WW PHILLY: THE TOP COW PANEL

[MattBrady]

by Tara Bennett

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Top Cow this year what with the June release of Wanted in theaters (based on the Top Cow’s miniseries book from ‘03/’04 by Mark Millar and JG Jones), their second annual comic Pilot Season and production starting on a Witchblade movie in the fall. Mel Caylo, VP of Marketing/Sales, hosted a panel featuring Lee Moder (artist), Ron Marz (writer), Rob Levin (Vice President of Editorial) and Nelson Blake II (artist), where they discussed it all.

After showing the second trailer to Wanted, Caylo got right into talking about the 2008 Pilot Season which launched two weeks ago. Together with Levin they detailed all six of the titles part of the program which asks comic book readers to go pick up the new one-shot books and then cyber-vote on the title they’d like to see become a series.

The six titles are:

Twilight Guardian – Is a reworking of a story that first appeared in Tales of the Pathetic Club.

Alibi – Created by Matt Hawkins and written by Joshua Hale Fialkov (who won the Pilot Season in ’07), the story revolves around an assassin that is so good, his peers chase him down to figure out how he performs his impossible hits. The title arrives in late June.

Genius – About a girl named Destiny who decides to declare war on the mean streets of her dangerous neighborhood. Levin said “It’s provocative and the most interesting story I’ve read in a long time.”

Lady Pendragon – Another idea from Matt Hawkins with a cover by famed one-sheet artist Drew Struzan. It’s destiny story about a novelist that pulls a sword from a stone in Mars. It drops mid-June.

The Core – A story by Jonathan Hickman about a human assigned to an outpost in the center of the universe. It hits stories in July.

Urban Myths – Levin said “It’s Clash of the Titans meets Chinatown. It’s really original…and looks like your watching an animated movie.”

Caylo then moved the conversation to Witchblade, which is still going strong with Ron Marz drafting the story arc. Marz again confirmed he is attached as the writer until issue #150, so he will with the title for three years, “and maybe more because we have ideas that go to issue #175.”

The Witchblade movie is confirmed to start production in Australia in the fall. Caylo showed the mock movie poster that debuted with the announcement last month and denied that the woman in the picture was an actual cast actress, despite internet rumors to the contrary.

“No one has been cast. It came out that Michael Rymer (Battlestar Galactica) will be the director but that is not set yet. He is in talks…and until a director is settled, no one will be cast because the director will be heavily involved [in that].”

New titles Top Cow are excited to launch soon include Ron Marz’ Dragon Prince. The writer explained it was a creator-owned story that he did with Jeff Johnson at Dark Horse three and a half years ago. Johnson subsequently took a job at Warner Bros. animation and the title lagged – untouched. Recently, Marz joined with artist Lee Moder to reawaken the idea by liberating it from Dark Horse.

“After six weeks of negotiations, we are now off and running,” Marz said. “It’s a five issue mini-arc that debuts in September. The story is all age appropriate…adventure story about a teen that discovers he is the last dragon on Earth.”

Broken Trinity is their other new summer event title that ties in with last summer’s First Born connecting Witchblade, The Darkness, and The Angelus. Issues 1 – 3 will be oversized (for the same money) with 26 – 28 pages.

“The first issue starts with a battle between Vikings,” Marz teased. “It’s not a sequel to First Born but thematically, they make a beginning and an end…and someone will die!”

“And they won’t come back and no one will be revealed to be a Skrull…” Levin joked.

Cyber Force and Hunter-Killer will be resurrected soon. Levin said “stay tuned – we have big plans which are awesome.” Marz then admitted his 2006 take on Cyber Force didn’t go well and that they want to take the time to bring it back right.

Darkness #4 will hit stores in mid-June. Levin teased “there is something wrong with his dark powers.” When asked about a follow-up Darkness video game, Caylo and Levin got cagey with their language and said they couldn’t make an announcement or comment on the timeline of when…or if the title will come out.” But the audience got the big hint.

