the time, Micheal Turner basically was the top guy in the label. But for a guy to literally allow his company to fall to pieces and doesn't even as much as care for his own website that's pretty much vacant is a joke. And, why in the hell did Silvestri need a kickstarter for just to do Cyber-Force just to kill the series off and not stick to his commitments to the fans? Like Matt Hawkins and Sejic are basically the only people keeping that label alive and it's sad, cause there's so many things Silvestri had going like Magi, and that got canned. What I wanna know is this, who was the guy who allowed the complete collection of Aphrodite to be published, but never collected anything else from any other series that were just as great? Top-Cow will always remain a mystery in some aspects, like how they promised to release Omnibuses of Cyber-Force and that never happened. I love almost everything Silvestri has done, even Artifacts, that was incredible. Ron Marz basically changed Top-Cow for the better and he's still one of my all time favorite writers. But shit, after he left Witchblade it fell to pieces. Once he walked off of Artifacts it was done. Artifacts, had, if not, the potential to keep going. And they killed it off over bad writers and artists from talent-searches instead of giving it to the professionals who actually do know their shit. Ron Marz basically built everything Top-Cow is now, and it's like since his departure, the label has suffered pretty dramatically. Silvestri needs Marz back.

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## Dark-Flux

Just cause theres a lack of Artifacts books doesnt make the company dead. 
They still publish 5+ books a month, have steady sellers and acclaimed books with the Edenverse titles and Sunstone. Always have a couple of creator owned books out, currently have a Magdalena book, with both Cyber Force and Aphrodite announced...

Just cause all youre interested in is Witchblade doesnt mean the books they currently publish are of no interest to others.

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## Katatonia

To be honest, that's not true. Though, Cyberforce, Witchblade and The Darkness were their flagship titles. Aphrodite IX was amazing, although the first volume made no damn sense. But, still, that's David Finch's beginnings. Volume 02 was amazing. Besides Sejic's shortcomings. And, trust me, I'm not knocking his artwork. It was just really lack-luster on the second volume of Volume 02. If you compare the first and second volumes it's like night and day. Maybe, it was because they tried to rush the book out, who knows? But I thoroughly enjoyed that series completely regardless, even if the art went downhill. However, the Complete Edition of IX isn't really complete at all. The book itself is somewhat of a mind-fuck as well. They put Volume 02 before they put Volume 01. I get Volume 01 was just whatever was on Wohl and Finch's mind that was put to paper and literally sold. But it was still great. In the Complete Collection book, Volume 01, should have been before Volume 02. Then in Volume 02 it collects, Aphrodite IX Rebirth Volumes 01-02, Aphrodite IX: The Hidden Files as well as the Aphrodite IX/Cyberforce One-Shot along with every single variant cover imaginable. But it's still incomplete, because the One-Shot shoots right into IXth Generation, which contains 8 Issues (with the second arc finished, then it was ready for the 3rd arc. But it never came out, it was just forgotten about). Along with these other issues connected to it: IXth Generation: Hidden Files #01, along with the Poseidon IX, Apollo IX, Artemis IX, and Athena IX One-Shots. Who knows, maybe they'll have a second HC collecting the rest of the series. But, I'd say Aphrodite IX was one of the best series Top-Cow had. And one, I literally followed until it finished. If what you said is right and Aphrodite is coming back, then maybe he's wrapping up IXth Generation, or, Hawkins is doing an entirely new series. Hopefully it's not some damn mini-series and actually a full length on-going. Though, I hope Top-Cow starts collecting older material in Deluxe HC's, that would be amazing.

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## juan678

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/09...#disqus_thread

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## Tayne Japal

For those not willing to give Bleeding Cool the traffic, Witchblade relaunches in December. 

_“LIFE AFTER,” Part One Gunned down and left for dead on a New York rooftop, Alex Underwood’s life should have ended there—but instead, at the moment of death, she became host to the Witchblade, a mystical artifact that grants the woman wielding it extraordinary powers. But the power comes with a heavy cost, and Alex finds herself thrust into the center of an unseen battle raging on the snowy streets of NYC. Demons are real and walking among humans, and every one of them is intent on taking out the Witchblade’s newest host before she becomes too strong to kill. But the artifact chose Alex for a reason, and she’s not going down without a fight._

By Caitlin Kittredge, Roberta Ingranata and Bryan Valenza.

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## juan678



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## daningotham

Very excited to check this out, even though I have never read Witchblade before.  But I love the writer and the Top Cow Universe.

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## TotalSnorefest

Loving that cover for issue 2, that's very Sara Pichelli in terms of style!

