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| Witchblade #185 (Michael Turner's Cover for Witchblade #1) |
It has been twenty years since Top Cow Productions launched
Witchblade. The series will be
celebrating its 20th anniversary with several special items
including a special hardcover, a commemorative lithograph and Witchblade #185. This issue will be Sara Pezzini’s final appearance
as the Witchblade bearer... and will supposedly be the last issue of the
series.
Witchblade #185 is a double-sized issue with Sara
Pezzini, the Witchblade bearer for the past 20 years (in real-time at least). In
this issue Sara is looking for someone to become her successor. The story will also settle Sara’s return to New
York and her relationship with Gleason.
The main story
will be written by Ron
Marz, who left the Witchblade series
after issue 150. There will also be a backup story co-written by Top Cow’s
President/COO Matt Hawkins and the CEO/founder of Top Cow Marc Silvesti.
Several Witchblade artistic alumni will
be working on the illustrations for this issue including Keu Cha (Raising Stars), Stjepan Sejic (Sunstone, Rat
Queens), Randy Green (Emma Frost,
New X-Men), Nelson Blake II (The Magdalena, G.I. Joe Reloaded) and Brian Ching (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Conan the Avenger).
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| WITCHBLADE 20th ANNIVERSARY "ART OF" HARDCOVER |
There will be two
covers. I’m surprised they didn’t go with 14 variants like some comics. Cover A
will be the same as Michael Turner’s (Fathom, Supergirl) cover from Witchblade #1. He unfortauntely passed
away in 2008. This is a memorial cover in his honor. It can be pre-ordered using Diamond Code AUG150499. Cover
B is by Keu Cha and can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code AUG150500. Both covers
will be available on October 14th, 2015. The issue will be $5.99.
Top Cow Productions will be releasing a deluxe WITCHBLADE
20TH ANNIVERSARY “Art OF” hardcover. This over-sized hardcover is 12" x 8". It will have new original
content and feature artwork from a variety of Witchblade artists including Michael Turner, Marc Silvestri, David Finch (Batman: The Dark Knight, Cyber Force), Joe Benitez (Lady Mechanika, Legenderry), J. Scott Campbell (Gen13, Danger Girl), Adam Hughes (Wonder Woman, Fairest), Tony Daniel (Batman), Laura Braga, Stjepan Sejic, John Tyler Christopher (Star Wars) and Joseph Linsner (DC Comics Bombshells). This is not the same thing as the THE ART OF WITCHBLADE. Pre-order the hardcover using Diamond Code AUG150570. There
will only be 1,000 copies and it will never be reprinted. It will be $39.99.
The WITCHBLADE
20TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE LITHOGRAPHs will also be limited edition. They
are 11” x 17”, full-color artwork by Michael Turner. This will be made
available on October 28th, 2015 and can be pre-ordered using Diamond Code
AUG150504. The lithograph will be $30.
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| Switch #1 Cover (Stjepan Sejic) |
To fill the
Witchblade void will be Switch, a
series written by Stjepan Sejic. Switch
is an alternate Top Cow universe featuring the likes of not just a teenaged
Witchblade bearer but also the Darkness, Magdalena and more. Switch was originally a series online.
Now, a double-sized first issue will be published by Top Cow on October 14, 2015.
Stjepan compared Switch on his
DeviantArt page to Marvel’s Ultimate
Spider-Man in that some things will be different and some things will be
the same. Stjepan Sejic is my favorite artists and I have enjoyed Ultimate Spider-Man so putting those two
together in the Top Cow universe sounds like a pretty awesome match up to me.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Image Comics decides to begin a new Witchblade series with a new Witchblade bearer. I could see them continuing with issue 186 or relaunching the series with a first issue “collector’s special.” But what do you think? Is the Witchblade series gone for good? Let me know in the comments below.
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