The Darkness comes to iPhone and iPad!

Top Cow, Image Comics, and comiXology Launch The Darkness App

The Darkness issues #1 - #6 Free Until October 17^th, 2011

October 15, 2011 – New York, NY - With a new video game just around the corner, Top Cow Productions, Image Comics, and comiXology are proud to announce the release of The Darkness app for iPhone and iPad. Launched with over 50 issues — all available for purchase at $1.99 each and with much more on the way —The Darkness app will become the favorite of current fans of Top Cow’s long lasting hit series and new fans alike.

To celebrate this launch, Top Cow, Image Comics, and comiXology have made The Darkness #1 - #6 absolutely free until the end of the day, Monday, October 17th across all comiXology platforms!

“The combination of The Darkness II video game, the release of The Darkness #100 this February, the fifteenth anniversary of the character, and the new creative team coming onboard the ongoing The Darkness series all are going to give Jackie Estacado an unprecedented level of exposure in popular culture,” explained Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. “Besides, who doesn’t want a little Darkling in their pocket?"

“The Darkness is one of the longest lasting independent comic series around,” said comiXology CEO David Steinberger. ”It’s not often that an independent comic property becomes a video game, much less two video games. That fact is a testament to The Darkness’ appeal with fans across the globe. We’re proud to be able to bring even more “Darkness” to the world with The Darkness app.”

The Darkness app debuted this weekend right as it was announced during Top Cow’s “We Create... Franchises” panel at New York Comic Con. At launch, The Darkness app will include over fifty back issues of the main series, numerous free introductory issues, crossovers, tie-in series, various collections and — coming soon — the latest issues released same-day-as-print!

New content will be added regularly, with the entire backlist of The Darkness slated to be available before the end of the year and exclusive content to be added over time.

The Darkness app is available as a free download via the iTunes App Store.

About Top Cow Productions, Inc.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry's Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT's #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow's other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow's other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.

About Image Comics

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

About comiXology

Since 2007 comiXology has been developing the technological infrastructure to bring comics into the digital mainstream and expose new audiences to the rich history and culture of the industry. Through partnerships with top comic book publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, Archaia Entertainment, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment and Image Comics as well as their own mobile and web apps which host over 14,000 digital titles, comiXology has become a leader in digital comic book proliferation. Also focused on creating strong ties with retail stores through its technology solutions, comiXology continues to transform the previously fragmented comic ecosystem into a vibrant and cohesive marketplace.