To this day Cyblade is the only actual comic series to come out of the first two Pilot Seasons, though it remains to be seen what lies ahead for Pilot Season 2008 winners, Twilight Guardian and Genius. (Go Genius!)

One thing’s for sure, the first Pilot Season managed to garner some 4.5 million online votes, which testifies to some serious fan interest. And with Kirkman creating the 2009 Pilot Season properties, the revamped Pilot Season may prove to be an excellent way for Top Cow to test the waters before plunging in and launching a new series with all its attendant expenses.

Feature: B-

Before Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) was Wanted, he was a no one, an office clerk who hated his own existence. Dead-end job, cheating girlfriend, and nothing to show for his entire life, his name does not even appear on a google search (the modern-day test of success). So when a bunch of underground highly-trained assassins from the ancient Fraternity show up on his front door asking him to join them, who could resist? Wait, let me rephrase that, when a sexy-as-all-hell assassin played by Angelina Jolie in a mini-skirt shows up to save your life and tells you to give up your life as you know it, who could resist? Well, he could actually, until he realized there was nothing he could do, it was his destiny.?

Gibson discovers his father, who he never grew up with, was one of the best super-assassins ever, and he was recently killed by another skilled killer named Cross. This man not only wiped out Wesley’s only known ancestor but betrayed the Fraternity. Led by Sloan (Morgan Freeman) the Fraternity maintains order determined by the Looms of Fate which tell those who can decipher its code, who needs to be sought out and killed to maintain balance in the world. No questions asked, once a name appears, that person must die.

After turning his back on his normal life in grand fashion, Gibson is ushered immediately into intense training by Fox (Jolie) and Gunsmith (Common) including taking on so much pain he no longer feels it, learning how to slow time down and crazy acrobatics, and eventually culminating to the most important skill of an assassin, curving bullets. No longer do gangsters have to pray whether they’re hitting their targets by cocking their guns parallel to the ground when you can curve a bullet from your living room. The reasoning behind all this is to hunt down Cross and exact revenge for his father’s killing.

Things get crazy though when Fraternity members’ names start being deciphered in the Looms of Fate. One in particular, Wesley Gibson, takes the story into a completely new direction. But I’m not telling any more because it’s one of THOSE movies. Wanted is a successful attempt at an original dark and rated-R action flick with some bold risks being taken by Russian director, Timur Bekmambetov who mixes his creative brand of filmmaking with the story’s own creative origin.

Based on Mark Millar and J.G. Jones’ comic book, Wanted, the movie captures the wild and rude world created on paper. For Millar who had done drastic spins on some of the biggest mainstream super-heroes, Wanted marked an opportunity in his career to take it a bit further and do his style of writing without any restrictions of language, or keeping-up some bit of censoring experienced in doing mainstream comics. The result was a runaway hit in the comics world, a no-holds barred action comic with Hong Kong fireworks, and the wit and the dark, sardonic Scottish humor of Mark Millar. When you read the comic, you feel like you’re reading a big motion picture and that made its translation to the big screen relatively natural.

The cast assembled was a major score. Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman, and let’s not forget Terence Stamp, who plays Cross’ helper. Millar must have been screaming like a little school girl as the names were confirmed, and each one of them delivered where they needed to. McAvoy must carry the film as a leading man while strapping on the action boots for the first time. Having seen his career blossom into some dramatic heavyweights like the Last King of Scotland and Atonement is a head-shaker when you consider him breaking onto the scene in the British TV hit, “Shameless.” Jolie, is well, who she is, and it’s not hard to join a cult of murderers when she’s the one seducing you. And Freeman? But you’ll stand up clapping in Freeman’s great departure from how we usually see him as the calm and gentle conscious of the white leading man, or hear him narrating in every other film he’s in. To hear him utter the words, “Mother Fucker” brings watery eyes in fond memories of vintage Freeman in Lean on Me.

With a cast that appears to have had a raucous time, and a story that doesn’t apologize for targeting mature audiences, Wanted is an easy recommendation for those desiring something different, something edgier, something that smacks you in the head with a keyboard. Super-heroes it’s not, but a comic it is, and perhaps is one that successfully shows yet another spoke of what modern comics are about: variety. It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay. For those who will like it, or want to know more about it, can google it. It should have just as many results as “Wesley Gibson” — now at least.

PRESENTATION: B+

Packaging is standard for the regular release with a cardboard slipcase. Also standard is the Universal blu-ray menus with a collection of clips that cycle over and over again while you lazily make your decision. No theme for the movie regarding time bar or loading screens. I do like the art on the actual discs, with the design of a target practice sheet and there is a deluxe version available so for another 15-20 more bucks, you can get 4 postcards, a lenticular scene in an acrylic frame, and a much cooler package. Gauge your love for this movie. Subtitles are availale in English SDH, Spanish, and French.

AUDIO: A-

I’ve been very pleased with all of Universal’s 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks and Wanted falls right in line. There’s no straining to pick up any dialogue out of the center channel, even McAvoy’s lines are clear despite his British accent. The field of sound effects and low frequency bass hits you like a 20-ft wave and packs a wallop. All of the action is definitely enhanced by the audio experience although I’m not a big fan of the score, so when it’s repeatedly sprinkled throughout the film it can be grating. Spanish and French tracks in 5.1 DTS are the other soundtracks and one last bit of volume control is in the picture in picture volume for the all of the U-Control features as well as being able to toggle the button sounds (thank goodness).?

VIDEO: A-

Wanted looks great in a 1080p/AVC encoded transfer captured in 2.35:1. Details are nicely shown throughout the film but there’s still an acceptably pleasing presence of film grain. This is not your typical high definition film where you expect to see every more and every strand of hair, but the spectacular still looks, well, spectacular. Flesh tones are warm, natural, and pleasing (as seen when Jolie steps out of the healing bath) and rich hues like Fox’s red apple car are vividly bold at night. ?

EXTRAS: B-

Extras are shown in a mixture of 1080i/p HD and 480 i/p standard definition (depending on what the extra is) in 2.0 Dolby Digital.

A great extra is the Alternate Opening (2:38) HD where the story flashes back to when kings and queens ruled and the world order had to be kept back then. There’s a parade with rose petals falling and it fun to see on high def. The Extended Scene (1:58) is a longer take in standard definition where Wesley shoots at a dead body for the first time. Cast and Characters (19:59) is an electronic press kit (EPK) type of affair, breaking down of all of the characters and the actors behind each role. Mark Millar is in the mix once again and it’s good to see him ever-present on the extras. Stunts on the L Train (2:30) shows McAvoy and Jolie rehearsing the “jumping over / ducking under” the overpass. Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible (8:27) show how rain, wind, explosions, car rollovers, derailing a train and other physical practical effects. Running at a shorter clip of (8:06) is Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to Execution and there are some pretty innovative scenes they cut here.?The Origins of Wanted: Bring the Graphic Novel to Life (8:05) interviews creator Mark Millar who explains what current events were influencing him when he came up with Wanted, working with artist, JG Jones, and what he wanted to accomplish with the story. If you haven’t seen the Russian horror action film, Nightwatch and Daywatch, do check them out. They were directed by Bekmambetov and Through the Eyes of Visionary Director (9:05) interviews him about his approach as a director and trying different methods and experimenting. Wanted: Motion Comics (13:55) shows that liberties were taken, but you can compare the differences between comics and film, but see that the flavor was maintained. In the spirit of true cross promotion, The Making of Wanted: The Game (10:01) visits the Barcelona video game developer, GRIN as they showcase their game where you can play with Cross or with Wesley. It starts as a shooter game but the story and tasks evolve from there. At the end of some extras, you are given codes for the Code of Fraternity for the game.

Now we come to the blu-ray exclusives. My Scenes is now the standard Universal blu-ray feature where you can book mark your favorite scenes and upload them via BD-Live. You can record your own commentary which I personally dig, it’s not a special people will gravitate to, but I do think creative folks can have a lot of fun with their friends, and perhaps gain new ones based on what they do with it. It’s like going to a baseball game and paying to sit in the booth and record your own embellished play-by-play or be serious and do one that’s critical.

Universal’s U-Control experience has plenty to sift through. In all of the comic book movies Universal has had the pleasure of producing, the Wanted blu-ray has utilized the parent literature again allowing you to view the above feature and the corresponding scene it influenced. There’s also Assassin text profiles, picture-in-picture features and a little bit of scene explorer which all borrow from the above extras. The blending of supplements is a little better than average, a little promotional, a lot of opportunity for Mark Millar to be able to have his say but we don’t learn enough about Bekmambetov’s unique brand of filmmaking which I think is what’s most interesting about the production of Wanted. I will admit after watching the features the video game looks like it’d be a lot of fun.

OVERALL SHOCK VALUE: B

Comic book fans who may be looking with something of an edge to it, and a break away from the “family-friendly fun” of mainstream films should check out Wanted. It’s not the comic, nor the movie for everyone with its crass language and in-your-face splatter-filled violence but it’s that charm, or lack thereof that sets it apart from what most think should be standard in a comic book film. Top loaded with action and over-the-top indulgence, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and that will appeal to many, however, as much as I enjoyed Wanted, it’s not a film I see myself watching again and again and again. But if you’re going to see Wanted one to two times see it and hear it on blu-ray.

