Editing Top Cow Productions (section)

===1990s===

[[Marc Silvestri]] was one of the original seven founders of [[Image Comics]], along with [[Erik Larsen]], [[Rob Liefeld]], [[Jim Lee]], [[Todd McFarlane]], [[Jim Valentino]], and [[Whilce Portacio]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Overstreet |first=Robert M. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/34703954 |title=The Overstreet comic book price guide : books from 1897-present included : catalogue & evaluation guide-- illustrated |date=1996 |publisher=Avon Books |isbn=0-380-78778-4 |edition=26th |location=New York |pages=A-50 |oclc=34703954}}</ref>  When Image Comics first launched in 1992, Silvestri was still part of the Homage Studios group which at the time he co-owned Lee, Joe Chiodo, Portacio, and Scott Williams.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sodaro |first=Robert |date=February 1994 |title=Paying Homage |journal=Wizard |issue=30 |pages=40–46}}</ref> Silvestri's first title for Image Comics was ''[[Cyber Force (comics)|Cyberforce]]''. By the time the second issue was released in March 1993 Silvestri was publishing under the Top Cow Productions name.<ref>{{Cite comic |date=February1993 |title=Cyberforce |issue=2 |volume=1 |publisher=Image Comics}}</ref>

Silvestri says that naming his company "Top Cow" was a drunken decision. He was about to change the name to "Ballistic Studios," but changed his mind when he saw the Top Cow logo.<ref name=":2" />

Silvestri began expanding his line with ''Cyberforce'' spin-off called ''[[Codename: Strykeforce]]'' in 1994, which became the third top selling comic book of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comichron: 1994 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops |url=https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/1994.html |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=www.comichron.com}}</ref> He left Homage Studios in 1994 to move to Los Angeles to be closer to Hollywood and to better distinguish his publishing efforts from Lee's.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Khoury |first=George |title=Image Comics: The Road to Independence |date=June 2007 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1-893905-71-9 |pages=124}}</ref>

Following the move, Top Cow expanded its line of titles and its pool of talent. [[Chris Claremont]] wrote ''Cyberforce'' issues 9 through 11, published between December 1994 and April 1995. Also in 1995, Top Cow published a ''[[Velocity (character)|Velocity]]'' mini-series written by [[Kurt Busiek]], a ''[[Silver Surfer (comic book)|Weapon Zero]]'' mini-series written by [[Walt Simonson]], and [[Steve Gerber]] took over writing chores on ''Codename: Strykeforce'' starting with issue 10.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Benton |first=John |date=February 1995 |title=Comics from contented cows |journal=Hero Illustrated |volume=1 |issue=20 |pages=56–63}}</ref>

Top Cow published the first issue of ''[[Witchblade]]'', written by [[David Wohl]], [[Brian Haberlin]], and [[Christina Z]], with art by [[Michael Turner (comics)|Michael Turner]], in 1995. The character first appeared in the ''Cyblade/Shi The Battle for Independents'' one-shot, a crossover between a character from ''Cyberforce'' and [[Billy Tucci]]'s creator owned series ''Shi''. ''Witchblade'' was co-created by Silvestri, Wohl, Haberlin, Z, and Turner in part as a response to the success of ''Shi'' other series with strong women lead characters.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Sacks |first=Jason |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1990s |date= |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-60549-084-7 |pages=185, 225, 254, 273}}</ref> The series would later spawn a live action television series in 2001 and an animated series in 2006 (See Media adaptations below).

A ''Witchblade'' spin-off series, ''[[The Darkness (character)|The Darkness]]'', followed in 1996, written by [[Garth Ennis]] with art by [[David Finch (comics)|David Finch]]. The new title's sales started strong and only grew stronger, despite the comics market downturn, with its eleventh issue becoming the top selling comic book of 1997.<ref name=":1" /> Top Cow president Matt Hawkins later called ''Witchblade'' and ''The Darkness'' the company's flagship titles and described the period following their debut as Top Cow's "second era."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Diestch |first=T. J. |date=2012-10-31 |title=Silvestri & Hawkins On Two Decades Of Top Cow, Part 2 |url=https://www.cbr.com/silvestri-hawkins-on-two-decades-of-top-cow-part-2/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref>

In 1996, Top Cow briefly parted ways with Image during a dispute with Image associate [[Rob Liefeld]]. Liefeld left the company shortly after Top Cow's departure, and Top Cow returned to the partnership.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dean|first1=Michael|title=The Image Story Part Two: The Honeymoon|url=http://archives.tcj.com/3_online/n_image2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406102534/http://archives.tcj.com/3_online/n_image2.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2012|website=The Comics Journal|access-date=9 September 2017|date=25 October 2000}}</ref>

The first issue of Turner's creator owned series ''Fathom'' became the top selling comic book of 1998.<ref name=":1" /> ''Fathom'' later moved to Turner's own publishing company Aspen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aspen, Top Cow Settle Lawsuit |url=https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/3585/aspen-top-cow-settle-lawsuit |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=icv2.com |language=en}}</ref> [[J. Michael Straczynski]], best known then for his television series ''[[Babylon 5]]'' brought his creator-owned comic book series ''[[Rising Stars (comic)|Rising Stars]]'' to Top Cow in 1999,<ref name=":1" /> followed by ''[[Midnight Nation]]'' in 2000. Hawins called the period during which the company focused on "third-party" projects like ''Rising Stars'' and ''Midnight Nation'' the company's third era.

Top Cow started publishing ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' comics in 1999, following an investment deal with Eidos Games.<ref name=":2" /> The first issue of the series was the top selling comic book of 1999.<ref name=":1" />