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WildCATS #1 from DC Comics returns the former Wildstorm property to the funny pages in a bold way. Mathew Rosenberg is the writer for the new series cementing the team squarely in the DC Universe. Stephen Segovia provides the artwork, with Elmer Santos on colors and Ferran Delgado handling letters. Fans have been waiting for the return of Jim Lee and Brandon Choi’s alien-killing antiheroes. They got some time to shine in Batman: Urban Legends last year, and now it’s time for them to blow up in their own series.
If you haven’t heard, the HALO Corporation, run by Marlowe (the WildCATS’ argumentative leader), was holed up secretly in Gotham City. As usual, they were hunting for Daemonites, the ancient enemy of the aliens known as Kherubim, who are creeping around in human forms. A neat twist in their story is that in the DC Universe they’ve escaped to (ye old Wildstorm Universe went kaput), superheroes see the WildCATS as terrorists. This puts them on a very tight timeline while running ops.
So far, everyone is present on the old team. Cocky merc Grifter, enigmatic spacetime goddess Void, master warrior Zealot, and uber-cool Ladytron. We also end up with other Wildstorm icons like Deathblow (a character I look forward to learning more about) and Fairchild of Gen-13 fame. Most of the original building blocks are in place for the team to restart their mission, with a lot of new, fun wrinkles thrown in by the end of this issue.
Rosenberg wrote the hell out of this issue. I expected high-octane action, gunplay, violence, and bloodshed. But I didn’t expect to sit back and laugh all the way through. Cole Cash (Grifter) is written exceptionally well, and I came to like him even more than I did way back in the day. You get the sense of urgency with the missions, the confusion, and that the CATS have a ways to go before they’re a well-oiled unit. They have enough cohesiveness to satisfy old fans like me while keeping the story loose enough so new readers won’t feel like a third wheel coming in.
Of course, an action book has to look good, but no worry there, as Segovia and Santos are on the case. Segovia’s adept work looks like he illustrated every character in one continuous motion. The figures are clear, with tiny dots of detail like facial fuzz, cigarette ash, and more. Attention is kept on the motions of characters and the flow of each panel. Brilliant work. Grifter looks very laid back in missions, human and emotive off duty. I love his takes on all the team members. Nothing could dazzle it more, but then Santos arrives with a bevy of lighting, shading, and color schemes to make everything from the simple to the exotic pop. This issue has bursts of cool neon and warm colors, cut into by the imaginative SFX and lettering of Delgado. For a book of hardcore folks killing lowkey aliens, WildCATS moves and fires like a thrilling vacation to a science fantasy resort island. And I love it.
WildCATS #1 is a hit out of the gate. The characters are varied, standing out from each other. There are some fun ways the team’s targets have infiltrated the DCU. I look forward to seeing who else they’ve corrupted and what happens when they have run-ins with other heroes. This issue was fun and a sheer blast to read. Thanks to the entire team for giving us WildCATS back. This offers something a little new and to the left of DC’s usual titles. Go out on a mission to get this one, y’all.
WildCATS #1 is available now wherever comic books are sold.
WildC.A.T.S #1
TL;DR
WildCATS #1 is a hit out of the gate. The characters are varied, standing out from each other. There are some fun ways the team’s targets have infiltrated the DCU. I look forward to seeing who else they’ve corrupted and what happens when they have run-ins with other heroes. This issue was fun and a sheer blast to read.
William J. Jackson is a small town laddie who self publishes books of punk genres, Victorian Age superheroes, rocket ships and human turmoil. He loves him some comic books, Nature, Star Trek and the fine art of the introvert.