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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 21, 2018 2:46:40 GMT -5
Stormwatch (Vol 2) #7"Bleed: Part One"Cover Date: May, 1998 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Bryan Hitch Featured Character(s): Stormwatch (Jackson King---Weatherman, Christine Trelane (Synergy), Molly Perkins) Villain/s: The Kherans Guest Star/s: Stormwatch (From an Alternate Earth---Jack Hawksmoor (Weatherman), Freefall, Grifter, Winter, Fahrenheit, Christine Trelane, Jenny Sparks, Fairchild, & Backlash), Anna (from Gen 13) Official Plot:No Synopsis Brodie's View: A major plot device gets introduced in this storyline, one that ends up setting up not only the travel method of The Authority, but also the barrier between the Wildstorm Universe and other alternate universes (including the DC Universe); The Bleed. This is discovered by accident during the rebooting process that took place after Henry Bendix powered Skywatch down during his escape at the end of the CHANGE OR DIE storyline, as the Skywatch from the Wildstorm Universe ended up connecting with the Skywatch from the universe that takes center stage during this storyline, which allows Jackson King and the Stormwatch crew to view the events taking place there. In this universe, Jack Hawksmoor has been The Weatherman for some time, and has assembled a heavy hitting Stormwatch from the various Wildstorm teams. This Jack has also been undergoing various operations over the years to remove the extra organs aliens put in him during his childhood/teenage years, although, he still has some of the powers and abilities gained from those organs. We see that unlike Henry Bendix and Jackson King, Jack actually commands respect from not only the superhuman community, but also the United Nations and United States, as Jack is pretty much able to instantly shut a politician down by stating what superhumans/Stormwatch could do to Earth in minutes, without proper leadership to keep them in line. However, all of this might be moot, as Jack (and Stormwatch) is/are horrified to see that the aliens that experimented on him years ago are actually returning to Earth, and he is mobilizing any superhuman he can to try and stop them before they can arrive. All of this is watched by "our" Stormwatch, although, at the end of the issue, it is revealed that Jack can somewhat see them as well . This, of course, sets up an interesting prospect for the next few issues, as the mystery of who these aliens are (and what Jack will do to stop them) will unfold, which will end up kind of revealing the future of what will happen in "our" universe as well, particularly where it concerns Jack, Jackson, and Stormwatch (or at least this incarnation) itself. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 24, 2018 1:40:18 GMT -5
Stormwatch (Vol 2) #8"Bleed: Part Two"Cover Date: June, 1998 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Bryan Hitch & Michael Ryan Featured Character(s): Stormwatch (Jackson King---Weatherman, Christine Trelane (Synergy), Molly Perkins) & Stormwatch Black (Jack Hawksmoor) Villain/s: The Kherans Guest Star/s: Stormwatch (From an Alternate Earth---Jack Hawksmoor (Weatherman), Freefall, Grifter, Rainmaker, Fahrenheit, Christine Trelane, The Doctor, Fairchild, Deathblow, Sublime, & Hellstrike), Zealot, & Jackson King Official Plot:No Synopsis Brodie's View: We continue, through the Skywatch in "Our Universe" (aka The Wildstorm Universe) to view a different Stormwatch, one led by Jack Hawksmoor, and how they deal with the threat of the aliens that made Jack a super human returning to Earth. This is possible due to a tiny rip in The Bleed, which is basically the space between the multiverse of alternate Earths. This is made even more intriguing in this issue by a few revelations. First, that Jack still has somewhat of the ability to see that he's being watched by "our" Jackson King and the rest of the crew on their Skywatch. This will kind of show that his actions and re-actions to this alien invasion as sort of a precursor to events that will happen to the Stormwatch in "our universe," which is also predicted by the information revealed by the Jackson King of the alternate universe. This Jackson ended up having half his face ripped off by using his powers to save the Stormwatch crew from another alien invasion, one that Definitely foretells future events that will be happening in this book. In fact, it leads to the end of this volume, and for a time, Stormwatch itself . However, this is all just one part of the story, as things are also revealed in this issue that concerns the major story at hand, and some major clues as to the alien race (Pssst, it's revealed above) that is coming back to this alternate Earth. One thing that is made certain on "our world," and from the lips of "our" Jack Hawksmoor himself, and that is that the aliens responsible for his being made a superhuman are Not the same as the ones in the other reality. A major clue for this is given as Jack and Freefall try to recruit Zealot (who is part of the WILDCATS in the normal Wildstorm Universe, but evidently had been part of that Jack's Stormwatch in this alternate one), who refuses to join Jack's army of superhumans at the ready to meet and take out