The 90s were a dark and edgy time for comics. The biggest heroes died or were crippled. Mullets and pouches were in, depicting feet were out. And anti-heroes gained a new level of popularity. Among the latter, and one of the most iconic of the time, was Top Cow’s The Darkness, in which 21 year old mob hitman Jackie Estacado is revealed to be the latest host of a chaotic elemental force known as The Darkness. Among the abilities granted by The Darkness, Jackie can summon and command a whole force of shadowy demons known as Darklings.
It’s been a while, though. The last new The Darkness comics released over a decade ago, back in 2013-2014. The good news is that Jackie Estacado will make his return next year, with a The Darkness series reboot coming in 2025. Out of interest, sister supernatural action series Witchblade got a similar treatment back in late 2017.
In the lead up to the new The Darkness, Top Cow is continuing their The Complete Darkness Collection Kickstarter series with Volume 3. Launching tomorrow, Thursday, 29 February at 9AM PST/12PM EST (that’s 6PM CET and 7PM South African time), The Complete Darkness Collection Vol. 3 will offer fans a look back as well as forward, getting readers up to speed via deluxe hardcovers (and digital PDF as well).
The Complete Darkness Collection Vol. 3 collects THE DARKNESS #41-64, THE DARKNESS: INFINITY, THE DARKNESS: BLACK SAILS and THE DARKNESS: WANTED DEAD. Notable character appearances in this collection include The Angelus and The Magdalena.
Of course, as the title of this latest collection suggests, this isn’t the first The Darkness collected edition to be released via Kickstarter campaign. The first crowdfunded volume was announced back in 2020 to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary, and was followed a year later by Vol. 2. If you missed those releases, Top Cow is promising they’ll make new printed editions available via a special backer tier with Volume 3.
Some other notable announcements about Volume 3 is that the hardcover edition will feature an exclusive Kickstarter dust jacket, and every copy will include a limited edition bookplate signed by The Darkness co-creator and Top Cow CEO Marc Silvestri. Bigger news, though, is that one of the project add-ons is The Darkness: Sourcebook, a handy way to make yourself familiar with The Darkness saga, as it reviews the history of Jackie and other major players in the series. Making things even more enticing is that the Sourcebook features new cover art by Silvestri, a handpicked gallery with the iconic creator commentating on each piece of art, and a sneak peek into the 2025 reboot, featuring art by Tomm Coker.
There are sure to be other surprises too, as Top Cow reveals stretch goals and other collectibles, along with as-yet-unrevealed Early Bird offers on launch. Ready yourself here.