Tag Archives: joe weems

Review: Zindan #4

Zindan #4

When you have no options left, what do you do? Where do you turn? How do you go forward? These are the questions when it seems there’s no hope, that you must answer for yourself. When it seems as though you have no light guiding your dark days. If you grew up in a religious family, you would hear sayings that stoked your faith. From my Roman Catholic Filipino mother, I would hear “God will only put us through those things that make us better”.

From my Trinidadian Muslim father, I would hear “And He will provide him from he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed, Allah has set a measure for all things.” Faith gives us a vision where our eyes cannot guide us as we cannot see the future, but we can ask for a greater being to look out for us. We must remember these things when life throws us those curve balls we never saw coming. In the fourth issue of Zindan, Timur and Zain are still trying to pickup the pieces after an unfathomable betrayal.

We find the Shah of Punjab returning to his palace in Lahore, with this capital brimming with intrigue and hungry peoples lining the streets, as they revel in the victory, they had over the Ansaars, not knowing Zain and Timur are waiting in the shadows. We also find Tara and her companions fighting their way through the Shah’s men in the desert, trying to equalize the damage his men unleashed on the Ansaars. We also are taken to Herat, where Zain and Timur are being hunted by Tatar soldiers, as the betrayal they suffered in the last issue has left the brothers with few options. By issue’s end, as Timur finds a moment of solace only for it to be interrupted by the Tatar soldiers who are there to end the Last of the Ansaars.

Overall, an excellent issue that gives fans a complex world where the heroes look like the people of color this mythology is built on. The story by Omar Mirza is well developed and well characterized. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, an installment that proves Mirza is an expert storyteller.

Story: Omar Mirza
Art: Sajad Shah, Adelso Corona, Mostafa Moussa, La Beau Underwood, Bryan Valenza, Jessica Jimerson, Alonso Espinosa, Roberto Vargas,
and Joe Weems
Story: 10 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

Top Cow Echoes ‘We Create’ at Long Beach Comic Con 2010

Official Press Release

BE AMONG THE FIRST TO VOTE FOR PILOT SEASON 2010

TOP COW ECHOES ‘WE CREATE’ AT LONG BEACH COMIC CON 2010

LOS ANGELES, Calif., October 28, 2010 – With Halloween weekend upon us, join Top Cow Productions, Inc. in their home city of Los Angeles at the second annual Long Beach Comic Con, October 29-31, at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Meet the Top Cow team and creators at booth #212 for convention exclusives, preview books and free goodies, and celebrate the success of this year’s action-packed event series Artifacts, launch of Echoes and the kick-off of the Pilot Season 2010 voting period with them.

Fans who stop by the booth will be among the first to launch the Pilot Season 2010 voting period.  At voting stations, attendees can decide who deserves a series of their own:  a group of bank robbers, a femme fatale of the digital age, a former assassin for the CIA, a doctor working at a pharmaceutical company, or an ex-pat who made a del with a demon.  Several creators for this year’s Pilot Season will be on-hand to sway your vote.

Among the creators appearing at the Top Cow booth #212 will be Joshua Fialkov (Tumor, Echoes), Rob Levin (Pilot Season: 7 Days From Hell, Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box), William Harms (Impaler), Filip Sablik (Pilot Season: Asset), Jeff Katz (Pilot Season: Crosshair), Rick Loverd (Berserker), Michael Broussard (Artifacts, The Darkness), Sheldon Mitchell (The Darkness), Rahsan Ekedal (Echoes, The Crazies), Rick Basaldua (Artifacts, The Darkness), Randy Queen (Darkness/Darkchylde: Kingdom of Pain), Sarah Queen (Darkness/Darkchylde: Kingdom of Pain) and Joe Weems (Artifacts, Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia).

Top Cow publisher Filip Sablik is hosting a panel on Saturday, October 30, Top Cow: We Create…Competition, at 3:00-3:45pm in Seaside Ballroom B.  Join Sablik and a host of Top Cow creators as he walks attendees through what the Cow has in store for you in 2011, including the next arc in Artifacts and Magdalena, Top Cow mainstays Witchblade and The Darkness, what’s coming out first at Minotaur Press, and more.  Panelists include Broussard, Mitchell, Levin, Fialkov, Ekedal and Loverd.  All attendees will receive a free gift!

At the Top Cow booth #212, the publisher will have the following new products available for fans:  Witchblade #139 Long Beach Comic Con exclusive cover by Randy Queen and Sarah Queen, two Halloween lithographs by the Queens and Stjepan Sejic. Additionally, Top Cow will have several exclusive trade paperback bellyband packages.