this invading ship. Of course, there's a reason for that, and it's revealed at the end of the issue....the returning aliens are The Kherans, the alien race responsible for the WILDCATS in the first place, as they were kind of the Autobots fighting a never ending war against the Daemonites (shape changing aliens). Of course, Alan Moore added some complexity to that whole "war" in his run that very much hinted that there were more shades of grey involved in that battle than was previously depicted, and it's kind of that thought that Warren Ellis runs with here. However, the Kheran/Daemonite war never made it to our alternate Earth in a major way, so, Jack and the others just consider Zealot to be an Earth born superhuman. In the next issue, they will find out the truth, and the shit will hit the fan, as we conclude the last full on story for this volume of Stormwatch. (No actual art from this issue, so, we'll post a little info card on the featured character for this storyline) GRADE: A-
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Ultimo Gallos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 15,315
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Jun 24, 2018 14:56:42 GMT -5
I am shocked that this run isn't more talked about now-a-days. And I get that most comic fans rarely read much outside of Big two capestuff.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 25, 2018 0:24:03 GMT -5
I am shocked that this run isn't more talked about now-a-days. And I get that most comic fans rarely read much outside of Big two capestuff. I think that's probably because Jim Lee slowly let Wildstorm go to seed after DC bought them. Like any other thing he created, he got bored with it quickly, and simply just let it fade away. I know they tried to fold some of those characters/concepts into the DC universe in the New 52, but unfortunately the bloom was very much off the rose by then.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 25, 2018 2:14:08 GMT -5
Stormwatch (Vol 2) #9"Bleed: Part Three"Cover Date: July, 1998 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Bryan Hitch & Michael Ryan Featured Character(s): Stormwatch (Jackson King---Weatherman, Christine Trelane (Synergy), Molly Perkins & Winter) Villain/s: The Kherans (Zealot) Guest Star/s: Stormwatch (From an Alternate Earth---Jack Hawksmoor (Weatherman), Freefall, Fuji, Swift, Jenny Sparks, Flint, Winter, Grifter, Rainmaker, Threshold, Frostbite, Bliss, Fahrenheit, Christine Trelane, The Doctor, Fairchild, Deathblow, Sublime, & Hellstrike) Official Plot:No Synopsis Brodie's View: A moral dilemma lies at the core of this, the last part of this story, as well as the last full on story for the Stormwatch team (even if it is mostly an alternate reality version of that team). That being should the Stormwatch from "our universe" (AKA The Wildstorm universe) help out Jack Hawksmoor's (from an alternate Earth) Stormwatch, as they face down a potential invasion from the race that abducted Jack as a child and modified him into being a superhuman, the Kherans (the race that spawned the WILDCATS team). The fact that Jackson King and his Stormwatch figured out that the Kherans (whose identity is not known on AlterJack's Earth is the piece of information they don't have, as the Kheran/Daemonite war never came to Earth as it did in the main Wildstorm Universe) are behind all of this, and that they have a secret agent on Earth that on "our Earth" became a member of the WILDCATS, Zealot. This causes a major argument between Jackson and Winter, who thinks that Stormwatch should directly aid Jack's Stormwatch against the Kheran threat. Jackson disagrees, reasoning that directly interfering in an alternate Earth's issue could cause more long term damage to both realities. This causes a rift between the two that never really gets healed, as we will see them continue to argue about this in the next issue, and, well, we never see any of that resolved as...things happen. Going back to this story, though, Jackson does finally agree to help out in a small way, and that's using Stormwatch tech to beam the knowledge that the Kherans are the approaching race, and that Zealot has been secretly working against the Earth she's been living on, to Jack Hawksmoor (making it seem as if it was Jack's inner voice). Needless to say, Jack isn't very happy about this, and after finding out the truth from Zealot (after Fahrenheit basically fry her), he has Stormwatch kill her, which they do with gusto. Jack and his Stormwatch (minus his Christine) enter the Kheran ship, which shortly after this, explodes, killing all aboard. We then see into the future, as Jack and his Stormwatch's sacrifice has ensured the world's saftey, as, with most of the superhuman populace destroyed, the Kherans have not felt the need to come back to Earth. A happy ending, at least for that world. This was a cool ending, brought down really only by the art, as Bryan Hitch kind of does less and less in this story, and as Michael Ryan's art was a savior in #3 (vs. Oscar Jimenez's art), in this storyline it definitely comes up short sitting next to Hitch's beautiful art. Nether the less, it's still a pretty cool story that opens up possibilities that Ellis will follow up on more during his run on THE AUTHORITY. Speaking of that change, we see the prologue to that happen in the next issue, which will act as the calm before the storm. That storm, or at least the direct aftermath to that storm takes place....in a crossover between Wildstorm and another comic company. He see the lead up to that happening, though, next issue, so, join us next time for...the beginning of the end of Stormwatch. No Pic again.....sorry GRADE: B+
