Because no one’s making a big enough deal out of it …

Click for full size.

Yeah … Dale Keown is the artist on Artifacts #13, which releases this September, probably not-so-coincidentally the same month Witchblade #150 releases, which is Ron Marz’s last issue on the title (sad Paul).  Kinda shocked that this wasn’t released in USAToday or something … maybe the solicits came out early.  Anyway, here’s the solicit copy on Artifacts #13:

ARTIFACTS #13 (of 13)
story RON MARZ
art DALE KEOWN & SUNNY GHO
cover A DALE KEOWN
cover B JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
cover C JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
OCTOBER 5
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$3.99

THE DECISION!

It all comes down to this! The Survivor’s plan has come to fruition. All thirteen Artifacts and their bearers are in their fated place. The stakes are simple – the very fate of the Top Cow Universe. And the only question that remains is, will either Jackie Estacado or Sara Pezzini doom the world as Tom Judge predicted? Legendary special guest artist DALE KEOWN (THE DARKNESS/PITT, Hulk) joins Top Cow Universe architect RON MARZ to bring fans an event conclusion they will never forget!

PLUS: Each issue will also feature an Artifacts: Origin story written by RON MARZ and drawn by a guest superstar artist.

Can’t. Wait.

Welcome to the final edition of COLLECTING ARTIFACTS!  Tomorrow, Artifacts #1 finally hits store shelves, beginning Top Cow’s largest event EVER!  In previous editions of Collecting Artifacts, we’ve shown you all the major players in the Top Cow universe, interviewed Artifacts writer Ron Marz and Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik.

We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at issue #1 of the series, and wanted to get you an advance, spoiler-free review after the jump!  And listen to next Monday’s episode of Funnybooks to see what the entire Funnybooks cast thought of the issue!

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Your Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie hosts are super-excited about Top Cow’s upcoming Artifacts crossover, which began with a zero issue released on Free Comic Book Day and continues with Artifacts #1 this July!

The FCBD issue of Artifacts introduced readers to the 13 Artifacts and mythology of the Top Cow Universe, including The Witchblade and The Darkness, two of the company’s longest running titles. Still, if you’re confused after reading the FCBD issue, hankering for more information, or missed out on the book, your friends at Funnybooks and IdeologyofMadness.com are here to help get you caught up on what is sure to be an AWESOME comic book event!

We’re going to introduce you to the 13 Artifacts, and their current bearers (what information is currently known, anyway), talk about comics that are involved in the Artifacts crossover that you may not have even known about, and go over some of the key players in the storyline.  This is going to be the best place to come to get yourself prepared for Artifacts!

Click here for our previous articles, including our interview with Artifacts writer Ron Marz and Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik!

Also, listen to Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie for a chance to win Witchblade and Darkness trade paperbacks!

This week:

Aphrodite IV!

Read the rest of this entry »

Your Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie hosts are super-excited about Top Cow’s upcoming Artifacts crossover, which began with a zero issue released on Free Comic Book Day and continues with Artifacts #1 this July!

The FCBD issue of Artifacts introduced readers to the 13 Artifacts and mythology of the Top Cow Universe, including The Witchblade and The Darkness, two of the company’s longest running titles. Still, if you’re confused after reading the FCBD issue, hankering for more information, or missed out on the book, your friends at Funnybooks and IdeologyofMadness.com are here to help get you caught up on what is sure to be an AWESOME comic book event!

We’re going to introduce you to the 13 Artifacts, and their current bearers (what information is currently known, anyway), talk about comics that are involved in the Artifacts crossover that you may not have even known about, and go over some of the key players in the storyline.  This is going to be the best place to come to get yourself prepared for Artifacts!

Click here for our previous articles, including our interview with Artifacts writer Ron Marz and Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik!

Also, listen to this week’s Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie for a chance to win Witchblade and Darkness trade paperbacks!

This week’s Artifacts:

The Rapture!

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Awesome story by Ron Marz?  Check.  Sweet Jebus art by Michael Broussard?  Check!

Don’t forget to get yourself ready for the Artifacts crossover by reading our ongoing Collecting Artifacts column!

Make sure to listen to next week’s episode of Funnybooks for our full reviews, but below, get your first look at two books due out this coming week from Top Cow, the highly anticipated Velocity #1 (from Ron Marz and Ken Rocafort) and Angelus #4 (from Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic).  Both books are absolutely beautiful, as you can tell from the art below!

Make sure to buy both at your local comic shop this Wednesday!

Your Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie hosts are super-excited about Top Cow’s upcoming Artifacts crossover, which began with a zero issue released on Free Comic Book Day and continues with Artifacts #1 this July!