With Wanted hitting screens in June, Caylo confirmed that a special movie edition of Mark Millar’s darker supervillains book will come out in September with a photo cover, new interviews with the cast and director and photo stills from the movie. There will also be a limited edition hardcover with red foil for $50.

As for Wanted fans that are upset with what is perceived as a major change from Millar’s nihilistic villain-themed book to the super powered assassins portrayed in the film trailers, Caylo and Levin both defended the new film. Caylo said the film is based on the early option of the film that Millar sold prior to the changes he made when the book was published. Marz also offered that “98% of the population doesn’t give a crap” that changes were made. He also said Millar’s riff on classic characters in Wanted, like Mr. Rictus being similar to Batman’s The Joker, are an open invitation to get sued by Warner Bros. if they made it to film.

In other news, Levin confirmed that more crossovers were in the work like the upcoming Magdalena/Daredevil book. He said it has a “classic Frank Miller feel with a Mignola vibe.” Three or four more crossovers are in the works.

[Xysmurf]

That sure does look like Jessica Alba in the poster...I hope she's not in the starring role.

[Statham]

To be honest, I don't buy what they say about the Wanted movie. If they'dve kept the original story, and done the supervillains, it would've been a way more interesting film. I do see what they say about some of the villains bearing resemblances to other characters and that being enough to get sued, but so what? The one Marz picks out, Mr Rictus, doesn't even bear a resemblance to the Joker at all, either.

[aquilar]

no but he is a guy with a skull for a face.... you see what i mean a main villain who has a skull for a face, and the chinese villain lookin really mingish, most of the villains are made to resemble heavily existing comic characters, like ____wit

[K-DoG7p7]

Originally Posted by Xysmurf

That sure does look like Jessica Alba in the poster...I hope she's not in the starring role.

Alba? looks like Rachel Luttrell

[aquilar]

actually as far as im aware its a random girl bu what intreagues me is that due to the light values on her hair and the overall hairdo and also the fact that the gem is blue id say thats danielle not sara...hmm

[Bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by K-DoG7p7

Alba? looks like Rachel Luttrell

That's what I thought too .... It looks very much like Luttrell and it would make sense that she'd be available to pose for the poster between filming SGA. I don't know if that means she'll be in the film though (especially having had a baby and what-not), but I think it works as a potential teaser.

However it pans out, I don't see Alba getting cast - she's also having a baby and is too A-list for a project like this. Someone like Luttrell (or another Vancouver sci-fi regular) is a much more likely option. Not to say that Witchblade won't get good promo, but it's not that big .... Think of recently cancelled TV shows and that's more likely where the cast will come from, especially with a BSG director (potentially) involved ....

- Chris

[Question86]

Originally Posted by Statham

To be honest, I don't buy what they say about the Wanted movie.

Yeah I have no idea what theyre doing with this movie.

[holeycrullers]

Twilight Guardian – Is a reworking of a story that first appeared in Tales of the Pathetic Club.

Now THAT'S going to have folks remembering us come August...

[serge0]

the R rated trailer showed me that is not that far from the comic, so ill give it a shot

[CaptainTemerity]

At this point, I don't see how anything can conceivably beat Twilight Guardian in Pilot Season '08. That has gotta' be one of the best books I've read in a while. I don't know how they'd continue it, mind you, but I really loved this comic.

Granted, I think the '08 lineup really shines compared to the '07, which was, itself, far better than I'd expected going in. I'm gonna' be picking up Genius and Urban Myths for sure.

[I-Ching]

Originally Posted by Bullwinkle

However it pans out, I don't see Alba getting cast - she's also having a baby and is too A-list for a project like this.
- Chris

Jessica Alba is A List? Since when? This is the same Jessica that co-starred with box office poison unfunny "comedian" Dane Cook and that uber flop she headlined where she was blind/eye transplant. Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon...those are A List actresses...Alba is a C at best...drop dead gorgeous, C Lister.