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 26, 2018 0:54:09 GMT -5
Stormwatch (Vol 2) #10"No Reason"Cover Date: August, 1998 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Bryan Hitch & Michael Ryan Featured Character(s): Stormwatch (Jackson King---Weatherman, Christine Trelane (Synergy), Fuji, Fahrenheit, Flint, Hellstrike, & Winter) Villain/s: An Unknown Alien Threat Guest Star/s: Molly Perkins Official Plot:An asteroid approaches and is going to pass very close to Earth, so science officer Molly Perkins requests permission from Weatherman King to send a team to set charges and blow it off course into the sun. Weatherman blows her off and approves the mission as he is busy with Winter chewing him out for his failure to do more in service of the parallel Earth they discovered, declaring that there is no more reason for the team to exist if they start picking and choosing which lives they save. Weatherman punches him and kicks him out of his office. His words linger, however, as Weatherman and Synergy walk together and talk about the pressures of being Weatherman, that fine line you walk between saving the world and controlling it. He also remembers the Jackson King of that world, destroyed in both body and spirit from destroying half of SkyWatch trying to save the other half. Meanwhile, the science team approaches the asteroid and realizes it’s not merely an asteroid, but a vessel. Molly notifies Weatherman and directs the team to set the charges and leave as quickly as possible, the eerie similarities to what they just witnessed on the parallel Earth giving her an ominous feeling about the whole thing. As Weatherman reaches the science deck, communications with the team on the asteroid are lost. One of the team’s shuttles is able to make it off before the charges explode, but the other shuttle and crew onboard are not so lucky. The members of StormWatch spend their evening oblivious to the trouble: Hellstrike and Fahrenheit having fun in bed, Flint comforting Winter over a drink and Fuji gazing out at the stars. The surviving shuttle continues on its path back to SkyWatch. Brodie's View: As I said in the last review, this issue is very much the calm before the storm (no pun intended, or is there? ), as the main crux of this story is a mysterious object floating towards Earth. One thought at first to be an asteroid, but upon closer inspection is revealed as being a space ship of some sort, disguised by the asteroid. Jackson King sends two ships to plant explosives on the asteroid, which would send the object towards the sun, however, only one of those ships return ( ). Meanwhile, while this story is going on behind the scenes (well, until the ending), we deal with fallout from last issue, as Jackson and Winter have yet another confrontation about Jackson's actions, or lack of action, last issue. It gets ugly, and Jackson ends up slugging his combat leader, leading to bad feelings between the two. However, once Winter is gone, Jackson admits to Christine (his girlfriend and second in command) that Winter may be right. He also ponders what happened to his alternate Earth counterpart, who ripped off half his face in the process of trying to save the Stormwatch crew from an alien threat. Needless to say, this revelation ends up coming back to haunt him as it seems that there might be another alien threat looming over this Stormwatch. Boy! Is he right about that, and the sad thing is that most of the actual Stormwatch team, as we see in images before the end of the issue, are completely oblivious to it. Meanwhile, there is a ship heading back towards Skywatch; one that can't be reached via radio . This doesn't come to a head in the next issue, rather this story will be continued in a crossover between Wildstorm and another company, but unlike most multi company crossovers, this one will actually affect the (at least relatively) long term future of the book. In fact, it ends it. GRADE: B+
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Ultimo Gallos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 15,315
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Jun 26, 2018 11:53:30 GMT -5
Isn't the trade of the crossover OOP? I got it and trades of most of the Ellis Stormwatch run at a con. Was 3 trades for 10 bucks.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 26, 2018 14:39:37 GMT -5
Isn't the trade of the crossover OOP? I got it and trades of most of the Ellis Stormwatch run at a con. Was 3 trades for 10 bucks. I have all the surrounding issues in trade, but the actual crossover I have in issue form (got it at a comic book store sale several years ago). Thank you for not revealing the identity of the two properties involved in said crossover, btw. I want it to be a shock for those who have never read Ellis' run. I know I was sure as hell shocked the first time I read it.
