Broken Frontier

It's true: industry leader Marvel Comics is joining with Top Cow, producers of CYBERFORCE, RISING STARS, TOMB RAIDER, and WITCHBLADE, in a joint publishing arrangement that is guaranteed to knock the socks off comics fans the world over.

Announced at this past weekend’s New York Comic Con, the first collaboration between Marvel and Top Cow takes place in Amazing Spider-Man #530 and #531with Top Cow’s Tyler Kirkham taking over the penciling for two issues.  

“The fine people at Top Cow think like us,” notes Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley. “When I saw this unique plan coming together, I knew we were going to see something truly special, something that makes a lot of sense and that I know will please a lot of comic book fans. It’s the proverbial ‘match made in Heaven’, I think.

"Our strategic partnership with Marvel Comics is one of the best moves Top Cow has ever made," says Top Cow President Matt Hawkins. "Marvel continues to dominate and lead the industry with its dynamic, creative and innovative books and we couldn't be more excited about working side by side with Marvel for years to come."

Top Cow Productions was founded in 1992 by former Marvel penciler Marc Silvestri. Originally one of the four founding studios of Image Comics, Top Cow has become a force to be reckoned with on its own and currently publishes some of the most popular books in the industry outside of Marvel and DC.

The heart of the deal between the two companies revolves around thirty-six issues of Marvel Comics with art by Top Cow over the next two to three years. Six of those books will feature art by Marc Silvestri himself alongside fan-favorite writer Brian Michael Bendis. In addition, Silvestri will also be drawing eighteen covers for Marvel.

If that wasn’t enough to whet the appetite of readers, the deal also includes eight crossover books, featuring both Marvel and Top Cow characters in shared adventures.

Word of which titles and characters will be involved in the publishing agreement will be forthcoming.

Part 2 and 3 of Mr. Parker goes to Washington, Amazing Spider-Man #530 and #531 find Peter Parker accompanying Tony Stark to Washington to give testimony about a proposed Super Hero Registration Act.  Besides giving testimony, Spider-Man and Iron Man will have to give a beat down to a revamped classic Iron Man villain. 

When originally solicited, the full covers to these two issues could not be revealed in order to keep Spider-Man’s new costume under wraps.  Now that Spider-Man’s new costume has seen the light of day, the full covers for Amazing Spider-Man #530 and #531 can finally be revealed. 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #530  (JAN062000)
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Pencils by Tyler kirkham
Cover by RON GARNEY
32 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$2.50
FOC - 3/2, On Sale - 3/22/2006

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #531  (FEB061990)
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Penciled by Tyler kirkham
Cover by Ron Garney
32 PGS./Rated T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP …$2.99
FOC - 4/6, On Sale - 4/26/2006