Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #8, Voodoo #8 and Grifter #8. But wait there’s more! We also review Superboy #8, and the Helspont appearance in Superman #7 & 8, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:33  - Joe welcomes everyone to episode #33 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:07  - Joe gives some Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

• Zealot to appear in Deathstroke, but not in Grifter!
• Team 7 references dropped in two different titles this month.  One in Justice League #8 where it mentions Steve Trevor (Wonder Woman’s on again off again love interest) was in Team 7.  Also in Teen Titans #8 Agent Kurt Lance (Black Canary’s supposedly murdered husband) is shown to be alive and he mentions he was also part of Team 7.
• Free Comic Book Day! How was it for you?

00:05:17 - Ben jumps right into the review of Stormwatch #8. Released released on 4/04, written by Paul Jenkins with art by Daniel Horn and Ignacio Calero and cover by Miguel Sepulveda. He pleads the fifth on thinking he understood any of the science fictiony mojo Paul was trying to make us swallow. And, yes, there is always a magic gun to explain away the icky sticky details for the “how” part of it.

00:18:36 - Joe follows up on his thoughts for the eighth issue of Stormwatch. He starts by working out the issue backwards. The internet wasn’t too receptive of how the Midnighter treated Jenny and Joe tries to explain the differences between the new DCU characters vs. the old Wildstorm characters (we seem to keep running into this problem).

00:26:52 - Joe reviews Grifter #8. Released on 4/11, written by Nathan Edmondson, with art by Daniel Sampere and cover by Scott Clark. This was Edmondson’s last issue on the title before Liefeld takes it over. Joe enjoyed this issue, can you believe it?

00:35:01 - Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #8….groan, grumble, grumble, groan. How is this title still making the cuts?!?! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE GRIFTER (the character), but this is not the title we were pitched way back in our interview last August. The most wanted man in the DCU? Maybe only by the new version of the Daemonites, but not by the heroes of this universe, as I believe was the intention.

00:39:46 - Ben reviews the eighth issue of the bat-sh#+! crazy alien Voodoo. Released on 4/25, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Rod Reis and Paulo Siqueira. Ben thought the cover reminded him of the old Rat Fink cartoons if that was any consolation to John Tyler Christopher being pulled off of the covers.

00:58:35 - Joe gives his thoughts on Voodoo, which are very short and sweet. He did give a big shout out to Sami Basri who is one of the few artists in the new DCU, next to Brett Booth, who is very consistent on a single title.

00:59:32 - Joe gives a beat by beat review of Superboy #8. Released on 4/11, written by Scott Lobdell & Tom DeFalco with art by R.B. Silva and cover by Barbara Ciardo. (The Culling prelude) Joe equates the Culling to the Hungers Games type of young super-powered beings pitted against one another in order to be culled for the harvest by a baddie known as Harvest!

01:04:31 - Ben gives his assessment on Superboy #8, which reminded him more of Countdown Arena series from the 52 Countdown event since having just read this series.

01:06:09 - Ben reviews the issues #7 and 8 of Superman. Released on 3/28 and 4/25, written by Keith Giffen with art by Dan Jurgens and cover by Ivan Reis. The main concept is that Helspont believes he and Superman are the same and that he should be ruling humans not protecting them. The Daemonites cast Helspont out because of his powers and Supes is basically thinking he’s crazy (Thanks for the recap of issue #7 Joe!). Issue #8, Helspont wants Superman to help him take control of this universe and in turn will give Superman earth for himself and leave him and humanity alone. These issues contained a ton of fighting and possibly even more talking.

0114:39 - Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #8′s that have released last month.

01:15:00 -Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 5/02
• STORMWATCH #9  New writer PETER MILLIGAN comes aboard! APOLLO and MIDNIGHT battle RED LANTERN SKALLOX! V-MAN’S connection to STORMWATCH is revealed – and it’s a doozy!
• TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 ”THE CULLING” begins here! It’s the TEEN TITANS vs. THE LEGION LOST one mile beneath the Antarctic in the chamber of horrors known as the Crucible! Continued in this month’s SUPERBOY #9, LEGION LOST #9 and TEEN TITANS #9! Secret first appearance of Warblade!

• For the week of 5/09
• GRIFTER #9 Welcoming the new creative team of ROB LIEFELD, FRANK TIERI and SCOTT CLARK. Grifter’s troubles worsen as he races to stop the impending DAEMONITE invasion. Featuring the first appearances of DEATHBLOW and CHESHIRE in The New 52!
• SUPERBOY #9 ”THE CULLING” continues here from this month’s TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 and leading into LEGION LOST #9! SUPERBOY vs. ROSE WILSON – round two! The shocking debut of the all-new WARBLADE!
• DEMON KNIGHTS #9 ”THE MURDER OF MERLIN” begins! Who has the power to murder Merlin – and what else are they capable of?
• LEGION LOST #9 ”THE CULLING” continues from this month’s SUPERBOY #9! Even the combined powers of LEGION LOST and the TEEN TITANS won’t be enough to stop DARK HARVEST and his minions from committing mass murder! Continues in this month’s TEEN TITANS #9.

• For the week of 5/23
• VOODOO #9 A new direction for VOODOO starts now! Pris is forced to confront exactly what she has become after being experimented on by the DAEMONITES. Compelled to search for other victims like her, she’s offered a deal by the BLACK RAZORS…but wherever way she turns, it’s guaranteed more blood will be on her hands.
• TEEN TITANS #9 ”THE CULLING” finale! THE TEEN TITANS and THE LEGION LOST duke it out with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and the madman known as Harvest to stop the slaughter ofinnocent children. This issue leads directly into this month’s RAVAGERS #1! Continued from TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 SUPERBOY #9 and LEGION LOST #9!

• For the week of 5/30
• THE RAVAGERS #1 First issue of a new series spinning directly out of “THE CULLING!” FAIRCHILD, brother and sister THUNDER and LIGHTNING, the monstrous RIDGE, BEAST BOY and TERRA are being pursued by ROSE WILSON and WARBLADE, who want them dead at any cost! No one’s survival is certain each month in THE RAVAGERS!

01:17:46 - Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast episode 7 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

01:18:27 - Joe continues with the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.
Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page
Google+ Page: wildstormaddiction

“This Means War!”

Writer: Rob Liefeld & Frank Tieri
Pencils: Scott Clark
Inks: Dave Beaty
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Editor: Brian Smith
Cover: Rob Liefeld

(No Spoilers)

The new creative team of Rob Liefeld with Frank Tieri as co-plotters finally makes their debut this month but unfortunately a lot of the concerns fans had about this creative team are present in this issue. This mixed in with surprisingly weak art by the normally solid Scott Clark do not make for a good beginning on this run.

Those who know me know that next to Batman, Grifter is my favorite character. I’ve also been accused of the being the cheerleader for all things Wildstorm-related and some have discounted my reviews because they think me biased. I’ll admit that I do love the Wildstorm characters and for the most part I am pretty lenient when it comes to their stories. But I have to say I was not happy with this issue of Grifter. I am a very positive person and don’t like focusing on negatives so I’ll get through them quick and then talk about what I did like about the issue.

One struggle fans have had with the Wildstorm characters being introduced into the New 52 is the “old vs. new” argument. Many of the Wildstorm characters in the New 52 are vastly different from the originals. This has turned off some but for me it has been interesting. I never expected, nor really wanted, a direct translation of the old WSU into the DCU. A lot of these characters in their old incarnation wouldn’t fit in the DCU. The DCU Grifter has been one that has been chased, beaten, and finally had his loved ones take away. In issue 8 the DCU Grifter seemed practically on the verge of suicide because all of this had transpired and it was very appropriate based on what he had experienced. The Grifter in this issue, however, talks and acts like the WSU Grifter. You’d think I’d be happy with that fact but for me it kills everything that’s been setup about the character so far. The WSU Grifter varied depending on who wrote him. Some wrote him more serious while others a tad bit goofy. I never liked the latter. Grifter’s not meant to be a wisecracker, especially not the DCU Grifter. Even though he mentions the loss of his brother, I don’t see the hurt he was dealing with last issue. To me, this is a step backwards for the character.

Also, it is good to have artist Scott Clark back but for the first time since he’s been on the series, I felt his art seemed a bit rushed in some areas. He had the previous month off so I was kind of disappointed to see this. I’ve always like Clark’s art and the fact he’s from the old Wildstorm crew adds a bit of nostalgia to the title for me. I hope this was just a temporary thing because this title needs a lot of help right now.

It was also hard to get into the story and dialogue. The story of Grifter being the Chosen One to fight against the Daemonite is a storyline that has been used countless times and just didn’t seem to fit here. Grifter was definitely setup by the Daemonites as was revealed last issue but I don’t buy this new development. Grifter was fine just being a thorn in the Daemonites side.

Finally, I will say (no spoilers because he’s on the cover) that seeing Deathblow introduced into the DCU was a nice treat. Deathblow was one of my favorite Wildstorm characters and it’s going to be fun seeing him and Grifter in a book together again. I also like the design for Cheshire. I’d never read about her in the old DCU but since we’re not getting Zealot (apparently she’s going to appear in Deathstroke), it’s cool that we’re going to have at least one ass-kicking female in this title for now.

This title was already on life-support and it really needs something unique to get people to try it. It’s frustrating as a fan because I love this character so much but it’s so hard to get people to read a book I myself am starting not to enjoy. But I am loyal and I will follow Grifter to the bitter end but I hope Leifeld and Tieri have something big up their sleeves because this title needs serious help.

5 out of 10 (Average)

” The Da Vinci Coda “

Writer: Peter Milligan
Pencils: Miguel Sepulveda
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Dave Shapre
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda

(No Spoilers)

Peter Milligan comes on as writer this month and he brings with him some baddies he’s familiar with as he pits Stormwatch against the Red Lantern, Skallox! Series regular artist Miguel Sepulveda also returns and his time off seems to have stepped up his A-game for this new direction for the title.

Stormwatch as a title seems to always attract good writers. Ever since Warren Ellis had his hands in this title back in the day, each incarnation of the team has always been unique and interesting. Even though there are many elements of The Authority here, each of the three writers that have handled this title so far have given the team its own flavor so it’s not exactly an Authority title in disguise. It is subtle, I’ll admit, but it’s still there.

With the origin of the team already told by Paul Cornell and a short adventure courtesy of Paul Jenkins last couple of issues, the team is in a “business as usual” mode as they’re hopping the globe dealing with various threats. But Milligan reminds us that this latest incarnation of the team is still in its infancy as we have team members questioning The Engineer’s leadership and Midnighter questioning whether or not he should be part of this team at all. These kind of conflicts are nice to see because it makes for a more interesting read. It’s a more realistic approach than expecting a group of strangers to get along just because they have superpowers.

I also like that Milligan brought in a Red Lantern. It’s smart not only because he’s been writing the Red Lantern title but it also continues the inter-connectivity of the New 52. It’s always cool to see characters from different books interacting. Plus, it was done in a such a way I didn’t feel this Red Lantern was forced into the title.

I have to say Miguel Sepulveda’s art is at its best. I had to double-check that he was still the artist as I read. I enjoyed his early art but it wasn’t my favorite. I think he’s gotten really comfortable with this title and it seems he’s starting to feel free to take some artistic liberties. This was evident in a scene where Apollo drops Midnighter into a field and Sepulveda does a motion-shot which shows Midnighter doing a hand-stand, performing a flip, and finally landing. It’s the little details like this that separate good art from great art.

Milligan is off to a strong start in a story that seems deceivingly self-contained. I feel he’s setting up some great stuff here and I for one am hooked with this new writer. Stormwatch continues to be one of the stronger titles of the New 52.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Writer: Josh Williamson
Pencils: Sami Basri
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Brian Smith
Cover: Paulo Siqueira

(No Spoilers)

Josh Williamson keeps the craziness coming as we get another action packed issue with new revelations, new characters joining in, and old characters biting the dust. Mix this with Sami Basri’s exceptional art and you’ve got one of the most under-appreciated titles of the New 52.

I’d love to see Williamson’s notes and see which characters he has listed for termination because we’ve lost two in the last two issues (I realize the ‘death’ from this issue is still questionable but still). It’s no wonder Williamson has chosen to import Andrew Lincoln of the Blackhawks into this title. At this rate, there may not be any other characters left besides new ones. This has made for some great story-telling because suddenly no one is safe in this title. This increases the threat level for the characters and makes it more real. It’s nothing against the current characters, it just keeps you on edge.

I hope DC appreciates Sami Basri. He’s one of the few artists that has made it to the 8th issue of these New 52 titles without missing an issue. On top of that, at no point has his art felt rushes. Not only that, I think his art has actually improved from the early issues as he seems to have gotten comfortable with these characters. I’m not sure if he’s listed for issue 9 but he’s back for 10 and 11. Regardless, if he’s gone next issue, it’s a well deserved break because he has been extremely reliable on this title.

I thought I wasn’t going to like the fact that there are two Voodoos now but it’s actually turning out to be pretty interesting. I’m more accepting of the original Voodoo now that I know she was a clone. I know these are not the same characters from the Wildstorm Universe but I feel like everyone else still kept the spirit of the old characters. I didn’t feel that way about Voodoo until the clone revelation. Voodoo always had a dark side to her but how dark depended on who was writing her at the time.

The first trade for this can’t come out fast enough (listed for Oct. I believe). I know some people are trade-waiting this title but I just hope it can survive until then. For now, I’ll just continue to enjoy the craziness Williamson is throwing at us each month. And trust me, when Williamson has throw his stories at us before, it hits you right in the face!

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

“…must come down”

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Daniel Sampere
Inks: Dave Beaty & Mark McKenna
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Editor: Brian Smith
Cover: Scott Clark

(No Spoilers)

After a string of action centered issues, Nathan Edmondson takes his last issue to tie up some loose ends and give us an emotional action-packed ending to his Grifter run. Even fill-in artist Daniel Sampere does a great job of taking the reigns from Scott Clark for an issue and doing some great work as we see this first chapter of Grifter’s story wrap-up.

I have to admit, when I first starting reading the issue, I got a little annoyed at how it started. I knew going into it that it was going to be Edmondson’s last issue and I wondered if DC had given him enough notice that he was leaving the title so we could get some sort of closure. The result is a mixed bag as I think its obvious DC told him they were taking him off the book because he shoves a lot into the issue in order to resolve plot lines he’d been laying out. It starts with the death of a character Edmondson introduced and they are taken out very unceremoniously. One could argue that it was done the way it was because of the idea that death is sudden and sometimes it’s over quickly without one last speech or final rally before the character dies. But I think here it’s mainly because it was something Edmondson had to do quickly because he only had one issue to wrap up a lot.

But on the flip side, I did like where the story goes from there. As the cover shows, Max Cash is still alive, so no spoilers there. I loved the brother vs. brother conflict. I have a brother so stories like this are easy for me to relate to. I will be up front and say it was all resolved very quickly. But for the short time it lasted I did enjoy it. It made me wish that Edmondson had revealed earlier that Max was alive and we had spent the last few issues having the two brothers at odds. I think it would’ve strengthened all the issues we’ve gotten since Max was thought dead.

Another thing I appreciated here was Grifter’s inner dialogue. I liked it early on in the series but again, when Scott Clark came on the book a lot that was replaced with more action. Here, I actually felt sorry for Grifter and understood how defeated he felt. Everything has literally been taken from him by the Daemonites so now he has more than enough reason to want to hunt them down. This to me solidified his purpose. Before, he seemed to be reacting to the situation and now I feel we may get a more proactive Grifter. Of course, this also depends how much of this development Liefeld will keep in upcoming issues.

The Grifter title started really well for me, dropped significantly into too much action and not enough story, but then made a decent rally here at the end of Edmondson’s run. I know Edmondson had planned to be on Grifter longer and I think I can see the frustration in his writing when he realized he wasn’t going past this issue. I took this last issue as a “what could have been” issue of sorts. This felt like more of an amalgamation of the first couple of issues but with a decent amount of action as compared to the action-heavy issues we’d been getting. But next month, we’ve got Scott Clark back on as artist with Liefeld plotting and Frank Tieri assisting with story duties too. We’ll see where the new team takes Grifter from here. Hopefully, most of fans will too.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

 “Supercritical-Part Two”

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Pencils: Ignacio Calero & Daniel HDR
Inks: Sean Parsons
Colors: Pete Pantazis
Letters: David Sharpe
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Ignacio Calero

(No Spoilers)

Wow! Paul Jenkins did not waste any of his talent on this short two-issue run. It was obvious he not only set out to tell a good story, but I dare say he did a better job of it in two issues than previous writer Paul Cornell did in the previous six. I’m not trying to put down what Cornell did on the title but Jenkins did an outstanding job with what he had to work with.

In interviews before he took over the title, Jenkins expressed interest in staying on the title past his two-issue run. Now we do have writer Peter Milligan coming onto the title next month and I look forward to what he has in store as well, but man do I wish Jenkins had more time on this title! I think the main thing I enjoyed about his story is that he seemed to get the characters. It’s hard to read about these characters and not think about The Authority since basically it’s the same characters with the addition of Maritan Manhunter. But I think this is a good mixture of that and Warren Ellis’ early Stormwatch work. We see some characters here taken in some pretty interesting directions. You’ll see what I mean when you see how the issue ends with the Midnighter and Jenny Quantum. The two get into a situation where some grey area between good and evil arises and it’s that kind of conflict that always made Stormwatch/The Authority work so well in the past.

Another person I’m sad to see go so soon is artist Ignacio Calero. He had some help from Daniel HDR in this issue but their styles seem similar so I couldn’t really pick out when the art changed. But that’s a good thing because sometimes a drastic artist change in the middle of a book can throw off the reader. Where Jenkins seems to get these characters story-wise, Calero definitely captures them visually. None of the characters were off and felt like themselves. I especially loved the way he drew Midnighter will all the extra gear on him. As much as I miss his old costume, having a good artist draw this version makes it easier to take.

I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed Paul Jenkins on this title. I know he’s moving on to other things but I hope the sales on these issues are strong enough that when Peter Milligan finishes his upcoming run, Jenkins will be the first on their list. He made sure that this title continues to be one of the fresher and more original titles in the New 52 and I hope people are starting to drop other books will give this a try if they haven’t already.

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #7, Voodoo #7 and Grifter #7 as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:35  - Ben welcomes everyone to episode #32 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:02 - Ben gives some Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

• Wildstorm Addiction turns 2 years old this month! Thank you for all of the support over the years and we are so happy/excited to still be discussing everything Wildstorm!
• A new Grifter statue coming from Eaglemoss. No release date or price given yet. Picture up at our site. This makes two statues for Wildstorm characters and both are of Grifter. What no love for your best selling titles characters in Stormwatch DC?
• Stormwatch Vol. 1 Hardcover re-solicited (yet again!) for April 4, 2012, collects Stormwatch #37-47 which is Warren Ellis’ original run. Stormwatch Volume 2 Hardcover is solicited for October 2012. It collects the remainder of Ellis’ run, #48-50 and #1-11 of Stormwatch Vol. 2. But no Wildcats/Aliens included?
• WILDC.A.T.S. Vol. 1 Deluxe Edition (Wildc.a.T.S. Deluxe) still showing a solicit for September 2012.
• A bit of news from Wondercon, Jim Lee added he was not riding shotgun on WildStorm characters in order to force them being integrated into the DC Universe. What he wants are for other voices to go different places with them, and Lee will only speak up about their treatment if necessary. Scott Lobdell also added that he’s interested in bringing Majestic into the story somehow and Rob Liefeld mentioned we’ll be seeing Zealot soon, assumingly in Grifter.
• Joe mentions some rumblings about some possible Wildstorm character Heroclix! O.G. Image era Grifter figure? A possible Wildstorm character set, would that not be epic?!?!
• Oops, did I forget to mention that we spoil these comics? Well they are about a month old so why haven’t you gone out to your local comic book shop and picked them up yet? Joe reminds ya’ll for me.

00:06:35 - Joe reviews Stormwatch #7. Released released on 3/07, written by Paul Jenkins with art by Ignacio Calero and cover by Miguel Sepulveda and Alex Sinclair. 1:25 B&W Sketch Variant.

00:22:11 - Ben shares his thoughts for the seventh issue of Stormwatch. A long review by Joe, but man it was worth it. A humbling Jack Hawksmoor scene makes this issue top notch. And the tight two issue story telling makes you feel like you’ve gotten a lot out of the read.

00:22:18 - Ben reviews Grifter #7. Released on 3/14, written by Nathan Edmondson, with art and cover by Scott Clark, David Beaty, and Andrew Dalhouse.

00:31:03 - Joe gives his assessment on Grifter #7.

00:36:00 - Joe reviews the seventh issue of Voodoo with change in creative. Released on 3/28, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Paulo Siqueira.

00:51:20 - Ben shares his thoughts on Voodoo especially with the new direction that writer Josh Williamson is taking this title.

00:57:23 - Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #7′s that have released this past month.

01:00:49 -Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com.

• For the week of 4/04
• STORMWATCH #8 - The secret of the Gravity Miners! Midnighter snaps! 1:25 B&W Sketch Variant

• For the week of 4/11
• GRIFTER #8 - Brother vs. Brother, Nathan Edmondson’s last issue
• SUPERBOY #8 - First appearance of Grunge!
• DEMON KNIGHTS #8 (More connections to Stormwatch? unsure)
• LEGION LOST #8 - The lead-up to next month’s game-changing TEEN TITANS/SUPERBOY/LEGION LOST crossover starts here! Rose Wilson and the Ravagers of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. attack our lost Legionnaires for a battle royale!