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Ultimo Gallos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 15,315
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Jun 26, 2018 15:37:17 GMT -5
Isn't the trade of the crossover OOP? I got it and trades of most of the Ellis Stormwatch run at a con. Was 3 trades for 10 bucks. I have all the surrounding issues in trade, but the actual crossover I have in issue form (got it at a comic book store sale several years ago). Thank you for not revealing the identity of the two properties involved in said crossover, btw. I want it to be a shock for those who have never read Ellis' run. I know I was sure as hell shocked the first time I read it. I caught on that you hadn't mentioned who the crossover was with. Or what company publishes them. So figured I would keep kayfabe. I did notice on my copy of the trade it has a much higher price than a trade that thin would normally have. But I bet that is cause they had to split the profits so many ways.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 27, 2018 2:36:55 GMT -5
WILDC.A.T.S VS. ALIENS #1"Wildcats Vs. Aliens"Cover Date: August, 1998 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Chris Sprouse Featured Character(s): WildCats (Grifter, Zealot, Spartan, Warblade, Void, & Maul) & Lord Emp Villain/s: The Aliens/Alien Queen Guest Star/s: Stormwatch (Jackson King---Weatherman, Christine Trelane (Synergy), Winter, Fuji, Hellstrike, Flint, & Fahrenheit)---All but Jackson, Christine, and Flint die in/before this issue Official Plot:The story opens with a StormWatch escape pod, containing a scarred Flint, crash landing in New York City. The resulting rescue, retrieval and debriefing are witnessed by Grifter and Void. Upon hearing Flint's description of an unknown alien species that has infested the StormWatch space station, Skywatch, Grifter mistakenly believes the creatures to be Daemonites and quickly gathers up the original WildC.A.T.s team, minus Voodoo, for a rescue mission. Void teleports the team to Skywatch, where they quickly uncover a video log and security tapes depicting the events that led up to the attack — when a mysterious asteroid was detected passing nearby, a StormWatch science team was dispatched to take surface samples and plant explosives to redirect the rock into the sun. Skywatch lost contact with the team, although their ships later automatically returned to Skywatch. The ships were revealed to be full of Xenomorphs, which rapidly invaded Skywatch, slaughtering and impregnating the majority of the crew. The StormWatch superhuman team attempted to fight the creatures off but were ultimately wiped out. However, the WildC.A.T.s find indications of a small group of survivors hidden somewhere on Skywatch. After watching the footage, the WildC.A.T.s begin a search for the survivors, eventually finding them hidden in the cryogenic lock-down section. The survivors include Jackson King, Christine Trelane, Winter and 96 other crew members. With help of Void, most of the crew and all of the WildC.A.T.s escape, injured but alive. Winter, however, stays behind to pilot Skywatch into the sun, ensuring that the Xenomorphs cannot escape and spread to Earth. Brodie's View: So, now you can see why I wanted to keep this a secret, as one wouldn't expect the fate of Stormwatch to be decided by a crossover that featured The Wildcats and The Aliens from the film series, but here we are. Man, was this a shocking ass issue for someone who had been following Stormwatch since Warren Ellis took over the book, as I sure as hell wasn't expecting most of the team to die either before the events of this issue takes place, or during it. As I said earlier in this volume, it kind of very much seemed like Warren had grown bored with writing the Stormwatch team, and I guess the only reason he agreed to write this crossover was being allowed to pretty much kill that team off...and Holy Shit, does he. In short, Grifter and Void witness an escape hatch from Skywatch crash landing in NYC, the sole occupant of that hatch being Flint, who has somehow been scarred in a battle with a (at least to the Wildstorm characters) unknown alien threat. Grifter mistakenly thinks that the Daemonites are behind this, so, he ends up mostly reforming the Wildcats (who disbanded after Alan Moore's run on the book ended) team (minus Voodoo), and they teleport aboard Skywatch to find most of the crew apparently dead and the ship wrecked. See, that non responding shuttle that returned to Skywatch in the last review, had been boarded by Xenomorphs, who quickly take over Skywatch, killing most of the Stormwatch team (other than Jackson King, Chrstine Trelane, Winter, and a bunch of crew members, who hide in the most secure location aboard Skywatch). They walk into a room filled