This whole Witchblade movie has 'cart before the horse' written all over it...i'm optimistic with the director though.

And Cyberforce? AGAIN? More lives than Spider-Girl just not nearly as successful and while I loved Ron Marz on most of his GL run aren't the sales on Witchblade obvious that the book needs a creative shake-up?

[aquilar]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

And Cyberforce? AGAIN? More lives than Spider-Girl just not nearly as successful and while I loved Ron Marz on most of his GL run aren't the sales on Witchblade obvious that the book needs a creative shake-up?

um.. sales have improved alot, ad i think after this summer when we finally get the gravy train of the story rolling even the most hardcore naysayers are gonna be surprised, for pretty soon many threads are gonna start unraveling and plotpoints carefuly seeded will start hitting the spot... but thats just my opinion

[jagtech13]

While I am enjoying the Witchblade and Darkness right now all I can see from Top Cow that may interest me is a relaunch of LADY PENDRAGON. I own most of the original series (one shot, mini, and most of the regular series). I really liked the earlier story untill the book kind of went WTF?!?! towards the end of it's run. Not sure why, Matt really did a bang-up job on those original issues. Maybe someone different instead of John Stinsman on art though.

If Hawkins is reading this: Any options on LP being published aagain directly through Image if Pilot Season does not work?

[steve2275]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

And Cyberforce? AGAIN? More lives than Spider-Girl just not nearly as successful and while I loved Ron Marz on most of his GL run aren't the sales on Witchblade obvious that the book needs a creative shake-up?

whoo hooo

[mhawkins]

Alibi is from an original idea that Michael Renegar and I developed, he isn't given credit! Sorry Mike!

Matt

[mhawkins]

Originally Posted by jagtech13

While I am enjoying the Witchblade and Darkness right now all I can see from Top Cow that may interest me is a relaunch of LADY PENDRAGON. I own most of the original series (one shot, mini, and most of the regular series). I really liked the earlier story untill the book kind of went WTF?!?! towards the end of it's run. Not sure why, Matt really did a bang-up job on those original issues. Maybe someone different instead of John Stinsman on art though.

If Hawkins is reading this: Any options on LP being published aagain directly through Image if Pilot Season does not work?

Hey I did see this and totally agree that LP got off track in the original series. I worked pretty hard to set this issue up as a potential launch point for a new series. I'd like to do more now, so whether that's at Top Cow or wherever eventually is certainly doable.

matt

[qurious]

Where's Aphrodite IX? Where's Madame Mirage? Where's Kenneth Rocafort and ebas?

[SELK]

Wanted movie - I don't have high hopes for this. They could have made the same movie without attaching or licensing the Wanted (comic) name to it. I know that it's a big deal for it to be Top Cow's entry to comic book films but really by virtue of association alone to a material that was heavily modified, I don't see how Wanted (movie) is a good representation of Wanted (comic) that reflects well on Top Cow (aside from getting mentioned that it was "based" on the comic). The movie will most likely have some entertaining action scenes but "Wanted" it is not. I do hope that it succeeds on some level so that it can open more doors for other Top Cow properties to be made into movies.

Witchblade movie - that teaser actually looks promising and gives a strong impression on what sort of visual style they want for Sara in this film. I'm all for a Giger-esque bikini during the initial portion of the film when Sara is still a newbie to the Witchblade but I'm praying that for the final fight they use something closer to her recent appearances with the intricate, full body, organo-metallic, body-hugging prosthetic (think X-Men movie 'scaly' Mystique only more complicated).

Will the Darkness get the animation treatment? How close are the plans to do it and what Japanese studio is attached?

Pilot Season 2008 - Looking forward to all these titles, especially Alibi and Lady Pendragon. Lady Pendragon, from a conceptual & artistic aspect, was one of the old comic books that I wanted to see more of. Arthurian She-Ra ftw.

Hunter-Killer - More of it? Finally some awesome news. I cannot wait.