Top Cow Welcomes Nelson Blake II to the Pit

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that newcomer artist Nelson Blake II (Broken Trinity: Witchblade, GI Joe: Reloaded) will draw The Darkness #78. The issue, with is scheduled for a June 2009 release, will explore what happens when current Darkness bearer Jackie Estacado becomes fed up with the mysterious Sovereign, who has kept Jackie on a wild goose chase to recover his full power for the past few issues.


The issue is written by Phil Hester who has been the regular writer for The Darkness since the series was relaunched in 2007. Artist Michael Avon Oeming (The Darkness: Lodbroks Hand, Powers) provides the cover for the issue.

Nelson Blake II is the most recent addition to the stable of in-house artists working at Top Cow Productions, Inc. under the tutelage of CEO and founder Marc Silvestri. Under Silvestris guidance, Top Cow has brought in and trained many of the top artists working in comics including Dave Finch and Michael Turner. Blake, who was discovered during a New York Comic Con portfolio review by Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik and Editor Rob Levin, first had his artwork featured in Broken Trinity: Witchblade for Top Cow. With The Darkness #78, Blake will present his stylistic rendering of fan-favorite character, Jackie Estacado.

On working on The Darkness #78, Blake states, Phil Hester is a rare breed of
storyteller in that he gets both the literary and visual side of the medium. You combine that with the fact that he absolutely gets the Darkness and Jackies universe and you have a dream project that any artist would be lucky to work on. In the issue we did together, he managed to stuff it full of action, and deliver on character. An absolute blast to draw.

Nelson has a great sense of motion and a clean line that reminds me of Mike Choi, commented Top Cow Publisher, Filip Sablik, Watching his pages roll in on The Darkness has been a blast.