with gas, which is revealed to be a mixture of Fuji and Hellstrike, who have had their containment suits destroyed, and they find the corpse of Fahrenheit, who had been used as an incubator for one of the aliens, who can now shoot fire. While trying to save the rest of Stormwatch, the rest of the Wildcats try to do battle with the Aliens, with members of the team being injured. Finally, most of the Cats and the remains of Stormwatch (other than Winter, who we'll get to in a second) end up evacuating Skywatch, and Grifter and Zealot wind up kicking what Alien ass they can before splitting as well (even tossing grenades at the Alien Queen). Finally, there is only Winter, who flies Skywatch into the sun, killing himself and the Aliens (or at least this group of them). Damn! I would say the only criticism I would have of this story is that it's over too quickly, as this could have easily gone 2-3 issues. I mean, it was basically the Wildcats playing the part of the Space Marines in ALIENS (but doing at least a bit better, as they have super powers and all), but for what it was, it was pretty kick ass. As shocking as it was to see most of the Stormwatch team that we've gotten to know over these 20 some issues (and for long time readers longer than that) being killed so cold bloodedly was pretty shocking, but it definitely put a huge exclamation mark on the series before it became...well, what it ends up becoming after #11. I'd say it's just too bad, like most comic book deaths, most of the deaths in this issue ended up being undone a few years down the line. Shit like that is a major reason I really don't mess with the current stuff; nothing done has any lasting consequences, especially when it comes to killing characters. But let's forget about all that for now. As it stands, Stormwatch, as we know it, is dead and gone. In the next issue, we see the epilogue for that team (and this part of the run), as loose ends are tied up, and we see that while Stormwatch is gone, another team will rise up from the ashes to take its place. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 28, 2018 1:28:50 GMT -5
Stormwatch (Vol 2) #11"No Direction Home"Cover Date: September, 1998 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Bryan Hitch & Michael Ryan Featured Character(s): Stormwatch (Jackson King---Weatherman, Christine Trelane (Synergy), & Flint) & Stormwatch Black (Jenny Sparks, Jack Hawksmoor, & Swift) Villain/s: Henry Bendix & International Operations Guest Star/s: Malcolm King Official Plot:Jackson, Christine and Victoria attend the funerals of their fallen comrades. Afterwards, Christine makes note that the members of StormWatch Black didn’t show up, unaware that they too are doing their part. Jenny Sparks finally tracks down Henry Bendix and kills him, once and for all, but not before he dispatches a team of International Operations assassins to kill Malcolm King. At the hospital where Malcolm has been lying in a coma, they make their move but are stopped by Jack Hawksmoor and Swift. Meanwhile, Jackson, Christine and Victoria make their reports of SkyWatch’s final days and consequences of the alien infestation to the United Nations. They are informed of Bendix’s death and the attempt on Malcolm’s life…and also that the U.N. will no longer continue to fund StormWatch. No more orbital platform. No more field teams. No more monitoring stations. StormWatch is dead. Jenny, Jack and Swift visit the graves of their friends. Jenny declares that there has to be somebody left to save the world…and to change it. Swift asks about their two new recruits and if she thinks they’ll be ready. Jenny says they don't have a choice either way. And then quietly, strangely, she says “Door.” A shimmering golden portal opens and the three walk through. Brodie's View: Loose ends are tied up in this, the last issue of STORMWATCH (at least of the Warren Ellis run), and the official 2/3rds point of this entire run. We start off with a funeral for the Stormwatch team members that died during (and before) the events of the crossover we reviewed last time, with Jackson King, Christine Trelane, and Flint being the only major survivors of Stormwatch to attend. Christine is pissed that Stormwatch Black didn't attend the funeral, but as we find out throughout the issue, Jenny Sparks and her team are handling business left over from Stormwatch's past. In particular, taking out IO agents that are using Stormwatch's crippling as an excuse to pay back Jackson King for his pooping on their parades throughout the first two thirds of this part of the run, by killing his brother (who has been in a coma since the events of CHANGE OR DIE). Needless to say, that doesn't work out very well for IO, as Stormwatch Black pretty much owns them before they can come anywhere close to Malcolm. It's