Monthly Archive for July, 2008

Well Top Cow has outdone themselves again. It’s easily the best they’ve offered yet and it makes it all the harder when deciding the two series that should get the pick up into an on-going series. The Core is the last pilot offered and it comes to us from writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Kenneth Rocafort. A sci fi book set in Earths distant future, the book follows Asimov Dedeken, a human entering into the Dahibian Special Forces, the first of his kind.

The story revolves around the Core, the center of the known universe where a large density of systems has resulted in a higher frequency of life. Species that are thousands of years old have formed alliances to protect their interests and help them secure more natural resources. This means expansion into regions of space that are new and unexplored. This opens up a great opportunity for Earth to benefit from admittance into the Dahiba Federation, but it also means that it must prove its worth.

Dedeken is thrown into the heat of battle almost immediately, but it’s a secret war that the Federation is trying to keep contained. It’s up to Dedeken to ensure that his team completes their mission while sustaining minimal damage. Ultimately he’s able to pull through and earn respect for the human race, and learn more about Earths role in the Federation.

Hickman is Hickman, I don’t think there’s any better way of saying it. He’s an excellent writer and includes so much into each issue. He’s able to give us an extended background as to who the players are and why they’re in the alliances they’re in all within one issue. And he’s able to layer it on top of an intriguing and action packed premier. Rocafort’s art is beautiful to look at, whether it’s in Madame Mirage or in a scifi fantasy book. He’s able to blend the action with the drama perfectly. He’s an excellent choice for this book.

Overall The Core is impressive. There’s a lot to digest, but it leaves you wanting more. It’s just a shame that only two pilots will be given the green light. Give this pilot a shot, you won’t be disappointed.