• For the week of 4/25
• VOODOO #8
• TEEN TITANS #8 - The Culling is starting
• SUPERMAN #8 - Superman vs. Helspont round 2! (Seduction of the innocent)

01:04:02 - We discuss a little bit about the new DC Comics logo and website upgrade. No more message boards!?!? I assume they are just going to rely on twitter, facebook, and google+ from here on out. Join us on Clark’s Bar! Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast episode 8 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

01:06:00 - Joe gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.
Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page
Google+ Page: wildstormaddiction

“Revelations”

Writer: Josh Williamson
Pencils: Sami Basri
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Paulo Siqueira

(No Spoilers)

Williamson brings us another action packed issue with even more surprises in a story aptly titled “Revelations”. The fast pace coupled with beautiful art by Sami Basri leaves me wondering why more people aren’t coming back to this title. Here’s to hoping that buzz about the positive changes in the title will get more readers to come back who left early on.

I’m going to start this review a little backwards and talk about the end first. Williamson loves cliffhangers, he’s made that evident from his first issue. This one is no different. His revelation about Voodoo really makes for an interesting story here. She started the series as a character of mystery but now with that mystery mostly solved, it brings up a ton of questions. Williamson has answered some here but presented a dozen more and that is what is becoming the strength of this title.

He’s also established that characters aren’t safe in this story. We’ve got the death of a character at the end of the issue and it’s done in such a way that I hope it sticks. It’s nothing against the character themselves but it really took the story in a much darker direction. There are some who speculated that the reason Williamson went with the clone story is because the DCU version of Voodoo seemed to kill too easily. Now, DC can’t have one of their heroes kill, right? Well, whether or not Voodoo is a hero has been in question since the beginning. Her character is more like that of an insurgent trying to topple a rival government. So rather than try to explain away her motives, it seems that they’re basically showing us she was never the “real” Voodoo to begin with. It’s just a theory but as we progress it seems more and more likely that this is the case.

Williamson also does some interesting character work here. When Voodoo’s clone attacks the Daemonites, she’s countered by some creatures the Daemonites send after her. I won’t spoil it by revealing what they are but there’s actually a sad moment with them that brought up an interesting conflict for the character. It’s little touches like this that are making me enjoy this story more now than before.

I think Williamson has turned this title around and breathed new life into it. If you are not reading Voodoo anymore, pick up Willimason’s issues and see what you think. I personally am having a lot of fun with them. Oh, and Basri’s art is still amazing!

8 out of 10 (on it’s way to greatness!)

“Frostbite”

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Scott Clark
Inks: Dave Beaty
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Scott Clark

(No Spoilers)

Another action packed issue of Grifter comes and goes but this time the contender of the moment is Midnighter of Stormwatch. Fans of the old Wildstorm Universe known that the last time these two characters met, it did not end well. While it is a fun encounter and it was handled well, we still have yet to learn more about Grifter.

I think I’ll start with Scott Clark’s art this time. Some people have really been split on his art but I really felt it was stronger here. I don’t know if it’s the fact that the setting was in the snow but it just didn’t seem as ink heavy as it has the last few issues. I love seeing Scott Clark’s rendition of Grifter. There’s just something about the way he draws Grifter that is very definitive for the character. He also does a decent Midnighter and I loved how he did certain shots where Midnighter was mostly in shadow but his symbol was visible. It was a nice effect.

What is getting to me about this title is we’re not learning anything new about Grifter. The funny thing is it seems to have started when Scott Clark came on the title. I’m not sure if Edmondson ramped up the action in the title because of Clark because action is definitely Clark’s strong point. I have enjoyed Scott Clark’s action scenes but it seems that we lost a lot of the story-telling from the early issues. Based on the conversations Grifter had with his brother in the early issues, we know that Grifter is ex-special forces. Old Wildstorm readers know that in the WSU it was Team 7 he was a part of (which was an idea used in Lois Lane and the Resistance during Flashpoint). Now I wasn’t 100% expecting that Edmondson would use that during his run, but at the very least I was hoping for some flashbacks to this time in Grifter’s life. I just want a little more substance from this title and I think after 7 issues, I’ve given it more than enough time to deliver that.

I am still enjoying the Grifter title, but I’m actually ready for something new with the character. Edmondson does leave us on a couple of interesting notes as Grifter comes up with a new plan to stop the Daemonites which sounded interesting. However, with Edmondson only having one issue left I’m not if it’s an idea that will carry over into Leifeld’s upcoming run. I will end with one great thing about the issue (and this is not a spoiler since it’s on the cover of the next two Superman issues). We get to see Clark’s rendition of Helspont and his arrival in the DCU! It’s a nice lead in to Superman #7 and I can’t wait to pick it up!

6 out of 10 (Slightly above average)

“Supercritical-Part One”

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Pencils: Ignacio Calero
Inks: Sean Parsons & Julio Ferreira
Colors: Pete Pantazis
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda

(No Spoilers)

We trade one Paul in for another as new writer Paul Jenkins takes over the reigns from Paul Cornell.  Jenkins is set to do a short two-issue story but he quickly shows us that he’s going to make the most of this little stint.  Mix that in with some great art by guest artist Ignacio Calero and you’ve got another solid issue of this great series!

People joked that the end of Cornell’s run portrayed Stormwatch as an amalgamation of The Authority and Planetary.  I think that sense continues here as we open to a very Planetary-esque situation.  However, once back on the Stormwatch’s headquarters, there’s a sense that we’re reading the pages of The Authority again (only with Martian Manhunter in the mix this time).  This is definitely not a bad thing as the characters just seem to play off one another as they always have.

I have to mention Ignacio Calero’s art.  I have been enjoying Miguel Sepulveda’s art on this title but I have to say I enjoyed Calero’s art just a tad bit more.  I loved the little touches he added like giving The Engineer a ponytail made of wires or the distinct look he gave Martian Manhunter.  I’m not sure where he’s headed after this short run but I hope DC uses him elsewhere in their books.

One thing Jenkins nailed right away is what I think makes this title interesting as a whole.  He kept the high-concept ideas in place and it gives the sci-fi aspect of the book more weight.  The training that Martian Manhunter is taking Jenny through is way out there but I love it!  I also love the use of Jack’s powers too.  In a  previous issue we saw him communicate with two of the DCU’s most famous cities.  Now we get to see him communicate with three well known cities, but these are from the real world.  The scene between Jack and these three cities is so well done and really tugs at your heartstrings a little.

I wasn’t sure what Jenkins was going to do with only two issues but so far with just this one he has crafted a great story!  It’s sad that he’s only going to get two issues but if next issue is anywhere close to this, it’s going to be some great stuff!

8 out 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #6, Voodoo #6 and Grifter #6 as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:31  - Joe welcomes everyone to episode #31 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:00:41  - Joe gives some Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

• Artist Al Rio passed away last month by ending his own life. Al Rio was well-known for following up J. Scott Campbell’s run on Gen 13. His work centered around drawing beautiful women and his art was always eye-catching. We here at the Wildstorm Addiction send out our condolences to Al’s family and friends during this difficult time.
• Peter Milligan who has written and will continue to write RED LANTERNS and Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER will be writing Stormwatch starting with #9. No word yet if Miguel Sepulveda will still draw. On GRIFTER, Liefeld’s stories will be scripted by Frank Tieri, whose previous DC Comics work includes JSA CLASSIFIED, GOTHAM UNDERGROUND and BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS. Scott Clark will continue to be artist for the title.
• Teen Titans Annual #1 coming in May written by Scott Lobdell (TEEN TITANS, SUPERBOY, RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS) and Tom Defalco (LEGION LOST), with art by TEEN TITANS’ regular illustrator, Brett Booth. It’s begins a crossover that will continue through SUPERBOY #9, LEGION LOST #9, TEEN TITANS #9 and THE RAVAGERS #1. The cover to Ravagers #1 confirms Fairchild will be in book.  It’s also confirmed that Warblade will debut in Superboy #9.
• Stormwatch Vol. 1 Hardcover re-solicited (yet again!) for April 4, 2012 which collects Stormwatch #37-47, Warren Ellis’ original run. Vol.2 is solicited for Oct, it collects the remainder of Ellis’ run, issues #48-50 and #1-11 of Stormwatch Vol. 2. But no Wildcats/Aliens included?
• A special treat for long-time Wildstorm fans at Clark’s Bar.  Former Wildcats writer Adam Beechen has provided his layout for the title before he found out Wildstorm was closing. It covers what would have been issues #31-50.  You can check it out at Clark’s Bar under the thread titled “C.A.T. PLANNING“.

00:06:36 - Ben jumps right into the review of Stormwatch #6. Released released on 2/01, written by Paul Cornell with art and cover by Miguel Sepulveda.

00:20:17 - Joe follows up on his thoughts for the sixth issue of Stormwatch, Paul Cornell’s last issue on the title.

00:23:56 - Joe reviews Grifter #6. Released on 2/08, written by Nathan Edmondson, with art and cover by Scott Clark.

00:32:23 - Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #6, he was with the later group on this one. Ben wants this title to be great, but isn’t quite feeling that all of the time. Give this character a rest for pete’s sake!

00:35:14 - Ben reviews the sixth issue of the mysterious and sexy alien Voodoo. Released on 2/22, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by John Tyler Christopher.

00:47:27 - Joe gives his thoughts on Voodoo, quite the opposite of how Ben felt on this issue.

00:54:01 - Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #6′s that have released last month.

00:57:37 -Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 3/07
• STORMWATCH #7  Paul Jenkins first issue writing, 1:25 B&W Variant cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

• For the week of 3/14
• GRIFTER #7 Showdown with the Midnighter
• SUPERBOY #7 Showdown with Rose Wilson, Caitlin Fairchild appearance?
• DEMON KNIGHTS #7 (More connections to Stormwatch? Doubtful)
• LEGION LOST #7 New writer Tom DeFalco, leading up to “the culling”

• For the week of 3/28
• VOODOO #7
• TEEN TITANS #7 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance? not likely)
• SUPERMAN #7 First appearance of Helspont in new DCU, 1:25 B&W Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

00:58:47 - Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast episode 7 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

01:00:21 - Ben gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.
Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page
Google+ Page: wildstormaddiction

“Smash & Grab”

Writer: Josh Williamson
Pencils: Sami Basri
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Paul Siqueira

(No Spoilers)

Josh Williamson keeps the roller coaster ride going as he feeds off the shocking revelation at the end of last issue. Not only do we get a great mix of action and intrigue in this issue, but we also get some great crossover information between this title and the Stormwatch and Grifter titles. Williamson is showing that he’s got more up his sleeve where Voodoo’s concerned.

The direction Williamson choose to take was definitely a big surprise. There were many who were concerned about his choice of plot device but I think it’s the shot in the arm this series needed. Ron Marz did a lot of great set-up in the series but I think fans were getting a little restless. Now, it’s a matter of finding out the truth behind this twist and seeing where Williamson will take it from here. I will say that he does some great nods to Marz’s issues.

Sami Basri’s art continues to be great. If I had a nitpick it’s the design of the Black Razor armor Agent Fallon wears. I’m fine with the different colored helms for the Black Razors but I just couldn’t get into the design Basri chose for her. Now like I said, this is a nitpick because I love his art.  His depiction of Voodoo’s confrontation with the Daemonties towards the end is awesome! He also does a great job of giving one character who just recently appeared in Grifter #6 a nice little cameo too. Which brings me to another positive about the Wildstorm-character books in general.

February was toted as the month where Stormwatch, Grifer, Voodoo and even Superman would be running stories centered on the Daemonties. So far I have loved how they’ve set it up. The crossover is not shoved in your face in each issue, rather the events just seem to feed into one another. This was an interesting way to take the books because so far, none of the characters have actually crossed-over. But what happens in each of their books is relevant to the others. I’ve enjoyed this style of storytelling for this crossover.

Ultimately, I think this title has a strong pulse again. If you dropped this book you have got to come back and give it a try. Williamson’s doing a great job of ramping up the action and the mystery here and if he keeps this pace up, things can only get better from here.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

We finally have a full-color version of the Grifter bust coming in August of this year. It was unveiled at New York Toy Fair. It looks awesome!

(No Spoilers)

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Scott Clark
Inks: Dave Beaty & Walden Wong
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Scott Clark

Edmondson and Clark deliver another action packed issue of Grifter.  There have been a few that have grown weary with all the action, but Edmondson takes the story in a couple of different directions which could have easily been solved with some tried and true storytelling.  This has left the title open and left us wondering where it will go next.

This book is plotted like an action movie.  It’s a combination of Scott Clark’s layouts and the situations Nathan Edmondson puts these characters in.  I get a very James-Bond feel to  the story because he’s taking us to interesting locations having the characters solve the problems presented by doing some pretty crazy things.  If Edmondson hadn’t given Grifter some of the abilities he did, Grifter wouldn’t have lasted long in this book.  The Daemonites have been established as a legitimate threat and we’ve seen how normal humans haven’t fared well against them for very long.

We get to see a little more of Grifter’s love-interest, Gretchen, in this issue.  Because of the situation they find themselves in, we don’t get to know more about her character but I was happy to see she can hold her own against the Daemonites.  I can see why Grifter is attracted to her.  To round out the cast, Grifter gets more support from the mysterious woman Sofia, who seems to be more than prepared to face the Daemonite threat.  There was an obvious path Edmondson could’ve taken the story with these three but I’m glad he chose to throw us for a little loop to keeps things interesting.

I’m still very much enjoying this title but I would’ve been disappointed if Edmondson had taken the easy way out of this story.  I’m glad he chose a different route and it’s makes next month’s issue that much more anticipated.  Because the solicits show us it’s Grifter vs. Midnighter!   I can’t wait!

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Pretty cool right? The Grifter title is just below Voodoo with a bright orange “NEW” shelf sticker. Check out the episode streaming if you want to here: CBS – The Big Bang Theory.

I can’t believe I’m so into these titles that I’d be able to pick up on something so obscure like this. I wonder if this show is shot in a real comic book store because the shelves are obviously being kept up to date.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #5, Voodoo #5 and Grifter #5 as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:35  - Ben welcomes everyone to episode #30 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:27  - Ben gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

• Paul Cornell’s last issue of Stormwatch will be issue #6. Cornell reports on his blog that it was his decision to leave and that the first 6 issues set up the format of the title. He says that he’s still on Demon Knights and will continue to work with the new writer concerning the connections between the two books. Paul Jenkins will be writing #7 & 8. No writer has been announced yet for #9 and beyond.
• More Wildstorm appearances to come. Superman #8 features another appearance of Helspont. In USA Today interview Lobdell mentioned that we’d see Gen 13′s Grunge. This was confirmed in solicit for Superboy #8 in April. And Leifeld has teased that we’ll see Deathblow in Grifter and Pike in one of the 3 books he’s producing.
• Stormwatch Vol. 1 Hardcover re-solicited for March 14, 2012, collects Stormwatch #37-47 which is Warren Ellis’ original run. Amazon.com has Wildcats Hardcover relisted for Sept.
• Wildstorm books survive first round of DCU New 52 cancellations, Of the 6 books mentioned to replace existing titles, this one sounds the most promising to have Wildstorm characters included:
  “THE RAVAGERS – Writer: Howard Mackie. Artist: Ian Churchill. Spinning off from TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY, this series finds four superpowered teens on the run and fighting against the organization that wants to turn them into supervillains.”

00:06:03 - Joe reviews Stormwatch #5. Released released on 1/04, written by Paul Cornell with art and cover by Miguel Sepulveda.

00:16:32 - Ben shares his thoughts for the fifth and explosive issue of Stormwatch.

00:18:58 - Ben reviews Grifter #5. Released on 1/11, written by Nathan Edmondson, with art and cover by Scott Clark.

00:30:25 - Joe gives his assessment on Grifter #5.

00:35:07 - Joe reviews the fifth issue of Voodoo with change in creative. Released on 1/25, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by John Tyler Christopher.

00:45:40 - Ben shares his thoughts on Voodoo with the new direction that writer Josh Williamson is taking this title.

00:48:08 - Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #5′s that have released this past month. And yes I say all of the wrong dates for the title releases on the podcast, but the correct dates are listed below.

00:52:21 -Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 2/01
• STORMWATCH #6 - 1:25 Variant Cover

• For the week of 2/08
• GRIFTER #6
• SUPERBOY #6 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance? possible)
• DEMON KNIGHTS #6 (More connections to Stormwatch? unsure)
• LEGION LOST #6 (Martian Manhunter appearance? YES! More Black Razors? After getting their butts kicked, we doubt it.)
• For the week of 1/22
• VOODOO #6
• TEEN TITANS #6 (Superboy appears to be close to joining the team, no Fairchild to join him?) – 1:25 Variant Cover

00:53:56 - Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast episode 6 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

00:55:11 - Joe gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.
Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page
Google+ Page: wildstormaddiction

“The Dark Side-Finale”

Writer: Paul Cornell
Pencils: Miguel Sepulveda
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda

(No Spoilers)

Well, Paul Cornell’s run on Stormwatch ends with a bang…literally. I can’t say much without spoiling so let’s just say the team isn’t the only thing falling apart in this issue. Cornell leaves us with some cool moments but also leaves us with many more questions that hopefully future creative teams will pick up.

Thanks to the cover of this issue, it’s no spoiler to say that the team encounters a Daemonite in the issue. This is the beginning of several titles this month that will show the Daemonite infestation and how it begins to grow in the DCU. I’m glad the Daemonites are being introduced as a legitimate threat into the DCU. There’s even a quick note on the first page of this issue letting readers know to check out Superman #7 for more (which the solicits already show Superman fighting the Daemonite leader, Helspont). But the reason Cornell comes up with for the Daemonite to be on the station is absolutely brilliant. I thought it was such a cool idea and it’s using the Daemonites in a way we havne’t seen yet. So, bravo to Cornell for evolving the Daemonite thread even more.

We also get more of Apollo and Midnighter and I’m really enjoying how their story is unfolding. There are similarities to the Apollo and Midnighter of the old WSU but there’s something different about these two versions. I think I’m liking these two more because they’re starting in a different place then when they were characters of The Authority. I actually didn’t like The Authority when it first came out. It wasn’t until much later on that I came to like the characters. Here, I feel that their motivations are different so I think that’s why I like these versions better. I look forward to finding about more about them.

Sepulveda’s art continues to improve and we get some great shots in this issue. I applaud Sepulveda for being the latest artist to nail the new look for the Daemonites. I think he’s also gotten a lot more comfortable drawing the characters too. I’m glad we’re getting more from him on this title in the coming months.

Finally, I love that Cornell left some things unresolved so the next creative teams could handle them. Cornell set up so much that it would’ve felt rushed to try and wrap it all up here. It was recently announced that Peter Milligan will be taking over with #9 after Paul Jenkin’s two-issue run on 7 and 8. So it’ll be interesting to see how the three writers bridge everything together. I’m still enjoying this title a lot and I’m eagerly anticipating where we will go next with this team.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

http://www.comicbookandmoviereviews.com/2012/01/wildstorm-addiction-its-good-to-be-wild.html#axzz1l4XxJMxt

Writer: Josh Williamson
Pencils: Sami Basri
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: John Tyler Christopher

(No Spoilers)

Wow! New writer Josh Williamson not only starts his run off with a bang but he ends with a great W.T.F. cliffhanger that’s one of the best I’ve seen in a while. If this first issue is any indication of what Williamson has in store, I’m super excited about this title again.

The first four issues of this title offered a lot of set-up and it was hard to see where we were going with the title. I’ve always liked the character of Voodoo so unlike many others, I’ve been willing to wait for the pay-off. I think Williamson did an excellent job of taking the things Ron Marz set up and giving us a good conclusion but ended up opening up a whole new realm of possibilities. There are some great hints here as to the Daemonites motivations and why they want to take over Earth. I also liked how the Daemontie was portrayed. He and Voodoo were pretty evenly matched in the fight and it makes me appreciate Grifter more because he’s had to deal with more than one Daemonite.

I am glad that they kept Sami Basri on the title. According to the solicits he’s not going anywhere any time soon and I’m glad. I never get tired of seeing his rendition of Voodoo. His facial expressions are still dead on and he keeps the layouts unique enough to keep it interesting. Without spoiling anything I will say that he gets to draw one of my favorite characters in this issue, even if it is a cameo (of sorts). I applaud any artist who can keep up with the design of these new Daemonites. In Grifter’s title we saw artists CAFU and Scott Clark take on the task. So far between those two artist and Basri, they’ve got the look of the Daemonites consistent.

One last aspect of this title I feel I’ve neglected to comment on in the past are John Tyler Christopher’s covers. He’s done them since issue 2 and they’re beautiful each time. He always comes up with some great concepts for the covers. I’ve loved each of them but next to the Green Lantern cover he did for issue 3, I think this one is my favorite. The Yin Yang motif he’s got going on with Voodoo and the Daemonite is so simple yet so brilliant as it speaks to the conflict Voodoo is experiencing in the story. I’d love to see Christopher do some interior work.

Overall, I think it was a great first issue for Josh Williamson. I hope people give this title a chance with the new writer. It seems that Williamson is going to breathe some new life into this book and it’s obvious by the issue cliffhanger that he’s not afraid to take chances with the book. If you’ve dropped the book, at least pick this issue up and see if the cliffhanger intrigues you enough to pick up the book again.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #4, Voodoo #4 and Grifter #4 as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52.

00:00:33  - Joe welcomes everyone to episode #29 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:37  - Joe gives some Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU.

• Paul Cornell’s last issue of Stormwatch will be issue #6. Cornell reports on his blog that it was his decision to leave and that the first 6 issues set up the format of the title. He says that he’s still on Demon Knights and will continue to work with the new writer concerning the connections between the two books. Paul Jenkins will be writing #7 & 8. No writer has been announced yet for #9 and beyond.
• Another Wildstorm character debuts in the DCU as Helspont will be fighting Superman in Superman #7 coming in March. Also, Midnighter will be showing up in Grifter’s title with #7 and Voodoo #7 looks like we may be getting more of the Black Razors.
• Stormwatch Vol. 1 Hardcover solicited for Feb. 29, 2012 collects Stormwatch #37-47 which is Warren Ellis’ original run. Amazon.com has this one listed and a Wildcats Hardcover listed for Jan. 24, 2012 but there’s no official solicitation at DC’s site like the Stormwatch book.