from there that Jenny is finally able to take care of a major threat left out there, Stormwatch's former Weatherman, Henry Bendix, who has been aiding IO behind the scenes, and as promised at the very beginning of this run, she kills him for his actions. On the other end of things, we see Jackson trying to cope with the basic death of Stormwatch, and his failure to save his team and the various crew members that died at the claws (and other things) of the Xenomorphs. He wonders how Stormwatch could even go on, but the United Nations make that decision easier for him by officially disbanding Stormwatch. However, as we see at the very end of the issue, Jenny Sparks and her crew have their own plans to pick up where Stormwatch left off, especially now that they are free (or so they believe) from any government reprisal for whatever they do. They vanish through a door that opens into The Bleed, showing that they knew about it (and probably knew before Jackson and Stormwatch, at least Jenny did) all along. The rest of their team is waiting there, and as we'll see in our next review, this team will be made up of old faces and new (well, at least new faces playing old roles). Get ready to get Epic, as we officially move into the era of THE AUTHORITY. GRADE: B+
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Ultimo Gallos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 15,315
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Jun 28, 2018 10:30:31 GMT -5
So you doing Authority next I assume. Just read the first trade so it is fresh in my memory.
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Post by MrElijah on Jun 28, 2018 10:47:13 GMT -5
WildC.A.T.s/Aliens, outside of JLA/Avengers, is the only crossover that actually had ramifications for a comic universe?
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 28, 2018 11:26:58 GMT -5
So you doing Authority next I assume. Just read the first trade so it is fresh in my memory. Yup. I'm not sure. I know that the Marvel/DC crossover in the 90's had lasting effects for a little while, and I know that DC/Marvel has kind of stated that every crossover has happened on an alternate Earth, but as far as lasting effects go from specific crossovers...
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Ultimo Gallos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 15,315
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Jun 28, 2018 12:39:19 GMT -5
So you doing Authority next I assume. Just read the first trade so it is fresh in my memory. Yup. I'm not sure. I know that the Marvel/DC crossover in the 90's had lasting effects for a little while, and I know that DC/Marvel has kind of stated that every crossover has happened on an alternate Earth, but as far as lasting effects go from specific crossovers... Kick ass. I wish ya lived a bit closer sir. I got a pile of trades I know you would enjoy reading. Would love to hear your thoughts on stuff like Brat Pack,Maximortal,The Complete Normalman and those Badger trades IDW put out. That WildCats/Aliens crossover is the only time I have enjoyed WildCats. I read the first 6 issues. Then read most of the Moore run. And yea not for me.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jun 28, 2018 21:36:32 GMT -5
The Authority #1"The Circle (Part 1 of IV)"Cover Date: May, 1999 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Bryan Hitch Featured Character(s): The Authority (Jenny Sparks, Jack Hawksmoor, Swift, Apollo, The Midnighter, The Doctor, & The Engineer Villain/s: Kaizen Gamorra & The Children of Gamorra Guest Star/s: Jackson King, Chrstine Trelane, & The (previous) Doctor Official Plot:Half of Moscow is destroyed as a large number of superhumans attack the city and destroy large chunks of it, as well as killing several hundreds of people. In New York City, in the United Nations building, Jackson King and Christine Trelane sit and gather reports on Moscow's situation. King expresses his disgust at no longer having a StormWatch team to deal with international crises. Suddenly, a glowing yellow Door appears, and Jenny Sparks comes through it, informing them that she had formed her own team after StormWatch was retired. She assures them the Moscow situation will be dealt with. Meanwhile on Gamorra Island, Kaizen Gamorra revealed to his troops his plans to announce his return to the world by cutting three knots upon the Earth. Moscow was the first, and two more are to follow. He sends his soldiers, who it turns out are the ones that destroyed half of Moscow, out to attack the second target. Jenny returns to The Carrier, a ship that exists in The Bleed which her and The Authority have commandeered. She briefly confers with Jack Hawksmoor and Swift. She sends Hawksmoor to survey the damage in Moscow and investigate. Once there, Hawksmoor