Top Cow Shared Universe

[lorddunlow]

I know there is a thread on here somewhere, but no reason we can't start a new one...

So, with the purchase of the enormous Top Cow Humble Bundle, I've begun in earnest in a chronological read of the entire shared universe. (I'm starting with Witchblade, actually - I'll swing back around to Cyberforce when that starts to hook in, which is much later I believe, and I also read most of Cyberforce when it came out.)

The Humble Bundle gave virtually everything to get this started except for the first 80ish issues of Witchblade (it starts with the Ron Marz run) which I had to obtain separately.

I'm 12 issues I to Witchblade and just started The Darkness - had I known own these books were this good, I would never have dropped out of the comics hobby in the late 90s. They're definitely dated (Michael Madsen appearance with Reservoir Dogs reference), but hold up very well and are super fun reads with great Michael Turner and Marc Silvestri art.

The current stuff coming from Top Cow is better, but I needed to get the background for all of these characters. I'm glad I did.

The Darkness mag be one of the coolest characters yet. I may go buy the video games at a used game store this weekend.

This universe is fun. It's actually neck and neck with both VH1 and VEI universes in my opinion.

Welcome any discussion here.

Try to keep it spoiler free, though, as much as possible.

[Chiclo]

I like the Top Cow stuff, especially Witchblade and the Magdalena. I tried Darkness for a year or two and dropped it around the time the original Artifacts 13 issue mini wrapped up and ended up getting continued into an ongoing. I got really excited for Top Cow around the time of that Artifacts run. I am not as excited about Top Cow but I still like both Witchblade and their Cyberforce/Aphrodite IX stuff.

[BugsySig]

I've heard good things about the Cyberforce/Aphrodite IX books recently, but I just don't care to invest in another shared universe right now. I should have gotten into Top Cow years back when I returned to comics...instead of the eventually doomed Project Superpowers and Kirbyverse from Dynamite.

I always thought Witchblade/Darkness/Magdelene were cool concepts. Their late 90s stuff was some of the only decent Image superhero stories still coming out at the time other than Invincible and the Alan Moore Supreme.

[grendeljd]

I was a fan of Witchblade, CyberForce & The Darkness back when each series began, but didn't stick with any of them much beyond their respective first or second years worth of issues. I still like the idea behind those series, but just didn't stick with them at the time. Marc Sylvestri was always one of my top favourite artists of the 90's, I'm still inspired by his work to this day.

I recall writing a letter to The Darkness within the first 4 issues or so, I think I even drew a logo for my letter column title suggestion of 'Dark Tidings'. That letter never saw print though.

There was a recent-ish video game for The Darkness (PS3 era, I think?) that was very good according to critical review - a friend of mine from college was the lead animator on it

(Sorry to taint your potential enjoyment of it with that little bit of Canadiana, Dunlow! )

[lorddunlow]

I re-read the first Cyber Force mini from Image's early days. What a blast from the past that was! I've re-read a lot of stuff from then, but nothing held up too well. This does. Silvestri ran the best studio, clearly. I also read the first Velocity mini written by Busiek - really fun character exploration.

I'm really really enjoying this read through (new and old).

[Ras the future fan]

I started reading Topcow around the time the Witchblade TV show was on, Darkness, Witchblade and even their Tomb Raider(which was part of their universe at the time) was good reads. But after the Artifacts first 13 issues and VEI's return, I found myself reading less Topcow until I eventually dropped it. Those stories from the early 2000's was a good placeholder for me until my favourite comic universe returned.