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The Darkness: Rebirth #1
The Darkness: Rebirth Volume 1
A BOLD NEW ERA OF THE DARKNESS! Hot on the heels of The Darkness II video game release, this introductory-priced volume welcomes the new creative team of David Hine (The Darkness: Four Horsemen, The Bulletproof Coffin, Detective Comics) and Jeremy Haun (Artifacts, Detective Comics)!
On the surface, Jackie Estacado has everything he ever wanted - control of the Darkness, a successful career, and happy family life. Only his desire to make his life truly perfect will be his undoing. What will Jackie do when everything begins to slip away?
Collects THE DARKNESS #101-105.
On the surface, Jackie Estacado has everything he ever wanted - control of the Darkness, a successful career, and happy family life. Only his desire to make his life truly perfect will be his undoing. What will Jackie do when everything begins to slip away?
Collects THE DARKNESS #101-105.
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 25, 2012
Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: Me
The Darkness Rebirth: Volume 1 is a graphic novel gem! Thanks to the amazing minds at Top Cow, fans of the series and new comers alike can welcome with open arms the Rebirth of The Darkness. As the description states, Rebirth Volume 1 comes right on the heels of The Darkness II video game which released February 7th of this year. With its dark and twisted theme, issues #101-#105 are guaranteed to satisfy any science fiction or horror comic fan.
Jackie Estacado is the barer of one of the 13 Artifacts of power, which can help or obliterate the universe. Jump ahead to the present, Jackie is an esteemed crime lord, has a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter, unlimited money and resources and all he’s ever wanted. Even when he’s in control, the diabolical creature that consumes him, the Darkness, haunts our main character. With a mind of its own, the Darkness does one thing and one thing only…it destroys. This is a fact that his wife hates and eventually gives him an ultimatum, the Darkness or his family. Jackie enlists the help of someone to remove his demon, which backfires and causes a completely new set of problems for a man who just wants to keep his family together and safe. Now, he is stuck cleaning up the never-ending wake of destruction left by the creature he loathes most in the world. As if that isn't enough, he has a rival mafia faction closing in on his territory. How will Jackie’s story end, you won’t believe it when it happens!
The Darkness Rebirth: Volume 1 is by far one of my favorite comics from this year. It’s a cavern of twists and turns most readers will not expect or see coming until it sucker punches them in the face. The art style is phenomenal and every scene leaps from the page and straight into your lap. There were many instances of me sitting in front of the computer with my jaw hanging to the floor. Yes, there will be things that will knot your stomach, and some occasions that will make you say ‘what the h3##’. Nevertheless, they are so worth it, and worth reading repeatedly! With the brief prologue at the beginning of the story, any reader should be able to jump right into the narrative and not feel lost or threatened by the lore of the universe. I have not played the video game so I am not certain if there are any tie-ins, but I can now say this comic has me fired up and I will be picking it up soon to see The Darkness in action! And in case you were wondering, yes it comes with extra features such as deleted scenes and diary entries from characters in the comic to fully enhance your reading experience. Rebirth Volume 1 hits all the makes from crazy supernatural powers, to terrifying and haunting storylines.
My overall recommendation, get it, read it, love it, live it!
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: Me
The Darkness Rebirth: Volume 1 is a graphic novel gem! Thanks to the amazing minds at Top Cow, fans of the series and new comers alike can welcome with open arms the Rebirth of The Darkness. As the description states, Rebirth Volume 1 comes right on the heels of The Darkness II video game which released February 7th of this year. With its dark and twisted theme, issues #101-#105 are guaranteed to satisfy any science fiction or horror comic fan.
Jackie Estacado is the barer of one of the 13 Artifacts of power, which can help or obliterate the universe. Jump ahead to the present, Jackie is an esteemed crime lord, has a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter, unlimited money and resources and all he’s ever wanted. Even when he’s in control, the diabolical creature that consumes him, the Darkness, haunts our main character. With a mind of its own, the Darkness does one thing and one thing only…it destroys. This is a fact that his wife hates and eventually gives him an ultimatum, the Darkness or his family. Jackie enlists the help of someone to remove his demon, which backfires and causes a completely new set of problems for a man who just wants to keep his family together and safe. Now, he is stuck cleaning up the never-ending wake of destruction left by the creature he loathes most in the world. As if that isn't enough, he has a rival mafia faction closing in on his territory. How will Jackie’s story end, you won’t believe it when it happens!
