Roundin’ up the Herd – Previous Editions
SEPTEMBER 2012
Welcome to the fourth edition of Roundin’ up the Herd, UTF‘s monthly guide to the Top Cow Universe. In this column you’ll find issue summaries, reviews, rampant speculation and yes there will be spoilers. So sit back, get ready and enjoy.
In the Top Cow Universe there are 13 Artifacts of supernatural power. If brought together they can destroy the world. They were. And they did. Now there’s a new universe in place of the old one, where things are similar but not quite the same.
Current Artifact wielders:
The 13 Artifacts
• Witchblade (Sara Pezzini)
• Darkness (Jackie Estacado)
• Angelus (Finch)
• Spear of Destiny (The Magdalena)
• Blood Sword (Unknown)
• Glacier Stone (Unknown)
• Ember Stone (Unknown)
• Pandora’s Box (Unknown)
• Rapture (Tom Judge)
• Wheel of Shadows (Unknown)
• Heart Stone (Rachel Harrison)
• Coin of Solomon (Unknown)
• 13th Artifact (Unknown)
Slowly but surely the foundations of this new universe are being called into question, as more and more bearers come into play.
Dr. Rachel Harrison, bearer of the Heart Stone:
Nobody dies on my shift.
Dr. Rachel Harrison‘s time in her hometown has takes an interesting turn, as ghosts attempt to suck the life out of one of her patients. Thankfully though, our hero has the Heart Stone at her beck-and-call!
Bullet Points:
• Harbor General Hospital is haunted.
- The Heart Stone can dispel spirits at its bearers will and has the ability to fight their influence.
• Tom Judge arrived with Tilly Grimes to check-in on our favorite doctor, only to be called away to focus in on a special case.
- A quick shot of the victim shows a wound that looks like he was stabbed with a spear.
Jackie Estacado the leader of the Estacado crime family, created a brand new universe with everything he ever wanted, but now it’s starting to crumble around him.
Jackie Estacado, the former bearer of The Darkness:
The Darkness has gone AWOL.
The world gets more complicated as an ancient power under the control of a mob-boss comes face to face with another mob-boss and his hidden force. Questions abound as pieces steadily move further toward the proverbial cliff.
Bullet Points:
• The Darkness is apparently in danger.
- We still have no idea what the origin of Balakov‘s power is, but it shows a striking similarity to the Corruption Cataract found in Witchblade.
• The Darkness is having a rather unique affect on Hope Estacado.
- The ultimate question is, where is this story going for the daughter of Sara Pezzini and Jackie Estacado.
The Witchblade is one of the thirteen Artifacts, it acts as a balance of power between the light and dark forces while constantly endangering and saving the life of its current wielder, Sara Pezzini.
Sara Pezzini, bearer of the Witchblade:
She won… I beat her henchmen… I saved some lives. But she got exactly what she wanted.
The complicated world running rampant in Chicago continues to evolve as our intrepid investigator takes on a new type of villain with the future of the city in the balance. After a harrowing rescue attempt, the series embraced a bleaker tone as it entered a darker place, as Sara succeeded but ultimately failed at the same time.
Bullet Points:
• Alisa, a corrupt version of The Magdalena, succeeds in outing the Witchblade while gaining the support and resounding favor from the citizens of Chicago.
It was a very interesting month for the Top Cow Universe as the world didn’t get darker but rather moved all of its pieces forward in some increasingly interesting ways. Having the Witchblade get revealed and vilified was an awesome twist to that arc, while the potential danger of a Darkness-infected Hope becomes more and more apparent and in Artifacts that early signs of the Spear of Destiny offered a strong climax. All of this leads me to believe that things are only going to get more fascinating from here on in.
The ultimate question is how long can the Top Cow Rebirth last? At what point will the tension hit the proverbial fan unleashing another universe ending apocalypse? Where’s the Survivor? Is he actually dead or just bidding his time? Are there more Artifacts beyond the 13? I have absolutely no idea what the answers to these questions are, but each issue of every series involved in this narrative honestly feels like it’s slowly building toward something… guess we’ll have to be patient as we wait and see what these talented creators have in store for the fans in the coming months.
In October, Top Cow fans can look forward to the start of “Truths & Destinies” in Artifacts #22, the return of a classic team re-envisioned in Cyber Force #1, continue “Breaking Dark“ in The Darkness #107 and the proverbial epilogue of “Apparitions” in Witchblade #161. If that isn’t enough Top Cow Universe action for you, then be sure to pick up Witchblade: Demon Reborn #3, courtesy of Dynamite Entertainment.
Artifacts #21
Written By: Ron Marz
Art By: Stjepan Sejic
Cover By: Stjepan Sejic
Description: “PHANTOMS OF THE HEART”, CONCLUSION
Dr. Rachel Harrison has come to learn the truth of her family heirloom – it is the Artifact known as the Heartstone. What she didn’t know is that each Artifact bearer has a destiny and hers lies in the small New England hometown she tried to leave behind. The origin of the Top Cow Universe’s newest bearer by RON MARZ (MAGDALENA, SHINKU) and STJEPAN SEJIC (ANGELUS) comes to a chilling conclusion.
Bottom Line: Artifacts #21 is a strong finish to a consistently good narrative, and the cliffhanger is sure to get any fan excited to pick-up the next issue in this series. Recommended.
Click here to read the full review.
The Darkness #106
Written By: David Hine
Art By: Jeremy Haun
Cover By: Jeremy Haun
Description: “BREAKING DARK”, Part One
Jackie Estacado never feared much of anything, except the Darkness itself. Then the rules changed and he learned that there are things in this world that even the Darkness should fear.
Bottom Line: The Darkness #106 is another very good issue that may not answer the questions it brings up, but it will keep you tied to your seat and frantically turning pages until you reach the cliffhanger. Recommended.
Click here to read the full review.
Witchblade #160
Written By: Tim Seeley
Art By: Diego Bernard and Fred Benes
Covers By: John Tyler Christopher, Diego Bernard and Fred Benes
Description: “SAVIORS” Conclusion
Even if Sara Pezzini, bearer of the Witchblade and private detective, can save the one honest politician in Chicago and his entire charity event from an evil cult leader and her minions, she may still lose a larger battle…
Bottom Line: Witchblade #160 is a comic book that simply proves the quality of this talented creative team. In their brief run so far they’ve successful taken this comic character into a new locale while giving fans a fresh cast complete with some very solid stories. Highly recommended.
Click here to read the full review.
That does it for the latest edition of Roundin’ up the Herd, thank you for once again reading my at times lengthy rants and raves. Please leave any feedback, thoughts, suggestions or general ideas in the comments section below.
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