The Wild Storm (2017-2019) Vol. 1

In 1996, British writer WARREN ELLIS got me to do something no other writer at the time could do: believe in superhero comics again.   Although I was initially on the WILDSTORM train from the beginning, by 1995 I was introduced to the VERTIGO line of comics and the realization that I was an adult, so superhero comics were becoming the butt of jokes within the new circle I found myself traveling in.   In 1996 after reading the FIRE FROM HEAVEN miniseries from Wildstorm, I got wind that Warren Ellis was taking over the STORMWATCH comic, I was on board. The only hang up that I had at the time was "would the art be good?". So basically I pretty much found myself backsliding to the thinking I had when I in some way COLLECTED comics because of the art, a habit that was broken when I was introduced to writers like ALAN MOORE, GARTH ENNIS and GRANT MORRISON. I initially didn't give artist TOM RANEY a fair shake.    The first two volumes of Ellis' Stormwatch  came and went and as someone that was along for the ride those  3 years I noticed something about Warren's writing: He has a very CINEMATIC approach in how his comics are TRANSLATED to the reader, which is totally evident in the WIDESCREEN style of the Stormwatch successor comic, THE AUTHORITY. It was like READING a comic version of how THE MATRIX was supposed to be amped to the Nth degree (even when he KILLED GOD, I found myself saying HELL YEAH!)   Also during his Wildstorm years, I was also introduced to Mr. Ellis' flair for INVENTING some very UNCONVENTIONALLY unforgettable characters (JENNY SPARKS, JACK HAWKSMOOR, THE DOCTOR, THE ENGINEER, APOLLO, THE MIDNIGHTER , THE HIGH and ROSE TATTOO) as well as breathing new life into MEDIOCRE ones and making them shine (SWIFT). I still marvel at the idea of  THE CARRIER and the CAGED BABY UNIVERSE that powered it. But alas, that was 20 years ago and so much has happened to all the aforementioned.  I recently bought the WILDC.A.T.S COMPENDIUM trade paperback after READING the STORM WARNING insert within this VOLUME in hopes of getting a better understanding of why JIM LEEchose WARREN and why Warren took the ASSIGNMENT being that in his COME IN ALONE column he basically said "IF IT AIN'T MINE, I AIN'T STAYING ON IT!" (roughshod AMERICAN translation), and it gave me sort of an in depth look at Mr. Ellis' creative process (God help me).  Like the AUTHORITY, Warren pretty much goes TARRANTINO and JOHN WOO in his approach here and I' m in AWE as I try to CORRELATE the events taking place in this VOLUME and match it to it's 90's COUNTERPARTS.  At times I often laugh when I get NOSTALGIC thinking about how WILDC.A.T.S were advertised in COMIC SHOP adverts prior to ISSUE #1's release in 1992; "NEW MUTANT heroes  created by JIM LEE". As I read the COMPENDIUM trade in comparison to THE WILD STORM it seems like I'm finally letting myself in on a joke I kept from myself. After his XMEN run, it seems that JIM got TYPECAST. Gone are the SPANDEX BODY CONDOMS I was slowly being deterred from in the late 90's. The EVENTS of THE WILD STORM put me more in the mind of WATCHING an episode of HOMELAND or FRINGE  and at times the movieTHE DEPARTED whereas the COMPENDIUM trade conjures up memories of SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS and that let's me know WARREN ELLIS is BACK, as if he ever went anywhere.     JON  DAVIS-HUNT'S art pretty much put me in the mind of why I liked WARREN ELLIS' GRAVEL comics. His realistic approach at CHARACTERS like ZEALOT, VOID, VOODOO and THE ENGINEER , as well as new RENDITIONS of JOHN COLT, DEATHBLOW, SWIFT, JENNY SPARKS,HENRY BENDIX ,FAHRENHEIT, BATTALION,CHRISTINE TRELANE,IVANA BAIUL and MILES CRAVEN is on point with Ellis' ultimate take on what the REIMAGINED Wildstorm universe core should look like (the whole TEAM 7/ GEN13 theme gets very interesting in VOLUME 3). At times it has a WEST WING/ NYPD BLUE vibe to it. So if it ain't broke, let it be.