00:04:28 - Before jumping into the first review Ben looks back on 2011 for a bit. Last year we were recording what we thought was going to be our farewell podcast. Lo and behold, Wildstorm has come back into our lives for the relaunch of the new DCU 52. And it’s been great for old and new fans of Wildstorm characters alike. We are both looking forward to what treasures 2012 has for us as more WSU characters may appear in upcoming titles.

00:05:38 - Ben reviews Stormwatch #4. Released released on 12/07, written by Paul Cornell with art and cover by Miguel Sepulveda. Ben’s not sure he can give this title the review it deserves like Joe did last month, but he tries his best.

00:18:30 - Joe follows up on his thoughts for the fourth issue of Stormwatch.

00:23:42 - Joe reviews Grifter #4. Released on 12/14, written by Nathan Edmondson, with art by Scott Clark and cover by CAFU. Joe loves the nostalgic feel that Scott Clark has given this title with the infusion of his art for Grifter.

00:33:42 - Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #4.

00:37:32 - Ben reviews the fourth issue of the mysterious and sexy alien Voodoo. Released on 12/28, written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri and cover by John Tyler Christopher. This is sadly Ron Marz’s final issue writing Voodoo.

00:51:30 - Joe sums up his thoughts on Voodoo, how Marz has setup the character for it’s take over by a new writer Josh Williamson.

00:56:52 - Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #4′s that have released last month.

01:04:38 -Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 1/04
• STORMWATCH #5

• For the week of 1/11
• GRIFTER #5
• SUPERBOY #5 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance? Likely)
• DEMON KNIGHTS #5 (More connections to Stormwatch? Doubtful)
• LEGION LOST #5 (Showdown with the Black Razors? Likely)
• For the week of 1/25
• VOODOO #5
• TEEN TITANS #5 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance? Possible)

01:06:24 - Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast ep. 3 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

01:07:18 - Ben gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Show Notes:
The threat of Daemonites is spreading across the DCU. It started with Grifter, the man the Daemonites have come to fear. Then the mysterious woman Voodoo, whose allegiances towards the Daemonites begins to come into question. Now, the Daemonites will be paying Stormwatch a visit. But the next step in the Daemonites plot is to send their leader Helspont after the Man of Steel himself.

Join us on the Wildstorm Addiction podcast as our coverage of the integration of the WSU into the DCU kicks it up to the next level as the Daemonites begin their invasion.

Visit us at www.wildstormaddiction.com where you can listen to our podcast, read spoiler-free reviews, and catch up on creator interviews. Because when the Daemonites arrive, no one will be safe. Are you ready?

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“The Sleep in Seattle”

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Scott Clark
Inks: Dave Beaty
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Scott Clark

(No Spoilers)

The second outing between writer Nathan Edmondson and artist Scott Clark continues to ramp up the action that began last issue. I don’t know if the pairing has decided to add this much action to cater to Scott Clark’s strength, which is action scenes or it just worked out this way. All I know is that it has taken this series up a whole new notch for me.

I feel like the last two issues have set-up a healthy pace for the series. We had an awesome fight last issue with Grifter and Green Arrow but it also moved the story along as we found out something new about the Daemonites. This issue does the same expect this time we get a great fight between Grifter and the Daemonites themselves. This issue had the Daemonites acting like they did in the old Wildstorm Universe where they would usually attack in large numbers. Even though these Daemonites have a completely new design than their predecessors, it was very nostalgic for me seeing Grifter take on a Daemonite swarm.

Scott Clark was made for this book. His panels and layouts have so much energy and he keeps the fight scenes interesting. I love that he keeps Grifter moving from panel to panel and puts him in some great poses. I also have to give him kudos for doing well in matching previous artist CAFU’s design for the Daemonites. With a design as complex as theirs, sometimes it can be lost in translation with a new artist coming onboard. But Clark’s art is not only consistent in this area but he also does well to match it as he fills the pages with the Daemonite horde.

For those who thought the first few issues of Grifter were a little slow, give these last two a try. For one thing, you will get a lot more action and get a deeper view of what the Daemonites are up to. The solicits show that Edmondson and Clark should be working together on the title for the next few months. I anticipate the issues can only get better from here.

8 out of 10 (Above Average)

“The Dark Side-Part 5”

Writer: Paul Cornell
Pencils: Miguel Sepulveda
Colors: Allen Passalaqua
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda

(No Spoilers)

Wow! What an amazing issue! I thought Cornell had wrapped up the previous conflict last issue a little too quickly but now I know why he did. This issue had exactly what I wanted: good character moments, great action, and an amazing cliffhanger.

One of the things people have mentioned about the first few issues of this title is how fast-paced it was. Some people liked it while others didn’t. It didn’t bother me as much because I already knew half these characters so there wasn’t much for me to learn. But I can see how a new reader might get lost in so many characters. Cornell does a good job of slowing things down enough at the beginning of the issue to give a nice in-story recap of the characters and their powers. He also throws in tidbits of information about some of the characters that hadn’t been previously shared. This was a nice way to get readers up to speed if they were a little lost before.

There are also some great characters moments between Midnighter and Apollo. Cornell mentioned that he would be exploring the beginnings of their romance and I like how he’s setting it up here. It’s making the pairing more believable by taking time to set everything up instead of jumping right in and making these two a couple.

The cover of the issue carries the statement, “The Murder Machine vs. The Prince of Lies” and we see Midnighter and Harry Tanner the Eminence of Blades fighting. Miguel Sepulveda’s art has really gotten stronger and it really shines during the fight between the two. I not only love the outcome of the fight, but the amazing cliffhanger that it leads to. It’s also great to see editorial stepping in and promoting the other books that will see this story continue as it mentions picking up next month’s Stormwatch #6, Superman #6, and March’s Grifter #7. It just shows the interconnectivity of the new DCU 52 and utilizes it well.

I am bummed that next issue will be Cornell’s last but he is going to be followed up by good company as Paul Jenkins takes over with issue 7. But with the way Cornell ended this issue, Jenkins should be happy if there’s even a team left to write about when the dust settles!

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

“Breaking & Entering”

Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Sami Basri
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Rex Ogle & Bobbie Chase
Cover: John Tyler Christopher

(No Spoilers)

We come to the final issue of Ron Marz on Voodoo and it is truly bitter sweet as the story that Marz was setting up won’t ever be truly realized. There are some hints to Voodoo’s origins and some set up for some future stories but how much of this will be retained by the new writer remains to be seen.

The first thing that’s interesting is that Voodoo gets a costume of sorts in this issue. It’s basically a stealth suit that she wears while infiltrating a government facility but it has her trademark purple and yellow color scheme. I had a conversation with a friend about this the other day and he told me he didn’t think the designs for the Wildstorm characters matched the other DCU character redesigns. If next month’s cover to #5 is any indication, Voodoo will have a costume that’s more in line with the other characters. For me the design is fine because it’s understated but still stays true to the character.

Sam Basri’s art continues to be strong and I have to assume her costume design is his doing. He’s got some great action scenes that are juxtaposed with the characters of Agent Fallon and Blackjack discussing what they know about Voodoo so far. This is always a fun storytelling device because it allows for exposition and action at the same time.

The connectivity of the new DCU is still very evident here as we see Voodoo gathering information on Earth’s superhero population and naturally she’s starts with the most well known hero: Superman. It’s also cool to see a picture of the Justice League on the screen later as well (which is basically the cover to issue 5). I’m so glad the editorial staff is working hard to keep all this making sense.

As sad as I am to see Marz leave, a recent interview with upcoming writer Josh Williamson really has me curious to see what he’ll have in store for this title. He seemed very enthusiastic about coming aboard I look forward to what he has in store for this character.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

“Blindside”

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Scott Clark
Inks: Dave Beaty
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: CAFU

(No Spoilers)

There’s been a lot of changes announced for the titles of the New DCU 52 but for this book we get a change in artist after just three issues with the launching creative team. Although I will miss CAFU’s art, it’s awesome that his replacement is Wildstorm veteran artist Scott Clark. I haven’t seen his art in ages and his style brings back good memories for me from the old Image Comics days.

This was definitely the most action-packed issue of the series so far. From the moment Grifter shows up and begins his confrontation with Green Arrow, it is almost non-stop action until the end of the issue. When you have two characters crossover like this sometimes you have to let loose and give the fans what they want; one hell of a fight!

I’m not following Green Arrow’s title and my exposure to the character in the past has been limited to his appearances in Justice League. I know that as part of the New 52, Green Arrow is a younger incarnation. I think his youth is used very effectively and as much as I hate to admit it, he does give Grifter a run for his money. I’m trying to stay away from spoilers but let’s just say, as much as I wanted a different outcome to their fight, I kind of knew that is was inevitable the way it ended.

When I first saw that Green Arrow was going to be crossing over with Grifter I was a little leery but it ended up making for a great issue. Because of the way the issue ends, Green Arrow could potentially show up again, but they left it to where it could go either way. I definitely would not want Green Arrow to have Grifter become a nemesis of sorts but their battle did prove to me that their pairing was worth the time story wise.

Overall, an excellent issue that I didn’t mind was as fast-paced as what we’ve gotten so far. I look forward to this new team of Edmondson and Clark giving us a high-octane action title which is exactly what a Grifter comic should entail.

8 out of 10 (Above Average)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #3, Voodoo #3 and Grifter #3. As well as a follow-up interview by Joe with Grifter writer Nathan Edmondson at Wizard World Austin.

00:00:34  - Ben welcomes everyone to episode #28 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:20  - Ben gives some Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU. February 2012 we will see the first crossover of the 3 Wildstorm titles as the Daemonites begin to play a bigger role in the DCU. And sadly Ron Marz is off of the Voodoo title after issue #4 and is being replaced by writer Josh Williamson. Apparently, Marz turned in a script for #5 (as shown in solicits) but it was rejected and Williamson’s script will be used instead.

00:03:01 - Joe kicks it off first with a follow-up interview with Nathan Edmondson at Wizard World Austin. We get to hear some upcoming highlights for Grifter and his dealings inside the DCU.

00:14:59 - Joe reviews Stormwatch #3. Released on 11/2, written by Paul Cornell with art by Miguel Sepulveda and Al Barrionuevo. Joe starts referring to this as the hidden cover which was not the original cover when first solicited like last months. This month Chris Burnham was the artist for the printed cover. He gives this issue a resounding score of 10 and then explains why he gave it such an incredible rating.

00:22:54 - Ben claps for Joe at what an outstanding job he did on that crazy review. Ben also gives a 10 out 10 on the third issue for Stormwatch.

00:25:06 - Ben reviews Grifter #3. Released on 11/09 and written by Nathan Edmondson, with art and cover by CAFU, sadly his last issue on this title as Scott Clark and Dave Beaty will be taking over for issue #4 next month.

00:33:57 - Joe gives his assessment on Grifter by quoting his favorite line, “This is the face your kind will remember!” He’s pretty bumbed out that CAFU will be leaving the title so soon and thinks that this is not the last time we shall see Max Cash as he himself may now be possessed by a Daemonite!

00:38:19 - Joe reviews the third issue of the alien Voodoo. Released on 11/23, written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri and Hendry Prasetya, along with a cover by John Tyler Christopher. This is the first major character cross-over between an old Wildstorm character and a lead DCU character of Green Lantern. Joe is still totally digging Basri’s art with the detail and emotion in each and every character’s facial expressions.

00:46:54 - Ben is also pretty disappointed that Ron Marz is leaving this title so soon. Even though it was an awkward start at first, he’s really getting into this title and can’t believe it’s changing hands so quickly.

00:49:43 - Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #3′s that have released last month. (I know I say October twice, these released in November!)

00:53:26 -Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 12/07
• STORMWATCH #4

• For the week of 12/14
• GRIFTER #4
• SUPERBOY #4 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance likely?)
  
• For the week of 12/28
• VOODOO #4  (Voodoo is heading torward Metropolis, this could get interesting!)
• TEEN TITANS #4 (Showdown with Superboy, Caitlin Fairchild appearance?)

00:55:49 - Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast ep. 3 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

00:58:03 - Joe also gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“The Dark Side-Part 4”

Writer: Paul Cornell
Pencils: Miguel Sepulveda
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda & Alex Sinclair

(No Spoilers)

After an amazing last issue, the action continues this month as the Stormwatch team wraps up their first big mission. Midnighter and Apollo fans should enjoy this issue a lot as the two get to shine and even share some good moments together. It’s the definitely cool to see these two in action together again.

I think Sepulveda’s art has gotten stronger with each issue. I’ve noticed small improvements as we’ve gone along. I think he did a better job with the facial expressions here and there were some epic shots that he composed like Apollo’s arrival at the battle and towards the end where Jack executes a plan to subdue the giant monster.

If there’s any complaint about this comic is that is may be a little too fast paced. It has truly been an amazing ride but man does it go by fast. But I guess that’s a positive because it just means we don’t want it to end. But the set-up for the next issue may leave it open for more character moments but we’ll have to wait and see.

I’m enjoying this comic but because it’s over so fast it’s been difficult to write spoiler-free reviews. This was just a short 4 part story and the news recently broke that Paul Cornell is leaving after issue 6. It’s sad to see that so many of the writers that launched these New DCU 52 titles are leaving so soon. I was hoping for at least a year’s worth of stories but you never know what goes on behind closed doors. But I am looking forward to more adventures of this Stormwatch team in the DCU.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

“Into the Light”

Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Sami Basri
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Darren Shan
Editor: Brian Cunningham & Rex Ogle
Cover: John Tyler Christopher

(No Spoilers)

Voodoo encounters her first major DCU character in this issue as Green Lantern Kyle Rayner comes into the mix. I was a little leery of Green Lantern showing up in this book but I like the explanation as to why he shows up.

I’m going to start this time by focusing on Sami Basri’s art. I’ve mentioned that I’ve really loved it so far but it was the little things in this issue that made me appreciate it more. I love Voodoo’s facial expressions here especially in the beginning of the book. Basri is really taking time to match the mood of what’s going on in the panel versus what we see in each of the characters and their expressions. This is especially evident at the end where Green Lantern and Voodoo share a look as he’s forced to make an interesting choice.

We get a little more insight into Voodoo’s role on Earth and even get an explanation for her new shape-shifting ability. Some of the other characters that show up also shed some light on how Voodoo, being an alien/human hybrid, differs from whoever her masters are. It’s interesting because the February solicits have already shown us that the Daemonites (currently featured in Grifter’s book) will be crossing over with Stormwatch and Voodoo. The seeds of this are planted at the end of this issue with a nice cliffhanger.

You can tell Marz had fun including Kyle Rayner in the story. We get a fun fight when he shows up and since this is Marz’s creation, this is the most pure incarnation of the character you’ll get. Ultimately, his appearance will probably boil down to a cameo when all is said and done but again, I did like the reason he showed up in the book.

Unfortunately as I write this review, the news has already broken that Marz will be off the title after next month’s issue 4. I’m sad to see him leave so soon as he really seemed eager to work on the project and has done some great work in these premiere issues. I look forward to his last issue next month and hope that his departure will not cause people to leave this book because I’m really enjoying it.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

I got to sit down and do a follow-up interview with Grifter writer Nathan Edmondson. The audio will be available as part of our next podcast but I figured I’d tease you with a couple of tidbits Nathan shared. (Note: Some of these things are confirmed by the DC solicits in February).

First off, the Daemonites will not only play a big role in Grifter’s title, but will begin to play a bigger role in the DCU as well. There will be more crossovers and this will include Voodoo and Stormwatch too. Grifter will be traveling across the globe in the next few issues. Edmondson had just finished issue #7 and when asked if we can expect at least a 12 issue run from him, he said he’s got the book plotted beyond that and as far as he knows, there are no plans to take him off the book any time soon.

Artist CAFU has left the book and veteran Wildstorm artist Scott Clark takes over with issue #4. Edmondson expressed his excitement about working with Clark not only because he’s a veteran of the industry, but he also knows these characters and looks forward to Clark’s interpretation of this new version of Grifter.

As a bit of side note, Edmondson had previously tweeted that if someone brought him a Grifter mask, he would gladly wear it. Well, I answered his call and had my brother make me a mask which I took to Nathan. He was very excited about the gift.

Our podcast also shared an artist table with local artist (and good friend) Roy Gonzales. We had a great poster designed by our very own Ben Murphy. We also had some updated business cards and some free comics to give away. There were a couple of people who came by and who still didn’t know that the Wildstorm characters had been folded into the DCU if you can believe it. It’s a good thing we were there to educate them! Overall, it was an awesome convention and we look forward to being back next year. Until then, enjoy some of the pictures we took.

“On-Ramp”

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Cafu
Inks: Jason Gorder
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Cafu

(No Spoilers)

Nathan Edmondson and CAFU take us into the third month of the New DCU 52 with the DCU’s most wanted man, Grifter, still on the run. Although still a solid title, I was hoping for a little more revelation in this issue but the awesome fight at the end did make up for a little bit.

I have successfully thrown out all I know about the Wildstorm version of Grifter. I think for fans of the old Grifter, you have to do that to appreciate the fact that Edmondson is rebuilding this character from the ground up. There are familiar trademarks there: the mask, the guns, the Daemonites. But the set-up and the motivation for the character are all brand new. So what I’m finding with this title is I’m anxious to know more but so far we’re getting teases and set-up. Now, I’m not against any of that but I was hoping to know a little bit more by issue three than I do after reading it.

In a conversation with his brother, Grifter does drop some hints as to the truth behind some of what’s going on. But overall, the character is still a mystery. If Edmondson’s goal is to leave me wanting more, he is definitely achieving that each issue. Assuming this story arc will be 5-6 issues long, I hope we know a lot more about Grifter by issue six.

One thing that title is delivering on without fail is great art and awesome action. CAFU draws an incredible version of Grifter and he finally gets to draw the Daemonites in their entirety this issue as well. Grifter also utters a line towards the end of the battle that made me smile. I also am curious to know more about Grifter’s love interest, Gretchen. I’m not sure why, but she is very intriguing to me. Finally, there is something that happens to Grifter’s brother by issues end that I feel is a great set-up if I’m right as to what Edmondson appears to be doing with the character.

I am still enjoying the series, but I am hungry for more. I know Grifter can kick-ass and I hope we get plenty of that next issue. The solicit for #4 shows us that he’s going to face Green Arrow next. I understand crossovers are good because it allows readers to crossover but I want more time with Grifter too!

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #2, Voodoo #2 and Grifter #2. This is our first regular month episode with the inclusion of all of the titles we normally cover from the Wildstorm Universe in the new DCU. As well as any other appearances by other Wildstorm characters in the new DCU titles.

00:00:33  - Joe welcomes everyone to episode #27 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release.

00:01:14 - Joe kicks it off first with a review of Stormwatch #2. Released on 10/5, written by Paul Cornell with art and cover by Miguel Sepulveda and Al Barrionuevo. Joe informs us that this cover was not the original cover when first solicited. However this cover is an homage to the Brave and Bold #28 and The Authority Vol.1 #10.

00:11:24 - Ben gives his opinion on the second issue for the smash hit DCU version of Stormwatch. He just can’t wait for this title each and every month!

00:12:13 - Joe wraps up the Stormwatch review by agreeing with Ben on how fun this book is to read.

00:13:56 - Ben reviews the second issue of the new incarnation of Voodoo in the DCU. Released on 10/26, written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri and cover by John Tyler Christopher… not Sami Basri (as the solicits indicate). Ben tries to put aside his disappointment in the first issue and finds that he didn’t want this issue to stop.

00:22:13 - Joe gives his assessment on the second issue of Ron Marz’s take on Voodoo. Joe seems impressed with what Ron Marz has been doing on this book and hopes that people give it a second chance after that first issue.

00:28:12 - Joe reviews his favorite character in Grifter #2, released on 10/12 and written by Nathan Edmondson, with art and cover by CAFU. Another issue that flew by and you wish just didn’t end. Joe gives Edmondson high praise for the realistic nature to which he is writing his favorite comicbook character.

00:36:55 - Ben gives his opinion of Grifter #2, same with Voodoo #2 he is glad with the turn around since issue #1. CAFU nails the action scenes in this issue, fan-freaking-tastic! He’s really looking forward to the pay-off that is being setup from these first two issues.

00:38:30 - Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #2′s that have released earlier this month.

00:42:24 -Joe gives a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 11/02
• STORMWATCH #3

• For the week of 11/09
• GRIFTER #3
• SUPERBOY #3 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance)
  
• For the week of 11/23
• VOODOO #3  (Green Lantern Kyle Rayner appearance!)
• TEEN TITANS #3 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance?)

00:43:12 - Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. DC Wormhole podcast ep. 3 is out at culturalwormhole.com and they’re covering several of the new 52 books.

00:44:20 - And big news, Joe mentions that he will share a booth at Wizard World Austin on November 11-13. So if you live in Texas go see him, he’d love to hear from a listener in person!

00:45:34 - Ben gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“The Dark Side-Part 3”

Writer: Paul Cornell
Pencils: Miguel Sepulveda
Colors: Alex Sinclair & Pete Pantazis
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda & Alex Sinclair

(No Spoilers)

THIS was the issue of Stormwatch I knew Cornell was building up to. There are some amazing concepts and some incredible action in this issue. If there are some people out there who follow the “I’ll get the first 3 issues and see where it goes” method, I hope that this issue has solidified Stormwatch as part of your monthly buys!