The Darkness Rebirth: Volume 1 is by far one of my favorite comics from this year. It’s a cavern of twists and turns most readers will not expect or see coming until it sucker punches them in the face. The art style is phenomenal and every scene leaps from the page and straight into your lap. There were many instances of me sitting in front of the computer with my jaw hanging to the floor. Yes, there will be things that will knot your stomach, and some occasions that will make you say ‘what the h3##’. Nevertheless, they are so worth it, and worth reading repeatedly! With the brief prologue at the beginning of the story, any reader should be able to jump right into the narrative and not feel lost or threatened by the lore of the universe. I have not played the video game so I am not certain if there are any tie-ins, but I can now say this comic has me fired up and I will be picking it up soon to see The Darkness in action! And in case you were wondering, yes it comes with extra features such as deleted scenes and diary entries from characters in the comic to fully enhance your reading experience. Rebirth Volume 1 hits all the makes from crazy supernatural powers, to terrifying and haunting storylines.
My overall recommendation, get it, read it, love it, live it!
September 4, 2012
Possibly the best Darkness run EVER!
January 17, 2018
I bought this as part of the Top Cow HumbleBundle and I had no idea what to expect. I like fantasy and science-fiction stories with a dark side (Sith, black magic, ...). However, in this book the darkness is the story; it is horror, not dark fantasy. This is Darkness - Rebirth, some explanations are given for what happened before in previous novels, but I still feel like I am missing some background to understand or even appreciate all that is happening. I usually avoid horror, but this is ok. If you are more into horror, I recommend it.
November 25, 2012
Each re-launch of The Darkness sees the series turning, well, darker. The first “reborn” arc follows this tradition and ups the ante, with Jackie purging himself of the force that’s been bound to him for so long, and with the Darkness very literally taking on a life of its own.
For Jackie’s sake, we’ll refer to this as Mistake #2. Remaking the entire world in his own image (see the Artifacts ongoing series that started the Top Cow reboot) is probably going to end up going down as Mistake #1. Especially when Sara Pezzini of Witchblade remembers that Hope should be HER daughter. But I’m sure that’s an arc for another day.
What really intrigues me about this reboot is that even though Jackie has very literally played God with the Top Cow universe, he’s not done a very good job of it. His new wife is a wreck and he seems largely oblivious, his marriage is already strained despite his literally having invented it. Oh, and there’s a chance that his daughter, Hope, (who seems to know more than she should about how she came to be and what her father’s been up to when playing God) is slowly being infected by the Darkness.
If you’re looking for a complete storyarc, you’ll be disappointed. There is much left unresolved at the end of this collection, and you’ll definitely be left anticipating the release of The Darkness #106. The creative team of Hine and Huan has laid the ground work for a phenomenal relaunch, and I am very much looking forward to seeing how this world plays out.
For Jackie’s sake, we’ll refer to this as Mistake #2. Remaking the entire world in his own image (see the Artifacts ongoing series that started the Top Cow reboot) is probably going to end up going down as Mistake #1. Especially when Sara Pezzini of Witchblade remembers that Hope should be HER daughter. But I’m sure that’s an arc for another day.
What really intrigues me about this reboot is that even though Jackie has very literally played God with the Top Cow universe, he’s not done a very good job of it. His new wife is a wreck and he seems largely oblivious, his marriage is already strained despite his literally having invented it. Oh, and there’s a chance that his daughter, Hope, (who seems to know more than she should about how she came to be and what her father’s been up to when playing God) is slowly being infected by the Darkness.
If you’re looking for a complete storyarc, you’ll be disappointed. There is much left unresolved at the end of this collection, and you’ll definitely be left anticipating the release of The Darkness #106. The creative team of Hine and Huan has laid the ground work for a phenomenal relaunch, and I am very much looking forward to seeing how this world plays out.
April 20, 2021
I appreciate the tone of this revamped Darkness far more than the classic stuff. Something about the original superhero styled suit didn't do it for me.
Sure, Jackie Estacado is a monster but in these stories, he feels human too.
Sure, Jackie Estacado is a monster but in these stories, he feels human too.
October 18, 2012
The last four pages was just f--ked up.
Read
February 14, 2024Graphic novels storyboard ideas beautifully. We see a vision enacted in the panels. I enjoy them.