discovers residual radiation from a mass teleport system, like StormWatch's transfer bays. Back on the Carrier, Jenny briefly confers with The Engineer, while The Doctor has a conversation with all the previous Doctors. A short while later, the Engineer discovers a trace of teleportation energy in London. The Authority arrives in London, ready for action. Brodie's View: Now, before I get to the actual issue, I do want to talk about the long lasting impact and legacy that THE AUTHORITY created, which, while being good on certain levels, has been, in my opinion, somewhat damaging to the comic book industry as a whole, as it's made almost every comic writer approach their work as being "Big Budget Movies on the Page," rather than, you know, comic books. What makes it somewhat worse is that this was definitely intentional, as Warren Ellis had a real disdain for superhero comics, and thought that the whole concept needed to be brought to the "present," which is why this series takes such a different approach than even the one he was doing on STORMWATCH. In addition, there was also the brief fad started by this book's success of super teams that went over the line that most super heroes up to that time wouldn't cross, especially when it came to killing and wanton destruction. This would eventually lead to Joe Kelly creating his own take on The Authority known as The Elite during his run on the SUPERMAN comic, as I think he felt that classic heroics needed to be re-established in the wake of how super heroes had changed in the wake of The Authority (which, to be fair, also grew out of the Anti Hero craze of the late 80's/90's as well). However, despite all of what I said above (and the only reason I even mentioned it in the review was because it was the elephant in the room that needed to addressed before I/we could move on), I'm going to give some pretty great reviews to this run, as it most certainly was a game changer, and really the pinnacle of what Warren Ellis had been working up to since starting on STORMWATCH in the first place, and Bryan Hitch's epic art work just adds to that whole feel. Besides, is it really fair to blame Nirvana and Alice In Chains for Creed and Nickleback? Kaizen Gamorra, who had returned to his beloved Gamorra Island after being kidnapped and switched with an alien that had taken Gamora's form, had fully re-transformed the island into being a terrorist's paradise (well, more than it was when the impostor was running it), and as we find out at the beginning of this issue, has created an army of near identical superhumans, and sent them to destroy Moscow. Gamorra's goal is to announce his return to the world by basically physically cutting the Gamorran symbol into the planet, and unlike when they were in charge of Stormwatch, Jackson King and Christine Trelane are completely helpless to stop him, as Stormwatch has been disbanded. However, while hiding in the shadows, Jenny Sparks and the rest of the now defunct Stormwatch Black (with Jack Hawksmoor and Swift) have been slowly building a team of their own, and are preparing to take the fight to Gamorra and his army the next time they show themselves. Two characters that were recently introduced in STORMWATCH are revealed to be part of this new time; Apollo and The Midnighter, along with two "characters" that were introduced in the CHANGE OR DIE storyline, although, with two new characters taking those roles; The Engineer (now a woman named Angela Spica) and The Doctor (now a white man named Jeroen Thornedike, although, we see the previous Doctor as well, as Jeroen is in contact with all of the previous Doctors on the spiritual plane) (whew! ). Their "headquarters" is a giant sentient ship called The Carrier, which flies through the inter dimensional space known as The Bleed. This allows them to open portals wherever they need to on Earth, as as The Children of Gamorra start to destroy London, The Authority are quickly able to get there, and as we end this issue, the fight is about to be on! In the next issue, we see the team in action, as they take on an army of superhumans for the fate of London. GRADE: A
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Ultimo Gallos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 15,315
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Jun 28, 2018 22:33:15 GMT -5
The Authority is one of the few late 90s/early 2000s superhero comics I enjoyed. Ellis took the ideas that Rick Veitch talked about in his King Hell stuff and made them a bit more palatable for your average comic fan that only reads stuff from the big two.
And when this series started it got lots of comic fans talking. I can remember the people that up until this time were only reading stuff like Marvels X-titles and Batman/Superman/JLA from DC having their minds blown.
