Broken Frontier

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that The Darkness will reach Legacy Issue #75 in February 2009, and the publisher will commemorate the milestone event by inviting a list of all-star artists to contribute to the oversized, special issue.

(Fans and retailers confused by the renumbering should note The Darkness #75 is actually #11 of the current volume, but the Legacy Numbering will take effect as of this issue. The Legacy Number denotes the total number of issues of The Darkness ever published, regardless of volume. The subsequent issue will be labeled #76, and so forth.)

The list of artists includes: Michael Broussard (current series artist), Jorge Lucas (Pilot Season: Ripclaw), Dale Keown (Pitt), Joe Benitez (Justice League of America), Ryan Sook (Superman/Batman), Steve Firchow (Ultimatum), Frazer Irving (Silent War), Lee Carter (2000 AD), Stjepan Sejic (Witchblade) and Matt Timson (Impaler ). The story, which will examine what a possible future would be like for current Darkness bearer Jackie Estacado, will be penned by current series writer Phil Hester.

“Working on The Darkness #75 was like visiting an old friend I haven’t seen in a while,” said Joe Benitez, who hasn’t drawn for an issue of The Darkness since 1999. “It’s always nice to see what they’re up to and how they’ve changed.”

“The Darkness #75 finds this series and its characters firmly planted in the bedrock of comics history and lays a sure foundation for a future that its fans should be eagerly anticipating,” added Ryan Sook. “It’s a privilege to contribute pencil and pen to this milestone event!”

“I have read The Darkness, I have played The Darkness video game and now I get to draw The Darkness alongside some of the big boys,” attested Lee Carter. “It’s beyond cool to have my work appear alongside this fantastic lineup of artists to mark this important milestone of The Darkness mythos.”

“Working on The Darkness #75 has been especially fun for me since I also worked on the very first issue!” beamed Steve Firchow. “It’s great to see how much story and character has been developed in the last ‘Decade of The Darkness’ !”

The double-sized issue will feature four different covers, including a wrap-around by Lee Bermejo (Hellblazer) and versions by Broussard, Keown and Stjepan Sejic (Witchblade ).

“Obviously, as a big fan of dark, brooding, moody comic books, The Darkness has always appealed to me,” commented Spawn creator and Image co-founder Todd McFarlane. “Any comic in this day and age that gets to 75 issues, especially from an independent company, is something to be acknowledged. Here’s to another 75 issues!”