Top Cow Productions and Image Comics are resurrecting one of their most iconic series this December with The Darkness (2025) #1. The new ongoing relaunch sees original co-creator Marc Silvestri return to the franchise alongside artist Ed Benes (Birds of Prey, Justice League of America) for a fresh era of Jackie Estacado, the mafia hitman turned wielder of supernatural power.
For Silvestri, this marks a long-awaited homecoming: “The Darkness has always been one of my favorite characters, and I’ve wanted to come back to it for a long time,” he said. “Fans have been asking for years when Jackie would return, and now we get to deliver something truly special. This is going to feel familiar, but it’s going to take you places you’ve never been before.”
Issue #1 will feature Benes’ pencils, inks from Matt “Batt!” Banning, Sal Regla, and John Livesay, colors by Arif Prianto, and letters from Troy Peteri. Starting with issue #2, Raymond Gay (Gunslinger Spawn, TMNT) will join the series as artist.
First launched in 1996, The Darkness quickly became a cornerstone of Top Cow’s universe, spawning spin-offs, crossovers, and two acclaimed video game adaptations. The new series promises to honor the original’s grit and moral complexity while charting bold new territory.
“This isn’t just a nostalgia trip—it’s a reinvention,” Silvestri explained. “We’re going back to what made The Darkness such a hit: its grit, its danger, its sense that power always comes with a price. But this time, we’re turning everything up to eleven.”
The Darkness (2025) #1 hits comic shops on December 10, 2025, complete with an extensive lineup of variant covers from Silvestri, Benes, and David Mack, plus sketch covers, ratio incentives, and ultra-rare signed and original art editions for collectors. Preorders open September 19.
Check out a preview and the full solicitation below!
Solicitation – THE DARKNESS (2025) #1
Writer: Marc Silvestri
Penciler: Ed Benes
Inks: Matt “Batt!” Banning, Sal Regla, John Livesay
Colors: Arif Prianto
Letters: Troy Peteri
On Sale: December 10, 2025
In a world consumed by shadows…one man becomes The Darkness. Jackie Estacado is back! Thrust into a supernatural war between the dark and the light in a no-holds-barred adventure where the edge of our reality grinds against supernatural forces grappling for control over each other and the waking world.
Mafia Hitman Jackie Estacado was both blessed and cursed on his 21st birthday when he became the bearer of The Darkness, an elemental force that allows those who wield it access to an otherworldly dimension and control over the demons who dwell there. Forces in the world rise up to face Jackie and the evil his gift represents. There is one small problem in this story…evil is good.
From co-creator Marc Silvestri (The Darkness, Cyber Force, Batman and the Joker: The Deadly Duo) with the universe-shattering first issue art by Ed Benes (Birds of Prey, Superman, Justice League of America), followed in issue #2 with ongoing series artist Raymond Gay (Gunsligner Spawn, Bloodletter, TMNT, Medieval Spawn), comes an explosive new era of The Darkness!
Covers:
- Cover A: Marc Silvestri & Arif Prianto
- Cover B: Ed Benes & Arif Prianto
- Cover C: David Mack
- Cover D: Blank Sketch Cover
Incentives:
- 1:10, 1:25, 1:50, 1:100, 1:250 ratios including B&W line art and color virgin variants.
- Ultra-rare 1:500 and 1:1000 ratios include signed and original art sketch covers by Marc Silvestri
The Darkness series will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. Visit TopCow.com for more information.
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