To that end, I recently picked up The Darkness: Rebirth volumes 1-3 from my library, with the story by David Hine, illustrations by Jeremy Haun and John Rauch, put out by Top Cow Productions, Inc from Image Comics. This is not a comic book for kids. There’s adult content. In it, the lead character seems to have the ideal life - a beautiful, loving wife and daughter, a thriving business and home, and remarkable power. However, when his wife insists he give up his dangerous, dark power, he enlists the aid of a centuries old mage who skives the darkness from him and thereby creates a w. But the doppelganger isn’t content with being a shadowy, subjected personality… the family kitty gives birth, but not before scratching the daughter… the wife is losing her mind… bad guys are popping out of the woodwork… a mysterious illness takes ahold of people around the lead… and what’s been done needs to be corrected… oh, and the “ancient ones” would like to take over the world again. With a vivid vision, these stories show a character who wields personified darkness like a weapon and others who either also admit the darkness into themselves or want to do so. It’s dark, violent, and thought-provoking. I particularly enjoy the child’s storyline and character development.
To that end, I recently picked up The Darkness: Rebirth volumes 1-3 from my library, with the story by David Hine, illustrations by Jeremy Haun and John Rauch, put out by Top Cow Productions, Inc from Image Comics. This is not a comic book for kids. There’s adult content. In it, the lead character seems to have the ideal life - a beautiful, loving wife and daughter, a thriving business and home, and remarkable power. However, when his wife insists he give up his dangerous, dark power, he enlists the aid of a centuries old mage who skives the darkness from him and thereby creates a w. But the doppelganger isn’t content with being a shadowy, subjected personality… the family kitty gives birth, but not before scratching the daughter… the wife is losing her mind… bad guys are popping out of the woodwork… a mysterious illness takes ahold of people around the lead… and what’s been done needs to be corrected… oh, and the “ancient ones” would like to take over the world again. With a vivid vision, these stories show a character who wields personified darkness like a weapon and others who either also admit the darkness into themselves or want to do so. It’s dark, violent, and thought-provoking. I particularly enjoy the child’s storyline and character development.
November 28, 2012
You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/...
Shadowhawk reviews the first collected volume of the ongoing The Darkness series, set after the universe-changing events of the Artifacts crossover. This graphic novel collects issues #101-105.
“Wonderfully dark and brutal, this graphic novel is pure horror awesomeness.” ~The Founding Fields
Note: Review contains major spoilers for Ron Marz’s ongoing Artifacts series.
My only familiarity with Jackie Estacado and The Darkness comes from Ron Marz’s ongoing Artifacts series, which is Top Cow’s big crossover event for their various titles, akin to Marvel’s Civil War or DC’s various Crisis storylines. For me, Marz gave Jackie an excellent outing, from the 20 issues I’ve read of the series, and it got me interested in learning more about him and the artifact that he bears, The Darkness. This interest prompted me to pick up a copy of the latest The Darkness graphic novel, written by David Hine, when it became available on NetGalley.
Let me start of by saying that Jackie is no hero. And he’s no villain either. He’s much more of an anti-hero than anything else. To start off with, Jackie runs the largest mafia-esque gangs in New York, he’s at the top of the food chain, and to mess with him means that whoever ticked him off is going to be pushing daisies very soon, if there is enough of such a person left once Jackie is done with him/her/them. His dominance in the New York criminal underworld comes from his possession of The Darkness, an artifact dating from the creation of the universe, and one of the two fundamental powers therein, alongside The Angelus. The artifact grants him supernatural abilities, and allows him to call on the darklings, a species of demons from a really, really messed up dimension.
Now, when I last read of Jackie, he and his former lover Sara Pezzini (who bears the Witchblade, one of the other ancient artifacts, and the “child” of The Darkness and The Angelus) restructure all of reality following a struggle against a mad man who had their daughter, Hope, kidnapped. The reason, it turned out, was pretty simple: Hope is the key to the matrix of the current reality and she can be used as a conduit to restructure reality according to the whim of whoever “controls” Hope. Jackie and Sara turned the tables on this guy and when all was dusted and done, Jackie somehow came up on top, for the world that was created was inherently beneficial to him. His dead wife Jenny is now alive and Hope is their daughter now, with Sara no longer in the picture. And that’s where all the trouble starts.
In David Hine’s run, things are not going so well for Jackie. His relationship with Jenny is strained to the limit, to the extent that she ends up throwing him out of their bedroom when he comes back home having killed a bunch of Bulgarian mobsters who tried to ambush him in his own office. Jenny doesn’t care much for his criminal activities but she draws a line with him using The Darkness to handle his affairs. This finally pushes Jackie to search for a solution and he asks Aram the Witch King to help him exorcise himself (Aram being the only wielder of The Darkness who managed to separate himself from it). But things actually get worse: The Darkness has been a part of him for a long time and Aram’s exorcism creates a doppelganger of Jackie, a pure The Darkness-controlled and created doppelganger.
I enjoyed Hine’s Jackie much more than I did Marz’s for a simple reason: Hine is dealing with Jackie and The Darkness in a dedicated book where he really has room to explore their characters, personalities and their abilities. Hine doesn’t give Jackie a simplistic sympathetic portrayal, but he definitely gets into his mind, and explores him on a very deeply psychological level. Even with The Darkness no longer a part of him, there is still a very dark part of his soul that exists nonetheless. Hine plays The Darkness and this dark nature of Jackie’s against each other and he defines the graphic novel from that perspective. The sub-plot, involving the leader of the Bulgarian mobsters moving in on Jackie’s territory is written brilliantly, but the psychological aspect of Jackie’s various relationships is much more compelling.
The graphic novel has an extensive focus on Jackie, and while there are a host of compelling (and even sympathetic) characters here, such as Jenny and Hope and Jackie’s various associates, it really is Jackie who defines all of them. We look at all of them through his eyes. His slightest decisions have greater consequences on all of them. The fact of the matter is that with Jackie running the show, Rebirth Volume 1 is a very character-driven graphic novel with a plot that is just as engaging. Hine’s characterisation of Jackie and the others is the real gem here.
This is not a graphic novel for kids. There is some very blood-and-guts violence in here, everything from mindless butchery of human bodies (courtesy of The Darkness, thank you very much) to the age-old street-side brawl that gets out of control, and much more. There is also some sex, although I don’t consider any of it to be gratuitous. These scenes have a purpose in the big narrative, and that purpose is to show how much Jackie is losing control of his life, and how much The Darkness is taking over everything. When the new reality was created (or the current reality changed, whichever you prefer), Jackie thought he would have a perfect life. Hine shows how that was nothing more than a fantasy of Jackie’s. Rebirth Volume 1 charts how everything around Jackie is going to hell.
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/...
Shadowhawk reviews the first collected volume of the ongoing The Darkness series, set after the universe-changing events of the Artifacts crossover. This graphic novel collects issues #101-105.
“Wonderfully dark and brutal, this graphic novel is pure horror awesomeness.” ~The Founding Fields
Note: Review contains major spoilers for Ron Marz’s ongoing Artifacts series.
My only familiarity with Jackie Estacado and The Darkness comes from Ron Marz’s ongoing Artifacts series, which is Top Cow’s big crossover event for their various titles, akin to Marvel’s Civil War or DC’s various Crisis storylines. For me, Marz gave Jackie an excellent outing, from the 20 issues I’ve read of the series, and it got me interested in learning more about him and the artifact that he bears, The Darkness. This interest prompted me to pick up a copy of the latest The Darkness graphic novel, written by David Hine, when it became available on NetGalley.
Let me start of by saying that Jackie is no hero. And he’s no villain either. He’s much more of an anti-hero than anything else. To start off with, Jackie runs the largest mafia-esque gangs in New York, he’s at the top of the food chain, and to mess with him means that whoever ticked him off is going to be pushing daisies very soon, if there is enough of such a person left once Jackie is done with him/her/them. His dominance in the New York criminal underworld comes from his possession of The Darkness, an artifact dating from the creation of the universe, and one of the two fundamental powers therein, alongside The Angelus. The artifact grants him supernatural abilities, and allows him to call on the darklings, a species of demons from a really, really messed up dimension.