The FCBD issue of Artifacts introduced readers to the 13 Artifacts and mythology of the Top Cow Universe, including The Witchblade and The Darkness, two of the company’s longest running titles. Still, if you’re confused after reading the FCBD issue, hankering for more information, or missed out on the book, your friends at Funnybooks and IdeologyofMadness.com are here to help get you caught up on what is sure to be an AWESOME comic book event!

We’re going to introduce you to the 13 Artifacts, and their current bearers (what information is currently known, anyway), talk about comics that are involved in the Artifacts crossover that you may not have even known about, and go over some of the key players in the storyline.  This is going to be the best place to come to get yourself prepared for Artifacts!  And not only that, to help cement some of that information in, in the coming weeks, we’ll be holding contests for some of the best Top Cow has to offer, including trades of Witchblade, Darkness, Tom Judge, and more!

Click here for our previous articles, including our interview with Artifacts writer Ron Marz…

…and this week, we’ve got a very special edition of Collecting Artifacts for you – a preview of the brand new Witchblade trade paperback, Volume 7, featuring story by Ron Marz and art by Stjepan Sejic!  And not just any preview, but a FULL issue from the trade paperback, as well as the Broken Trinity prologue comic, which is perfect primer to the key players of the Top Cow Universe!  Read on for the solicitation information, and the preview…

Witchblade Vol. 7 Trade Paperback
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic

The new era of Witchblade featuring the team of writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic continues! The pair committed to staying on the title until at least issue #150 and their second complete arc together entitled “Crown Heights” is collected in this trade paperback. More importantly this storyline sets the stage and leads directly into “War of the Witchblades”.  Collects Witchblade #120-#124 plus a cover gallery featuring Stjepan Sejic, Matt Haley, Tyler Kirkham, and plenty of bonus materials.

Full Color 176 pages $14.99 trade paperback

Read after the jump for a FULL FREE ISSUE from Witchblade, Vol. 7, out in comic shops today!

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If you listen to Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie, you know how much we love Top Cow’s Magdalena (apparently lots of folks did with a sold out first issue), and issue #2 is due out this week!  Not only that, we’ve got a preview of Berzerker #6 (from Top Cow and Milo Ventimiglia’s Divide Pictures) for you to take a look at too!  Listen to next week’s episode of Funnybooks for our thoughts on the books!

Berserker #6
(W) Rick Loverd (A) Jeremy Haun (Cov) Dale Keown, Jeremy Haun

The first story arc of the brutal new series produced by Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia and DiVide Pictures concludes this month! The battle you’ve been waiting for is here as Farris and Aaron collide in a brutal all out brawl, which threatens to bring Asgaard to rubble. If you thought things were bloody before, wait until you get your hands on this issue!

Featuring variant covers by series artist Jeremy Haun (Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum) and Dale Keown (The Darkness/Pitt).

Full Color 32 pages $3.99

Magdalena #2
(W) Ron Marz (A) Nelson Blake II (Cov) Ryan Sook

The Star of the Forthcoming Feature Film Gets Her Own Series!
Patience, the current Magdalena, and her mentor Kristof fight for their lives against a demonic horde.  Even if she survives the encounter, Patience must decide if the Church is merely luring her back like a lamb to the slaughter…

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99, ongoing series

Your Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie hosts are super-excited about Top Cow’s upcoming Artifacts crossover, which began with a zero issue released on Free Comic Book Day and continues with Artifacts #1 this July!

The FCBD issue of Artifacts introduced readers to the 13 Artifacts and mythology of the Top Cow Universe, including The Witchblade and The Darkness, two of the company’s longest running titles. Still, if you’re confused after reading the FCBD issue, hankering for more information, or missed out on the book, your friends at Funnybooks and IdeologyofMadness.com are here to help get you caught up on what is sure to be an AWESOME comic book event!

We’re going to introduce you to the 13 Artifacts, and their current bearers (what information is currently known, anyway), talk about comics that are involved in the Artifacts crossover that you may not have even known about, and go over some of the key players in the storyline.  This is going to be the best place to come to get yourself prepared for Artifacts!  And not only that, to help cement some of that information in, in the coming weeks, we’ll be holding contests for some of the best Top Cow has to offer, including trades of Witchblade, Darkness, Tom Judge, and more!

Click here for our previous articles, including our interview with Artifacts writer Ron Marz…

This week we have multiple Artifacts for you:

The Glacier Stone, The Ember Stone, Pandora’s Box, and the Blood Sword!

Read the rest of this entry »