About Top Cow Productions Inc.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008.  WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.

Witchblade #139 COVC_stamped

Top Cow Reveals Comic-Con International 2010 Signing Schedule

Official Press Release

Top Cow Productions

TOP COW REVEALS COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2010 SIGNING SCHEDULE

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 19, 2010 – Comic-Con International in San Diego is days away and Top Cow Productions, Inc. is excited you’ll be spending time with us.  Below are several creators who are just as thrilled that you’ll be making a stop at the Top Cow Booth #2629:

Thursday, July 22

10:00 – 11:00am:   William Harms, Thomas Nachlik

11:00 – 12:00pm:   Nelson Blake II, Sheldon Mitchell, Rick Basaldua

11:30 – 12:30pm:   Ale Garza

12:00 – 1:30pm:    Ron Marz, Kenneth Rocafort

12:30 – 1:30pm:    Rob Levin, Bryan Edward Hill

1:30 – 3:00pm:      Michael Broussard, Ryan Winn, Troy Peteri

2:00 – 3:00pm:      Phil Hester

5:00 – 6:00pm:      Rick Basaldua, Richard Fairgray, Eric Basaldua

5:30 – 6:30pm:      Joshua Hale Fialkov

6:00 – 7:00pm:      Sheldon Mitchell, Paolo Pantalena

Friday, July 23

10:00 – 11:00am:   Rob Levin, Bryan Edward Hill, David Hine, Jeff Wamester

11:00 – 12:00pm:   Kenneth Rocafort, Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman, Richard Fairgray

12:00 – 1:00pm:     Sheldon Mitchell, Troy Peteri, Joe Weems

12:00 – 1:30pm:     Phil Hester

1:00 – 2:30pm:       Marc Silvestri, Michael Broussard, Emily Lazar

1:30 – 2:30pm:       Ron Marz

2:30 – 3:30pm:       Milo Ventimiglia, Russ Cundiff, Rick Loverd, Jeremy Haun

4:30 – 5:30pm:       Jason Rubin, Sal Regla, Josh Hale Fialkov, Rahsan Ekedal

5:30 – 6:30pm:       David Marquez, William Harms, Thomas Nachlik, Jonathan Lincoln

Saturday, July 24

10:00 – 11:00am:    David Hine, Jeff Wamester, Rick Basaldua, Paolo Pantalena

11:00 – 12:00pm:    Kenneth Rocafort

11:30 – 1:00pm:      Ron Marz, Michael Broussard, Troy Peteri

12:00 – 1:00pm:      Rick Loverd, Jeremy Haun

1:00 – 2:00pm:        Thomas Nachlik, William Harms, Jonathan Lincoln

2:00 – 3:00pm:        Richard Fairgray, Rahsan Ekedal, Randy Queen, Sarah Queen

3:00 – 4:00pm:        Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman

3:00 – 4:30pm:        Sheldon Mitchell, Eric Basaldua

4:00 – 5:00pm:        Ale Garza, Troy Peteri

4:30 – 5:30pm:        Jason Rubin, Sal Regla, Joe Weems

5:00 – 6:30pm:        Marc Silvestri, Emily Lazar

5:30 – 6:30pm:        Rob Levin, Bryan Edward Hill

Sunday, July 25

10:00 – 11:00am:    Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman, Rick Basaldua

11:00 – 12:00pm:    David Marquez, Thomas Nachlik

12:00 – 1:00pm:      Rob Levin, Bryan Edward Hill, Rick Loverd, Jeremy Haun

1:00 – 2:00pm:        David Hine, Jeff Wamester, Eric Basaldua, Ale Garza

2:00 – 3:00pm:        Richard Fairgray, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Paolo Pantalena

3:00 – 4:00pm:        Sheldon Mitchell, Rick Basaldua

4:00 – 5:00pm:        Kenneth Rocafort, Michael Broussard

PLEASE NOTE: All dates/times are subject to change.  Sketch tickets will be available at the beginning of each day of the show.  Sketch tickets are limited one per fan per day. Fans must be present at the appointed signing time to redeem their sketch ticket. Not all artists appearing at the Top Cow booth will offer free sketches and fans should inquire at the booth on the morning they plan to get a sketch for availability.

Be sure to check out the Top Cow “We Create” Multimedia panel on Saturday, July 24 at 1:30-2:30pm in Room 9 as well.

For up-to-date information on Top Cow’s plans at Comic-Con International in San Diego, please visit www.topcow.com or follow us on Twitter (@TopCow).