Comic Review: 'Witchblade - Witch Hunt' Vol. 1 TPB

Witchblade Vol. 1: Witch Hunt
Written by Ron Marz
Pencils by Mike Choi
Inks by Sal Regla, Joe Weems, Matt "Batt" Banning
Colors by Brian Buccellato
Letters by Robin Spehar, DD's Dennis Heisler, Troy Peteri
Covers by Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Justin Ponsor, Frank Cho, Laura Martin, Sonia Oback
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $9.99; On-sale: Feb. 13, 2008

Witchblade. A comic I had heard rumblings about.

When Geeks offered me the opportunity to review this, I jumped at the chance to review this trade paperback, because it was Numero Uno. This meant I would have some semblance of a story to start with (it's a new story, although it starts as #80; this TPB collections #80-85). It also gave me the prospect of looking into something from Top Cow...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Hunter-Killer Vol. 1 TPB

Hunter-Killer Vol. 1 TPB
Written by Mark Waid
Pencils and Art by Marc Silvestri, Eric Basaldua, Kenneth Rocafort
Inks by Joe Weems, Matt 'Batt' Banning, Rick Basaldua, Studio F
Colors by Steve Firchow, John Starr, Chad Fidler, Blond, Tyson Wengler
Letters by Robin Spehar, Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $24.99; On-sale: Feb. 13, 2008

What if you were told the Cold War was not fought over nuclear weapons, but over the control of ultra-sapiens -- humans genetically engineered to be weapons and traded like stock between nations. What if you were told these ultra-sapiens got a little too aware of the power they held, struck back at their controllers, and now are either in hiding or have farmed themselves out to the highest bidder? And what if you were told the entire world as you know it is a complete fabrication, a complex series of lies and cover ups to hide the real truth of the matter -- that one man, known only as the Czar Obscura, runs the entire planet out of a secretly surrendered White House?...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Angelus --- Pilot Season #1

Angelus: Pilot Season #1
Pilot Season issue
Written by Ian Edington
Art by Stjepan Sejic
Top Cow Productions
Cover price $2.99
On-sale date: Dec. 12, 2007

Pilot Season is upon us!

Even as you read this, geeks from all over the Internet are flocking to that hub of digital civilization known as MySpace and voting for their favorite Top Cow character to win their very own ongoing series in 2008. And with the long-awaited opening of the MySpace polls comes the fifth and final entry in this exercise in rampant democracy: Angelus...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: First Born #3

First Born #3
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Stjepan Sejic
Covers by Marc Silvestri, Stjepan Sejic
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale: Nov. 28, 2007

And now we come to the end of Top Cow’s big summer event, or big fall event such as it is. Much like the first two issues of this mini, it does a decent job, and has some very nice artwork, but is basically unspectacular and kind of lost on me. This has been an event for fans of the Witchblade and Darkness properties, and is not a bad jumping on point, but could definitely have been done better.

Sara Pezzini, the former Witchblade, has her pregnancy come to full term in this issue. Meanwhile Jackie Estacado, the wielder of the Darkness, is forced to protect his baby’s mama from the forces of the Angelus. This is the big fight issue with most of the issue taken up with the battle between the Darkness and the Angelus...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Dark Sector Zero

Dark Sector Zero
Written by David Wohl
Art by Bill Sienkiewicz
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale: Dec. 12, 2007

Ahhh, Sienkiewicz.

Sienkiewicz, Sienkiewicz, Sienkiewicz.

Just saying the name out loud, it... well, it makes me scratch my head and google the damn thing because I’ve never really known how to pronounce it.

Bill Sienkiewicz (that’s “sin-KEV-itch” for the google-impaired) is a legend within the comics medium. His work on Marvel’s New Mutants in the early ’80s, followed by his groundbreaking work on Elektra: Assassin has pretty much cemented him in the comic book art hall of fame (should such a thing ever exist) as one of the most influential talents of our lifetime. Echoes of his moody, often chaotic art style can be found in the works of artists like Mark Texiera, Ashley Wood, and even Australian superstar Ben Templesmith. To many, Bill Sienkiewicz is a god...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Witchblade Takeru Manga #9

Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 9
Written by Yasuko Kobayashi
Art by Kazasa Sumita
Colors by Blond
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $3.99; Available now

Sometimes, you just need a butt-shot.

It’s true! One of those ancient facts of life. Richard Donner understood it when he filmed Mel Gibson taking a walk in Lethal Weapon, McG understood it when he directed Cameron Diaz’s surfing scene in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and Joel Schumacher most DEFINITELY understood it when he showed Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Chris O'Donnell suiting up in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. They all understood that, sometimes, y’just gotta show a little ass.

