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[ECCC ’14] Dark Horse Presents Building Better Characters: Project Black Sky.

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10 years ago

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Frank Barbiere, Josh Williamson, Tim Seeley, Mike Norton, Christopher Sebela, Fred Van Lante, Josh Hale Fialkov gathered today at Emerald City to talk about their new creator owned revival of old pulp superheroes in Project Blacksky. The initiative gathered to talk about creating a new shared universe of superheroes not bound by the same confines that larger publishers impose.

Project Black Sky was invented through the Captain Midnight book, and evolved from there. The project was a secret government operation lead by Midnight. It’s how he built his wings and most of the technology behind that makes him a hero. The aim is to have socially conscious superheroes with a smaller line where you the story and the universe is easily digestible.

Joshua Williamson started the panel off by talking about the Better Tomorrow arc of Captain Midnight. A story where he doesn’t confront his enemy head on, and has to resort to other means. Williamson noted with issue nine the book gets set on a different course. Something happens in issue 12 that makes Midnight debate quitting and dropping the mantle of the hero all together.

Skyman spun out of Captain Midnight in an attempt to unify the golden age stuff. There has been a series of men under the name of Skyman. In Captain Midnight Skyman went insane and took this jingoistic attitude and went crazy for America. After he is taken off the streets, his story begins. He is a bigot, he sees America through warped 1950’s values. The government puts a black man in the suit, just to diversify things. He was chosen for the wrong reasons, but somehow becomes the right guy in the suit. He brings honor to the title.

What is Project Black Sky? Dark Horse is building to free comic book day, where much more will be revealed.

Brain Boy has wrapped its first arc. The series is comprised of a collection of short arcs. The Men from G.E.S.T.H.A.L.T. are this group who try to capture all the psychics in the world. This is a massive conspiracy that involves the dudes from Black Sky.

The Occultist was a mini before Project Black Sky. Tim Seeley says its a very peripheral tie in. Dr. Strange if he were Peter Parker. Telling a story with a framing device that ties in into Project Black Sky. The protagonist is being watched.

Christopher Sebela is going solo on the Ghost. The book is just starting to deal with Project Blacksky. The first arc rebuilt her world and this is where things start to align, it will be enjoyable on its own. Ghost versus the local TV horror host who is gathering a cult to…. Murder.

Blackout is the first brand new character for Project Black Sky. Making someone up is terrifying and fun. Seeing someone dragged into the Black Sky world. He can open blackholes and walk through walls and objects and then emerge back into the world. There is no safety net, but the book is a lot of fun, featuring an every man who uses this suit to get what he needs.

Research is a joy, all the writers are scattered throughout the United States, but they are trying to interconnect the books as much as possible. Mike Richardson has a bible that is a tome of the rolling changes. It serves as a guidebook that helps create the connective tissue between the books. Growing the universe from the inside out.

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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