The Darkness Thread

[CURSD BLADE]

I just got into comics last summer after a five year hiatus and before then I only collected Marvel stuff.

Now that I am back into comics I am reading everything that I like and am wondering if anybody is liking the current Darkness series as I have heard some good things about it from my local comic shop dealer.

So what do you guys think of the series? What is it like? Is it edgy, action packed, and awesome? Is it boring and predictable? Thanks in advance.

[the_coldest_sun]

Picked up an issue way back during its hype. Didnt like it. Didnt care for the characters, wasnt intrigued enough by the story to pick up the next issue. Just wasnt for me. Thats all I have to say about it. Sorry, not much help but thought I should at least reply since no one else did.

[Pil]

Boring and predictable: No! Edgy, action packed, and awesome: Not like it used to be.

The series suffered from serious delays until a few months ago. The new creative team has the issues out on time and the story seems to be picking up. It's good enough to keep me interested, but nowhere near the top of my list. If you don't know the series, I'd suggest you buy the trades from the first series. Garth Ennis' initial run on the series was some of the best I've seen in comics.

[George G]

What I like about what’s coming up in the Darkness comic is the two writers that are going to be doing their take on the character. Future arcs will be done by Ron Marz who’s also working on a Green Lantern run now. Then David Lapham from Stray Bullets fame is going to be doing a story where he’ll be writing and doing the breakdowns.

It looks to be an exciting time to be reading the Darkness.

[heavysoul]

if you're considering any topcow book, i'd say pick up obergeist... it's definitely a book that has it all. it isn't an ongoing but the trade is still available. as far as the darkness goes... hmm... i've never felt compelled to buy it but the recent stuff (with keown on the pencils) looks amazing, i don't know about the writing.

[the_coldest_sun]

ya know what? i got this confused with witchblade. Sorries. Never read The Darkness.

[Captain Jim]

I just read the two most recent issues, which are written by Ron Marz, and liked them quite a bit. Marz was one of my favorite writers at CrossGen, so I've been picking up his more recent projects elsewhere. I had some reservations about this book (which I knew virtually nothing about), but based on these two issues, I'll be sticking around.

[Brian Cronin]

For anyone who has been avoiding the character since Ennis left it (which I presume is most people), I have to say, since Ron Marz took over the title, it's been the best it has been since Ennis (IMO).

The stories aren't exactly the most in depth exploration of the human experience...but they are well-told, professional stories, nonetheless.

And the art, while trying to tow the company line a bit (a little Finch, a little Turner, a little Caldwell, a little Silvestri)...it's still works.

So if you want to read a pretty decent comic, check out this month's Darkness.

-Brian

[Arvandor]

I've been enjoying this ever since the relaunch. The Paul Jenkins arc was probably his best work.

[Brian Cronin]

I've been enjoying this ever since the relaunch. The Paul Jenkins arc was probably his best work.

I didn't DISlike the Jenkins stuff (and ya can't sneeze at that Dale Keown artwork), but I think it lacked the focus that the Marz stuff has right now.

As for Jenkins' best stuff, I think his run on Hellblazer was his best stuff, IMO.

With the Inhumans mini-series coming in second. :)

-Brian

[Pil]

I've liked the book since the relaunch. Some of Jenkins ideas like how to resurrect Jackie were brilliant, but IMO Marz's take on the series is way better. It brings back memories of the days with Ennis.

[Captain Jim]

I had never read The Darkness before Ron came on board and was, frankly, surprised at how much I liked his arc here. Good stuff. Too bad he's leaving after one 4-issue arc (though he does have an upcoming Darkness one-shot).

[Benjamin Ong]

Announced at Wizard World Chicago today, Ron Marz is now setting his sights on the Top Cow universe.

Acclaimed for his run on DC’s Green Lantern (which he’s back for another round and the “Homecomig” arc ends, and practically ends the long-running series as well with September’s issue #181], Marz started his Top Cow invasion with Darkness #10-13, a stint that he described as having “a dollop of The Sopranos, a big dose of John Woo-Hong Kong action flick, and a heaping helping of the supernatural.”

In October, the writer is joined by newcomer artist Michael Choi as the duo take on Top Cow’s flagship character in the pages of Witchblade #80.

And in December, Top Cow and Marz kick off a two-part crossover between Darkness and a DC icon. And no, it’s not Green Lantern, but rather Darkness/Superman, with art by Strykeforce’s Tyler Kirkman. DC reciprocates with a JLA/Cyberforce written by the Justice League Elite team of Joe Kelly and Doug Manke in the first quarter of 2005.

And the creator teams up with former Witchblade artist, Keu Cha, who’s making a comeback to comics, on a Darkness Pirate one-shot.

More @ RON MARZ VS THE TOP COW UNIVERSE (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16525)

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Jackie and Superman in a crossover? I wonder how that's going to turn out.

[Brian Cronin]

Frank Tieri continues his pretty enjoyable arc on Darkness with this issue (that's now, like, 4 straight enjoyable issues of Darkness...that's GOT to be some sort of record! :D).

He's joined by a different artist from the first part, which I usually have a problem with, but I wasn't thrilled with what seemed to me to be rushed pencils by a normall solid Kirby, so I was happy with the pencils from a newcomer (to me, at least ;)), Martin Montiel.

In any event, the Don who Jackie shot is now back among the "living."

He is also insane, as he sees in the place of his mob, the faces of famous old gangsters.

The Don is now apparantly unkillable, something that appears to also be afflicting other people that Jackie has killed, and the Don brings them back, and decides to wage war on Jackie.