Well, it seems the creators of Witchblade Takeru Manga have upgraded that old saw from “Ancient Wisdom” to “Prime-effing-Directive.” Through the course of issue #9 of the American-translated manga series, we are treated to a total of 13 bare-ass shots, 11 of which feature the heroine, Takeru, in her free-swinging, imagination-defying Witchblade uniform (or, as I like to call it, “The Scab From Hell” ...have these jokes been made already...?). The other two belong to some random school-girl -- we can only assume is a friend of the main characters -- who has lost her panties and doesn’t really seem to miss them...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: The Darkness: First Look

The Darkness: First Look
Written by Phil Hester
Pencils by Michael Broussard
Inks by Ryan Winn
Colors by Matt Milla
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Michael Broussard, Joe Weems, and Larry Molinar
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: 99¢; On-sale date: Nov. 2007

Though brief, The Darkness: First Look is a hint that there may be some good things to come from Top Cow comics.

After success of the video game version of The Darkness, another reintroduction to the series -- which has already experience two previous launches -- was inevitable. The Darkness follows ex-mafia hitman Jackie Estacado, who after being betrayed by his uncle, discovered a curse that has plagued his family for uncounted generations. The Darkness gives Estecado the powers of the damned but at the same time struggles for control of his very soul. Given the truly fantastical nature of the story and the Darkness itself, this story is probably best told in the form of a comic book...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Madame Mirage #3

Madame Mirage #3
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Kenneth Rocafort
Colors by Imaginary Friends Studios
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale date: Oct. 2007

Madame Mirage is a Paul Dini book.

You can see it in the retro visual design; the way his characters all look like they were plucked out of a painted movie poster from the 1930s, yet somehow manage to blend into a semi-futuristic modern setting without raising an eyebrow. You can see it in the well-paced episodic nature; the way each self-contained story manages to answer questions raised in the previous issue, all the while birthing brand new ones to ponder until next month. And you can most definitely see it the personality of the titular (pun?) femme fatale who, I swear, at times has the voice of Adrienne Barbeau's Catwoman resonating in my head. I recognize Dini's writing...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Velocity #1

Velocity #1
Pilot Season issue
Written by Joe Casey
Art by Kevin Maguire
Colors by Blond
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price $2.99; On-sale date: Oct. 24, 2007

One of five Pilot Season comics that Top Cow is releasing, Velocity #1 cruises along like an octogenarian in a Ford Festiva powered by rubber bands. The book hits a few peaks as the title character zooms through plotline loopholes, each transition a jolting stutter into the next scenario. But wholly this comic screeches to a halt and misses crucial elements a first issue should accomplish before leaving the reader in a pool of disappointment....continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: The Necromancer #1

The Necromancer #1
Written by Joshua Ortega
Pencils & Inks by Jonboy Meyers
Colors by Brian Buccellato
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Francis Manapul
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale: Oct. 17, 2007

A Pilot Worth Watching

See, I’ve been out of the loop. While the rest of the comic book world was going ga-ga over the original Necromancer miniseries a few years back, I was only just starting to be gently guided back into the comics mainstream under the tender care of Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Warren Ellis’s Planetary trades.

Truth be told, with the exceptions of the Paul Jenkins/Dale Keown run on The Darkness, and stand alone limited series like Midnight Nation, Wanted, and Common Grounds (all trades), I haven’t read anything published in the Top Cow universe since the late ’90s.

So, with this in mind, you may ask yourself, “Who the hell is this guy to be telling us anything about this comic book. He doesn’t know the world, he doesn’t know the characters!”

Well, I’ll tell you who I am, my friend...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Witchblade #110

Witchblade #110
Written by Ron Marz
Pencils by Steve Sadowski
Inks by Kevin Nowlan
Cover by Mike Mayhew
Colors by Nathan Fairbairn
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale: Oct. 3, 2007

I wrote a review for another Top Cow book the other day, First Born #2, and I liked it for the most part. I'd imagine that it would be very enjoyable for longtime fans of the Top Cow universe, but may not be the best thing for people who are looking to get into it. Witchblade #110 ties into the final scene of First Born #2, so you'll want to read that first, and also watch out for spoilers here, although the cover is kind of one big spoiler. Also, if you're looking for an issue of Witchblade, that y'know, has the Witchblade in for more than two panels, pick up a different issue...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: First Born #2

First Born #2
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Stjepan Sejic
Cover by Dale Keown (A), Stjepan Sejic (B)
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale: Sept. 26, 2007

Since everyone has to have their own big summer event, Top Cow brings us First Born, a tale set to shake the very foundations of the Top Cow universe and make sure that nothing is ever the same!! If I sound a bit cynical, it's only because I've been around comics long enough to have seen all this before. It probably doesn't help that outside of the first few issues of The Darkness, I've never been a big reader of the Top Cow line of books. I'm sure fans of these books are anticipating this mini and probably enjoyed the first issue [see review here]. Non-fans might have less reason to pick this up, although it's not completely without merit. The event smacks of a “Me too” attitude that crashed these kinds of things in the late 90s. How many event minis did Wildstorm produce in their heyday, and how many of those does anyone actually remember as being any good? With so many things going on at Marvel and DC, it's hard to see any other companies jumping on as anything but a cash grab...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 8

Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 8
Written by Yasuko Kobayashi
Art by Kazasa Sumita
Colors by Blond
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $3.99; On-sale: Sept 19, 2007

Manga is an entirely different art form than the western comics I’m used to reading, requiring alternative modes of visual interpretation. Luckily, Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 8 gives readers -- new to the series and manga itself -- plenty of time to acclimate.

