Image and Top Cow Solicitations: June 2011 Highlights

While continuing to read and enjoy pretty much everything published that falls within the Top Cow Universe, over recent months I've been enjoying discovering some of the fantastic titles that Image Comics publishes. With that in mind, I'm going to expand my monthly look at the Top Cow solicitations to include highlights from both companies.

In June we can expect a number of new ongoing and mini-series, the continuation of some perennial favourites along with several very welcome collections.

There are a number of intriguing first issues that have caught my eye - Graveyard of Empires from Grounded co-creators Mark Sable and Paul Azaceta looks interesting and features 32 full pages of story; from the pen (keyboard) of Ron Marz comes a tale of samurai and vampires with the first issue of Shinku while continuing the theme, through it's title at least, Samurai's Blood sounds like a very enjoyable story and a potential bargain for just one dollar.

The Trailblazer one-shot promises an enjoyable mix of assassins, witness protection and the Old West and features a one in ten variant cover from Amanda Conner while the latest issue of Elephantmen looks like a good jumping-on point and features the art of Bulletproof Coffin's Shaky Kane.

Perennial favourites are represented by Artifacts from Ron Marz, Jeremy Haun and Sunny Gho, The Darkness from Phil Hester and Sheldon Mitchell and, again from Ron Marz with fantastic interior and cover art from Stjepan Sejic.

Finally, we can look forward to collected editions featuring the first six issues of Dreams of Darkchylde, a new printing of The Darkness Compendium including the first 40 issues (!) of The Darkness and, from Minotaur Press, a hardcover collection of Echoes from Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rahsan Ekedal that includes the first five issues of the series.

For full details of the June 2011 Image and Top Cow solicitations head over to CBR, Image Comics and Top Cow Productions.

SHINKU #1
story RON MARZ
art & cover LEE MODER, MATTHEW WAITE & MICHAEL ATIYEH
June 1, 32 pages, FC, $2.99
“THRONE OF BLOOD,” Part One
The sole surviving descendant of a once-proud samurai clan, Shinku wages a solo war against a powerful vampire clan that has lurked in the shadows for centuries. An epic of horror and martial arts set in modern Japan, but with roots in the feudal past, writer RON MARZ (WITCHBLADE, ARTIFACTS) and artist LEE MODER (Wonder Woman, Legion of Super-Heroes) will serve up sexy, bloody, ongoing action every month. If you're looking for vampires that sparkle ... this ain't it.
RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

SAMURAI’S BLOOD #1 (of 6)
story OWEN WISEMAN
art NAM KIM, MATTHEW DALTON & JESSICA KHOLINNE
cover JO CHEN
June 8, 32 pages, FC, $1.00
In an era when lineage defined you, three teenagers must make their way through the world hiding their identities in order to find their destinies. As their village burns behind them, they are headed for a city they’d heard about only in stories. The three young samurai must now struggle to stay alive and take vengeance on the evil usurper who has destroyed the rest of their clan and the only world they’d ever known. Will they rise on the tides of vengeance, or they will they fall on the swords of fate?

TRAILBLAZER (ONE-SHOT)
story JUSTIN GRAY & JIMMY PALMIOTTI
art & JiM DALY lll, JIMMY PALMIOTTI & PAUL MOUNTS
cover DAVE JOHNSON
1:10 variant cover AMANDA CONNER
June 15, 48 pages, FC, $5.99
When the woman that raised him is murdered, an assassin turns states evidence against his employers and is given a once in a lifetime chance to enter Operation Trailblazer - the most unique witness protection program in the world. Sent back in time to the Old West, the assassin begins a new life, but it isn’t long before his past and the future catches up with him.

GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES #1 (of 4)
story MARK SABLE
art & cover PAUL AZACETA
JUNE 15, 32 pages, FC, $3.99
Afghanistan. Marines face a never-ending onslaught of Taliban. But even hell can get worse. The dead are coming back to life in The Graveyard of Empires, and only together can both sides of the today’s conflict survive tomorrow’s undead assault. Writer MARK SABLE (Unthinkable, Two-Face Year One) reunites with his GROUNDED co-creator, PAUL AZACETA (Amazing Spider-Man) to tell this controversial tale of terror.
32 FULL PAGES OF STORY!

ARTIFACTS #10 (of 13)
story RON MARZ
art JEREMY HAUN & SUNNY GHO
cover A
cover B JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
June 29, 40 pages, FC, $3.99
THE FINAL BATTLE COMMENCES!
The Survivor’s true nature has been revealed and his plans to remake our world move forward with machine like precision. Will Sara Pezzini, Jackie Estacado, and their allies solve the mystery of his identity in time to prevent Armageddon? What sacrifices will need to be made to save our world? The stage is set for the final confrontation!
PLUS: Each issue will also feature a Top Cow Origin backup written by RON MARZ and drawn by a superstar artist.
RETAILER INCENTIVES AVAILABLE. SEE ORDER FORM FOR DETAILS!
ALSO AVAILABLE
ARTIFACTS #5 TOP COW STORE B&W EXCLUSIVE VARIANT COVER BY WHILCE PORTACIO $10.00