The Darkness #75
(W) Phil Hester (A) Broussard, Keown, Benitez, Timson, Carter and more! (Cov) Lee Bermejo, Dale Keown, Stjepan Sejic, Michael Broussard

An all-star cast of artists assembles in this oversized book to illustrate the historic 75th overall issue of THE DARKNESS. Combining all three volumes of THE DARKNESS since its debut in 1996, we’re renumbering the current series to pay tribute to the legacy of this rich and storied character.

Journey into a bleak and twisted future to witness humanity’s struggle to survive amongst the wreckage of the eternal conflict between The Darkness and The Angelus. Can Jackie Estacado step off this path to ultimate destruction or will he allow The Darkness to turn him into a global tyrant?

Cover A – Lee Bermejo (wraparound)
Cover B – Dale Keown
Cover C – Stjepan Sejic
Cover D – Michael Broussard

Full Color 48 pages $4.99 ongoing series

Witchblade Annual 2009
(W) Jay Faerber (A) Eric Basaldua (Cov) Sami Basri, Eric Basaldua

Presenting the first WITCHBLADE ANNUAL issue ever, complete with a new, original self-contained story by writer Jay Faerber (PILOT SEASON: URBAN MYTHS, NOBLE CAUSES) and artist Eric Basaldua (WITCHBLADE/DEVI, ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR). Includes a second bonus story!

Beautiful women all over the city are killing men they don’t even know, and then claiming they don’t even remember the events. When Sara and partner Gleason are assigned to investigate the case, they’re thrown head first into the dangerous and deadly world of…plastic surgery?

Cover A – Sami Basri
Cover B – Eric Basaldua

Full Color 40 pages $3.99 annual

Velocity #2
(W) Joe Casey (A) ChrisCross (Cov) ChrisCross and Snakebite, Stjepan Sejic

The new series for this Pilot Season 2007 winner continues! From the pages of Marc Silvestri’s CYBERFORCE comes a new solo title for this Top Cow super speedster!

When Carin Taylor, a.k.a. Velocity, turns down an offer to work for a corporate mogul, he doesn’t take it well! Before she knows it, she’s attacked by a small army of private soldiers and not one, but TWO assailants who can literally keep pace with her! It’ll take a familiar face from her past to help her get out of this jam!

Cover A – ChrisCross and Snakebite
Cover B – Stjepan Sejic

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series

Top Cow Spring 2009 Preview Book
(W) Rick Loverd and others (A) Various (Cov) Dale Keown

Get a sneak peek at some of the exciting new projects coming from Top Cow in 2009!

This Preview Book features an original BERSERKER story, the new comic series produced by “Heroes” star Milo Ventimiglia and his DiVide Pictures partner, Russ Cundiff. Created by screenwriter Rick Loverd, BERSERKER combines elements of superheroes with Norse mythology. Throw in some bone-crushing violence and punch-in-the-mouth action and you’ve got a recipe for a great Top Cow book!

That’s just the beginning! Also in this Preview Book is an exciting glimpse at a diverse mix of other projects coming from Top Cow in 2009. You don’t want to miss it!

Full Color 24 pages $2.99 preview book

Berserker Lithograph
(ART BY) Dale Keown

Dale Keown’s raw and feral BERSERKER image can now be yours in this limited, numbered lithograph, accompanied by a Top Cow Certificate of Authenticity and shipped in a protective sleeve.

Full Color 11″x17″ $29.99 lithograph

Broken Trinity Deluxe Hardcover
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic, Phil Hester, Jorge Lucas, Brian
Stelfreeze, Nelson Blake II (Cov) Stjepan Sejic

This Premiere Hardcover collects all six issues of 2008’s blockbuster storyline, BROKEN TRINITY, plus a slew of bonus material, from a cover gallery to behind-the-scenes commentary. Much like 2007’s FIRST BORN story arc, BROKEN TRINITY upsets the status quo of the Top Cow Universe as one of the three principal characters in the never-ending battle between Light and Dark—Witchblade, The Darkness and The Angelus—dies, never to return. In addition, new characters enter the fray, setting the stage for a new ongoing series to debut later in 2009!

Full Color 176 pages $34.99 hardcover

Broken Trinity #3 Eric Basaldua Top Cow Store Variant
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic, Phil Hester (Cov) Eric Basaldua

A beautiful, sensual cover conceived by the supremely talented Basaldua (HUNTER-KILLER, ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR), available in limited supply.

Full Color 32 pages $10.00 convention exclusive

The Darkness Novel 2
(W) Kerri Hawkins

In this second installment of THE DARKNESS novel series by author Kerri Hawkins (BLOOD LEGACY), Jackie Estacado struggles to control his branch of the triumvirate powers of the universe while still operating as a mafia hitman. Caught between his earthly enemies and his supernatural foes, Jackie’s reatest battle might be with the black force residing within him.