Meanwhile, the book ends with the "shock" of the Don's son trying to hire Jackie to kill his father.

Toss in some advancement of Jackie's connection to the Darkness, and this was definitely a fun issue. Talk about turning a franchise around...

What did y'all think?

-Brian

[Arvandor]

Jenkins run was better.

The original Garth Ennis run was best of all.

But Tieri is pretty good, and a nice fit. I've no complaints. Though if it was down to me, I'd look to hire someone like Josh Dysart.

[Frank Tieri]

Hey, thanks for the good words, guys. What I'm hearing here about my Darkness run is basically what I've been hearing all around-- which is pretty damned positive. So, considering that it's been fairly well recieved and me and the Top Cow folks enjoy working together, don't be too surprised if we do this all again sometime in the future.

best
FT

PS And if you have indeed enjoyed the run so far, wait until you get a load of our conclusion next iss :D

[Brian Cronin]

Hey, thanks for the good words, guys. What I'm hearing here about my Darkness run is basically what I've been hearing all around-- which is pretty damned positive. So, considering that it's been fairly well recieved and me and the Top Cow folks enjoy working together, don't be too surprised if we do this all again sometime in the future.

best
FT

PS And if you have indeed enjoyed the run so far, wait until you get a load of our conclusion next iss :D

Hehe...good to see you show your support for the Darkness writer. ;)

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Frank Tieri's enjoyable storyline concludes in this issue, and it's a pretty good semi-resolution to the story arc.

First off, the key to the storyline, the whole "Godfather coming back from the dead" comes down to the fact that since Jackie has begun using the Darkness to make bullets, the bullets he fires into people are pieces of Darkness that inhibit their body, and brings the people back to "life."

It's a fine idea...I am not sure if it is Tieri's, or if Tieri is following up on a leftover subplot. In either event, it is a clever idea.

Tieri opens up with a great bit with the Mafia Don talking about a man he is about to kill. Pretty chilling, good stuff (reminds me of perhaps Tieri's most acclaimed Weapon X issue, the one where he killed off a bunch of established X-characters, in that it really dragged out the pain of these people dying...made their deaths really get to you).

Seeing the Darkness demons getting torn apart by the revived mobsters was pretty cool, a very capable job by artist Martin Montiel, who I had never heard of before this storyline, but now I have a sense I'll be seeing his name on SOME other book. Good, quality workmanship.

In any event, there's a bit of a deus ex machina, as the Don thinks Jackie is Lucky Luciano, and leaves (with this week's Daredevil, Lucky Luciano has more mentions in one month than he has had in one decade :)).

His son is happy, but tries to kill Jackie ANYways.

Bad idea. :D

ANYhoo, this resolves the situation, leaving the door open for new writer - DAVID LAPHAM!!!

Wow.

I hate to see Tieri go after he (and Marz before him) brought some life to a book I thought was falling by the wayside, but David Lapham?!!?

Wow.

What did y'all think?

-Brian

[kane]

I did not like the whole story.

First the art is bad.

Then the story:

Jackie is darkness incarnate, he is the vessel for the darkness. Therefore he should not have any problems with the gangsters, they possesed only a small piece of the darkness.
And why did he not just take the darkness back like in wormwood.

[Arvandor]

I've been enjoying this ever since the relaunch, so Lapham's arrival changes nothing for me.

I don't think I've read ANYTHING by Lapham before, so I don't know what to expect.

[Christopher Burton]

Matt Brady's got some way cool preview pages of The Darkness: Black Sails over at Newsarama (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26132). Pirates rock! :D

[Christopher Burton]

Jonah interviews The Darkness: Black Sails writer Ron Marz. Take a look here (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=4817), swabbies. :D

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Frank Tieri's enjoyable storyline concludes in this issue, and it's a pretty good semi-resolution to the story arc.

First off, the key to the storyline, the whole "Godfather coming back from the dead" comes down to the fact that since Jackie has begun using the Darkness to make bullets, the bullets he fires into people are pieces of Darkness that inhibit their body, and brings the people back to "life."

It's a fine idea...I am not sure if it is Tieri's, or if Tieri is following up on a leftover subplot. In either event, it is a clever idea.

Tieri opens up with a great bit with the Mafia Don talking about a man he is about to kill. Pretty chilling, good stuff (reminds me of perhaps Tieri's most acclaimed Weapon X issue, the one where he killed off a bunch of established X-characters, in that it really dragged out the pain of these people dying...made their deaths really get to you).

Seeing the Darkness demons getting torn apart by the revived mobsters was pretty cool, a very capable job by artist Martin Montiel, who I had never heard of before this storyline, but now I have a sense I'll be seeing his name on SOME other book. Good, quality workmanship.

In any event, there's a bit of a deus ex machina, as the Don thinks Jackie is Lucky Luciano, and leaves (with this week's Daredevil, Lucky Luciano has more mentions in one month than he has had in one decade :)).

His son is happy, but tries to kill Jackie ANYways.

Bad idea. :D

ANYhoo, this resolves the situation, leaving the door open for new writer - DAVID LAPHAM!!!

Wow.

I hate to see Tieri go after he (and Marz before him) brought some life to a book I thought was falling by the wayside, but David Lapham?!!?

Wow.

What did y'all think?

-Brian

2 Questions, Brian:

1. What has happened over the last 4 issues?

2. And what does Lucky Luciano himself have to do with this?

[CURSD BLADE]

So, I take it the general consensus is that Ennis' work was the best and I should start on the first series?

Or is it better to jump into the newest series?