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## armlessphelan

I am so ecstatic for the return of Witchblade. Roberta Ingranata is an amazing artist. She did a huge chunk of the Robyn Hood ongoing for Zenescope.

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## TheFerg714

I'm down for more Top Cow, but Magdalena #1 didn't really impress me, and the universe has seemingly been in shamble the last few years.  I'd love to see a resurgence, but those covers look nothing like Witchblade.

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## DamianBane

> So, are there any other Top Cow fans on here?
> 
> The only book of theirs I'm currently getting monthly is Witchblade. I was getting Artifacts, but the pace was moving too slowly and now with Ron Marz having left and it being nothing but fill-in issues, I decided to trade wait. 
> 
> It really does seem like we've been waiting a long time for the fallout from the original 13 part Artifacts arc to start making sense. For one thing, I'm getting kind of sick of just focusing on Sara, Jackie, Tom, Magdalena and the Angelus when we barely know anything about the other 8 Artifacts. With the Heart Stone now belonging to someone else, I'd love to know where Abigail went, and I'm dying to see more of the Finn/Glory/Enstrom, Ji and Sabine arcs. Plus the details of the Survivor's plan, his role as the Curator and his connection to Tau'ma are still really vague. I'm hoping Marz returns to Artifacts, or uses Witchblade or the upcoming Magdalena mini to tie up some of these loose threads.
> 
> I've also been meaning to pick up the Cyberforce and Aphrodite IX trades, especially after hearing that they are merging into one. For anyone who has read them, is there any explanation as to what happened to Aphrodite IV, her creators and/or the Coin of Solomon?


Witchblade is still one of my favorite comics, glad to have joined this thread!

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## TheFallen

With the Top Cow Universe getting a reboot (Witchblade, Cyber Force, Aphrodite V, Darkness) would anyone else like to see Hunter-Killer come back as part of it?

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## Tayne Japal

I'd rather see Hunter-Killer than another attempt to make Cyber Force happen.

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## Shadowcat

> I'd rather see Hunter-Killer than another attempt to make Cyber Force happen.


Id love to make them both happen. Cyberforce/Hunter Killer was one of the funner books Top Cow has put out in the last decade. Im putting a pitch together to send to Marc & Matt.

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## kilderkin

I've recently got into top cow a lot, got vol 1 to 6 of artifacts

Any recommendations 

Have to say I'm a little confused on the witch blade reading order

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## daningotham

I'm loving the new Cyber Force series.   And Aphrodite V #1 was really good too.

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## ed2962

I bought Aphrodite V issues #1 and #2 and was pleasantly surprised.

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## sirmarkus

> I've recently got into top cow a lot, got vol 1 to 6 of artifacts
> 
> Any recommendations 
> 
> Have to say I'm a little confused on the witch blade reading order


Eclipse has been good.  https://sirmarkussite.wordpress.com/.../23/eclipse-2/

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## thelastboyonearth

thedarkness_sexandscifi_bookbundle-twitter-artmarcsilvestri.jpg

Check out this sweet Humble Bundle! You can get like nearly every Darkness issue and help the #CAWildfires!

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/t...s_tile_index_2

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## sirmarkus

Port of Earth has been a lot of fun.  First contact with aliens story. Slower paced, but well worth the read.  It's just brilliant.  Issue #10 is out next week.
https://sirmarkussite.wordpress.com/...t-of-earth-10/

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## DanMad1977

> Port of Earth has been a lot of fun.  First contact with aliens story. Slower paced, but well worth the read.  It's just brilliant.  Issue #10 is out next week.
> https://sirmarkussite.wordpress.com/...t-of-earth-10/


Yep, really good series and a nice idea of a story.

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## shooshoomanjoe

Has anyone seen this before? I came across a Cyberforce/Artifacts webcomic on Webtoons. Aphrodite IX also has one here. Anyone know if they have been printed?

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## Paulie Blade

> Has anyone seen this before? I came across a Cyberforce/Artifacts webcomic on Webtoons. Aphrodite IX also has one here. Anyone know if they have been printed?


Sure, I think the Cyber Force story you linked is technically vol4 of the series, collectively known as Rebirth: https://imagecomics.com/comics/relea...birth-vol-1-tp
Aphrodite also has been printed. Technically Rebirth links events of Cyber Force from the near future to the events of Aphrodite and IX Generation from the DISTANT future. I'm sure majority of this has been printed, but I think that some of the later webtoon episodes are online-exclusive (and served as the bridge between the two).

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