Jackie loves little beyond himself, but when his childhood friend Jenny is threatened, his hard-edged persona is tested. He begins to understand that The Darkness has its own agenda, and although the dark power might help him, it might also consume him…

B/W 160 pages $6.99 novel

And congratulations also to my friend Troy Hickman, whose book Twilight Guardian also won!

TOP COW ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2008 PILOT SEASON
2008 PILOT SEASON WINNERS

Fans vote for TWILIGHT GUARDIAN and GENIUS to get their own series
LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 18, 2008 – Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced today that the winners of the 2008 Pilot Season campaign are Twilight Guardian by writer Troy Hickman and artist Reza and Genius by writers Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman and artist Afua Richardson.

For over a month, fans went to the Top Cow website, the Pilot Season website or other sites once per day, every day, to vote for their favorite 2008 Pilot Season one-shots. Pilot Season is an annual initiative Top Cow began in 2007 that borrows its concept from the television industry: Six “pilots” are submitted for consideration to be “picked up for a season,” except instead of TV executives deciding their fates, it’s the fans! 2007’s top two vote getters, Cyblade and Velocity, will debut with new series later this year. 2008’s winners will debut with new series in 2009.

Twilight Guardian and Genius beat out Urban Myths by Jay Faerber and Jorge Molina, The Core by Jonathan Hickman and Kenneth Rocafort, Alibi by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Jeremy Haun and Lady Pendragon by Matt Hawkins and Eru.

Twilight Guardian is about an average woman with a particular kind of OCD that drives her to patrol a nine-block area in her neighborhood every night, and about the other “night people” and situations she encounters because of it. Genius asks the question, “Alexander, Hannibal, Napoleon, Patton. What if the greatest military mind of OUR generation was a 17-year-old girl who grew up on the tough streets of an urban war zone?” Both books resonated with a majority of the voters and their creators are ecstatic, excited and even surprised.

“Holey crullers! I really don’t know WHAT to say,” said Troy Hickman. “I feel like I did once at a convention years ago when I somehow wound up on an elevator with Mr. Curt Swan, and I remember thinking, ‘Something’s gone terribly wrong. They’ve accidentally let me on the IMPORTANT elevator!’ The creative teams on the other Pilot Season comics are just terrific, some of the most talented people working in this, or any, medium, and I feel so proud to even be included in this competition. And big congrats to Genius for winning the other spot!”

“I’m shocked, really,” said Adam Freeman. “Genius is not a traditional comic and I suppose that is one of its greatest assets as well as its biggest obstacle. We weren’t sure how readers would react but we knew it was a story we were passionate about. Kudos to Top Cow for being the only publisher willing to take that risk with us. Someone wiser than me once said, ‘Never underestimate your audience’ and, truth be told, we did a little on this one. We didn’t think people would ‘get it’ but apparently they did.”

“Hell, I’m just thrilled to have won something,” added Marc Bernardin. “Seriously though, it’s like Adam said: We knew Genius was an uphill battle, but every now and then, those uphill battles get WON.”

“I blew my voice squealing like a happy pig for a half hour and came up with at least five victory dances,” exclaimed Afua Richardson when she found out Genius was one of the winning titles. “I feel like I won one for all the oddballs out there—all the artists left of center, for the chicks who fight stigmas in comics, all of them!”

Now that the winners have been declared, the creative teams will work with Top Cow’s editorial department to start planning out their series, which will debut in 2009.

“Issue #1 of Genius sparked a few pretty heated debates in some circles but that was only the first act to a much larger story,” explained Freeman. “There is a lot more to tell. I am very curious how the future issues will be received because, trust me, this book is not going where you think it is.

“We’re going to dip a bit into Destiny’s back-story and the forces that combined to make her the woman she is today,” teased Bernardin. “And we’re going to show just how bloody revolution can be.”

“I look forward to a) seeing what happens next; b) getting the chance to work with Marc and Adam again; and c) really getting a chance to show my stuff,” asserted Richardson. “I just really want put my best foot forward on this.”

“Well, now comes the fun part: making comic books,” conveyed Hickman. “Let’s see if we can take Twilight Guardian where comics haven’t gone before. I don’t want to give anything away, but I promise you there will be comedy, and drama, and plenty of the unexpected. Maybe she’s a Skrull…”

“Everyone here at Top Cow wants to wish a hearty congratulations to the teams on Twilight Guardian and Genius for a hard-won victory in this year’s Pilot Season,” proclaimed Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. “It was an incredibly close race across the board and these two teams campaigned hard for the fans’ votes. The fans have spoken and we’ve already got the wheels in motion to give them more of what they want!”