THE DARKNESS #93
story PHIL HESTER
art SHELDON MITCHELL
cover BANE
June 29, 32 pages, FC, $2.99
“OUTER DARKNESS,” Part Five
The Darkness declares all out war against its most rebellious bearer, Jackie Estacado! With a small group of loyal allies, Jackie must face down an army of doppelgangers, a scorned woman from his past, and the very source of his own power.
RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES
ALSO AVAILABLE
ARTIFACTS #6 C2E2 Exclusive Variant Cover by MICHAEL BROUSSARD - $10.00

ELEPHANTMEN #33
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art & cover SHAKY KANE
June 22, 40 pages, FC, $3.99
“THE BONES”
BULLETPROOF COFFIN artist and Legend, SHAKY KANE, joins ELEPHANTMEN for the freaky tale of Doctor Sebastian Bone and his wife, Victoria, and her lust for something belonging to Elephantmen.
RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

THE MICE TEMPLAR, VOL. 3 #6
story BRYAN J.L. GLASS & MICHAEL AVON OEMING
art VICTOR SANTOS
cover A MICHAEL AVON OEMING
cover B VICTOR SANTOS & VERONICA GANDINI
June 29, 32 pages, FC, $2.99
“SNOWBLIND”
The rebellion grows! Yet disaster follows when the idealistic youth E'Tan and Gabrielle join the resistance…and come face-to-face with Royal Consort Lorelie and a network of druid spies. And shocking news arrives concerning the fate of King Icarus! Meanwhile, Pilot the Tall and Harad battle side-by-side against rat forces, and the training of One-Arm Leito takes a dark and tragic turn when the young hero embraces vengeance!
The two-time Harvey Award-winning series continues, from the acclaimed writer of Thor: First Thunder and the co-creator of Powers and Takio!

MORIARTY #2
story DANIEL COREY
art & cover ANTHONY DIECIDUE
June 8, 34 pages, FC, $2.99
“THE DARK CHAMBER,” Part Two
Professor Moriarty is on the run: He has been framed for two murders, his identity exposed. Moriarty makes an uneasy alliance with the Jade Serpent, and together they must delve further into the world of the Black Hand and the mysterious device that holds the secret of the Dark Chamber.

NETHERWORLD #3 (of 5)
story BRYANN EDWARD HILL & ROB LEVIN
art & cover TONY SHASTEEN & JD METTLER
June 15, 32 pages, FC, $3.99
WE ARE ALL LOST!
Cut off from the Men in White, Ray and Madeline race to the train station through Netherworld's evil underbelly with Seth and Cyrus Kane's henchman in hot pursuit. Operatives are everywhere and they're out for blood. Will Ray be able to defend Madeline from the onslaught and help her escape? Or will his mission end before it begins?

WITCHBLADE #148
story RON MARZ
art & cover STJEPAN SEJIC
June 22, 32 pages, FC, $2.99
”TIAMAT,” Part Three
Despite her most valiant efforts, Sara Pezzini succumbs to the mythic power of the Babylonian God-Queen Tiamat. With the Balance out of the way, will Tiamat remake New York in her serpantine image?

DREAMS OF DARKCHYLDE, VOL. 1 TP
story RANDY QUEEN
art RANDY QUEEN, BRANDON PETERSON & RON ADRIAN
cover RANDY QUEEN
June 22, 160 pages, FC, $16.99
Ariel Chylde is the girl cursed to become any of the creatures from her many Nightmares. But have the shadows circled all her life? Now we go deeper. Into her past. Into her dreams. Where fears roam, and truth is never a friend. New Collection and Cover by RANDY QUEEN.
Collects DREAMS OF DARKCHYLDE #1-6
RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

THE DARKNESS COMPENDIUM, VOL. 1 TP (NEW PRINTING)
story GARTH ENNIS, DAVID WOHL, MALACHI CONEY, SCOTT LOBDELL & PAUL JENKINS
art MARC SILVESTRI, JOE BENITEZ, CLARENCE LANSANG, BILLY TAN, DAVID FINCH & DALE KEOWN
cover MARC SILVESTRI
June 8, 1280 pages, FC, STANDARD SIZE, $99.99
Mafia hitman Jackie Estacado was both blessed and cursed on his 21st birthday when he became the bearer of The Darkness, an elemental force that allows those who wield it access to an otherworldly dimension and control over the demons who dwell there. Go back to the beginning and discover Jackie’s first encounters with the Witchblade gauntlet, The Angelus, Sonatine, and Ian Nottingham.
Collects THE DARKNESS vol. 1 #1-40, plus TALES OF THE DARKNESS & more!

ECHOES, VOL. 1 HC
story JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV
art & cover RAHSAN EKEDAL
June 22, 144 pages, PC, DIGEST SIZE, $19.99
From acclaimed author JOSHUA HALE FIAKOV (Tumor, PILOT SEASON: ALIBI) and rising artist RAHSAN EKEDAL (Creepy) a disturbing story of murder and mystery wrapped in questions of sanity. Minotaur Press premieres with a story of madness, family and death. Brian Cohn was learning to deal with the schizophrenia inherited from his father. Supportive wife, new baby on the way, drugs to control the voices. But, when at his father's deathbed, he learns that he also inherited the trophies of his father's career as a serial killer, his illness threatens to send him further down the path to madness and?
Collects ECHOES #1-5
RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES