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WildC.A.T.S #5 from DC revolves around the end of Grifter. But does anybody care? Matthew Rosenberg writes this issue, with Stephen Segovia and Christian Duce on art chores, Elmer Santos on polished colors, and Ferran Delgado on ace lettering.
Grifter is dead. He gave it all he had, but it wasn’t enough. Few people back at Halo seemed to give a care about it, so Zealot, Fairchild, and a reluctant Deathblow go to Grifter’s place in search of answers because something’s off. Halo tried too dang hard to make them see the corpse, and that’s…odd. However, they only come up with a slim lead, an associate of Halo Grifter was tailing. It isn’t much, but they pursue it, and it will take them down an unexpected path. I love where this ended up going. So far, this series has managed to be more than just DC’s dysfunctional black ops team. While there is the usual death of a hero gimmick, each issue pulls off chaotic decision-making by characters that make the feel of this a Wildstorm.
On a personal note, I had no knowledge nor care for the resurrecting hard case called Michael Cray (Deathblow). But I gotta say, this issue made me appreciate them and see there’s more going on than just a loud blowhard who pisses a fit in every issue. I already loved Zealot and Fairchild, though I’m still getting used to her being a child, but Cray is growing on me.
Speaking of wild characters, if you recall Halo’s other supergroup, the Seven Soldiers of Victory, well, they make a big play this issue. Heck, they draw so much attention to their actions that they reel in one of DC’s top-tier costumes to come over and play tag. Things get very hectic from then on. The Soldiers were already a bad batch of criminal and reckless knuckleheads. In this issue, they’re unstable, and saying they overreact would be a drastic understatement. We also get to see some good moves from other characters who’ve been lying on the periphery.
WildC.A.T.S #5 is a beautifully rendered storyboard for a summer action flick. Penned by the competent hand of Rosenberg, several characters get to get down and dirty, but it all looks big budget thanks to Segovia and Duce. The Soldiers’ battle is superb, and the colors are fantastic to behold. Even panels of Zealot, Fairchild, and Cray in Grifter’s apartment are lovely. Characters have just a twinkling of manga eyes; no one color comes in the same hue (see the reds in the Soldiers and others). Lighting is phenomenal. I know. You come to this book for hard antiheroes. And you get that. But boy, do they look spiffy doing their thing, even when they’re screwing up.
As usual, I await this group to congeal into the WildC.A.T.S team fans know and love, but it’s fun watching things fall apart in stupendous fashion on the road to getting there. If you slept on this title, kindly wake up. This is a great run that is doing unique things with the Wildstorm cast, mixing them up and creating a new blend that is one volatile cocktail of drama and dark humor.
WildC.A.T.S #5 is a good mystery over Grifter’s demise coupled with rocking action that is setting up a huge confrontation, and maybe, just maybe, we can get Grifter to roll over in his grave and join in.
WildC.A.T.S #5 is available wherever comic books are sold.
WildC.A.T.S #5
TL;DR
WildC.A.T.S #5 is a good mystery over Grifter’s demise coupled with rocking action that is setting up a huge confrontation, and maybe, just maybe, we can get Grifter to roll over in his grave and join in.
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.