Warren Ellis is given the reigns to DC's Wild Storm universe and essentially goes for a soft reboot in this new series. While most of the Wild Storm imprint characters were either ignored or poorly served by the controversial New 52 reboot (that combined the Wildstorm Universe with the main DC universe), a few characters made it out unscathed. Notably, Midnighter had a great short-run series and a solid team up book with his lover Apollo. Most of the other Wildstorm books though were quickly cancelled and forgotten about (Grifter, Voodoo, Stormwatch). Here, Ellis essentially puts the Wild Storm characters on their own again away from the DC mainstays and focuses on similar beats as were original presented in Image's WildCATS series. Jacob Marlowe, a diminutive industrialist, is targeted for assassination only to be saved by Angela Spica, a normal engineer who happens to have discovered a method of containing a high-tech flight suit inside of her own body. Marlowe's survival brings three different groups to a head: IO, a secretive spy agency that wanted to kill Marlowe and supposedly run the world; Skywatch, a rival organization that claims dominion over space itself from their orbiting satellite station; and Marlowe's Wild CAT (combat action team) that are out to stop the two other organizations from tearing the world apart. With classic characters like Grifter, Zealot, Voodoo, Void, and Jenny Sparks all getting soft modern reboots the first volume of this new series if off to a wild start that pays respect to the classic Image and DC comics of the Wildstorm past while doing something new and different with the characters as well.

I really like the premise of secret organizations with super advanced technologies that are constantly vying for power. I like the cyberpunk components of the story as well. However, halfway through the volume the author introduces too much of a fantasy component to the mix with the character representing voodoo. I think it would have landed better with a slightly more grounded narrative, or at least more subtle fantasy approaches.The art and layout for the most part is good, and the word to panel ratio is ok. Unfortunately, the art reminded me a bit too much of Gail Simone’s Clean Room which was also illustrated by the same artist. The similarity of the art and the same general premise makes me wonder if they are shared universes. I did enjoy this book more than Clean Room.Overall, the story was good but was a little far fetched.

Has all bells and whistles of a Warren Ellis saga, fun ,speculative, intrigue and violent as hell, it's page turner. Want more

I respect writer warren ellis but this one is for double-dipped fanboyz. Unless yr familiar with 3 decades of past character continuity, it's dang hard to plow yr way thru the turgid text--I have no idea what's going on. Worse yet, the art is junior grade draftsmanship--looks like this guy (or gal--I mean who knows these days, eh?) learned to draw by copying those who learned to draw by copying those who-ad nauseum). Take for instance my fave example page 26--or thereabouts. It's the page that begins, "I'm busy enough running your covert action team..." Note the white-haired gent on the left. For the first 3 panels, it changes size, ballooning hugely in panel one, even larger in panel 2, shrinking a bit in 3, and then wobbling as it shrinks and expand just a little bit in the final three panels.

First off- I love warren Ellis. I’ve read a lot of his work. Europa, the authority, planetary, crooked little vein, global frequency, etc. this was surprisingly long winded especially coming off like my fifth read of planetary. I’m hoping this is just a long winded set up. That aside, the worst thing is the artist! The layout here is the most painfully average I’ve seen in a long time. It gets the story out but the art is incredibly boring. Plain stagnant shot square after square. Ugh.

Nunca gostei da Wildsform, mas ouvi falar muito dessa história, e é Warren Ellis, afinal. E realmente é boa, muito bem escrita, mas o que me chama a atenção é a arte. É um Fran Quitely melhorado esse desenhista. Olho em Jon Davis-Hunt

I read ellis' stormwatch and authority stuff from the late 90s. Great stuff. He wrote netflixs castlevania. Um, that sucked. But when i found out hed gone back to wildstorm, i figured id give it a try. Im glad i did. Its smart, topical, intellectually mature. Better than any comics movie youll see. I wish comics like this would get adapted. I wd love to see a netflix series adapted fron this and future wildstorm stuff. Alas, what we get is umbrella academy and titans.Its very decompressed, meaning that its taking the full 24 issues to get somewhere. But the ride, the characterization, the art is all excellent. The reimagining is very interesting. Im probably gona keep reading wild storm. At least the ellis stuff

I wasn’t sure where this was going. The addition of aliens posing as tech giants is interesting. Artwork is lovely and the story is interesting. I’m looking forward to reading the next volume(s).

Excellent work, nod to the past with interesting changes in the re work.

Bela reinvenção do universo Wildstorn. Faz lembrar da fase áurea em que Warren Ellis esteve à frente de títulos como Stornwatch e Authoroty. A arte de Jon Davis-Hunt está soberba. Obrigatório para fãs de quadrinhos de super-heróis e para os saudosistas do velho selo da Image/DC.