Kinda surprised that since their revamping of the DC universe no one has brought back the Authority.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Jul 6, 2018 2:17:08 GMT -5
The Authority #2"The Circle (Part II of IV)"Cover Date: June, 1999 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Bryan Hitch Featured Character(s): The Authority (Jenny Sparks, Jack Hawksmoor, Swift, Apollo, The Midnighter, The Doctor, & The Engineer Villain/s: Kaizen Gamorra & The Children of Gamorra Guest Star/s: None Official Plot:In London, the Authority prepares to take on a large group of Gamorran clones. The Engineer links the team together with Radio-telepathy, and the Authority attacks. Swift and the Engineer attack from the sky while Apollo, the Midnighter and Jack Hawksmoor fight on the ground. The Doctor uses his magic to box in the terrorists, so they can't escape deeper into the city. The Authority pushes most of them into the River Thames, where Jenny Sparks promptly electrocutes them. The Midnighter saves a child from one of the invaders while Apollo helps out Hawksmoor. Apollo chases after an escaping terrorist, against the wishes of Jenny Sparks. On Gamorra Island, the wounded attackers pile in. Kaizen decides to draw his force field, the Curtains, over his country. The man Apollo was chasing hits it and explodes. The Doctor saves Apollo from the same fate. The Authority returns to The Carrier to recuperate from the battle. Apollo dislikes not being able to get through Gamorra's Curtains. The Authority offers help to London while they attempt to discover Gamorra's next target. Brodie's View: The Authority and Kaizen Gamorra's "Children" fight over and throughout London, and we most certainly see that this is a team that will not pull their punches, as they no longer answer to any superiors. As at matter of fact, and these acts are beautifully rendered by Bryan Hitch (as always), most of The Authority's members try to take out as many of these superhumans as they can, with Jenny Sparks electrocuting them and Jack Hawksmoor literally punching through the heads of the Gamorran clones(?). Finally, the order is given to retreat, and once most of the "Children" have returned to Gamorra, a force bubble is put over the island; a bubble so powerful that it completely destroys the Gomorran that arrived too late. Luckily, Apollo is teleported into another dimension by The Doctor, which saves the Superman-esque Apollo from sufffering that same fate. We then see the various Authority members enjoying a bit of R&R after this "mission," while trying to figure out where Kaizen is going to strike next. We see relationships starting to form between a few of the members; when I first read this, the ending implied that something may be going on between Apollo and Jenny Sparks, but time will show how silly that prediction turned out to be. There is a lot of action in the first half of this issue, as unlike his Stormwatch stuff, Hitch is given free reign to do double page spreads and full page depictions of the action. This, once again, definitely sets up the whole "Big Budget Movie" feel that Warren Ellis is going for in this series, and Ellis will certainly be trying to outdo himself throughout his run. In the next issue, we see the continuation of this story, as The Authority tries to stop Kaizen Gamorra from attacking another city, while The Midnighter tries to take the fight right to Gamorra himself. GRADE: A-
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Post by MrElijah on Jul 6, 2018 11:00:47 GMT -5
The Authority is one of the few late 90s/early 2000s superhero comics I enjoyed. Ellis took the ideas that Rick Veitch talked about in his King Hell stuff and made them a bit more palatable for your average comic fan that only reads stuff from the big two. And when this series started it got lots of comic fans talking. I can remember the people that up until this time were only reading stuff like Marvels X-titles and Batman/Superman/JLA from DC having their minds blown. Kinda surprised that since their revamping of the DC universe no one has brought back the Authority. Honestly, I think it really depends on the writer on who uses them and how. 1) The Authority in the DCU.....flips the script, so to speak. They're not afraid of killing their foes(and the guys they have fought were utter assholes) so that puts them on a collision course with.... 2) The Justice League of America(& 90% of the DC Good Guys). There's no way we ain't getting a JLA/Authority fight and I'm afraid someone will just try to make the other side look like losers to justify the other team.
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Ultimo Gallos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 15,315
|
Post by Ultimo Gallos on Jul 6, 2018 11:12:31 GMT -5
If they do get brought back all I ask is don't let Geoff Johns write it. I get why he has a huge fanbase,but his writing isn't for me. Read the first,3rd and 4th issues of Pacific Comic's Captain Victory.Decent artwork,even if the coloring can be muddy. The story is bursting with ideas. But not enough is explained.I got pretty much all of the Pacific run,and doubt the newer stuff would hard or expensive to get. Waiting to see when it really starts tying in with the New Gods. insert code here Also read a mid 90s Josie and the Pussycats #1. Guess this was the revamp of the title before the next revamp right before the movie came out. It has Decalro doing the art. And includes a poster of Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space. Totally worth grabbing cause I bet this is in cheap bins at comic shops. Read Justice League vs Suicide Squad #1.... yea i know it is the first part of a mini series. The art is ok. The story feels like 4 pages stretched out to full issue length.So the mini last long enough to make a nice trade. If I find the trade cheap I might finish this.
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