One of the most striking aspects of the book (written by Yasuko Kobayashi with artwork by Kazasa Sumita), in relative connection to what I typically see as manga style, is the dynamic vibrancy the book maintains throughout the issue -- from character rendering to the full-color displays utilized from page to page...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Cyblade -- Pilot Season #1

Cyblade: Pilot Season #1
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Pencils & Inks by Rick Mays
Colors by Guru-eFX
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale: Sept 2007

There is one beautiful, sexy woman coming after you. That might be a good thing if it wasn’t the trained killer Cyblade, one of the most popular members of Top Cow's original flagship series Cyberforce.

Cyblade, 19-year-old Dominique Thibaut, has the power to create psychic blades and power bursts which can affect both animate and inanimate objects. She is an incredible athlete and acrobat and, boy, can she wear a g-string. However, she’s a little low on self-esteem, which is why her good friend Rashell is there to coach her along via radio on one of her first missions for Cyberdata. Cyberdata is where she thinks she has been training for six months and who sends her on a mission to retrieve their Tachyon Emolliator...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Madame Mirage #2

Madame Mirage #2
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Kenneth Rocafort
Colors by Imaginary Friends Studios
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale date: Sept. 2007

The chameleon-like Madame Mirage chooses a face and a body that men will die for, and that bras will want to hide from.

Paul Dini, the Emmy-winning creator of The Batman Adventures cartoon series, teams up with very talented artist Kenneth Rocafort to create Madame Mirage, a new superheroine for Top Cow.

Madame Mirage can change her appearance, and seemingly, the appearance of others. She can change her clothes at will and look exactly like any other person she is around. It may be as simple as her just seeing them. She can change into inanimate objects as well and also different masses do not seem to be a problem. She is taking out a criminal organization one peg, henchman, at a time...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Game Review: The Darkness

Swedish developer Starbreeze apparently enjoys a challenge. In a time when the market is saturated with crappy games based on big franchises from other media (primarily film and comic books), Starbreeze takes smaller licensed properties and makes them better than their source material. Their last game was The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, an excellent game that drastically improved upon the rather putrid Riddick movie. Their latest game is The Darkness, which is based upon the somewhat cheesy comic book series published by Top Cow...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Witchblade #109

Witchblade #109
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Sami Basri
Colors by Imaginary Friends Studios
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale: July 25, 2007

Ménage à catfight anyone?

The only man in issue #109 of Witchblade from Top Cow Productions is during a Dani Baptiste (the current Witchblade bearer) flashback sequence. The three women in the issue -- Dani, Sara Pezzini, the pregnant, previous bearer of the Witchblade, and Celestine -- get along as well as Hef’s girlfriends vying for the last bottle of blonde hair dye.

A tight manga-style Townsend cover starts off part two of the "One Good Turn" storyline in this very important issue of Witchblade with a bang. Dani is very surprised to see how her life has turned as the current wielder of the Witchblade. The Witchblade is an ancient, mystical, and powerful gauntlet that Dani has inherited from Sara Pezzini. Sara is a pregnant New York City police officer that is not only charged with showing Dani the ropes, but also finding out about the mysterious circumstances of her pregnancy and what that may mean to the whole Top Cow Universe....continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom

Comic Review: Unholy Union

Unholy Union
One-Shot Crossover
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Michael Broussard
Inked by Rob Hunter, Rick Basaldua
and Joe Weems
Colors by Larry Molinar
Letters by Troy Peter
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $3.99; On-sale date: July 2007

There's something big going on in the Top Cow universe. So big, in fact, that the Marvel universe had to get involved. Unholy Union kicks off the big First Born summer event over at The Cow. The forces of light, The Angelus, and the forces of Dark, The Darkness, are headed for a showdown and both the previous and current Witchblade bearers seem to be caught in the middle of it all. Both series star not only all the big guns from Top Cow -- The Witchblade, Cyberforce, The Darkness, and The Angelus -- but some of the big ones from Marvel also -- Ghost Rider, The Hulk, and the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom

Comic Review: First Born #1

First Born #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Stjepan Sejic
Cover by Marc Silvestri (A), Stjepan Sejic (B)
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $2.99; On-sale date: July 25, 2007

The stunning artwork in Top Cows’ new mini-series First Born had me saying “Whoa!” more times than Keanu Reeves trying to ride a bucking bronco.

First Born is a 3-issue summer blockbuster mini-series from Top Cow Productions, the Marc Silvestri offspring of Image Comics. First Born not only explores the pregnancy of former Witchblade bearer Sara Pezzini, but also fills us in on all the major players in the Top Cow Universe...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom