Wildstorm! Mini-Series Review

Wildstorm!
Image Comics - Wildstorm
Comic Book Mini-Series
32/ea. = 128 pages (1995)
$2.50/ea. = $10.00

Published: Wildstorm! #1-4 (of 4)

Contributors: Aron Wiesenfeld, Walt Simonson, Louise Simonson, John Workman, Joe Chiodo, Mike Heisler, Simon Furman, Allen Im, Dan Panosian, Richard Starkings, Wendy Fouts, Mark Pacella, Wildstorm FX, Mike Zeck, Scott Beatty, Randy Green, Bob Wiacek, Bill Oakley, Byron Talman, Quantum Color FX, Drew Bittner, Jeff Johnson, Scott Kolins, Ominious, Brad Vancata, Nathan Lumm, Michael Friedman, Ryan Odagawa, Mark McKenna, George Davis, Merv, Tom Raney, Randy Elliot, John Tighe, Gina Going, In Color, Sarah Becker, Rick Ketchum, and Tony Kelly

Synopsis: Anthology series with short stories starring:

• Gen13's Roxy and Grunge save a little boy and his parents from two kidnappers at the airport
• A mysterious naked man wanders into a museum and dons a set of armor from several hundred years ago.  He doesn't speak English, is covered in what appear to be mystic tattoos, and is unusually strong.  Then he leaves the museum into a bustling metropolis and begins wreaking havoc.  He makes one big mistake by crossing paths with Deathblow.
• Spartan is on a solo mission to investigate a suspicious shipping facility.  He runs into the Black Razors from International Operations ("I/O"), but will they trust a covert team's android leader?  It may mean the difference between life and death when a group of Hunter/Killers show up.
• Taboo remembers her harsh training under the lethal Pike of The Cabal.  He gives her a mission to assassinate a scientist and if she fails - death to all quitters.  When the scientist turns out to be linked to her past can she still carry out the task?
• Union patrols the city and seemingly discovers a runaway alien riding a cybernetic gorilla.  He naturally steps in, but something seems wrong with the scene.  
• Nautika and Sunburst of Stormwatch are on an ocean cruise discussing their future.  Nautika is trying to convince Sunburst to rejoin the team after he was paralyzed in a battle.  The two are suddenly attacked by a group of masked terrorists.
• Strafe, better known as Malcolm King, is Jackson King's younger brother.  Jackson is the field leader of Stormwatch.  Malcolm was recently released after his father, the villain Despot, tried to destroy the team and used Malcolm as his pawn.  Malcolm is feeling guilty for what he's done under the influence of his father and goes to a bar for some down time.  Too bad there's always some knucklehead trying to start something.  Well, you really shouldn't try it with a telekinetic.  
• Fahrenheit is a strong member of Stormwatch, but we learn her tragic origin and how her powers were originally a curse.

Pros: Detailed art and covers by Wiesenfeld, spotlight on some peripheral characters from the Wildstorm universe

Cons: Terrible stories, worse dialogue, lame characters, and mostly awful (amateur) art

Mike Tells It Straight: I found this series in the quarter bin and thought it would be wizard to check out some pre-DC buyout Wildstorm stories from the retro 1990s.  Ouch, this series is terrible and reminded me of all the things I tried to forget from that infamous time period.  Wildstorm Studios attempted an anthology book (similar to the long-ish running Marvel Comics Presents) which usually had a veteran artist anchoring each issue to allow features from young artists or stories starring peripheral characters.  It was supposed to be an ongoing, but lasted only four issues for reasons I will spell out below.

The book was anchored by rising star Aron Wiesenfeld who gives the best art performance by far, but his story lacks any real emotional maturity or appeal.  It looked kinda neat - that's all.  The rest of the art is terrible.  Even veteran star Walt Simonson's art looks like crap when applied to Gen13.  The writing is also really bad and this short series is best left forgotten (whatever happened to Aron Wiesenfeld anyway? - find out here).

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Planetary Vol. 4 Spacetime Archaeology Hardcover Review + Final Series Thoughts

Planetary Vol. 4 Spacetime Archaeology
DC Comics - Wildstorm
224 pages
$75.00 (2014) Omnibus
$75.00 (2010) Absolute Edition Vol. 2
$24.99 (2010) Hardcover
$17.99 (2010) Trade Paperback
ISBN 9781401223458

Contributors: Warren Ellis, John Cassaday, Laura Martin, and Richard Starkings

Reprints: Planetary #19-27 (of 27)

Synopsis: Elijah Snow started out as a mysterious recluse who was recruited into the Planetary organization, a semi-covert group of modern archaeologists focusing on uncovering the history of the world.  He began as the third member of Planetary's field team including Jakita Wagner, perpetually bored superwoman, and The Drummer, technology savant and grunge rock burnout.  Snow has uncanny abilities to reduce temperatures, is a rare 'century baby', born on January 1, 1900, and ages at a decreased rate.  Planetary's greatest adversaries in their mission to gather secret knowledge is the clandestine superhuman group called 'The Four' who are the unknown manipulators of the world.  They have a history with Planetary, but Elijah's memory has artificial holes and he's been struggling to find out.

Snow begins to pull long buried resources

Now that Elijah's memory blocks are loosened 'the game is afoot' as a particularly renowned Victorian detective would say (who was also Elijah's mentor in the early part of the century).  He's no longer an unwitting pawn, but starts putting the Planetary organization's surprisingly vast resources to use in devising a plan against the Four. It's time for the final reveals as we learn the secret history of William Leather, what Jacob Greene really looks like, Randall Dowling's frightening power, and what price the Four paid to get their abilities.

Even while new mysteries are uncovered, such as a derelict space vessel which apparently transported a god-like being, Snow lays his traps.  Using secret technology, like a trio of cosmic recorders called 'angels' as bait, he prepares for a final confrontation with the Four.  It includes calling in favors from past allies such as John Stone, the ultimate secret agent.  When he comes in from the cold, whose side will he really be on?

Elijah goes to a magician (or maybe a shaman) to get a reading on what the outcome will be with the Four.  He goes on an impossible journey through the inner workings of the universe and comes out the other side with a new perspective.  We finally learn the origin of the Drummer and how he ended up with Planetary.  Just as Snow gets serious, the Four respond in kind.  They're not above using an orbital death ray to vaporize Planetary's field team and they don't care who gets caught in the crossfire.  Prepare for the ultimate showdown with the planet's fate hanging in the balance!

Pros: Cassaday's art at its peak - highly detailed yet very stylized, Ellis writes some complex and intriguing plots with heavy science fiction concepts, the series wraps up and answers all the questions, issues #19-20 were nominated for Eisner award in 2005 for best story, Cassaday won Eisner awards in 2004 through 2006 for best penciller/inker, awesome covers as always, we finally get a Drummer origin and he doesn't seem like such a one-dimensional character anymore

Jakita Wagner takes on John Stone

Cons: Long delay between third volume and this last collection loses some impact to the story (like get it over with already), final confrontation with the Four was somewhat disappointing, science fiction elements are just thrown at the reader and it gets confusing at times

Mike Tells It Straight: It took a long time for this final volume of Warren Ellis and John Cassaday's Planetary to get published (issue 27 came out 3 years after issue 26).  See reviews of the first 3 volumes + crossovers here - Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Crossing Worlds.  It's a larger collection than previous volumes (9 issues vs. 6 in each of the first 3 volumes) and I'm really glad DC didn't try to publish this in two volumes (especially considering how long between publication of later issues).  Cassaday's art is at its peak in these issues and he was recognized as best penciller/inker for three years in a row (he worked on other series during this time as well including Astonishing X-Men with Joss Whedon).  Ellis writes some great plot points, fun mysteries, and exciting science concepts.  He wraps up the series nicely with a few big reveals and origins along the way.

First off, we get a two-part space mission which is utterly fantastic.  Ellis writes an amazing science fiction tale which ends up just being a coincidence of Snow's revenge mission against the Four.  It's beautifully illustrated by Cassaday and colored by Laura Martin.  Just amazing stuff and nominated for an Eisner as best serialized story.  Then things get weird as Snow visits a mystic who sets him on a bad acid trip.  He seems to learn some unknown truth of the universe (a common side effect of psychotropic drugs) and continues his mission with greater resolve.  We learn the secret origin of William Leather and the line Snow is willing to cross in order to accomplish his task of ridding the planet of the Four.  Meanwhile Jakita and Drums are getting worried Snow is changing for the worse.  Who wouldn't worry if your associate is doing drugs and torturing people?

A fallen god drifting in space for eternity?

Ellis finally gives us the origin of The Drummer and it's a fun tale.  He's not just a one-dimensional sod who Snow often kicks in the ass.  Things get serious in this final volume as Snow reveals all of his secrets to his team and the Four perpetrate a heinous act of terrorism which the global governments/media completely ignore.  Seems John Stone knows a lot of vital information and doesn't want to share it.  How do you take down Nick Fury/James Bond?  Not easily.  We also learn the secret origin of the Four and it's appropriately evil.  Snow is armed with enough knowledge to confront the Four and it's an intense showdown.  One ingredient is missing and his name is Ambrose Chase.  Wait, Ambrose is dead, killed years ago by one of Dowling's henchmen.  How can he possibly be involved in the final tale of Planetary?

Cassaday's art is extremely detailed!

This final volume is a must-read for anyone who has been following the series.  I really liked that Ellis gave answers to all of the secrets and subplots he presented in previous issues.  Everything wrapped up nice and tidy at the end.  Cassaday's art keeps getting better (possibly owing to the length of time between issues).  Ellis writes some awesome science fiction and references different theories which sets him apart from other writers.  He typically throws a lot of jargon at the reader without much explanation, but we're talking comics here and your standard superhero story doesn't get half that much.

Alternate universe Planetary!?

My biggest complaint with this ending is the showdown with the Four and their final reveals.  William Leather gets the most 'screen-time' during the series and seems like a perfectly wicked version of Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. He's super-resilient and very powerful.  We see Jacob Greene for the first time and he's a wonderfully twisted version of Ben Grimm, the Thing.  Kim Suskind was shown in the last volume as having invisibility and force field powers just like Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman.  Although Kim can't see while invisible and has to wear specially designed goggles (nice touch).  Randall Dowling himself we expect to mimic Reed Richards as Mr. Fantastic with stretching powers, but Ellis gives us something similar yet very different.  It's an interesting twist, but the final confrontation seemed too quick and highly improbable.  Too much buildup for what eventually happens.

Final issue wraparound cover

The series is still one of my all-time favorites and gets a very high recommendation.  It's one of those series which crosses outside of the typical superhero genre.  It started out as a Wildstorm book, but never really got involved with any of the lame crossover stories and kept to itself.  At first I thought it was just a pop-culture rip off, but it evolved into something more after gaining its own voice (at the end of the second volume).  No one draws ominous face-shadowing like John Cassaday and nobody can throw more confusing pseudo-science at a reader than Ellis.  Elijah Snow reminds me of a grown-up Little Nemo as drawn by Cassaday (must be the baggy suit).  I suggest picking up the recently published Omnibus edition which offers the perfect format to enjoy Planetary - binge reading it without any pause to reflect on the actual science behind it.

It's a strange world.  Let's keep it that way.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Planetary: Crossing Worlds Trade Paperback Review

Planetary: Crossing Worlds
DC Comics - Wildstorm
192 pages
$75.00 (2014) Omnibus
$14.95 (2004) Trade Paperback
ISBN 9781401202798

Contributors: Warren Ellis, John Cassaday, Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning, Laura DePuy, Ryan Cline, David Baron, Jerry Ordway, Wes Abbott, and Michael Heisler

Reprints: Planetary/The Authority: Ruling the World; Planetary/JLA: Terra Occulta; Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth

Synopsis: The Planetary organization is a mildly covert group of mystery archaeologists focused on uncovering the secret history of the world.  Their field team consists of Jakita Wagner, indestructible and perpetually bored, the Drummer, techno-shaman and grunge rock burnout, and Elijah Snow, reclusive adventurer with holes in his memory.  These three pursue an altruistic mission to wrestle secrets from the covert organizations, both private and public, in order to place them in the hands of humankind for a better tomorrow.  Let's just say they're not very popular around town.

The Authority show up to deal with a massive monster terrorizing
a small American coastal town.  Guess who's already on the scene?

While they seek to uncover the truth about our world and the universe in general, sometimes they cross paths with other clandestine groups with similar yet vastly different purposes.  Three of these tales are presented here:

• Ruling the World - The Planetary field team investigates a strange object in a small town and accidentally unleashes a monster.  It draws the attention of The Authority who are a group of superhumans who have proclaimed themselves stewards of humanity and act above the law to punish those perpetrating evil upon their fellow being.  They are incredibly dangerous and not the sort of people you want to mess with.  Perfect targets, according to Jakita, to have their secrets stolen by Planetary.  The Authority are led by Jenny Sparks who has something in common with Elijah Snow - they are both Century Babies.  Born on January 1, 1900 they age slowly and have incredible powers - Sparks electricity and Snow temperature control.  The field team attempts the impossible and assails The Authority's massive craft which traverses extra-dimensional space.  Seems like a really bad idea!
• Terra Occulta - The Planetary organization rules the world from the shadows.  They have provided amazing technology to advance humankind including Bleed teleportation for public transit and anti-grav cars.  Despite these advances, Planetary holds the best technology for themselves and crushes anyone who opposes them.  Their base is a citadel built on the surface of the Moon.  Three individuals have comes together in secret to oppose them, but will this coup be any different.  They are Bruce Wayne, playboy heir to a billion-dollar fortune in Gotham City, Diana Prince, beautiful scientist who is secretly from a technologically advanced island of women, and Clark Kent, Kansas-born big-city reporter who possesses incredible superpowers.  Can these three take down Elijah Snow and his crew of super-powered henchmen?
• Night on Earth - The field team arrives in Gotham City to investigate a series of grisly murders perpetrated by someone with trans-dimensional capabilities.  When they finally encounter their suspect they are taken on a journey through dimensions with one unsettling constant - a strangely dressed vigilante who is vehemently determined to bring this murderer to justice.  Our unwitting group may have met their match!

Batman takes on Jakita Wagner, get ready for a serious battle!

Pros: Some great artists - Jimenez is highly detailed, Ordway is a great storyteller, Cassaday is an impresario, Ellis writes some interesting stories with a few good plot twists and quirky dialogue, I liked seeing the Big Three (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) as the underdogs with Planetary as Earth's overlords, Cassaday's portrayals of Batman were great, funny past meeting of Elijah Snow and Jenny Sparks

Three clandestine heroes meet to defy the
oppression of the Planetary organization

Cons: Planetary never actually meets The Authority in their crossover, ending to JLA crossover is a little too neat (plus what happens to Superman), plot for Batman crossover is really simple (could be a good thing), 'villain' in Batman crossover has a slightly goofy character design

Mike Tells It Straight: I've reviewed the first three volumes of Planetary here (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3) and decided to take a break before tackling the final volume.  I read this collection of crossovers which were all written by Ellis, but had a pair of different artists (Jimenez and Ordway) along with co-creator Cassaday.  The three stories were vastly different and of varying quality.  The first story is a crossover between two of Ellis' most successful creations which I expected to be a grand slam.  Oddly enough it was a flop with too much going on in the plot and the two teams never actually meeting.  Planetary started out as a typical in-universe Wildstorm title and it was important they operated completely under the radar from the line-leading The Authority.  While the art by Jimenez was detailed, it just didn't stand up to Cassaday's groundbreaking work and the book was mediocre.  Some good dialogue, but too much crap thrown in to be taken seriously (like what happens to the extra-dimensional Jenny Sparks).

Elijah Snow comes face-to-face with an alternate dimension Batman
(looks pretty similar and just as deadly as a certain Returned Dark Knight)

The next story was an unofficial crossover with the biggest DC title at the time - JLA (Justice League of America).  It was branded an Elseworlds tale (outside of continuity) and gave Ellis a huge sandbox to play in.  He reimagined the Big Three (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) as underdogs with Planetary taking the place of The Four, lording it over humanity.  I loved the character redesign of Elijah Snow to look more like Lex Luthor.  It was an engaging story because the reader doesn't know what will happen next and Ellis makes a few bold moves.  I didn't like the neatly wrapped up ending, but Ordway did a great job visually telling the story.

Ellis writes some funny dialogue

Our final tale is considered a classic as it's just received a deluxe hardcover reprint (similar to Batman: The Killing Joke a few years ago).  This story is drawn by Cassaday and excels because it's such a simple, straightforward tale.  Cassaday's art is amazing and he's really at the top of his game here.  The different renditions of Batman are great.  Ellis tells a simple story which works really well with all of the characters.  I don't think it's a true classic because nothing really changes for any of the characters, but it's a good read.  This collection is decent, but you won't lose anything by not reading it with the main Planetary series.  The stories are included in the omnibus and I suggest buying that book if you like the series.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Red: Better R.E.D. Than Dead Trade Paperback Review

Red: Better R.E.D. Than Dead
DC Comics - Wildstorm
Softcover Trade Paperback
144 pages
$14.99 (2011)
ISBN 9781401231972

Contributors: Cully Hamner, Val Staples, Wes Abbott, Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber, Gregory Noveck, Jason Masters, Carrie Strachan, Wes Abbott, Doug Wagner, Bruno Redondo, Pol Gas, Tony Avina, Saida Temofonte, Diego Olmos, Martha Martinez, David Hahn, and Jonny Rench

Reprints: Red: Eyes Only; Red: Frank; Red: Joe; Red: Marvin; Red: Victoria

Synopsis: The plot of the comic book: Paul Moses was once the deadliest black-ops CIA agent in the history of the organization.  He perpetrated unspeakable acts all under the orders of his government and for the 'greater good'.  He also got to do what 99% of black-ops agents don't get to - he retired.  The official term was 'retired, extremely dangerous' (R.E.D.).  Paul was content to live out the rest of his days in peace while suffering horrific nightmares of his evil deeds as a form of atonement.  Things changed when a new CIA director was appointed and orders Paul Moses sanctioned.  Bad mistake.  Paul came out of retirement and killed his way to the top.

You do not want to cross paths with Paul Moses

The plot of the movie: Frank Moses was once the deadliest black-ops CIA agent in the history of the organization.  He perpetrated unspeakable acts all under the orders of his government and for the 'greater good'.  He got to do what 99% of black-ops agents don't get to - he retired.  One day his retirement is cut short as a kill-squad raids his home and attempts to assassinate him.  This old dog has plenty of tricks left in him and he escapes.  Frank launches a mission to uncover the plot of his attempted assassination and pulls in some of his old colleagues including Joe (former intelligence mover and shaker), Marvin (paranoid former assassin), and Victoria (debonair British assassin).  They kill their way to the top.

• Eyes Only - Paul Moses was the most effective and deadly agent in the CIA's ranks.  Then he decided to retire and got shunted off to a simple security detail for a political candidate.  It's the 1970s and Paul Moses is head of security for Carver Hampton Jr., the first African American presidential candidate with a chance to win.  On the eve of election night, Paul warns Carver that an assassination attempt will happen.  Can Paul's expert training stop the assassin?  
• Frank - Frank Moses has survived in the business for 20 years through a combination of skill, luck, and paranoia.  His latest mission in Cairo has him paired him with a green rookie named Jordan.  The rookie has mad skillz, but doesn't know enough to stay free of any personal attachments.  He's got a new girlfriend and Frank tells him to lose her quick.  Will Jordan take his advice or is his girlfriend a 'spy like us'?  They're about to find out the hard way.
• Joe - During the harshest winter of the Cold War, Joe is on a mission to Russia to make contact with his most deep cover agents.  He's a cool customer, but when things go pear-shaped he has to rely on his agents to stay one step ahead of the KGB.  It's a game of cat-and-mouse with the lives of his agents hanging in the balance. 
• Marvin - Marvin Boggs is an expert assassin and agent for the CIA.  He's starting to suspect something funny is going on when his bosses have him steal a pen.  A plain and ordinary pen. The excessive amount of surveillance equipment in his apartment tips his mental balance and he starts to ask questions.  When Frank shows up unannounced - is it a social call between two friends in the deadliest profession or is he there to eliminate Marvin?  
• Victoria - Victoria is MI6's best agent.  When she goes on holiday and meets a handsome stranger - is it serendipity?  The two lovers lose themselves in each other and then return to the real world.  Things are much different when Victoria meets Ivan again, but will love conquer adversity?

Pros: Prequel stories for both the comic book and movie which add a little history to the characters, movie prequels are written by the movie screenwriters, fair art in a couple books

Cons: No Warren Ellis (he wrote the original mini-series), different artist on each issue and their styles vary greatly, the comic and movie are fairly different

You do not want to cross paths with Frank Moses

Mike Tells It Straight: Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner put out a short, violent mini-series called Red in 2003 which became a major action movie in 2010.  I found the mini-series to be slightly entertaining, but mostly unremarkable.  The movie was a hit thanks to an all-star cast including Bruce Willis (Frank), Morgan Freeman (Joe), John Malkovich (Marvin), Helen Mirren (Victoria), and Mary Louise-Parker (Sarah).  The success of the movie prompted this series of one-shots which served as prequels for each of the major characters of the movie and one for the mini-series.

Cully Hamner did the story and art for the mini-series prequel which gave an idea of why Paul Moses retired.  No Warren Ellis to speak of and the book was okay.  The four character prequels were written by the movie screenwriters.  That's pretty cool and the stories were decent spy fiction.  Frank goes on a mission and is a consummate bad ass, Marvin's history is shown and his extreme paranoia is explained, Joe's story is surprisingly decent and shows him to be a tough customer, and Victoria's story was too simple although drawn quite well.

I'd say the book is an overall pass because the movie can stand on its own.  It's mildly interesting, but only adds a small insight into the characters.  I'm glad they showed some love to the original work by including a prequel to the comic, but the comic just wasn't that good.  I guess it depends which version of the story you're a fan of - comic book or movie.  This collection is definitely geared to pull in fans of the movie.  Either way you may be disappointed.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar Trade Paperback Review

DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar
DC Comics - Wildstorm
Softcover Trade Paperback
144 pages
$19.99 (2009)
ISBN 9781401222031

Contributors: Keith Giffen, Lee Garbett, Trevor Scott, Randy Mayor, Rob Leigh, Andy Lanning, Mike McKone, Ivan Reis, Guiseppe Camuncoli, Dustin Nguyen, Gene Ha, Jesus Merino, and Carlos Pacheco

Reprints: DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar #1-6 (of 6)

Synopsis: Several natural disasters simultaneously occur across the globe and The Authority takes notice.  Strange new land formations and objects appear - a giant 'T' shaped building appears at Ryker's Island, a small island, and a downed space ship in Russia.  Majestic is the first responder at the Ryker's Island location and encounters a powerful group of young superhumans who are completely unknown to him.  He is overpowered and the group escapes into New York proper.

A group of powerful superhumans descend upon the Wildstorm Universe

Several unknown groups of superhumans explode into the Wildstorm Universe and wreak havoc!  They strategically target the various superhero groups including The Authority, the Wildcats, Gen13, and the retired heroes in Tranquility.  Each of these groups come under siege by a separate invading group - the Justice League of America, the Justice Society of America, the Teen Titans, and the Legion of Super-Heroes.  

Majestic encounters a group of young superhumans
and is overwhelmed.  Art seems somehow off...

Something is compelling these strangers to attack the heroes of the Wildstorm Universe and carelessly disregard any fallen in their ranks.  The first casualty to the invasion is Green Arrow and no one in the Justice League sheds a tear.  What is going on?  Several of the Legionnaires fall in battle to Stormwatch, but the no one on the team pauses during the assault.  Something is not right here.

We get to see incredible matchups - The Authority vs. the Justice League of America, Stormwatch vs. the Legion of Super-Heroes, Tranquility vs. the Justice Society of America, Gen13 vs. the Teen Titans, the Amazons vs.the Night Tribes, and Zealot vs. Batman.  Who is Chimera and how is he controlling the heroes of the DC Universe to destroy the heroes of the Wildstorm Universe?

Then it gets ugly as villains appear to battle the heroes - Doomsday vs. Midnighter and Apollo, Qwardians vs. Stormwatch, the Legion of Super-Villains vs. Tranquility and Grifter, Joker vs. Midnighter, Starro vs. the Amazons/Kobra/ and the Night Tribes.  The Doctor holds a desperate meeting with his former selves and uncovers the secret of the assault.  Can he supply the Wildstorm heroes with enough information to keep themselves alive or will they fall to the overwhelming power of the DC Universe?

Midnighter meets the Joker!

Pros: Two universes collide!, some hardcore battles, edge is given to Wildstorm (since they're on home turf), lots of big action scenes, epic confrontations which sparked some controversy, competent art by Garbett who draws a pantheon of characters from both universes

Cons: Too crowded with characters on both sides, villain is one-dimensional and lame, implausible deaths, plot and dialogue are weak, convenient ending with events going back to 'normal', the battles are mostly big melees with no truly memorable matchups (aside from Zealot/Batman), art is fairly bland, too short to give any backstory on the characters

Mike Tells It Straight: Wildstorm was acquired by DC in the early 2000s and relaunched around 2006.  The relaunch was mildly successful, but eventually lost steam.  A line-wide crossover event began in 2008 with Wildstorm: Armageddon and eventually closed the universe down.  Near the end of the run this crossover mini-series happened with the Wildstorm Universe battling the DC Universe.  It was penned by veteran DC writer Keith Giffen (know for writing Justice League Europe/International and a slew of other books).

Get ready for war!

The art by Garbett is decent, but I found several scenes/portrayals to be lacking.  The story was interesting, but ultimately disposable as with typical 'universe' crossovers.  I expected a lot more from this series and it was advertised as much more.  The status quo was not altered in the least which was disappointing.  I didn't feel like Giffen 'got' the Wildstorm characters.  The matchups didn't quite live up to the hype.  The whole thing seemed rushed and the villain was utterly disposable.  I don't recommend this series as a quality read (although somewhat compelling if you're a Wildstorm fan).

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Red Trade Paperback Review

Red
DC Comics - Wildstorm
Softcover Trade Paperback
128 pages
$14.99 (2010)
$14.99 (2009)
$14.99 (2009)
ISBN 9781401223465

Contributors: Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner, David Self, and John Costanza

Reprints: Red #1-3 (of 3)

Synopsis: Paul Moses is a retired CIA operative who specialized in the most covert and violent black-ops missions.  He's a force to be reckoned with and is currently Retired Extremely Dangerous (RED) after a long career of heinous wetwork.  Now he just wants to live in secluded peace for the rest of his days.  He is haunted by his past, but considers the suffering a kind of atonement for his sins.  His only link to the outside world is the weekly check-in call with his retirement handler, Sally.  She is an office worker who dreams of getting out an seeing the world, but Paul warns the world isn't as pleasant as it sounds.

Paul Moses is forced out of retirement

A new head of the CIA is appointed and every new director is shown the footage in Room R.  This footage reveals Paul Moses and sets the tone for new directors to understand the history of the CIA.  The latest director sees the footage and orders Moses dead.  Too monstrous to live.  It's a new millennium after all.  A kill team is sent to Moses' house in an attempt to bury the CIA's secret.  Ordering the kill on Moses is easier said than done and he comes out of retirement to punish the government agency which turned him into a monster.

Pros: Decent story concept and writing from Ellis, clean art from Hamner, violent with a suitably dark ending, pure action movie

Cons: Incredibly short read, flat characters, simple plot, not like the movie

Mike Tells it Straight: I haven't seen the movie based on this short mini-series, but it prompted me to check out the trade paperback.  Fairly light read and extremely straightforward story.  Nothing spectacular and certainly not a must-read book.  I found it to be very simple, violent, and mildly interesting.  Paul Moses is one bad mofo and he was better left alone.  Makes me wonder if any real people exist with the same job descriptions.  Okay, Ellis got lucky when this book was optioned for a movie which was much more entertaining (from the reviews I've read).  The book is pure action without too much character development.

Paul Moses is a ruthless killer who just wants to be left alone

I'll have to check out the movie to see the exact differences, but the biggest one I can see are all the additional characters in the live-action version.  Whereas the book has Paul Moses (played by Bruce Willis in the film), his retirement handler Sally, and a couple CIA higher ups.  Oh yeah, and a ton of CIA agents who get killed by Moses.  In the film we have Moses (renamed Frank) assailed by a hit squad without any explanation.  He then gathers a team of ex-agents to discover the truth.  None of this happens in the book.

The movie was completely different than the book

It's a blood bath for most of the three-issue series with a few minor character interactions (mostly ending in gunfire).  Standard action fare with some glossy/cool moments and witty banter.  The movie was popular (helped by an all-star cast including John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman).  It even spawned a sequel - Red 2 (with rumors of a third installment).   If you saw the movie first then don't bother reading the original story.  The success of the movie spawned a series of five one-shot prequels starring the additional characters of the movie and later collected into a trade paperback.  Look for a review in the next few months.  Now I'll have to check out the movie to see if it's really better.  What did you think?  Leave a comment and let people know!

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Number of the Beast Trade Paperback Review

Number of the Beast
DC Comics - Wildstorm
Softcover Trade Paperback
192 pages
$19.99 (2008)
ISBN 9781401219994

Contributors: Scott Beatty, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, Neil Googe, Leandro Fernandez, Simon Coleby, Andy Smith, Drew Geraci, Brian Stelfreeze, Jonny Rench, Wes Abbott, Saida Temofonte, Mike McKone, and Darick Robertson

Reprints: Number of the Beast #1-8 (of 8)

Synopsis: A generation of heroes disappeared without a trace at the end of World War II.  Rumors would have you believe they died when the bomb went off at Hiroshima.  Some considered it a fitting end to the dangerous post-humans and vigilantes who fueled the war effort, but would be a liability back on domestic soil. Both heroes and villains were drafted into the war and they include:

• The Paladins
• The Redeemer - an immortal man who has walked the Earth for millennia, but still holds to himself and others to the highest standards of moral decency
• Engine Joe - a massive cyborg made from tank and engine parts, he fights for the everyman
• Mago - a mystic and premier magician, he rides a magic flying carpet
• Black Anvil - a former football player who is now made of living iron
• Aeronaut - uses a prototype jet engine on his pack and fights crime, full of himself
• Thrush - she flies uses artificial wings
• Falconette - the sidekick and daughter of the Thrush
• Tumbleweed - a former army officer, he was changed from exposure to radiation at a bomb testing site, now he is covered in desert plants and has power over flora
• Neandra - she is apparently a cavewoman with a big wooden club
• Wallflower - has chameleon-like ability to blend with surroundings and can stick to walls
• Midnight Rider - a leather-clad female vigilante who rides a motorcycle and beats people up
• Johnny Ray-Gun - former ranch hand turned lazer pistol vigilante thanks to a pair of extraterrestrial pea-shooters
• Honeybee - she has wings and a stinger, just like a bee and pretty good-looking
• Mite - she can shrink to the size of a bug
• The Crime Corps
• Dr. Sin - genius-level intellect bent on world domination
• The Stinkbug - wears a suit with a combination armor and terrible stink-smell producer
• Hotfoot - youthful speedster with his eye on riches
• The Changers
• Eidolon - a spirit who glimpsed the world beyond, but was not allowed to pass on and is compelled to tell others of his experiences
• The High - he was one of the most powerful superhumans on the planet, but went on a self-imposed exile.  He returned and attempted to alter society by giving humanity all of the tools to either succeed or fail.  His motto "Change or Die".  His plans were stopped by Henry Bendix and Stormwatch before he destroyed himself by crashing into Skywatch's 'storm shield' barrier system.   

The High comes face-to-face with the lost Paladins

What is the secret government program called "Number of the Beast" and its link to these forgotten superhumans?  The elite Kheran warrior, Nemesis, was warned by extra-dimensional seer, Void, of the Wildcats, that an extinction-level event was going to happen in the near future.  Nemesis was charged with trying to stop it.  She enlisted help and was able to uncover one fragment of the secret, but the whole truth will be laid bare at last.  Did the countdown to Armageddon just speed up?

We witness a seemingly endless loop of events as the heroes defeat the villains and avert the end of the world (again).  What happens when a new element is added to the program - namely Eidolon and The High of The Changers?  After the events of "Change or Die" the remains of the two superhumans were added to the Number of the Beast program, but their addition causes a massive instability.  Will it trigger the end of the world?  

Pros: Continues the Wildstorm Armageddon trilogy, some fun sci-fi elements (like when The High's liquefied remains get dumped into the Number of the Beast system), Chris Sprouse's art is slick as ever, seeing The High again was kinda cool, some mature themes and a suitably dark ending

Mago, Tumbleweed, and Engine Joe take a break from the Apocalypse
to have some breakfast

Cons: Plot is a bit scattered, The Paladins are all one-note characters, one scene where The High smashes a clone through the Moon is not done realistically, Reapers don't seem numerous enough to circle the globe, not as epic as I was hoping, inept government employees could not have kept the program secret for so many years

Mite is urged by Eidolon to reveal The High's deadly behavior

Mike Tells It Straight: DC Comics restarted the Wildstorm Universe in 2006, but by 2008 sales had waned and the idea for an epic, line-wide event was hatched.  It began with Wildstorm: Armageddon as an impending apocalyptic event was revealed and heroes were charged with stopping it.  Only one took the quest seriously and uncovered the first hint in Wildstorm: Revelations.  Number of the Beast is the next chapter in the story and sees the full scope of Armageddon unveiled along with the fate of the lost generation of superhumans.

The High somehow manages to survive
being smashed to jelly attacking Skywatch

Scott Beatty does a decent writing job by infusing the story with humor, gore, and intrigue.  The book reads like a '50s science fiction movie and was fairly entertaining.  Chris Sprouse's art is slick and competent as usual (he was coming off of a great run on Tom Strong).  Seeing The High again after his demise in Warren Ellis' classic Stormwatch: Change or Die storyline (which finished off that book and paved the way for The Authority) was welcome.  Despite being a clear Superman knockoff, The High felt like an untapped character whose screen time was cut short.

This book was fun, but ultimately a disappointment due to a few key factors.  The Paladins were all one-note characters and the reader doesn't get enough time to really care about them.  The bumbling antics of the government employees in charge of watching the Number of the Beast program (which is supposed to be incredibly covert) was pathetic and there's no way could it have been hidden for so long.  While I enjoyed the book after reading the first two chapters I'm not sure if it's a solid recommend.  If you're a fan of the Wildstorm Universe and have followed the first two chapters then go for it.  The events of this book continue in Wildstorm: After the Fall as John Lynch reforms Team 7 following the wake of Armageddon and also the separate World's End storylines in each Wildstorm title (Gen13, The Authority, Wildcats).  I'll follow it to the inevitable conclusion and post upcoming reviews.  The Wildstorm Universe officially ended and was later absorbed into the DC's The New 52 universe-wide relaunch.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Wildstorm: Revelations Trade Paperback Review

Wildstorm: Revelations
DC Comics - Wildstorm
Softcover Trade Paperback
144 pages
$17.99 (2008)
ISBN 9781401218676

Contributors: Scott Beatty, Christos Gage, Wes Craig, Jonny Rench, Web Abbott, and covers by Ivan Reis

Reprints: Wildstorm: Revelations #1-6 (of 6)

Synopsis: The Wildstorm Universe is headed toward an extinction level event caused by superhumans.  Void is a reality warping member of the team Wildcats who warned several heroes in the past (our present) of the impending doom.  She hoped one of them could stop the Armageddon from happening, but most blew off the warning as just another ordinary threat to the world.  Except one hero named Nemesis who often stands at odds with ordinary heroes and lives in the shadows.  She is a Kherubim born warrior and formerly of the Coda assassins (the same group Zealot was a member).

A brief recap of Wildstorm: Armageddon

Nemesis enlists the aid of Zealot's younger sister, Savant, and the new Backlash, Jodi Slayton (daughter of the original Backlash).  Savant is another immortal Kherubim like Nemesis and possesses advanced scientific knowledge (including teleportation and a mind link).  Jodi has superhuman speed and agility.  Now the three women are risking their lives to find information on the coming Armageddon in order to defuse it.

This puts them at odds with the world's most powerful and secretive organizations.  They must architect raids on Stormwatch (the UN-sanctioned superhuman organization), The Authority (sanctioned by no government, but taking responsibility for righting the wrongs of the world), the covert Department Psi of International Operations (of which Jodi's father Marc Slayton is the director), and Gamorra Island (the lair of the wicked Kaizen Gamorra).

The women must also sneak into a superhero planned community called Tranquility.  Their searching draws the attention of Zealot and Grifter, sometimes of the Wildcats.  Will the trio be successful in finding the cause of Armageddon?  One thing is for sure - they just made enemies of practically the entire Wildstorm Universe!  Of course Nemesis doesn't really mind...

Pros: Lots of action and intrigue, decent writing by Gage, great art by Wes Craig, nice covers by Ivan Reis, one big reveal concerning the relationship between Zealot and Savant, cool seeing Jodi one-up her dad (the original Backlash), the form of Armageddon is revealed (and it kind of makes sense), The Authority get served!

Cons: Only one major reveal that I could see (Zealot/Savant), the Welcome to Tranquility chapter feels a little out of place due to the tone of that series (less serious), Grifter and Zealot just sort of appear out of nowhere (like they're always hanging out fighting stuff together or something)

Nemesis is pretty tough if she can take on The
Authority all by herself

Mike Tells It Straight: Continuing from Wildstorm: Armageddon we follow Nemesis and her allies as they try to discover and stop the cause of Armageddon.  I enjoyed both Gage's writing and Craig's art in this chapter.  It was really nice to have one creative team after the multiple artists/styles on Armageddon.  This book was non-stop action as the trio of women must snatch n' grab information from some of the most dangerous groups in the Wildstorm Universe.  The big reveal about Zealot and Savant didn't seem new to me since I read it first in Majestic Vol. 3: The Final Cut.  Not sure which books were published first, but this mini-series didn't seem heavy enough on the revelations.

I particularly liked the chapter focusing on Jodi manipulating her father (Marc Slayton, the original Backlash) to buy time while Nemesis infiltrated Department Psi.  No Wetworks or Gen13 in this series, but it had enough going on without trying to cram more characters into the story.  The overall story progresses as the form of Armageddon becomes clear.  A superhuman apocalypse is on the horizon and seems pretty darn imminent.  This series continues directly into Number of the Beast and then World's End.  I've been a fan of Wildstorm since the beginning (Jim Lee was my favorite artists of the 1990s) and I enjoyed the DC revamp in the mid-2000s.  Look for upcoming reviews of the next chapters in this saga.

TO BUY and Recommendations: