DC COMICS – @DCComics
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
WRITER: Warren Ellis
ARTIST: Jon Davis-Hunt
COLORS: Ivan Plascencia
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
COVER: Jon Davis-Hunt
VARIANT COVERS: Tula Lotay; Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)
Rated “T+”
“The Wild Storm – Chapter One”
Started by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi, WildStorm Productions was one of the founding studios of Image Comics. The WildStorm Universe, the fictional shared universe of comic books published by WildStorm, debuted in WildC.A.T.s #1 (cover dated: August 1992). I think I loyally enjoyed WildStorm titles for about five years, gradually losing interest as the decade and the 20th century waned. Jim Lee sold WildStorm Productions and his intellectual properties to DC Comics in 1999, and eventually the WildStorm Universe was folded into the DC Universe (DCU) proper.
It can be argued that the most interesting and perhaps, most influential comic books to come out of the WildStorm Universe were written by Warren Ellis (his run on StormWatch, his creation of The Authority and Planetary). Now, Ellis is back to reinvent or reset the WildStorm universe – small “u.” The title that begins the reset is The Wild Storm, written by Ellis; drawn by Jon Davis-Hunt; colored by Ivan Plascencia; and lettered by Simon Bowland.
The Wild Storm #1 opens with the return of Zealot and Voodoo. What is important, however, is that someone wants to kill Jacob Marlowe, CEO of HALO, the world-changing tech company. What's up with Angela Spica? Who wants to kill Marlowe more than Miles Craven of I.O. (International Operations)? Is it Michael Cray? Wake the CAT.
I enjoyed Warren Ellis' work for WildStorm (well, except DV8), so I have hopes for The Wild Storm. Are they high hopes? I think I'll see how high or if I should levitate those hopes after each issue. Ellis says that you do not have to have read earlier WildStorm comic books to understand The Wild Storm. Still, I think 75 percent of the thrill of The Wild Storm is being familiar with these characters; how else can you really enjoy the new riffs on these semi-old melodies?
I like the clean, modern line of artist Jon Davis-Hunt. It reminds me of the artists who have drawn Marvel's Iron Man comic books over the past few years. There is a hint of realism mixed with earthiness and futurism in Davis-Hunt's compositions in this first issue. So besides Ellis' story, I really want to see what Davis-Hunt does from here on out.
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'
The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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