Now, when I last read of Jackie, he and his former lover Sara Pezzini (who bears the Witchblade, one of the other ancient artifacts, and the “child” of The Darkness and The Angelus) restructure all of reality following a struggle against a mad man who had their daughter, Hope, kidnapped. The reason, it turned out, was pretty simple: Hope is the key to the matrix of the current reality and she can be used as a conduit to restructure reality according to the whim of whoever “controls” Hope. Jackie and Sara turned the tables on this guy and when all was dusted and done, Jackie somehow came up on top, for the world that was created was inherently beneficial to him. His dead wife Jenny is now alive and Hope is their daughter now, with Sara no longer in the picture. And that’s where all the trouble starts.
In David Hine’s run, things are not going so well for Jackie. His relationship with Jenny is strained to the limit, to the extent that she ends up throwing him out of their bedroom when he comes back home having killed a bunch of Bulgarian mobsters who tried to ambush him in his own office. Jenny doesn’t care much for his criminal activities but she draws a line with him using The Darkness to handle his affairs. This finally pushes Jackie to search for a solution and he asks Aram the Witch King to help him exorcise himself (Aram being the only wielder of The Darkness who managed to separate himself from it). But things actually get worse: The Darkness has been a part of him for a long time and Aram’s exorcism creates a doppelganger of Jackie, a pure The Darkness-controlled and created doppelganger.
I enjoyed Hine’s Jackie much more than I did Marz’s for a simple reason: Hine is dealing with Jackie and The Darkness in a dedicated book where he really has room to explore their characters, personalities and their abilities. Hine doesn’t give Jackie a simplistic sympathetic portrayal, but he definitely gets into his mind, and explores him on a very deeply psychological level. Even with The Darkness no longer a part of him, there is still a very dark part of his soul that exists nonetheless. Hine plays The Darkness and this dark nature of Jackie’s against each other and he defines the graphic novel from that perspective. The sub-plot, involving the leader of the Bulgarian mobsters moving in on Jackie’s territory is written brilliantly, but the psychological aspect of Jackie’s various relationships is much more compelling.
The graphic novel has an extensive focus on Jackie, and while there are a host of compelling (and even sympathetic) characters here, such as Jenny and Hope and Jackie’s various associates, it really is Jackie who defines all of them. We look at all of them through his eyes. His slightest decisions have greater consequences on all of them. The fact of the matter is that with Jackie running the show, Rebirth Volume 1 is a very character-driven graphic novel with a plot that is just as engaging. Hine’s characterisation of Jackie and the others is the real gem here.
This is not a graphic novel for kids. There is some very blood-and-guts violence in here, everything from mindless butchery of human bodies (courtesy of The Darkness, thank you very much) to the age-old street-side brawl that gets out of control, and much more. There is also some sex, although I don’t consider any of it to be gratuitous. These scenes have a purpose in the big narrative, and that purpose is to show how much Jackie is losing control of his life, and how much The Darkness is taking over everything. When the new reality was created (or the current reality changed, whichever you prefer), Jackie thought he would have a perfect life. Hine shows how that was nothing more than a fantasy of Jackie’s. Rebirth Volume 1 charts how everything around Jackie is going to hell.
June 15, 2018
An enjoyable horror graphic novel. excited to start book two.
January 5, 2013
This Darkness is dark indeed. The writing is good, the art is great, and the story is fantastic. Each issue in this trade had me excited to read the next, particularly the latter two issues. I love the little extras in this collection like the variant covers and art at the end of the book. The journal entries/chapter notes after each issue are wonderful. They really help inform what just happened and give you an "insider's view" of some of the events and characters of that particular issue, adding a great level of depth. Having just read the Witchblade Rebirth Vol 1, sort of a companion to this in terms of continuity, I can't say which I liked more. I think Sara's character was better developed in her "rebirth" volume, but in The Darkness Rebirth I feel like it is the second string players that get a little better development. If you enjoy The Darkness series, this is a must read. If you just like comics that are a little on the dark side, give this one a shot. It doesn't require too much knowledge of prior events, but it's best to have at least a little.
February 23, 2013
Full review on HorrorTalk.com: http://www.horrortalk.com/comic-revie...
March 20, 2016
So so so so good.
Stunning artwork, amazing world and a brilliant storyline, love everything about this universe and these characters.
Stunning artwork, amazing world and a brilliant storyline, love everything about this universe and these characters.
April 3, 2017
Jackie has a family with Jenny and Hope, but their happiness is interrupted by him having to use the Darkness in his dealings with the Bulgarian clans. Jenny warns him that she will leave with the child unless Jackie gets rid of the Darkness completely.
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