First off, Cornell takes Jack Hawksmoor, one of the most unique characters to come out of the Wildstorm Universe, and gives a great new twist on his powers. I don’t want to spoil it but let’s just say two of the DCU’s most famous cities are involved in a cool little visual on page 2. We also get to see Apollo really show off his powers and how strong he really is. It definitely made for one the best action pieces in the issue.

Most of the new characters grow more interesting with each issue but Harry Tanner the Eminence of Blades is shaping up to be the most interesting by far. His motives are still not entirely known but his self-centered decisions are really making for some intriguing story-telling. The end of the issue also has a great action scene where most of the team gets to participate and it leads to great cliffhanger involving Midnighter.

I also have to say Miguel Sepulveda’s art is growing on me. I wasn’t sure what I thought about it the first couple of issues but here I think he is really settling in well to the title. I assume he also got to plan out the scene I mentioned earlier on page 2 so I really appreciate the designs he went with. He also gets to illustrate a very creepy final page. I’m looking forward to more from him.

Overall, this was a spectacular issue. I think Stormwatch is proving without a doubt that they have a very significant place in the DCU. Cornell is delivering on all aspects with this title and its obvious him and Sepulveda are collaborating well. If you’re still hesitant about this title, I hope this issue sells if for you.

10 out 10 (One of the best comics ever!)

“Reflections”

Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Sami Basri with Kendry Prasetya
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Darren Shan
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Cover: John Tyler Christopher

(No Spoilers)

Ron Marz promised this would be a sexy book and that’s just what we got last issue. He also promised that this book would have some action in it and he definitely delivers with that as well in this issue.

Of all the Wildstorm characters that have showed up in the DCU so far, Voodoo seems to be the one that has changed the most. Marz stated that this incarnation of Voodoo would be a mix of old ideas and new ideas as well. So far, I think he is doing a great job of establishing that this character is pretty different from the one in the pages of Wildcats.

This Voodoo is not afraid to kill and she defends it by saying that it’s to help protect her race. After seeing her true form and how fierce it is, you have to wonder what would threaten her race because it certainly isn’t humans. Her new shape-shifting ability is also used to a very disturbing extent but it lends itself to a very interesting scene that opens up the issue. Marz stated that we don’t know if Voodoo is a hero or a villain. Let’s just say her actions are definitely leaning her toward the latter.

Samri Basri continues to put out some great art on this book, this time assisted by Kendry Prasetya. He also gets to draw another Wildstorm team that is introduced here. It was great to see this team in action again and it confirms a tease Marz put in the first issue. I hope they get to see more action and show the DCU that they are a team to be reckoned with when it comes to dealing with super-powered beings.

If I had any gripes it’s that the issue was over too quickly. But I think it’s similar to the Grifter title where I actually don’t want the issue to end. We also get a nice little tease at the end of another well-established DCU character who will encounter Voodoo next issue. I can’t wait to see it!

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU version of Grifter #1 and Voodoo #1.

00:00:34  - Ben welcomes everyone to episode #26 and gives his spoiler alerts warning.

00:01:36 - Joe reviews the introduction of the DCU version of his favorite Wildstorm character of all time, Grifter #1. Released on 9/14, written by Nathan Edmondson, with art and cover by CAFU.

00:12:53 - Ben gives his opinion on the first issue of Grifter in the DCU. Let’s just say he and Joe will have a lot to discuss.

00:14:52 - Joe follows up on the disappointment that Ben feels in this first issue and he defends the choices that Edmondson made with Grifter’s character, because both he and Voodoo are completely new re-imagined characters in the DCU.

00:16:56 - Ben completes his mixed feelings on this first issue, but is excited to see where Nathan continues to takes this character in the new universe. He also makes a terrible Southwest airlines joke.

00:18:03 - Visit our friends at Earth’s Mightiest Podcast

00:20:36 - Ben reviews the introduction of the Wildstorm character Voodoo into the DCU universe. Released on 9/28, written by Ron Marz with art and cover by Sami Basri. Black Razor’s logo on lighter. Black Ops “Shire” (Svetlana Grozny) character tie-ins. Does this mean that I.O. is a real agency in the DCU universe? Discussion about the “sexiness” and other backlash from this issue (link). Ben thinks this review will only take 3 seconds, but it sadly goes on and on for about 7 minutes.

00:26:51 - Joe tries to bring an intelligent assessment on the new Voodoo book.

00:33:07 - Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #1′s that have released earlier this month.

00:41:30 -Joe gives an update on the Wildstorm related books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 9/14
• GRIFTER #1
• SUPERBOY #1 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance!!!! LINK)

• For the week of 9/28
• SUPERMAN #1 (Stormwatch tie-in)
• VOODOO #1
• TEEN TITANS #1

• For the week of 10/05
• STORMWATCH #2

• For the week of 10/12
• GRIFTER #2
• SUPERBOY #2 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance?)

• For the week of 10/26
• VOODOO #2
• TEEN TITANS #2 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance?)

00:42:47 - Joe gives a shoot out to Chris Striker, of the Higher Authority website. He’s finally launched the new Stormwatch.ws website so go check it out! He also gives a shout out to Franky de Jesus over at the Eye of the Storm Podcast who did his own review of the first issue of Stormwatch #1 in the new DCU. Joe also gives it up to some of the guys who helped us launch this podcast from the old Comic Addiction banner. Allison, Chris Partin, and Paul Steven Brown have launched a new podcast covering the new DCU 52 with DC Wormhole. They are currently two episodes in, so check them out at the Cultural Wormhole.

00:44:42 - Ben gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“The Advantage Angle”

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Cafu
Inks: Jason Gorder
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Cafu

(No Spoilers)

Grifter continues his debut in the DCU in this fast-paced issue that was over a little too quickly for my tastes but had some great action in it.

This comic is reading a lot like a T.V. show to me. There’s a sense that they’re really going for a real world feel here but of course we’re getting supernatural elements thrown in as well. I like the opening scene in the diner but when I found myself getting to the end of the issue I felt maybe it could’ve been shortened a bit. But I guess that’s because I’m so anxious to see more about this character I really don’t want the issue to end period.

One thing I think Edmondson is nailing is the fact that Grifter is a trained ex-soldier. I love the fighting style that CAFU draws for Grifter. It’s very in-your-face and brutal (see a panel where Grifter steals a police car for a good example). But it’s very much in line with the character Edmondson is setting up here. It’s clear this is not the Grifter we knew in the Wildstorm Universe. I hate to admit it but this Grifter may shape up to be more bad-ass that the WSU version. However, only time will tell with that one.

The WSU fanboy in me would love to see Zealot introduced in this title as Grifter’s love interest. But the character we do have here, Gretchen the con-woman, is not a bad choice to start off with. So far she’s interesting enough that I want to know more about her, especially when you see the destination she picks when boarding a train in this issue. Color me intrigued!

Finally, we get a great meeting between Grifter and his brother Max Cash. It’s good to see Max in the pages of comics again. I love the exchange they have at the end of the issue and look forward to more scenes with these two.

Overall, a good issue, but I didn’t think it was a great issue. It seems to be setting up a lot so I’m really anticipating the payoff here. But ultimately, isn’t that what a good creative wants is to make you want to come back and read more?

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

“The Dark Side-Part 2”

Writer: Paul Cornell
Pencils: Miguel Sepulveda & Al Barrionuevo
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda

(No Spoilers)

Now I can tell Paul Cornell’s starting to have fun with this title.  The opening page of this book alone is the most epic tongue-in-cheek moment I’ve ever seen!  I also like the dysfunction between the team members.  I know Cornell mentioned in interviews that we’ll be seeing the team falling apart.  When you see how they treat each other it’s a wonder they ever came together in the first place.

Cornell also does good to answer some of the fanboy rants about the encounter with Martian Manhunter and Midnighter last issue.  The great thing is, I think Cornell anticipated the reaction and quickly answers the issue that angered so many fans last issue.

The humor in this book is also very clever.  There’s a bit with the Justice League that had me laughing out loud.  It was a clever bit that also involved a clearer understanding and cooler use of The Projectionists powers in my opinion.  I like that amidst all the chaos, there’s still room for some laughs.  It is a very fast-paced book and there is so much going on here.  This issue is definitely still setting up some factors of the story but we did get some forward movement.

I loved the combination of Miguel Sepulveda and Al Barrionuevo doing the art.  It’s good to see Barrionuevo drawing Wildstorm characters again.  I think the different colorist for this issue brought out their art more.  There are some amazing shots in here and again the effects used to enhance the art are very impressive.

I enjoyed the issue but I am really curious to see what happens next.  I can’t necessarily say that it’s written for trade.  I think it’s more that Cornell is just doing his best to fit this epic opening story in the pages allotted to him.  I am really enjoying this new incarnation of Stormwatch!

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

See article by clicking here

“Keeping Secrets”

Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Sami Basri
Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Darren Shan
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Cover: Sami Basri

(No Spoilers)

The final round of the New 52 is here and with it comes another addition from the Wildstorm Universe. Voodoo centers on a character that became well-known as a member of the Wildcats during the Wildstorm years. But now Voodoo’s introduction into the DCU comes solo and leaves us wondering where her allegiances really lie.

As a member of the Wildcats, Voodoo was always a favorite character of mine. I loved her design and how her later incarnations became less and less superhero and more real world like Wildstorm was known for. This issue alone pays homage to both incarnations of Voodoo. We get to see a variation of her original costume as she dances on stage in this issue which was a nice touch. The character here is full of mystery and her true purpose isn’t clearly defined yet. But it’s this mystery that Ron Marz has presented to us that I hope will have new readers hungry to learn more.

For me, it was fun to see this new interpretation of the character which ended up being a good mixture of new and old ideas. Voodoo displays some powers in this issue that I don’t remember her having before. That was a cool surprise. Focusing on Voodoo alone also gave us more time with the character in the issue so we do get a sense for her. But Marz doesn’t leave us completely without action as we get to see Voodoo in her true form by the end.

There is also the introduction of Agent Fallon who makes a nod to an old Wildstorm team that I hope fans spot. Although, it remains to be seen if this nod is just an homage or if it is yet another inclusion of a Wildstorm team into the DCU. Only future issues will tell.

Sami Basri’s art is incredible! His depictions of Voodoo are appropriately sexy and as Ron Marz stated in our interview with him, it is a sexy book and it’s unapologetic about it. But Marz has promised that we’ll see the reason for this in the series. For now, I say let’s just enjoy the beauty Basri is putting out across these pages.

I thought it was a solid first issue and I hope newcomers find it easy to follow. Marz keeps the characters to a minimum so you know all their names by the end of the book. I think he also does a good job of establishing what Voodoo can do without spoiling the mystery too soon. I look forward to more from this title and I hope others will give it the chance it deserves.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

“17 Minutes”

Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Pencils: Cafu & BIT
Inks: Jason Gorder
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Cover: Cafu & BIT

(No Spoilers)

Another Wildstorm character makes his debut in the DCU and this time it’s my main man, Grifter! It’s been 14 years since Grifter last had a solo title so for this fan this has been a long time coming.

The first thing to point out here that I think will grab people’s attention is that this Grifter title lends itself more to the feel of titles like Wildcats Vol. 2 and Wildcats: Version 3.0. Those two titles came out during a time when Wildstorm was going for a more real world feel than a superhero feel. Those incarnations of the Wildcats books were also the most well-received amongst comic fans. I can safely say that fans of those two Wildcats titles will really dig this book.

Writer Nathan Edmondson does what he does best by setting up a great story that starts off as well as any summer block buster movie. But then he quickly moves us back down to street level where some grim and gritty dealings show us why Cole Cash ends up with the name Grifter. He also does well to set up the mystery of these new creatures that are threatening Grifter. To long-time Wildstorm fans, it’s no secret that what we have here is a new version of the Wildcats’ old nemesis, the Daemonites (even though they’re not named in this issue). The Daemonites have been re-imagined for this title but I really like their new design and how they’re being introduced here. It’s a story worthy of an X-files episode and equally as creepy.

Next up, I have to mention CAFU’s art. Edmondson has mentioned that this is a dream project for CAFU because he loves Grifter. I think it’s apparent in every panel as CAFU does some great visuals in the book that could easily be storyboards for an action movie. He does a great job with everything he draws, whether it’s locales or simple facial expressions. It all leads to the last panel of the book that will make old Wildstorm fans squeal with joy.

I couldn’t be happier with this first issue. Those who know me would say that I’m biased because of who the character is and knowing how much I love this character. Only the opposite can be true for me because in loving this character so much, I don’t like when I feel writers get it wrong with him (and it has happened in the past). I’m happy to say that I think the combination of Edmondson writing and CAFU drawing has put out one of the best books of the New 52 so far.

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU version of Stormwatch #1 along with a special guest Chris Striker of the Higher Authority website.

00:00:34  - Joe welcomes everyone to our monumental episode #25 and introduces our special guest for the evening, Chris Stiker, of the Higher Authority website. He also runs the infamous message board from the Higher Authority website, Clark’s Bar: http://theauthority.ws/clarksbar/

Note: It wouldn’t be an interview podcast without technical difficulties. This time I had to put up with being in the “Eye of the Storm” during the podcast recording. Thank goodness the internet held up even though the lights were flickering!

00:01:49 - Joe welcomes Chris on board the podcast and jumps right into reviewing the introduction of the Wildstorm Universe and characters into the DCU with some of the cameos of Grifter and other potential WSU characters in the Flashpoint series this past June through August.

00:17:15 - Ben reviews the DCU version of Stormwatch #1 written by Paul Cornell and art by Miguel Sepulveda.

00:24:44 - Joe gives his thoughts on the first iteration of the DCU version of Stormwatch.

00:31:03 - Chris Striker gives his professional Wildstorm wikipedia brain insight into the new look and feel for The Authority Stormwatch.

00:34:16 – Joe feeds off of some of Chris’ thoughts and ideas on the issue.

00:34:55 - Visit our friends at http://earthsmightiestpodcast.libsyn.com/

00:37:29 -Joe gives an update on the Wildstorm related books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com

• For the week of 9/14
• STORMWATCH #1
• A GOD SOMEWHERE: NEW EDITION

• For the week of 9/14
• GRIFTER #1
• SUPERBOY #1 (Caitlin Fairchild appearance!!!! LINK)

• For the week of 9/28
• SUPERMAN #1
• VOODOO #1

00:38:19 - Joe gives a shout out to Franky de Jesus over at the Eye of the Storm Podcast and visit Clark’s Bar at Higher Authority and Stormwatch.ws (coming soon!) to discuss the Wildstorm characters in the DCU. The official DC Stormwatch message boards.

00:41:26 - Ben gives the contact details as shown below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“The Dark Side-Part 1”

Writer: Paul Cornell
Pencils: Miguel Sepulveda
Colors: Allen Passalaqua
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Editor: Pat McCallum
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda

(No Spoilers)

Welcome to the DCU, Stormwatch! I know this fan didn’t expect to be writing about you for a long time. But I’m glad that the time came sooner rather than later.

When I first heard that the Wildstorm characters were going to be integrated into the DCU, I couldn’t help but share a little of everyone’s skepticism. The Wildstorm characters were like the neighborhood tough guys. They were not afraid to kill the evil super-powered beings of the world, so how would this attitude translate to the DCU that was filled with more traditional superheroes?

The answer comes in the form of an idea brilliantly presented by writer Paul Cornell. In the new DCU where superheroes are suddenly new to the world, Cornell shows us that the Stormwatch has been a clandestine organization that has existed for centuries in this new DCU. It is only with the public appearance of superheroes now that Stormwatch is forced to come forward. I thought this was great because it still allows Stormwatch to be badasses while the rest of the DCU’s ideals are not compromised. In fact, the way this issue reads and the way it is paced, you’d think you’re reading some of Warren Ellis’ old work.

Cornell does a great job of introducing these characters. It’s simple things like the characters using each others names or referring to their own powers and how they work that I think will make it easy for new readers to understand. I personally am just happy to see The Engineer, Jack Hawksmoor, Apollo, Midnighter, and Jenny Quantum in action again! The inclusion of Martian Manhunter seemed very odd to me at first. But after reading the issue, I feel this version of Manhunter has an edge to him that I can see fits the book perfectly.

Miguel Sepulveda’s art is good. It reminds me a little of Al Barrionuevo (who consequentially is helping with issue 2 next month). It’s got a darkness to it that fits the darker tone of this book. There is also some great digital work used to enhance his art like the scenes where The Engineer is viewing holographic computer screens or we see scenes of Hyperspace in the background.

Overall, it was a solid first issue. It did a great job of not only setting up the characters, but also several plot points that are interesting to say the least. It definitely has a different feel to it than the other DC books. It felt more like a Wildstorm book to me than a DC book. I hope that works in its favor because I know there are people out there who miss the likes of book like The Authority or Planetary. I can safely say this comic is done in the spirit of those books.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

You’ll see the iFanboys mention Voodoo @ 21:10, Stormwatch @ 23:07, and Grifter I sadly didn’t seem them mention. Maybe I missed it.

And Franky De Jesus comes back from the past to release a new Wildstorm podcast after a two year hiatus! Eye of the Storm Podcast

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy talk about the new DCU version of Voodoo on an exclusive interview with writer Ron Marz. (Ron Marz photo courtesy of Luigi Novi)

00:00:35  - Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #24 and introduces our special guest for the evening, Ron Marz, writer of Voodoo.

Note: It wouldn’t be an interview podcast without technical difficulties. This time our interviewee is on a standard telephone which is a first for us, so the quality may not be the best. However Joe was having major internet slow downs so he may pop in and out of certain conversations. You’ll have to excuse his loudness at times.

00:01:10 - Joe welcomes Ron and thanks him for being on our show.

00:01:22 - [WA - Joe] You have done some great things for the industry(the famous Emerald Twilight story which introduced Kyle Rayner, CrossGen, the revitalization of the Top Cow Universe, just to name a few), but where did it all begin? How did you get your start in the industry?
00:01:41 - [Ron] I was kinda led by the hand by Jim Starlin who was in the industry long before I began writing. We just happened to live in the same area and ended up at the same parties. I had been working as a sports writer, but he suggested the idea of writing comics to put food on the table. He threw me into the deep end of the pool by giving me Silver Surfer as my first monthly assignment.

00:02:38 - [WA - Ben] Because you’ve been in the business so long, many people look towards you as their influence. But who/what are some of your influences as a writer?
00:02:48 - [Ron] As far as comics goes Starlin is right up there since he sorta gave me a crash course into comics. It’s certainly a learned skill and there is a lack of visual writing in comics these days for the artist. Jim definitely showed me the ropes on comics. Alan Moore and Frank Miller in the 80s. Beyond that Stephen King, Charles Dickens, Robert E. Howard, Tolkien. In my youth I read more novels than I did comics. A lot of my background comes from prose.

00:04:50 - [WA - Ben] What made you decide to take on Voodoo?  Is she a favorite character? I know you’ve worked in the Wildstorm Universe in the past so I’m wondering what stood out in order for you to take on Voodoo. After talking to Jim Lee at last year’s New York Comic Con he promised that Wildstorm would be back in some form, and it seems as though he may be protecting some of his favorite characters that he created. So that’s why we want to know why you chose to take on Voodoo.
00:05:27 – [Ron] It’s pretty simple, I got a call on a Friday afternoon and was told that we have this book do I want to write it. It’s pretty well know that I was one of the later writers brought into the whole relaunch. I like that it’s a character that doesn’t have any pre-existing baggage in terms of having to stick to any previous continuity. Just the fact in being involved in the DC relaunch. I think it’s a bold step forward for what we’re doing as an industry. Non-hardcore readers are going to be affected by the fact that these books are available the same day digitally as they are on the stands. Being a part of this move is really exciting for me. So all of that played a factor into it. And the other aspect was, Sami Basri who I had worked with on some Witchblade issues. I’m a fan of his and was excited to work with him again. What he’s doing now, I’m stunned about. The level of work that he’s doing now is spectacular.

00:09:19 - [WA - Ben] I have a follow-up to the pricing for the relaunch. Is the idea on the retail side that DC will do poly bagged editions with the digital codes and the newsstand editions living side-by-side on the local shelves forever or just for the launch?
00:10:02 – [Ron]  I have no idea, I’m not plugged into that side of it, I think it’s mostly just the Justice League launch. I certainly understand the brick and mortar retailers being upset. DC is really going out of its way to include the local shops in the relaunch and its business plan going forward. It’s a really interesting time in the business because we’re on the cusp of deciding where that delivery mechanism goes. I don’t think anyone has the answer, but I think it’s obvious that the digital aspect is going to have an increasingly large aspect of how people get their comics. I admire DC for striking out on this path and trying to bring readers back into the fold through the digital outreach. And I also admire them for not just kicking the retailers to the curb. I think it’s an important step for comics to be a little less of a niche entertainment medium and a little bit more mass media. The honest truth is we don’t know where this is going to go. It’s exciting and it’s scary at the same time.

00:16:47 - [WA - Joe] How much collaboration did you have as far as designs and story elements with Sami Basri? Over in Stormwatch, Apollo and Midnighter got some very noticeable redesigns. From what little we’ve seen of Voodoo she doesn’t seem to be redesigned very much. Can you discuss why that is?
00:17:24 – [Ron] Sami Basri is in Indonesia, he’s literally on the other side of the world for me. But frankly more and more that’s the situation because of the leaps in technology. You are working with guys on the other side of the world that may not even speak the same language. It’s weird some of my best friends are on the other side of the world that I never really see. It’s a different way of working than comics have never really been done. I’m not in contact with Sami every day. The level of collaboration really depends on how that particular partnership works best. In terms of Voodoo’s design, we aren’t really approaching Voodoo as a superhero. So we aren’t really approaching her design as such. Some of the promo artwork they chose show that she’s at stripper, or at least we think that she is. That’s something that was a part of her previous incarnation and very much a part of the background character in Wildcats. That was an aspect that I wanted to keep, at least for a while, in the book. Working as an exotic dancer aspect might not be what everyone thinks it is. There’s a reason for it that’s part of the story which will be revealed as we go. I think the book is unapologetically sexy within the bounds of a teen rated book.

00:22:11 - [WA - Ben] That’s something that Joe and I were wondering. There is a concern amongst Wildstorm fans that the WSU characters will be watered-down for the DCU integration. Since Voodoo is a stripper we were wondering how it’s going to fit, so thanks for shedding some light on it.
00:22:46  - [WA - Ron]  I don’t want to give too much away but this is an espionage book in a lot of ways, Voodoo is the spy, she’s an espionage agent. We don’t know who she is working for initially.  It’s not exactly the same character that appeared in the Wildstorm Universe. There will be some aspects to her that will be new. Voodoo is naturally seen as an outsider as far as the readership goes. And I wanted to use that as part of the story as a point of view character as we explore what the DCU is now.

00:25:58 - [WA - Joe] Voodoo has always been part of action books but as a solo character will her stories be more character-driven or will there be a mix of action too?
00:26:22 – [Ron] If you are only getting action in a book or only getting character in a book, you are only getting half a meal anyway. I didn’t exactly say she’s the good guy all of the time either…

00:30:31 - [WA - Ben] Are there any Wildstorm characters that we will be seeing coming into these books or are there any Wildstorm characters that you’d love to write into them?
00:30:51 – [Ron] Some things that have appeared in Wildstorm books will be in the Voodoo books. As we move forward there are some other characters I’d like to bring in here and there, but not at the expense of showing DCU characters as well. One of the cool things is having that mix and how it all shakes out. She will be a character that grows and evolves over the first year.

00:32:25 - [WA - Joe] There are some people out there who are very excited about the book, but there are some who are not. What would you say to them to get them to give this book a try?
00:33:44 – [Ron] Do you mean there are cynical fans on the internet? I am shocked! I think we are doing really damn good book, in fact I know we are doing a damn good book! I have a pretty good self-critical eye. This is absolutely an edge book. There are things in issue one and two that I didn’t think we’d be able to do. The sexy stuff is sexy and the violent stuff is violent, we aren’t soft pedaling this stuff.

00:40:21 - [WA - Ben] We usually wrap this up with a loaded fun question. Voodoo has always been a magically and spiritually driven character so Voodoo vs. Zatanna: Who wins and why?
00:40:51 – [Ron] Voodoo. Why would I pick the character I don’t write?

00:41:22 - [WA - Joe] Joe thanks Ron once again for joining us and wraps up the interview.

00:42:02 -Joe gives an update on Wildstorm character appearances in the DCU Flashpoint mini-series leading up to the DCU relaunch.

• For the week of 7/6
  • FLASHPOINT #3 (Introduction of Grifter)
  • FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT #2 (OF 3) (Grifter cameo in large group)

• For the week of 7/20
• WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY: ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE TPB

• For the week of 7/27
• FLASHPOINT: LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #2 (OF 3) (Introduction of Grifter)

• For the week of 8/3
• FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT #3 (OF 3)

• For the week of 8/24
• FLASHPOINT: LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #3 (OF 3)

• For the week of 9/14
• STORMWATCH #1
• A GOD SOMEWHERE: NEW EDITION

• For the week of 9/14
• GRIFTER #1

• For the week of 9/28
• SUPERMAN #1
• VOODOO #1

00:44:10 - After Ben gives the contact info Joe has “one, more, thing” to discuss. He suggests that if you’d like to discuss the new Wildstorm integration into the DCU that you check out Wildstorm Superfan Chris Striker’s message board from the Higher Authority website, Clark’s Bar: http://theauthority.ws/clarksbar/

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found athttp://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Show Notes:
Welcome to a long awaited brand new  episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy talk about the new DCU version of Grifter on an exclusive interview with Nathan Edmondson.

00:01:12 – Ben and Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #23. Joe introduces our special guest for the evening, Nathan Edmondson, writer of Grifter.

00:02:42 – Joe welcomes Nathan and thanks him for being on our show.

00:03:10 – [WA - Joe] The Light (2010 Image Comics) was my first exposure to your work.  How did you get your start in the industry?
00:03:48 – [Nathan] Was working in D.C. when I pitched my first comicbook Olympus (2009 Image), was considering writing first novel or screenplay. Realized I was called to writting and was introduced to some other professionals. Thanks to Christian Ward too.

00:06:28 – [WA - Ben] Who/what are some of your influences as a writer?
00:06:32 – [Nathan] This trouble always gets me into questions! The majority of my influences are in classic literature such as Euclid, Flannery O’Connor, and everything in between. Michael Chriton was probably the biggest influence growing up reading everything that came out. He was my first experience with adult literature at a young age. I didn’t really grow up reading comics. (paraphrased) When DC called and they mentioned Grifter, he was the one Wildstorm character that I knew by name and sight.

00:09:42 – [WA - Joe] What made you decide to take on Grifter?  Is he a favorite character?
00:09:52 – [Nathan] It’s funny because the colleagues I’ve worked with in the past tease me that some day DC or Marvel will be calling me and I won’t even know what they put out, it’s Spiderman right? (paraphrased)

00:14:30 – [WA - Ben] The artist for the book, CAFU, how much collaboration did you have as far as designs and story elements?
00:14:43 – [Nathan] CAFU goes by his initials Carlos Alberto from Spain. One of my primary draws to comics is art and the artists. I’m very selective, I have a sensitive eye. I know what I like and what I don’t. The story doesn’t come to life until the artist is on board. This is CAFU’s dream project, he came to the table with all cylinders firing.

00:19:00 – [Nathan] Semi-spoilers here.

00:20:24 – [WA - Ben] Just a quick follow-up. Interviewing some of the other creators over the past year, have you and CAFU ever met face to face? It’s amazing to see the awesome collaboration between two individual creators worlds apart without ever meeting one another. It’s amazing what can come out from multiple creators with technology today.
00:20:46 – [Nathan] No we haven’t, but Spain is one of my favorite places to travel so hopefully I’ll get to meet him someday soon if not at a comic con in the states.

00:22:46 – [WA - Joe] Ya, it’s amazing what you can do with technology. Even Ben and I have been doing this podcast for over a year and just recently met for the first time. 00:22:55 – [WA - Joe] Over in Stormwatch, Apollo and Midnighter got some very noticeable redesigns.  From what little we’ve seen of Voodoo she doesn’t seem to be redesigned very much and neither does Grifter.  Can you discuss why that is?
00:23:24 – [Nathan] Well Grifter will be redesigned some. The mask is too cool and important to lose. He’s going to be more realistic than he’s been portrayed before. In the early sketches and even the cover, that came out before the story. But it doesn’t necessarily betray the character. The things he’s recognized for: a mask, boots, and maybe a trench coat. But you won’t necessarily see the trench coat very much. It’s as it makes sense, he has to have a reason to wear something.

00:27:12 – [WA - Ben] Other than the Daemonites, Grifter’s never had a direct menace (i.e. no Joker to his Batman).  Is that something that will be established in your run?  If not, is it an idea you’d like to explore in the future?
00:27:30 – [Nathan] The short answer is yes. The thing is Grifter is “The most wanted man in the DCU”. He’s got no where to go! You will see three primary protagonists emerge, but one will come out will a much longer term relationship.

00:30:01 – [WA - Joe] One thing I loved about The Light was you made me care about the characters in such a short period of time.  Grifter it’s always been more about action.  Are we going to get some character moments with Grifter or is it going to be a more action-driven book?
00:30:42 – [Nathan] You are definitely going to get some character moments. The first few issues come out hitting the ground running. It’s going to start out with a lot of action and a lot of intensity, but there is a time and a moment for everything. You are going to see the depth of his personality.

00:32:11 – [WA - Ben] You’ve hinted on this a little bit earlier, but if given free reign of the Wildstorm characters, who else would you love to write about and why?
00:27:44 – [Nathan] Grifter honestly would have been my first choice. I have looked at some other DC characters beyond Wildstorm. And they asked me to pitch some ideas. It’s Wildcats Volume 2 when I was introduced to Grifter really for the first time.

00:37:28 – [WA - Joe] There are some people out there who are very excited about the book, but there are some who are not.  What would you say to them to get them to give this book a try?
00:37:55 – [Nathan] Well I supposed it depends on why they’re not (excited about the book). I am very excited about the book, I don’t know many people won’t be.
00:39:37 – [WA - Ben] I think there is hesitation from DC fans that there are Wildstorm characters at all being integrated into the DCU. Wildstorm characters have been known for killing without much remorse in the past. I don’t feel that this will happen with the integration. I feel the main concern for true Wildstorm fans is that our beloved characters will be toned down with the integration.
00:40:44 – [Nathan] In Grifter there is going to be a good bit of dark and plenty of empty shell casings on the floor. If given the option we will be trying to make it more accessible to a larger audience, but where necessary and with Grifter it’s going to be pretty necessary there will be some rough moments, i.e. killing. “He’s still got his guns and he’s gonna use em.”

00:44:07 – [WA - Ben] We are assuming you guys are going for the long haul on this story.
00:44:22 – [Nathan] Of course, we are not writing five issue arcs. We are writing an on-going story that is going to continue and continue. We will collect trades when it make the most sense. We are looking at the story first.

00:46:07 – [WA - Ben] Just to wrap up with a fun question and to give us an idea of how badass your Grifter is (and to antagonize the DCU fanboys). Grifter vs. The Punisher: Who wins and why?
00:46:22 – [Nathan] I have to be careful about these questions. If I had to answer that….(you’ll just have to listen to know this ending!)

00:46:07 – [WA - Joe] Joe thanks Nathan once again for joining us and Nathan reveals some more secrets about Grifter.

00:49:08 – [WA - Joe] You do get to see camoes of Grifter before the September release in Flashpoint #3 and Lois Lane and the Resistance #2. We are going to change to a monthly podcast instead of bi-weekly going forward. Joe give the contact info below.

The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Priscilla Kitaen has just found out she’s a monster. A half-alien hybrid, the woman known as Voodoo must confront the secrets of her past to make sense of the nightmare her life has suddenly become. VOODOO #1 will be written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri.

Stormwatch is a dangerous super human strike force whose existence is kept secret from the world. Jack Hawksmoor and the rest of the crew look to recruit two of the deadliest super humans on the planet: Midnighter and Apollo. And if they say no? Perhaps the Martian Manhunter can change their minds. Featuring a surprising new roster, STORMWATCH #1 will be written by the critically-acclaimed Paul Cornell (Superman: The Black Ring, “Dr. Who”) and illustrated by Miguel Sepulved

and the coup de grâce (for me anyway)…

Ex-black ops agent Cole Cash is a charming grifter that few can resist. And yet he’s about to be branded a serial killer when he begins hunting and exterminating inhuman creatures hidden in human form – creatures only he can see. Can the biggest sweet talker of all time talk his way out of this one when even his brother thinks he’s gone over the edge? Find out in GRIFTER #1

It is an understatement to say how excited we are here at Wildstorm Addiction. Just a few months ago we were saying goodbye in our last podcast but with this news, who knows, you may be hearing Ben and I gush about our love for these characters sooner than you thought. Stay tuned…

Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes

Show Notes:
Welcome to the final episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews and news for the weeks of December 22nd and 29th 2010. Reviews including Wildcats #30 and X-files/30 Days of Night #6 (of 6)!

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #22 for the weeks of December 22nd and 29th 2010.

00:00:47 – Joe breaks the news that this will likely be our last episode. He also goes over some Wildstorm alumni news. Tim Seeley is doing Antman, Adam Beechen is writing Batman Beyond, and Rebekah Isaacs is creating Magus. Even the official Wildstorm blog, The Bleed, says goodbye with year end notes from Hank Kanalz, Ben Abernathy, and even  Jim Lee. Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at the site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.

00:03:10 – Ben reviews the final issue of X-files/30 Days of Night #6 (of 6). Written by Steve Niles & Adam Jones with art by Tom Mandrake and cover by Andrea Sorrentino.

00:12:10 – Joe sums up his thoughts on the X-files/30 Days of Night crossover that Steve Niles and Adam Jones gave us.

00:17:08 – Joe reviews Wildcats #30 written by Adam Beechen with art by Mike S. Miller and cover by Jheremy Raapack and Richard Friend.

00:26:39 – Ben can’t come to grips with the end of his youth. He picked up that very first issue of WildC.A.T.S when he was 12 years old and hasn’t stop believing and Grifterizing!

00:28:48 – Ben gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 12/22 and 12/29.

• For the week of 12/22
  • RATCHET AND CLANK #4 (OF 6)
  • TELARA CHRONICLES #4 (OF 4)
  • WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CURSE OF THE WORGEN #2 (OF 5)

• For the week of 12/29
  • END OF NATIONS #3 (OF 4)
  • GEARS OF WAR #15
  • RED: EYES ONLY
  • New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
    • Ex Machina #23-24
    • Mysterious: The Unfathomable #5-6
    • Planetary #22-23
    • Sleeper: Season Two #3-4
    • The Authority Vol. 1 #11-12
    • The Telara Chronicles #3
    • World of Warcraft #6-7
    • World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen #2
    • Missed Issues from Episode #21:
      • The Authority Vol. 1 #10
      • The Authority vs. Lobo: Jingle Hell $1.99
      • Chuck #6
      • Ex Machina #21-22
      • Mysterious: The Unfathomable #4
      • Planetary #21
      • Sleeper: Season Two #2
      • Welcome to Tranquility #12
      • World of Warcraft #5

00:30:33 – Ben and Joe give you their thoughts on the entire year podcasting the end of Wildstorm and what it meant to us.

00:34:55 – The guys invite Chris Striker of The Authority.ws and Clark’s Bar fame onto the podcast and have a final drink in honor of Wildstorm. This audio is un-edited and may have loud popping noises and the content may be PG-13.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews and news for the weeks of December 8th and 15th 2010. Reviews including Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #6, Ides of Blood #5 (of 6), and Gen 13 #39!

00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #21 for the weeks of December 8th and 15th 2010.

00:00:45 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at the site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted. Ben calls out Joe for not giving us ratings on the written reviews he does for the site on the last books of each of the Wildstorm Universe series titles.

00:01:35 – Joe gives a shout out to one of Wildstorm’s most talented recent alumns in Rebekah Isaacs. Both he and I picked up her first issue of Magus #1 from 12 Gauge Comics. We both dug this first issue read which has the premise of “Where were you when the magic came back?” But we were sold on it with Rebekah’s art.

00:02:17 – Joe reviews Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #6 Written by Gail Simone, art by Horacio Domingues and cover by Neil Googe.

00:10:49 – Ben loved Gail’s second run with Welcome to Tranquility. It’s great that we were able to get to see this interesting twist on a superhero city one more time before the Wildstorm imprint/universe ended.

00:12:13 – Ben gripes about how the Batman preview is located at the final page of each Wildstorm title ending this month and it is kind of confusing. The 18 years of Wildstorm fan thank you page is awesome and we appreciate it! This page would have fit much better next to the last page of the story in his opinion.

00:13:30 – Joe has some more unanswered questions about the ending of Tranquility.

00:15:06 – Ben reviews Ides of Blood #5 (of 6) written by Stuart C. Paul, art by Christian Duce and cover by Michael Geiger.

00:30:37 – Joe can’t believe that sales of Ides of Blood are so low because this book rocks! Go freaking pick it up people because it may never get traded!!!

00:36:24 – Joe reviews the final issue of Gen 13 #39 written by Phil Hester, art by Cruddie Toran, and an epic cover by Dustin Nguyen. Joe starts off by reminiscing a little bit about the first issue of the original Gen 13 mini series in 1994.

00:44:18 – Ben wraps up his feelings regarding the final issue of the Gen crew.

00:47:54 – Ben gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 12/8 and 12/15.

• For the week of 12/8
  • FREE REALMS BOOK 2
  • KANE AND LYNCH #4
  • WILDSTORM PRESENTS: PLANETARY – LOST WORLDS

• For the week of 12/15
  • ASSASSIN’S CREED: THE FALL #2 (OF 3)
  • TWO-STEP
  • VICTORIAN UNDEAD II: SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. DRACULA #2 (OF 5)
  • New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
    • Chuck #5
    • The Authority Vol. 1 #9
    • Ex Machina #Special #2
    • Kane and Lynch #3
    • Mysterious: The Unfathomable #3
    • Planetary #20
    • Sleeper: Season Two #1
    • World of Warcraft #4

00:49:26 – Joe gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“Bad Medicine 4 of 4: In Practice” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Adam Beechen
Pencils: Mike S. Miller
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Cover: Jheremy Raapack & Richard Friend

“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.”

- R.E.M.

I am completely serious when I say this song came on the radio when I was driving home from the comic shop after picking up this issue. You may not believe it but it is absolutely true. I couldn’t help but smile when it did. But that phrase perfectly describes how I felt about this issue. I think it was a great wrap-up issue not only to Wildcats as a series, but the Wildstorm Universe in general.

It’s hard to imagine it’s been 18 years since the first issue of Wildcats. There have been many restarts and false starts for this book over the years but despite it all, I’ve always enjoyed the book. So I’m happy to say I think they pulled off a great final issue. Adam Beechen has helped tell a truly epic story to end the Wildstorm Universe. Even though the world has already been through Armageddon, that didn’t stop Beechen and company from coming up with more ways to torture the poor Earth. Beechen did an incredible job of bringing characters old and new together for the WSU’s swan song. Knowing that the books were ending made the story that much more dire because you knew anything could happen since future stories didn’t have to be taken into account.

There’s also the fact that it seems Beechen worked closely with The Authority writer Tom Taylor to come up with the ending. The Authority’s final issue flows perfectly into this one as we learn who the Earth’s new Doctor is and we witness their role in the story. There were also several reunions for most of the characters and that was a lot of fun to see. Ultimately, I think the resolution to the story was very unique. The resolution also brought together several stories that have been building up since World’s End so I applaud Beechen for doing his homework and digging up some of those plotlines.

Speaking of plotlines, Beechen did warn that some plotlines would not be resolved because he did not find out about Wildstorm’s closure in time. However, I think he did a great job of addressing these plotlines and the fact they were left unresolved to me is more realistic. It drives home the point that these stories never truly end but there is still a feeling of closure despite the unresolved plotlines. There is also a great series of panels that show us what our favorite characters are doing and Beechen made sure to insert lots of little nods to long-time Wildstorm fans; something he’s done during his entire run.

I cannot end my final Wildcats review without talking about Mike Miller’s art. We got to see his work over in The Authority first and now he gets the honor of illustrating the final issue of Wildcats. He was able to draw some incredible scenes, including several full pages of some very memorable moments. He also did a great job of illustrating what I call the “wrap-up” panels which show our heroes around the world. It’s a shame we won’t get to see more of his art in the WSU but I’m glad we got what we did.

Well, turn out the lights, the party’s over. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. The Wildstorm Universe as we know it is no more. As bittersweet as it is I’m just thankful the creators found out in time to give us some closure here with the story. I grew up following this universe so it’ll always carry a special place in my heart. So, raise your glasses and drink one for the good old Wildstorm U! I know this fan with surely miss it.

(No Spoilers)

Writer: Steve Niles & Adam Jones
Pencils: Tom Mandrake
Colors: Darlene Royer & Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Andrea Sorrentino

Well, as much as I’ve been enjoying this series, I have to say the ending left me wanting a little bit. Niles and Jones did an incredible job of building up the story to this issue but I felt like we fell into a sprint to resolve everything in this issue when I wish we would’ve had at least two more issues to wrap it all up.

I think what happened is there were a lot of good ideas but not enough time to flesh them all out. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say there’s a storyline involving a prophecy that I thought was introduced at the perfect time. It was a great set-up and was the best twist in this story. However, there was a sub-plot with the character of French that I felt distracted from the prophecy plot. French’s story really came into play last issue and I was afraid that they’d wrap it up too quickly and that’s exactly what happened. This short-changed the prophecy story in my opinion which was the better of the two.

Now overall, it’s still a great series. There were still a couple of moments in this issue where I wondered how Mulder and Scully were going to survive against such a dangerous opponent and they had some close calls. But towards the end of the issue it seems that it was all set-up for a sequel. Now, I don’t mind the last page or two setting up a sequel but again, all this set-up really took away from time that could’ve been used on the story. And I really liked this story so I didn’t want to feel short-changed here in the final issue.

Despite its shortcomings here at the end, I still think this is a great read for both X-files and 30 Days of Night fans. I plan to pass these on to a friend who’s an X-files fan and I know he’ll love them! I know the series sold really well and I’m glad it did. Niles and Jones ended up being a great collaborative team and since they made it obvious we can expect a sequel, I anticipate it will be equally as good.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

“Chains” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Stuart C. Paul
Artist: Christian Duce
Letters: Johnny Lowe
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Michael Geiger

This is an incredibly dense comic. I’m not talking page-length, I’m talking story-wise. It takes me a while to get through the 22 pages of story but Paul has packed so much into those pages, I feel more than full when I’m done reading. It’s a great feeling!

Things slowed down significantly in this issue but rightfully so. Our characters are on their way to cracking the mystery at the heart of this story and Paul continues to add great twists and turns; even tragic ones. I won’t say who, but let’s just say at least one character doesn’t make out of this issue. It’s so cool when a creator is not afraid to end his creations. It raises the stakes of the story and shows that no one is safe. Plus, Paul does a great job of creating great characters in such a short amount of screen time. It actually sucked when I saw this character die. That’s great story-telling!

If I had any quip about this issue, and it’s very minor, it’s that I feel Christian Duce’s art didn’t seem the same with him coloring it. Don’t misunderstand me, his art is still amazing. It was just a very subtle change with him doing the interior work instead of having Carlos Badilla coloring for him like early on. But his art is still dead on for this story and he illustrates some great shots.

Even though things slowed down a bit, Paul doesn’t leave it like that the entire issue. As we get to the “master-plan” scene at the end of the book, we are treated to great confrontation between all the characters and yet another interesting twist as we find out how the Romans plan to end the vampires once and for all. It was a very interesting concept.

But Paul doesn’t let up even on the last page where we end on a very interesting cliffhanger as well. This one will leave you scratching your head until next issue. Without a doubt, this is the most under-rated title on the stands right now. I so hope this gets traded so more people can experience its awesomeness.

8 out of 10 (On it’s way to greatness!)

Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews and news for the weeks of November 17th, 24th and December 1st 2010. Reviews including Wildcats #29, Ides of Blood #4 (of 6), X-files/30 Days of Night #5 (of 6) , and the Authority #29!

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #20 for the weeks of November 17th, 24th and December 1st 2010.

00:00:47 – Joe gives a quick Wildstorm Bleed posting update. Marc Silvestri and Eric Larsen variant cover for the 2006 Morrison/Lee WildCats #1-2: WorldStorm Series were posted supposedly as a gift to Wildstorm fans. These will not likely ever be published in print.

00:01:37 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at the site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.

00:01:54 – Joe reviews Ides of Blood #4 (of 6) written by Stuart C. Paul, art by Christian Duce and cover by Michael Geiger.

00:09:00 – Ben loves, loves, loves Ides of Blood! Wow did we get some great creator owned series to read and review at the end of the Wildstorm run! I’ll quote myself from the podcast, “fantastic from beginning to end!”

00:10:33 – Ben reviews Wildcats #29 written by Adam Beechen with art by Mike S. Milller and cover by Tim Seeley & Allen Martinez.

00:23:21 – Joe feels like this is the part in the movie where you know it’s the final epic scene and you aren’t sure who you are going to get to see before it all ends in the Wildcats. He loves how Adam Beechen is incorporating all of the unique  core Wildstorm concepts into this book and merging them all together as it winds down to the end.

00:29:47 – Joe reviews X-files/30 Days of Night #5 (of 6) written by Steve Niles & Adam Jones with art by Tom Mandrake and cover by Andrea Sorrentino.

00:35:29 – Ben doesn’t have much to add to Joe’s synopsis of X-files/30 Days of Night, it’s just a fun solid read.

00:38:12 – Ben reviews the final issue of the Authority #29 written by Tom Taylor and art by Al Barrionuevo and cover art by Tim Seeley and Allen Martinez.

00:46:18 – Joe gives his thoughts about the final issue of the Authority and what it means as whole for the universe, but doesn’t give us a rating!

00:53:36 – Ben gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 11/17, 11/24, and 12/1.

• For the week of 11/17
  • EX MACHINA DELUXE EDITION BOOK 4
  • RATCHET AND CLANK #3 (OF 6)
  • TELARA CHRONICLES #3 (OF 4)
  • WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CURSE OF THE WORGEN #1 (OF 5)

• For the week of 11/24
  • END OF NATIONS #2 (OF 4)
  • EX MACHINA VOL. 10: TERM LIMITS
  • FRINGE: TALES FROM THE FRINGE #6 (OF 6)
  • GOD OF WAR #5 (OF 6)

• For the week of 12/1
  • PLANETARY BOOK 4: SPACETIME ARCHAEOLOGY
  • RESIDENT EVIL #6 (OF 6)
  • New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
    • Chuck #3-4
    • The Authority Vol. 1 #7-8
    • Ex Machina #19-20, and Special #1
    • Gears of War #12
    • Planetary #18-19
    • Sleeper: Season One #11-12
    • Welcome to Tranquility Vol. 1 #9-10

00:56:41 – Joe gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“Pocatello: Part 5-Heroes” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Phil Hester
Pencils: Cruddie Torian
Inks: Andy Smith
Colors: Wildstorm FX
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Chynna Clugston Flores
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Dustin Nguyen

Next up out the door, everyone’s favorite teen team: Gen 13. I have to say I was hoping for a fonder farewell to my favorite teens but I think the circumstances didn’t allow it as much.

When Phil Hester came onboard, I’m sure he had this specific story in mind to tell and it was in no way supposed to be a story that ended the Gen 13 title. It seems that they may have told him in time about Wildstorm’s closing and he tried to adjust what he could but so much change had occurred in the title, most of the original characters were not around for the finale.

Now I’m only a little torn with that because when you have a finale for a book, you’d like to have the main players involved. But like I said, Hester had already been moving the title in a totally different direction. However, in the end it may have worked out in favor of a more realistic ending. With the world in the chaos it’s been in during World’s End, it’s a wonder most of the Wildstorm teams were able to stay together as much as they did. The Gen 13 kids lucked out the most because they actually missed the event that ended the world and came into it after the fact. Since then, they’ve been through enormous changes as a team and that included some of them moving to other books.

As much as I would’ve loved to have seen the originals in the finale, it made more sense for it to happen this way. I guess it’s easier to believe that the kids wouldn’t all be together after everything that’s happened. Plus it was obvious Hester was setting up this new team for more adventures beyond this story. I am glad that we at least had Fairchild and Burnout here at the end. Fairchild was always my favorite Gen 13 member so I was glad to see her in action one last time in the pages of her own team title. The story did have an epic conclusion but it was all a little predictable and it seemed a little rushed. I wish they had not made this title bi-monthly like they did. It would’ve allowed Hester more time to flesh out what happened.

Ultimately, it was just an ok ending for the team. It was a hopeful ending and I do like that the last page contains two of the originals characters in the final panels. The final shot of Fairchild looking into the sky was a little sad because I know it’s the last I’ll see of her for a while. Because of all the characters that’ll make the transition to the DCU, I know she’ll be one of the first. Until then, take it easy kids!

“Homecoming-Part 6: Ending Note” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Gail Simone
Pencils: Horacio Domingues
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Neil Googe

We’re finally at the end of this surprisingly dark and disturbing Welcome to Tranquility story. Gail Simone truly reached into some dark places to come up with the villain of this series.

I think ultimately Simone was having a lot of fun with this series despite how dark it got. This issue sees some ideas from the original series come into play and it also takes an opportunity to add some surprising twists to the Tranquility lore. There are some characters that hook-up in here that were real shockers. The hook-up was introduced (and I guess technically simultaneously re-introduced) all in this one issue. But the denizens of this town are not exactly normal so it fits with feel of the town.

I’ve been reading this without going back and re-reading the original mini-series. I found that overall I was still able to enjoy it but even having read the original series, there were still some things that I found myself a little lost about. There is a mission that Sheriff Lindo sends Salabal on and at first I had no idea where it came from. When I saw the plan carried out I was able to piece together what happened but that’s only because I knew details about the character of Maximum Man from the original series. I think it’s something that new readers might get a little lost with. In the end, I think it’s better to read the original series first before reading this one. It’ll just make for a more complete reading experience.

This inadvertently became the swan song for the citizens of Tranquility. Their fate has already been revealed in the pages of World’s End so this was a nice little story that fits right before that. I really enjoyed this series and would’ve loved to have seen more done with these characters. Whatever is done in the future with the Wildstorm characters, I hope Simone is always at the forefront when it comes to the town of Tranquility.

Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews and news for the weeks of October 27th , November 3rd and 10th 2010. Reviews including Wildcats #28, Dv8: Gods and Monsters #8 (of 8), the Authority #28, and Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #5!

00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #19 for the weeks of October 27th, November 3rd & 10th 2010.

00:00:47 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at the site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.

00:01:25 – Joe gives a special shout out to Doctor Funk and apologizes for missing him at Wizard World Austin. Joe gives us a quick brief on the con.

00:02:40 – Joe reviews Wildcats #28 written by Adam Beechen with art by Tim Seeley and Andy Smith along with a cover by Dave Gibbons and Kevin Nowlan. 1:10 variant cover drawn by Andy Park.

00:09:27 – Ben muses about Wildcats #28 and where the next two issues may be going.

00:10:53 – Ben reviews the final issue of Dv8: Gods and Monsters #8 written by Brian Wood, art by Rebekah Isaacs, and cover by Fiona Staples.

00:17:07 – Ben quotes Brian Wood on some questions about the ending of Dv8.

00:19:01 – Joe gives his take on Dv8: Gods and Monsters #8 and the series as a whole and he isn’t buying it. And boy does he lay out some good reasoning for his argument.

00:24:43 – Joe reviews the Authority #28 written by Tom Taylor and art by Al Barrionuevo and cover art by Tim Seeley and Allen Martinez.

00:30:50 – Ben has something to say about penultimate issue of the Authority.

00:33:30 – Ben reviews Gail Simone’s amazing Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #5. Art by Horacio Domingues and cover by Neil Googe.

00:43:24 – Joe has some things to share on Welcome to Tranquility as well.

00:46:14 – Joe gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 10/27, 11/03, and 11/10.

• For the week of 10/27
  • END OF NATIONS #1 (OF 4)
  • FRINGE: TALES FROM THE FRINGE #5 (OF 6)
  • GEARS OF WAR #14
  • WORLD OF WARCRAFT BOOK 4
• For the week of 11/03
  • TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #6
• For the week of 11/10
  • ASSASSIN’S CREED: THE FALL #1 (OF 3)
  • NORTH 40 TPB
  • VICTORIAN UNDEAD II: SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. DRACULA #1 (OF 5)
  • WILDSTORM PRESENTS #1
  • New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
    • Chuck #1-2
    • The Authority Vol. 1 #1-6
    • Ex Machina #17-18
    • Supernatural: Beginning’s End #5-6
    • Gears of War #10-11
    • Planetary #16-17
    • The Telara Chronicles #2
    • Sleeper: Season One #8-10
    • Victorian Undead #4 & 5
    • Welcome to Tranquility Vol. 1 #7 & 8
    • World of Warcraft: Curse of the Wargen #1

00:49:16 – Ben gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found athttp://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Writer: Tom Taylor
Plot Assist: Adam Warren
Pencils: Al Barrionuevo & Kevin West
Colors: Eltaeb with Royer & Mayor
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Cover: Jheremy Raapack, Richard Friend, & Wes Hartman

The end of the Wildstorm Universe is here and the first title to bow out in the imprint’s final month is one of its most popular and controversial titles: The Authority. My personal history with The Authority is bittersweet. I thought they were great when Warren Ellis first brought them on the scene but then I quickly lost my taste for them as they seemed to fall into a cycle of shock-value stories instead of stories that simply had some value. Then Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (affectionately known to fans as DnA) came along with the World’s End storyline and made me like The Authority again. In the end it was a short reunion but I’m glad I could enjoy this team once again before the end.

Writer Tom Taylor took the reins of this title earlier this year when the previous creative team left prematurely. Taylor quickly showed that he was going to have a lot of fun with this title. And have fun he did! Where DnA’s run was very somber and humbling for these heroes, Taylor took the lessons from DnA’s run and made sure The Authority did not forget them. I was worried that Taylor might not have gotten the news about Wildstorm’s closing until it was too late to change the end of his Authority run. But based on the way this issue was presented, it seems that he did. Taylor has the characters offer some great reflections on what it means to be a hero. This could have easily been something that could’ve turned out corny and preachy. But I think Taylor picked the perfect character to convey the message. It was a thoughtful commentary on the superhero genre in general and made excellent allusions to the end of Wildstorm itself. Even the title of the issue was highly appropriate and a brilliant callback to Ellis’ run where it all started.

The run has also had two amazing artists in Al Barrionuevo, who took the majority of the issues, and Mike Miller who took two of the issues. On top of that, we get a third artist helping finish off this final issue with Kevin West. I don’t know where he came from but I really enjoyed the few pages he got. He definitely got to illustrate one of the best moments in the issue (see Flint and Grifter). We even got an impressive spilt cover by artist Jheremy Raapack. But Barrionuevo ended this issue in style as he got to illustrate some epic pieces as well. Plus he got to provide a great cliffhanger! That’s right, it’s the final issue and it had a cliffhanger! How will this get resolved since the title was cancelled you ask? Well, it seems that Taylor coordinated with writer Adam Beechen over in Wildcats to have this Authority issue lead directly into the final issue of Wildcats (#30). This was also highly appropriate because both runs at the beginning of the year began together before they split into their different stories. So it’s nice to see them come back together for the finale.

Well, that’s one Wildstorm title buried. But I have to say as a final issue I enjoyed it very much. I felt like it wound down and resolved Taylor’s story nicely and did well to let itself be lead into the final issue of Wildcats. Although December will be a month of goodbyes to the heroes of the Wildstorm Universe, I’m glad that we’ve got a great group of creators that gave it their all in these last issues. Thanks for a great run guys!

“Bad Medicine 2 of 4: Firebreak” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Adam Beechen
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks: Andy Smith
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Cover: Dave Gibbons & Kevin Nowlan
Variant Cover: Andy Park

Ok, now that the shock of the Wildstorm news has past, I think I was able to enjoy this issue a lot more than the previous. I feel the epic nature of this story has kicked in once again!

I’m getting the feeling now that we’re in the last half hour of a movie that you’ve been enjoying very much. For the most part, you know comics are ongoing and movies have an end. Well, now that I know this universe will have an end, I’m eagerly anticipating how this all will wrap up. Beechen and Seeley really do make this feel like the end of the world. It’s pretty bittersweet how exciting it all is now, knowing that the end is imminent.

It is noteworthy that this is artist Tim Seeley’s last issue as well. We will get to see his rendition of these characters one more time on the cover of next month’s #29 but these are his last interiors on the title. One of the things I appreciated the most about Seeley’s work is how faithful he was to the spirit of the characters. Plus he inserted so many nods to past Wildstorm stuff, only longtime fans would be able to find and appreciate them all. You could also tell he had a lot of fun with these characters and he some great work here. But don’t grieve too much because he’s passing the title off into the capable hands of Mike S. Miller (who did two great issues of The Authority earlier this year).

Beechen also continues to give us some great cameos by Wildstorm characters long since forgotten. It’s good that we got to see some of them in the pages of a Wildstorm book one last time. Plus, he’s also pulling out some great surprise appearances as more characters play into the story. Authority fans will be happy to see a member present we haven’t seen in a while (and it’s not who you think!).

The fat lady’s warming up her voice as she preps for her song as the Wildstorm Universe moves into its final act. I hope some people are picking up these issues out of curiosity since the announcement to experience a true end of the universe story. As we begin the crescendo into the final verse, I expect Beechen and Miller will give us a grand finale.

9 out 10 (Excellent!)

Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes

Show Notes:
Welcome to a special Halloween episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews and news for the week of October 20th 2010. Reviews including Dv8: Gods and Monsters #7 (of 8), Gen 13 #38, X-Files/30 Days of Night #4, and Ides of Blood #3 (of 6)!

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #18 for the week of October 20th 2010.

00:00:47 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at the site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted. Also brief Wildstorm news that is solemn in nature;

00:02:33 – Ben reviews Dv8: Gods and Monsters #7 written by Brian Wood, art by Rebekah Isaacs, and cover by Fiona Staples.

00:10:49 – Joe gives his take on Dv8: Gods and Monsters #7 (of 8).

00:14:36 – Joe catches you up on the bi-monthly Gen 13 #38 written by Phil Hester, art by Cruddie Toran and Saleem Crawford, and cover by Ivan Reis. Only one more issue to go!

00:20:36 – Ben says his peace about Gen 13 #38.

00:22:43 – Ben reviews X-Files/30 Days of Night #4 (of 6) written by Steve Niles and Adam Jones, interior art by Tom Mandrake, and cover by Andrea Sorrentino.

00:29:37 – Joe has something to say about this epic cross-over.

00:34:43 – Joe reviews Ides of Blood #3 (of 6) written by Stuart C. Paul, with art by Christian Duce, and cover by Michael Geiger.

00:41:01 – Ben would like to gush over Ides of Blood for a bit. And is really impressed by how well paced and reader friendly this issue was.

00:43:16 – Joe gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the week of 10/20.

• For the week of 10/20
  • ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE 2 – BROTHERS IN ARMS

  • RATCHET AND CLANK #2 (OF 6)
  • TELARA CHRONICLES #2 (OF 4)
  • VICTORIAN UNDEAD – TPB
• New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
  • Ex Machina #14
  • Supernatural: Beginning’s End #4
  • Gears of War #9
  • Planetary #13
  • The Telara Chronicles #1
  • Trick ‘R Treat #3
  • Sleeper: Season One #1, 2, & 3

00:44:26 – Ben gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found athttp://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“Fangs, Romans, Countrymen” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Stuart C. Paul
Pencils: Christian Duce
Colors: Christian Duce
Letters: Johnny Lowe
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Shannon Eric Denton & Scott Peterson
Cover: Michael Geiger

This comic is kicking major @$$!!! It’s so refreshing to be reading a creator-owned work that this hitting it on all cylinders!

One thing I instantly appreciated about this issue is that I was able to finally grasp which characters were present and what their names were. Don’t misunderstand; this was not by Stuart Paul’s error in earlier issues at all. It’s just that this is such a dense comic I was getting lost with all the characters presented. Plus the fact that some of the Roman names of people and places are hard to pronounce here. But Paul does a great job of allowing us to recognize each of the characters and their roles now. For example, Anthony, the former friend of our main character Valen’s shows how truly brutal he can be. The opening scene between Anthony and Valen’s was highly cringe-inducing.

Remember how I’ve described this as Gladiator with vampires? Well, Stuart Paul is taking that premise and had so much fun with it in this issue. Imagine the scene with Russell Crowe in Gladiator where he first fights in a match and the colorful characters he’s matched up against. Now imagine those opponents are monstrous that are super strong and super fast. That’s the setting for the awesome battle Valens has during the course of this issue. Artist Christian Duce does an incredible job of illustrating some of these creatures and making an extremely action-packed and intense confrontation.

Stuart Paul has also done an excellent job of creating great dialogue and this issue is no exception. I did notice that Paul had more fun with the dialogue this issue. It seems as if he’s getting more comfortable in telling this story and how each character delivers their lines. The great dialogue mixed with amazing action made this one of the most fun reads I’ve picked up.

Even though the news of Wildstorm shutting down is sad, it’s great to see such a superb comic being one of the last to be printed under the imprint. Both Stuart Paul and Christian Duce are going to be sought after creators from here on out. And for those of you who are not checking out Ides of Blood now, you will be when these two guys make names for themselves. Mark my words!

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

(No Spoilers)

Writer: Steve Niles & Adam Jones
Pencils: Tom Mandrake
Colors: Darlene Royer & Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Andrea Sorrentino

If there’s one things Steve Niles knows how to do, it’s to creep you the #@!$ out! Oh my God are there some eerie scenes in this issue!

One thing that I thought was a nice change of pace from the beginning of this issue is that we focus on the vampires for a little bit. It’s an interesting format that Niles has used in the others stories I’ve read of his because he’s taken time for us to get to know the human characters so now we get to focus on the vampires for a bit. Usually I find it more interesting when villains are shown to have more to them that just simply being evil. But in this case, Niles and Jones show that these creatures do nothing to warrant sympathy.

I’ve also talked about in the past how I had no idea how Mulder and Scully were going to survive against such a dangerous opponent. I can say that so far, it’s been blind luck. Add to that fact that Niles and Jones have come up with some great situations where I’ve actually feared for Mulder and Scully’s well-being. This is a great feat for a writer who is writing about two characters who we already know will survive at the end of the story.

I also feel that Tom Mandrake’s art has improved greatly with each issue. With each new issue he’s seems more comfortable with the layouts and characters than he did at the beginning. Plus he gets to draw those creepy scenes I was referring to earlier.

This is what the fourth issue of a six-issue mini-series is supposed to be like! We’ve reviewed other mini-series where the fourth issue was still dragging. But Niles and Jones have kicked this series up a notch with a great new story element introduced in this issue. It’s put a whole new spin on this story for me. I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

“Head to Wall” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Brian Wood
Pencils: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Fiona Staples

Even though Dv8 is not part of World’s End, the end of the world theme seems to be prevalent here. Brian Wood and Rebekah Isaac’s take on Wildstorm group of deviants nears its conclusion as the situation escalates in this issue.

There was great build-up in this issue towards the battle that took place but ultimately I felt it was glazed over too quickly. After seeing the intense battle last issue, I just didn’t feel that this one was as epic as it should’ve been. I think part of it is because the story is starting to wrap-up and there’s still some story elements Wood obviously wants to cover so we didn’t spend much time on the battle.

Now don’t misunderstand, what little of the battle we got we really cool. Frostbite really got a chance to shine I thought during the fight. This was good to see because I felt (especially since he didn’t’ get a spotlight issue like the others) that he kind of fell into the background of the story after the early issues. There is also an awesome moment with Powerhaus that is beautifully illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs.

One aspect of the story I’m anxious to find out about is the role of The Carrier as it is apparently where Copycat has been re-telling this story since the beginning. There has been no sign of any members of The Authority expect for a voice on a loud-speaker that has yet to be identified. On top of that, there are is a great cliffhanger that leads us to believe one of the deviants did not survive the conflict. Based on clues in this issue, I already have in mind who it might be.

Just one issue left of this incredible series! You guys out there can trade-wait if you want but you’ve been missing a great ride. Plus I’ll know how it ends before all of you! So if you don’t want to get left behind, go out and catch up now before next month’s issue 8!

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

“Pocatello: Part 4: Hide and Seek” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Phil Hester
Pencils: Cruddie Torian
Inks: Andy Smith
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Wes Abbott
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Ivan Reis

As somber as some of the Wildstorm issues have seemed lately because of the imprint’s eminent closure, this issue was the first to warrant such a feeling. Hester is drawing his Gen 13 run to a close with some great emotional moments mixed with some epic action.

I thought Hester’s and Torian’s run began strong but then began to dwindle a little the last couple of issues. But the build-up was certainly worth the climax we’re building towards. Hester has especially taken the character of Fairchild through an emotional rollercoaster in such a short time frame. There are two scenes that really pulled at my heart-strings but I’d have to say the one between her and Burnout choked me up a little. Only longtime Wildstorm fans could appreciate the weight of their exchange.

Cruddie Torian also does a great job of capturing these emotional moments especially when we get some close-ups of Fairchild’s reaction to the situation. And with all the action sandwiched in this issue between those moments Torian gets a chance to draw lots of fights and battle scenes throughout the issue. I find it ironically appropriate that an artist who emulates J. Scott Campbell’s style be the one to end Gen 13.

Hester has done a great job with this story. It makes me wish he could’ve worked his magic at reviving the Wildstorm Universe like he’s done over in Top Cow. But I’m glad he at least got to play in the Wildstorm sandbox before it’s done. I eagerly anticipate the “Soul-Searing Climax” as Hester states in the cliffhanger.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Subscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes

Show Notes:
Welcome to another awesome episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews and news for the weeks of October 6th and 13th 2010. Reviews including The Authority #27, Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #4 (of 6), and the RED movie and trade!

00:00:35 - Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #17 for the weeks of October 6th and 13th 2010.

00:00:46 - Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted. Also brief Wildstorm news from NYCC before Ben goes into his in-depth report;

00:03:03 – Ben gives his New York Comic Con 2010 report along with some choice audio from some of the panels asking about any kind of Wildstorm news.

• 00:06:40 -Geoff Johns Panel
• 00:07:19 – Wildstorm: RED and Other Amazing Tales Panel
• 00:07:30 – Jim Lee Icons Panel
• 00:10:39 – Ben discusses these panel clips and what they mean to Wildstorm fans.
• 00:17:30 – Joe gives his take on the audio clips from the panel that Ben captured in New York.
• 00:22:25 – Ben won’t let his experience die and has to get in another final word about NYCC.

00:26:47 – Joe reviews The Authority #27 written by Tom Taylor, art by Al Barrionuevo, with a cover by Dave Gibbons and Kevin Nowlan. There was also a 1:10 variant cover released by Andy Park.

00:33:37 – Ben gives his take on The Authority #27.

00:36:45 – Ben catches you up on Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #4 (of 6) written by Gail Simone, art by Horacio Domingues, and cover by Neil Googe.

00:44:54 – Joe lays down his thoughts on the always excellent Welcome to Tranquility.

00:48:17 – Joe reviews the first ever “Wildstorm” related movie RED. But before he can review the movie there has to be a discussion about the original mini-series. Ben disagrees with Joe on what that series meant as a whole and how that affected his movie rating. The RED prequel we discuss actually got bumped back in the solicits to Nov 24th a day after our taping. You can find out about it here: RED: EYES ONLY. Also when the RED mini-series first released, each issue was $2.95 not $2.50 as I stated.

00:59:12 – Ben has his very opinionated opinions on the RED movie.

01:03:25 – Ben gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 10/06 through 10/13.

• For the week of 10/06
  • KANE AND LYNCH #3
  • RED – NEW EDITION TPB
  • TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #5

• For the week of 10/13
  • VICTORIAN UNDEAD SPECIAL
• New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
  • Ex Machina #12 & 13
  • Supernatural: Beginning’s End #2 & 3
  • Gears of War #7 &  8
  • Victorian Undead #4 & 5
  • Welcome to Tranquility #6
  • Trick ‘R Treat #1 & 2
  • Kane & Lynch #2

01:05:43 – Joe gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found athttp://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“Homecoming-Part 4: Home to Roost” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Horacio Domingues
Colors: Jonny Rench
Letters: Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Neil Googe

Simone’s normally quaint little town of Tranquility gets a little ‘Silence of the Lambs’ injected into it this issue. As the superhero citizens of the town learn the identity of the villain that’s been on the attack things get a little tense.

Simone has introduced a great new villain during this series. He has proven himself to be a true threat even to the more powerful residents of Tranquility. His motivations also take a darker tone this issue as Sheriff Lindo reveals a past connection she has with the villain.

We do get some great action pieces in this issue, especially from some of the characters that you normally wouldn’t expect it from. It’s this sense of the situation truly becoming dire that has kicked this story up a notch. One character’s future is already in question and it seems that anyone who encounters this villain isn’t fairing any better.

Domingues’ art does have its moments. He gets to draw some great action this issue. There’s also the arrival of a hero who I think will mean more to people who read the first Tranquility series. It was great to see him in action again.

Simone also does a great juxtaposition of the events towards the end which (without spoiling anything) involved the villain taking on the returning hero while a little girl reads a comic book with Pink Bunny. It’s a very cool moment and I thought Simone did a great job with it.

I have to hold my rating steady for this one. This has been a great little mini-series so far and I know with two issues left we’ve still got room for a lot more Gail Simone goodness!

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

“Slaughter Moon” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Tom Taylor
Plot Assist: Adam Warren
Pencils: Al Barrionuevo
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Cover: Dave Gibbons & Kevin Nowlan
Variant Cover: Andy Park

The Authority really got back on track with this issue story-wise. Where I felt the last issue went by way too fast, I liked the pattern this one laid out. It did a good job of juggling the two groups of the heroes and kept the story moving along nicely.

I won’t spoil it but I will say we finally get the origin of The Carrier this issue. It’s an interesting concept but ultimately I wasn’t blow away by the revelation like I was hoping I was. I think it was mainly because the explanation surrounding the alien race was something I’ve heard in other stories. If it weren’t for that, I think I would’ve appreciated the origin story more. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s not a bad origin at all. It’s just something I’ve seen before countless times in science fiction.

But like I stated earlier, I did enjoy the pacing of the issue a lot more this time. If I had any quips about the issue it’s a gag they do with River where he gets a full page that I just thought was ok. I know it was supposed to be funny but it felt a little forced. Other than that, I loved the interaction with the characters and I’ve still enjoying Al Barrionuevo’s art.

I will give Tom Taylor credit for a very intriguing cliffhanger. As with the other WSU titles, as we begin the countdown to December I hope a lot of these plotlines get resolved. I’m anxious to see how this all concludes.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another awesome episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews for the weeks of September 22nd and 29th 2010. Reviews including Garrison #6 (of 6), Wildcats #27, and Wetworks: Mutations (One-shot).

00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #16 for the weeks of September 22nd and 29th 2010.

00:00:46 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.

00:00:57 – Ben drops the big Wildstorm news bomb…

• Wildstorm closes it’s doors: DC ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES BI-COASTAL REALIGNMENT STRATEGY; MULTI-MEDIA AND DIGITAL BUSINESSES RELOCATE TO LOS ANGELES WHILE DC COMICS PUBLISHING TO REMAIN IN NEW YORK CITY and A message from Jim Lee and Dan DiDio, DC Comics Co-Publishers. “After taking the comics scene by storm nearly 20 years ago, the WildStorm Universe titles will end this December. In this soft marketplace, these characters need a break to regroup and redefine what made them once unique and cutting edge. While these will be the final issues published under the WildStorm imprint, it will not be the last we will see of many of these heroes. We, along with Geoff Johns, have a lot of exciting plans for these amazing characters, so stay tuned. Going forward, WildStorm’s licensed titles and kids comics will now be published under the DC banner.”
• 00:02:31 – Joe and I try our best to refrain from cursing this news.
• 00:03:25 – WILDSTORM PRESENTS: PLANETARY – LOST WORLDS #1 is coming in Dec.  It collects the stories from Planetary/The Authority: Ruling the World one-shot and Planetary/JLA: Terra Occulta.
• 00:03:42 – Trades coming in Jan. include Sparta U.S.A., Fringe: Tales from the Fringe, and the Telara Chronicles.  Gears of War: Book Two HC is coming in Feb.
• 00:04:14 – Joe has something to say about the interesting choices Wildstorm has made in printing these trades especially when they knew ahead of time that the imprint was going to be dissolved.

00:06:03 – Joe tries to review Garrison #6 but we both get sidetracked with the Jeff Mariotte Gen 13 novels that no one has ever read, but hey you can get them cheap on ebay!

00:08:55 – Joe for real this time reviews Garrison #6 (of 6) written by Jeff Mariotte, with art and cover by Francesco Francavilla.

00:12:09 – Ben gives his take on Garrison #6 and the blockbuster series as a whole.

00:13:26 – Ben catches you up on Wildcats #27 orchestrated by Adam Beechen, with art by Tim Seeley and Andy Smith, along with cover art by Chris Sprouse & Karl Story.

00:23:32 – Joe lays down his thoughts on Wildcats #27 and it’s rush to the end trying not to let the news tarnish this awesome title.

00:30:02 – Joe reviews Wetworks: Mutations written by Kevin Grevioux and Christopher Long, art by Julius Gopez, and cover by Brandon Badeaux. Bare with Joe for almost five minutes here as he gives you a great rundown on Wetworks history from beginning to end from his point of view.

00:44:28– – Ben laments this one-shot, yes we asked for it, but now its just a tease that will never be fulfilled.

00:48:47 – Ben gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 9/22 through 9/29.

• For the week of 9/22
  • FRINGE: TALES FROM THE FRINGE #4 (OF 6)
  • MODERN WARFARE 2: GHOST TPB
  • TELARA CHRONICLES #1 (OF 4)
  • WILDCATS VERSION 3.0: YEAR ONE TPB

• For the week of 9/29
  • ABSOLUTE PROMETHEA VOL. 2
• New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
  • Ex Machina #10 & 11
  • Red #1-3
  • Supernatural: Rising Son #6
  • Supernatural: Beginning’s End #1
  • Gears of War #5 &  6
  • Telara Chronicles #0 FREE
  • Victorian Undead #4 & 5
  • Welcome to Tranquility #4 & 5

00:51:52 – Joe gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Writer:

(No Spoilers)

With the end of the Wildstorm Universe upon us, we get one last hurrah for one of its original teams. Ultimately, I think this was supposed to act as a lead in to a new series, but with the end of the imprint it’s turns out to be a love letter to the fans.

Of all the teams in the WSU, Wetworks was the title I followed the least. I always liked the concept of the team but never really liked the fact that they dealt with the supernatural aspect of the WSU. As time went on, I came to appreciate this fact a little more and based on the title of this one-shot, I was hoping for a major change for the team. Well, in that expectation it did deliver.

Kevin Grevioux & Christopher Long had the difficult task of getting us to understand what the Wetworks team was about and also catch us up on what’s been going on in the WSU in general. They do this by utilizing the summary page at the beginning of the issue like the other WSU titles have been doing. Since I’ve never really followed the team, I tried to come at this issue from a new reader’s perspective. They would definitely be able to tell that there has been a bigger story going on here. But I think there’s enough information here where they could enjoy the one-shot.

First thing I noticed is Julius Gopez’s art. I believe he’s a newcomer and I think his style was appropriate for this title. He drew some great battle scenes and his art is very detailed. His art combined with Tony Avina’s coloring was great. The story started off pretty strong but by the end you could tell they were trying to hurry and wrap it up. The way everything was laid out, I could easily see this going 4 issues. That was my one complaint about this is that it all seemed to be forced into this one-shot.

There were a lot of great things set up but unfortunately we’ll never see those things paid off now. Plus towards the end, I though the dialogue suddenly shifted and got really weak. I felt like I was reading something from the 90’s as because it was full of clichés and one-liners. It was a shame because I really wanted the entire comic to end strong.

All in all, it was a decent one-shot but I really wish they would’ve let this creative team know the imprint was ending. That way they could’ve made different decisions story-wise. But we as the fans asked for more Wetworks and we got it. So in that at least we can be happy.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Writer:

(No Spoilers)
Where Sparta U.S.A. frustrated the heck out of me, in the end Garrison was successful in underwhelming me.  I tried to give this book the benefit of the doubt but ultimately it was just your average comic.

Did we get more fun Francesco Francavilla art?  Absolutely!  Plus we get some great action scenes but that’s something that this series has delivered since the beginning.  It’s the story that really made me lose interest.  We got Garrison’s origin last issue and it wasn’t a very original idea.  In this issue we do get a neat little addendum to his origin but much like Sparta U.S.A. it seemed like too little too late.

To me an average comic is one that’s entertaining but is usually forgettable.  Garrison unfortunately falls under that category.  I never got invested in the characters and the story progressed in a very predictable way.  I think I had my hopes set high because I have enjoyed Mariotte’s work in the past.  So I was surprised that he didn’t take any chances with this mini-series and take this character in a different direction.

With the shutdown of the Wildstorm Imprint, Garrison will be one of the last creator-owned titles Wildstorm ever prints.  With such an event, I just wish we would’ve gotten a better story.  But at least we’ve still got two more creator-owned titles that are wrapping up under Wildstorm’s imprint that I am thoroughly enjoying.

5 out of 10 (Average)

“Bad Medicine 1 of 4: The Broken Heart of the World” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Adam Beechen
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks: Andy Smith
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Cover: Chris Sprouse

Well, it’s no secret that I write this review within a day of hearing about the demise of the Wildstorm imprint. So needless to say, it made reading this bitter-sweet. It was a really good issue but now more than before do I really feel like I’m reading about the end of the world.

The reveal of who Aeon may seem to most that it came out of left field. But one thing about World’s End is that it definitely has catered to long-time fans. Even after hearing the villain’s true name, it was a little insert a few panels later that solidified for me who it really was. Since we already got to see many of the major Wildstorm villains appear in World’s End I had no idea who this might be. I was a little underwhelmed but I think it’s cool that Beechen took something left over from a past Wildstorm book and decided to use it here.

There are some great fights in the issue but we do have a few quite moments between the characters. These interactions in quieter moments do have a more somber feel for me now since I know the appearances of all these characters are now numbered. But, like I said, there are plenty of nice Easter eggs for longtime fans.

The villain’s plot is definitely interesting. I’m not sure if we’ll ever really get to see what he’s talking about when he explains his motives but who knows. We do have 3 issue left after all.

The twilight of the Wildstorm Universe is upon us and I for one am going to savor every last moment of it. It was an exciting issue but I wasn’t blown away by it. Either that, or I’m still reeling from the news. Regardless, I look forward to seeing how this all wraps up.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another awesome episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews for the weeks of September 9th and 15th 2010. Reviews including Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #3, Dv8: Gods and Monsters #6, Ides of Blood #2, and X-files/30 Days of Night #3.

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #15 for the weeks of September 9th and 15th 2010.

00:00:46 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.

00:01:08 – Ben reviews Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #3 (of 6) written by Gail Simone, with art by Horacio Domingues, and cover art by Neil Googe.

00:10:00 – Joe gives his take on Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #3.

00:16:25 – Joe gushes over Dv8: Gods and Monster #6 (of 8 ) written by Brian Wood, along with art by Rebekah Isaacs, and cover by Fiona Staples.

00:22:43 – Ben gives his take on Dv8: Gods and Monster #6.

00:27:24 – Ben once again tells you about the dense Ides of Blood #2 (of 6) written by Stuart C. Paul, art by Christian Duce, and cover by Michael Geiger.

00:38:23 – Thank goodness Joe can step in and fill in all of the details I glossed over about the intensely dense Ides of Blood #2.

00:45:34 – Joe reviews X-files/30 Days of Night #3 (of 6) written by Steve Niles and Adam Jones, along with interior art by Tom Mandrake, and cover by Andrea Sorrentino.

00:54:54 – Joe gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 9/9 through 9/15.

• For the week of 9/9
  • RATCHET AND CLANK #1 (OF 6)
  • SUPERNATURAL: BEGINNING’S END TPB

• For the week of 9/15
  • GOD OF WAR #4 (OF 6)
  • RED: FRANK SPECIAL
  • RED: JOE SPECIAL
  • RED: MARVIN SPECIAL
  • RED: VICTORIA SPECIAL
• New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
  • Ex Machina #8 & 9
  • Supernatural: Rising Son #4 & 5
  • Gears of War #3 & 4
  • Welcome to Tranquility #2 & 3

00:56:44 – Ben gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

(No Spoilers)

Writer: Steve Niles & Adam Jones
Pencils: Tom Mandrake
Colors: Darlene Royer
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Andrea Sorrentino

The nightmare for Agents Mulder and Scully continues as the threat increases substantially in this issue. Niles and Jones have gone from making this feel like an X-files episode to feeling more like an X-files movie.

The layouts and the pacing take on more of a widescreen feel in this issue. Mandrake’s art seems to be getting better and I like some of the huge establishing shots he illustrates. Plus, like I’ve mentioned before, we don’t have a particular vampire character we’re following so Mandrake takes the vampires we do see and seems to give us only teases of them. Whether it’s in shadows or close-up shots, he truly gives them a beast-like quality. This is a departure from the way Niles has presented them in the past which was a mixture of the human and animalistic traits. But again, I think it’s the lack of a main vampire character (so far) that drives this notion.

The characterization is still spot on as Mulder continues to insert humor even in the most dire situation while Scully is ever the skeptic as the unexplainable happens around her. They also get into a pretty intense action scene towards the end. It’s not something I’m used to seeing with them but the unexpectedness of it added to the suspense.

The story is still moving along nicely. We didn’t learn as much as I would’ve liked this issue but we traded that for a great action scene. I think what made it more suspenseful is that I’ve been wondering how Mulder and Scully will survive against such a dangerous foe. I got a taste of that here.

The series is continuing to be a great read each month. I’m confident that the remaining issues will be just as enjoyable. Niles proves time and time again that he knows how to write a good comic. Now with Adam Jones providing some insight, it appears the two work really well together. A solid read each month and one that is worth checking out if you still haven’t.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

“Beware the Ides of March” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Stuart C. Paul
Pencils: Christian Duce
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Johnny Lowe
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Shannon Eric Denton
Cover: Michael Geiger

Stuart C. Paul and Christian Duce deliver another beautiful issue in this intriguing mini-series. Paul’s writing is flawless and Duce’s art continues to be amazing as we get arguably one of the most unique takes on one of the most infamous assassinations in history.

Paul’s skills as a writer shine here as the pacing is excellent. He is able to pack so much story into these issues so far that I really feel like I’m getting my money’s worth reading this comic. In a 32-page comic that only has 22-pages of actual story (standard because of the ads) you feel like you get twice as much story. I’d liken it to what Adam Beechen is doing over in Wildcats.

Don’t think this means Christian Duce is doing nothing but drawing small panels. The layout sizes vary enough to keep it visually interesting; including an awesome full-page shot of Valens and Caesar. There are also some great action pieces especially towards the end where some of the scenes are very superhero-like. Duce is also able to capture the desperation in those final pages as we end with a great cliffhanger.

It’s obvious Paul has done his research as he inserts various ideas surrounding the assassination of Caesar such as the “Ides of March” and omens like the two-headed calf being born. It’s amazing how much mythos has been built around this historical event. It’ll leave you wanting to head to Wikipedia to read up on all the details he’s inserted in the story.

I’m afraid this comic is going to fall under the radar for most people. I know money is tight for a lot of people but if you’ve got that one title you’ve wanted to drop, do it and add Ides of Blood to your pull. It’s only 6 issues and with what we’ve gotten so far, I anticipate that it will be a solid read all the way through. Give it a try if you’ve been on the fence about it. It’s worth the read!

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

“Teenage Riot” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Brian Wood
Pencils: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Fiona Staples

This was the issue I was waiting for! We’ve had some great setup with some action here and there but here we finally get a huge battle in this issue. Brian Wood’s storytelling and Rebekah Isaac’s art continue to be married perfectly into this incredible story.

Good storytelling is about balance. As we’ve progressed through the series I think for the most part this creative team has kept a good balance. Some issues read a little slower than I would’ve liked but they were usually followed up by something really cool. But after straddling the fence for so long we finally come to an action heavy issue. Let’s just say I finally got to see a certain Dv8 member and her warriors in action. It is beautifully done and had some amazing fight scenes throughout. I can safely say Isaacs has no problem drawing huge battle scenes. I can’t wait to see what else she’s got in the last two issues.

The alliances that Wood has allowed the Dv8 members to form are really interesting. The decisions seemed to be based on the fact these kids have known each other for a long time and have always known who they would side with if things went south for the team. Each of their reasons so far have been well thought out and have added an interesting dimension to some of these characters.

Because this issue was mostly action I unfortunately don’t have too much more to say about it. But I can say I was completely satisfied with it because it was certainly something I had been waiting for. One interesting side note that I think may have helped this issue is that it doesn’t focus on the Dv8 member you think it will. In fact, it kind of teases that story but then moves on to the battle I’ve been raving about. It’s the first time so far in the series that Wood broke the pattern. That might have been another reason I liked this so much because I wasn’t expecting any of this.

Just two issues left and I love where this series is going. I have never enjoyed these characters as much as I have during this mini-series. I’m so glad Wildstorm finally let Wood do this story and I’m excited to see what happens next.

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy talk about Ides of Blood on an exclusive interview with Stuart C. Paul.

00:00:34 – Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #14. He introduces Joe and our special guest for the evening, Stuart C. Paul, writer of Ides of Blood.

00:00:48 – Joe welcomes Stu and thanks him for being on our show.

00:01:16 – [WA - Ben] This is your first comic, correct?  Other than a few tv shows have you ever worked in any other forms of media?
00:01:44 – [Stuart] I should say this is my first published comic. I did work for another company which had the intentions of turning comics into feature films for Hollywood. Other mediums have been scripts for television and anything else you can think of that needs to be written.

00:03:00 – [WA - Ben] How has the transition been writing for a television shows versus writing for comics?
00:03:07 – [Stuart] It’s been freeing being able to be very descriptive for the artist versus writing for the screen where the director has his own idea of the look and feel.

00:04:38 – [WA - Joe] What made you decide to venture into the world of comics?
00:04:42 – [Stuart] I came in because of screen-writing experience and then fell in love with comic medium.

00:06:39 – [WA - Ben] Who are some of your influences as a writer?
00:06:50 – [Stuart] Some of my influences were Stephen King, and Neil Gaiman who got me reading comics. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a favorite because I really liked the story-telling. Some of my favorite movies include Sergio Leon’s The Good Bad and Ugly, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Christopher Nolan’s Memento and Inception.

00:11:16 – [WA - Joe] Where did the inspiration for Ides of Blood come from?
00:11:22 – [Stuart] I was thinking about genre stuff and thought vampire stuff was boring so I wanted to make them interesting. Julius Caesar came to mind and it was not done to take advantage of market. For the most part I felt vampires were presented as really stupid but there were a few movies I liked such as Salem’s Lot, Nosferatu, Georege Romero’s Martin. I have to say I hated The Lost Boys though.

00:18:05 – [WA - Ben] For a period piece like this, what kind of research did you have to do?
00:18:20 – [Stuart] I did lots of Roman research. I read the Handbook: Life in Ancient Rome and The Assassination of Julius Caesar, as well as other classic works. The Dacian culture was tough to find research on.

00:21:32 – [WA - Joe] How did you get hooked up with artist Christian Duce for this project?  What about cover artist Michael Geiger?
00: 21: 42 – [Stuart] Shannon Eric Denton hooked us up. He’s from Uraguay and he’s emailing everything. We’ve never met. Michael Geiger and I have also never communicated but he has done beautiful covers.

00:27:12 – [WA - Ben] Was Ides of Blood always going to be the first story you wanted to work on or were there other projects you wanted to get made before?
00:27:44 – [Stuart] I knew Ides of Blood would be first out. I did have a project called Dying Breed but that didn’t pan out.

00:31:59 – [WA - Joe] Does Ides of Blood end with the potential for a sequel?  Regardless, do you have any other projects in the pipe you can talk about?

00:33:18 – [Stuart] The beginning of this answer edited due to series ending spoiler. It definitely has sequel possibilities. I want to go to Egypt and do a Cleopatra story. I do have another project in the works called Bushido 44 but it doesn’t have a publisher yet (Wildstorm, you listening?).

00:37:33 – [WA - Ben] Are you familiar with Jim Lee’s Wildstorm Universe of characters and titles? Are there any characters in the Wildstorm Universe that you’d like to write?
00:37:48 – [Stuart] I’ve read the early Wildcats stuff as well as Alan Moore’s run. I’ve also read some of The Authority. (Joe mentions Stormwatch to Stu because of his interest in Deep Space Nine)

00:40:27 – [WA - Joe] Fun Question! Two-part question.  We already covered your favorite T.V./movie about vampires, but what’s your favorite movie or T.V. show depicting ancient Rome?
00:40:50 – [Stuart] I thought Rome on HBO was a masterpiece. I like Stanley Kubrick Spartacus. (Joe prompts Stu to mention Gladiator)

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Show Notes:
Welcome to another review packed episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews for the weeks of August 25th and September 1st 2010. Reviews including Garrison #5 , Wildcats #26, and The Authority #26.

00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #13 for the weeks of August 25th and September 1st.

00:00:54 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.

00:01:06 – Ben dives right into the latest Wildstorm news:

• 00:01:08 – Steve Niles’ next Wildstorm project is called Lot 13 and it’ll be with artist Glenn Farby.  No release date has been given yet but there’s preview art at Wildstorm’s blog The Bleed.
• 00:01:23 – Ethan Van Sciver’s character Cyberfrog returns in a mini-series called “Cyberfrog: Blood Honey” Sciver will do the covers and write it.  Artist yet to be named.  Originally featured in two issues published by Hall of Heroes in 1996 and ten more released by Harris Comics in 1997.  Sciver also said he has several unannounced projects at Wildstorm besides this one with the first to be announced at New York Comic Con in Oct. Reference: http://www.comicbookresources.com
• 00:02:26 – Joe gives a shout out to Richard at The Hobby House in Kingsville, Texas for hooking him up with a ton of old Wildstorm stuff.  They are located at 822 E King Ave, Kingsville, TX.
• 00:03:09 – Joe also wants to thank X-Nation for running our commercial on Ep #3 which you can download at http://www.culturalwormhole.com.
• 00:03:19 – And finally big thanks to James Nadiger from the Wildstorm Resource Wiki for sending me a box of WS goodness that included some cool Gen 13 trades, the Wildcats and Planetary action figures

00:03:59 – Joe reviews Garrison #5 (of 6) written by Jeff Mariotte, along with art and cover by Francesco Francavilla.

00:08:54 – Ben gives his takes on Garrison #5, and it isn’t all Hollywood gloss and polish, but more tropes and cliche’s abound.

00:11:54 – Joe tells us all about his current favorite title, Wildcats #26 written by Adam Beechen. Art by Tim Seeley and Andy Smith, as well as cover art by Howard Porter, Allen Martinez and Wes Hartman.

00:22:08 – Ben agrees completely with Joe on this one, you better be reading the Wildcats, you don’t want to miss it!

00:24:56 – With a little prodding Joe tells listeners to go check our our new Suggested Reading page on the website, made especially for those wanting to get into the Wildstorm Universe.

00:25:55 – Ben gives his thoughts on the action packed sci-fi twist on The Authority #26 written by Tom Taylor, and art by Al Barrionuevo. Along with a cover by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story.

00:34:02 – Joe has some thoughts on the Authority #26.

00:38:58 – Ben gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 8/25 through 9/1.

• For the week of 8/25
• FRINGE: TALES FROM THE FRINGE #3 (OF 6)
• ASTRO CITY: SILVER AGENT #2 (OF 2)
• KANE AND LYNCH #2
• TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #4

• For the week of 9/1
• New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
• Ex Machina #6 & 7
• Supernatural: Rising Son #2 & 3
• The X-files #6
• Planetary #12
• Gen 13 #29
• Stormwatch PHD #21
• The Authority #9
• Wildcats #9
• Starcraft #1-7, #1 is FREE
• Gears of War #1-2
• Kane & Lynch #1
• Welcome to Tranquility #1 (Volume 1, 2006)

00:41:38 – Joe gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“Homecoming-Part 3: An Armor of History” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Horacio Domingues
Colors: Jonny Rench
Letters: Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Neil Googe

Gail Simone is a true master of the story telling device “the plot thickens”. This is only the 3rd issue of this mini-series and she has packed so much story into this series so far. She is also doing a great job of balancing all the characters which is no easy task with an ensemble cast.

The story behind the villain of this story could have easily been written off as a cliché. But Simone takes us down some dark places as we see the true nature of this villain. We also find out pretty quick how he got this way. This new character she’s introduced is really powerful and it leads to some disturbing uses of his powers. This issue is really about him as the other characters can do little else but be reactive to the events unfolding before them.

Domingues’ art is growing on me a little but there are still some places I feel he can improve. However, there is one scene between Henry Hate and Zombie Zeke that he illustrates which was hilarious! I’d call it Simone’s obligatory humor scene but I think that comes off as negative. And believe me there is nothing negative about Simone’s humor. She comes up with some fun scenes (wait until you see the in-comic “advertisement”).

The issue also has a great cliffhanger. Any time the survival of any of the characters comes into question, it’s a great cliffhanger. Plus, with the way Simone has presented our villain, the act he performs at the end is truly wicked and comes after some intense build-up in the story.

One Foot in the Grave seems to be focusing on our new villain more than the citizens of Tranquility. This may make the difference for new readers because they’re learning about this new character as older fans do the same. It’s almost as if he’s the window into this story. I hope people are giving this title a try. It is proving to be a solid read each month.

8 out of 10 (On it’s way to greatness!)

Writer: Tom Taylor
Plot Assist: Adam Warren
Pencils: Al Barrionuevo
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb with Darlene Royer
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Cover: Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, & Randy Mayor

The Authority continues their space odyssey which turns into a space nightmare in this issue. Tom Taylor has taken us through some great science fiction during his run and he throws in a little science horror now.

I can tell artist Al Barrionuevo had a lot of fun designing some of the alien creatures we see in this issue. I especially like the fact that none of them are humanoid. The team has traveled so far out in space now these things should not even know what a human is (or should they?). That’s another great thing about the story that’s unfolding here is Taylor keeps piling on the mysteries (including a very interesting one with Swift) even as we get some answers.

The comic really switches to the classic “widescreen” feel that made The Authority so popular when they first appeared. This works for and against them though in this issue. Don’t worry, it’s just a nitpick but I feel the issue went by way too fast. This is mainly because we’re getting huge widescreen shots which are highly appropriate with what’s happening here. But at the same time I feel cheated because I want to see more by this creative team. And when the creative team is cheating me of more of themselves, well I can’t help but complain a little.

All in all, a great issue even if it was a quick one. Anyone who’s big into science fiction like me should be enjoying the heck out of this title. These are places I never thought I’d see The Authority go but I’m so glad they did (even if The Authority themselves are not).

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Writer:

(No Spoilers)

Alright, we got a little more with this issue than last. There wasn’t a single explosion in this issue but there was a great hand-to-hand fight at the beginning. But thankfully fighting is not all we get in this issue as we finally get some revelation here.

When I started reading the issue and the fight began to run long I was afraid we wouldn’t have room for much else. Don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome fight but this series has been leaning more towards action than story since the beginning so while I was expecting it, I was also hoping for a little more substance too. Francavilla continues to deliver some awesome fights and is still finding new and interesting ways for Garrison to finish people off. Then afterwards we get a pretty funny scene of Garrison and Agent Bracewell in a plane that I thought was amusing but again I thought we were running out of comic too quick to fit in more story.

Thankfully, by the last third of the issue we finally get an answer to the origin of Garrison. It’s not really an original origin and it’s kind of what I anticipated all along but it’s passable. It makes sense with certain real world concerns but as far as comics are concerned, it’s not an idea we haven’t seen before. And I don’t mind revisiting old ideas but I do like them to have some sort of cool new spin on them (see Ides of Blood).

I’ve already talked at length about the comparisons to a summer blockbuster movie and you could almost keep a checklist of the cliché’s here. This includes the one we get at the very end of the book which I could see coming a mile away. Again, not necessarily a bad thing but it does kind of take the suspense out of the story.

I am still enjoying this comic but I was kind of hoping they’d try something new with the story. I anticipate next issue we’ll get at least one more good fight and probably a happy ending but regardless I’m still interested enough to see how it all ends. I just wish Mariotte had taken more chances with this story.

6 out of 10 (Slightly above average)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another review packed episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy bring you Wildstorm reviews for the weeks of August 11th and August 18th 2010. Reviews including Gen 13 #37, Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #2, The Authority: The Lost Year #12, Dv8: Gods and Monsters #5, Ides of Blood #1, and X-files / 30 Days of Night #2.

00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #12 for the weeks of August 11th and 18th.

00:00:57 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.

00:01:06 – Joe dives right into the latest Wildstorm news:

• Thanks to the X-nation podcast and the Image Addiction podcast for running our 30-second commercial during their latest episodes (X-nation Ep. 2 & Image Addcition Ep. 24)  You can find X-nation at www.culturalwormhole.com and Image Addiction at www.imageaddiction.net both are linked from our site
• Also quick shout out to all you Tool fans from toolband.com and toolarmy.com who came en masse to check out our X-files/30 Days of Night #2 review (Adam Jones of Tool helping with writing), hopefully you’ll give this episode a try when you see we’re covering #2 tonight
• New books coming in Nov.  ASSASSIN’S CREED: THE FALL #1 (OF 3) Written by KARL KERSCHL & CAMERON STEWART; Art and cover by KARL KERSCHL & CAMERON STEWART, VICTORIAN UNDEAD II: SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. DRACULA #1 (OF 5) Written by IAN EDGINTON; Art by DAVID FABBRI; Cover by RYAN SOOK, WILDSTORM PRESENTS #1 Written by GEOFF JOHNS, ED BRUBAKER, BRIAN AZZARELLO, JUDD WINICK and others Art by DOUG MAHNKE, AMANDA CONNER, BRIAN STELFREEZE, JASON PEARSON, GEORGES JEANTY and others; Cover by JIM LEE 96 pages $7.99, WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CURSE OF THE WORGEN #1 (OF 5) Written by MICKY NEILSON & JAMES WAUGH; Art by LUDO LULLABI & TONY WASHINGTON; Cover by JOHN POLIDORA, TWO-STEP TPB Written by WARREN ELLIS; Art by AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI; Cover by AMANDA CONNER collects 3 mini series originally published through WS’s imprint Cliffhanger in 2004 and it’ll have Ellis’ script for #1 included all for $19.99

00:04:39 – Ben reviews Gen 13 #37 written by Phil Hester, art by Cruddie Torian and Saleem Crawford, and cover art by J. G. Jones.

00:12:59 – Joe gives his take on Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #2. Written by Gail Simone, art by Horacio Domingues, and cover by Neil Googe.

00:22:28 – Ben reviews the final issue in the series for The Authority: The Lost Year #12. Written by Keith Giffen and Grant Morrison, interior art by Jerry Ordway, Kevin Nowland, and others, and cover art by Gene Ha.

00:30:04 – Joe tells us all about Dv8: Gods and Monsters #5 written by Brian Wood, art by Rebekah Isaacs, and cover by Fiona Staples.

00:38:17 – Ben gives his thoughts on the new creator owned series, Ides of Blood #1. Written by Stuart C. Paul, art by Christian Duce, and cover by Michael Geiger.

00:50:05 – Joe reviews the fantastic X-files / 30 Days of Night #2 crossover. Written by Steve Niles and Adam Jones, art by Tom Mandrake, and cover by Andrea Sorrentino.

00:59:37 – Ben gives you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 8/11 through 8/18.

• For the week of 8/11
• FRINGE: TALES FROM THE FRINGE #2 (OF 6)
• GEARS OF WAR #13
• EX MACHINA #50
• FREE REALMS #12 (OF 12)
• KILLAPALOOZA TPB

• For the week of 8/18
• New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
• Ex Machina #4 &5
• Supernatural: Origins #5 & 6
• Supernatural: Rising Son #1
• The X-files #4 &5
• Planetary #10 & 11
• Gen 13 #27 & 28
• Stormwatch PHD #19 & 20
• The Authority #7 & 8
• Wildcats #6 & 7
• NOTE: First arc of World’s End storyline in these titles in now complete

01:02:57 – Joe gives you are contact info which you will find below and says good night.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

“Desert Storms” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Adam Beechen
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks: Andy Smith
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Howard Porter & Allen Martinez

Wow! If you are a long time Wildstorm fan like me there are a ton of references and appearances in here that will make you giddy! Much like Christos Gage did in his run, Adam Beechen is finding great ways to incorporate old characters we haven’t seen in years.

Beechen is still juggling several stories but for the most part we get two stories here with two distinct themes. One is the more epic story involving the mysterious character Aeon and the majority of the other heroes. But the second is a more personal story as Warblade takes the nurse who helped him when he was wounded and they go to Earth to find her family. In the midst of all the grandness of the Aeon story, the Warblade story is more down to Earth and very human. I hope your heart is prepared for the outcome.

The only story Beechen throws our way and then moves on is Majestic’s story. But even then it’s a teaser showing us that his story is about to move into a whole other level. The rest of the stories seem to begin separately but then they all converge with the Aeon story. And boy does Beechen give us a huge tease with Aeon! But he doesn’t stop there! He attaches an awesome cliffhanger associated with Aeon AND we get another second cliffhanger as we finally see what John Lynch and Team 7 are up to.

Tim Seeley continues to give us great renditions of the Wildstorm heroes. One subtle thing that Seeley is doing a great job with is the facial expressions of the characters. This is especially true with the Warblade story. The emotion is already bursting through in the dialogue and the situation but Seeley makes sure we see it on the heroes’ faces as well. This is a small detail that could easily be overlooked but to me it’s the sign of a truly great artist because it shows me he’s working well with Beechen and bringing the script to life.

I had to bump up my rating for this one because I loved everything that Beechen packed into this issue. I didn’t feel like any part was slow and the emotions displayed here were genuine and believable. Things are getting worse for our heroes but the ironic thing is that makes it better reading for us fans.

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

“Rome Of Shadow, Rome Of Light”

Writer: Stuart C. Paul
Pencils: Christian Duce
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Johnny Lowe
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Shannon Eric Denton
Cover: Michael Geiger

Here we’ve got a fresh offering from two new creators. As far as I understand, this is both Stuart C. Paul and Christian Duce’s first foyer into comics. I have to say, they’re beginning their comics career with a bang with this series.

I’m going to start with Christian Duce’s art. It is gorgeous! Combine that with Carlos Badilla’s moody coloring and you’ve got the perfect setting for this dark tale. Duce’s art is incredibly detailed, even when he’s drawing the city of ancient Rome. Duce also has a realistic style so it fits the story well, almost like a movie. Each shot is well chosen and believably conveys each scene as we progress through the story. He even does a good job of giving each character some defining facial features which makes it easier to distinguish them in an issue that is heavy on characters.

I can tell Paul has done his research for this story. While Duce is busy creating an accurate representation of ancient Rome visually, Paul is doing it within the story. Whether it’s in the dialogue or the names, everything that’s discussed feels like it belongs in this world. Even the supernatural elements don’t seem forced. It seems like everyone in the story is reacting appropriately to these extraordinary events.

If I have any complaints about the issue, they are very minor. The narration mixed with the heavy dialogue did run a little long through the middle of the book. But the great beginning and the end more than make up for it. Don’t misunderstand me, I do like the narration. I think it helped fill in a lot of information that probably couldn’t have been given otherwise. Like I said, it’s a minor complaint.

Overall, a great first issue! Paul did a good job of getting us into this world, setting up the characters, and dropping enough clues to begin the mystery in the story. I’m so glad this mini-series is starting off strong. Ever since seeing the preview for it I have eagerly anticipated this series. So far, so good. I’m ready to read more!

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

(No Spoilers)

Writer: Steve Niles & Adam Jones
Pencils: Tom Mandrake
Colors: Darlene Royer
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Andrea Sorrentino

I feel like I’m watching an episode of the X-files. That’s how much I think this creative team is nailing this mini-series so far!

I don’t just hear David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s voices when I read this, I believe that this is Mulder and Scully in an episode that I’m reading about instead of watching. There is a great opening scene with the two that is classic. The dialogue is spot on, the reaction of each character, and even the little goofiness that Mulder tended to have in the show. Everything about this screams X-files. I hope fans of the show are picking this up.

As far as the 30 Days of Night aspect to this story, well it’s being well-crafted here just like in the other stories Niles has told in this world. Like I’ve said before, 30 Days of Night is more about the world than any one character. This is why it’s working so well with this crossover. Mulder and Scully were the focus of the X-files and they are here as well. The world serves as the backdrop for their story so it all fits together nicely.

The pacing of the issue is also very well done. It seemed to move at a brisk pace and had enough surprises to keep it interesting. Mandrake’s art is still not my favorite but he’s doing a good job giving us some really creepy scenes. I will say that the art and the coloring work well to keep the atmosphere dark and gritty.

We end with another great cliffhanger as the mysteries continue to pile up. Even though we as the readers know who the bad guys are here, there is still enough mystery to keep us guessing about what’s really going on in this story. This creative team is doing an excellent job so far. I hope they can keep this good momentum going throughout the remainder of the series. It’s even got me wanting to go back and watch some X-files episodes.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

“Reality” (No Spoilers)

Writers: Grant Morrison & Keith Giffen
Pencils: Jerry Ordway
Inks: Kevin Nowlan
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Gene Ha

Here we are finally and so ends half (looking at you Wildcats) of the redemption for Worldstorm and this title which had been put on hold since Grant Morrison left it in 2006. It has been a bumpy ride to say the least but it is very interesting how they chose to end this.

All of you who have been following our coverage of this title know that for the most part we’ve been really frustrated with it. Morrison had a strong start when he worked on it, so when Keith Giffen was announced to take it over it seemed like a good fit. Giffen, after all, had already written these characters several times. But somewhere along the way, it seemed that this series as a whole just started to fall apart. One thing that was evident was the story arcs were way too short. There were several alternate worlds that the team visited that were really cool but only lasted two issues. This led to a lot of great set up being resolved super fast in order to move on to the next alternate reality.

This was hard to accept until those two beautiful issues drawn by Brandon Badeaux we just recently reviewed. By that time, we already knew to expect the shorter arcs and Badeaux’s art certainly made up for it. Which brings us to this issue. It is very interesting the way they decided to end this. It’s hard to talk about without spoiling but let’s just say, you’d get a very different feel for this ending if this series had come before DnA’s World’s End Authority run (in continuity this story takes place before World’s End). I’d go as far as to say this ending would’ve been very lackluster if you didn’t have DnA’s run to juxtapose. For me it was a reminder of why I didn’t like The Authority much before DnA’s run.

Another thing worth noting about this issue is that the art is by industry legend Jerry Ordway. We’re talking this is the equivalent of Jack Kirby drawing The Authority. It’s crazy to even see his name here. This is one of the guys who worked on Crisis on Infinite Earths (which is highly appropriate based on the premise of this Authority series). His art is obviously very old school but it still looks great!

Overall, I think this series fell flat. It had a great start and some great issues here towards the end but honestly it just ended up being another Authority adventure. It seemed like they were trying really hard to learn something here at the end but I’m not so sure they did. It’s a shame because there was such potential here but somehow it got lost along the way (pun intended). Honestly, I hope this is the last we ever see of this version of The Authority. I hope the lessons they learned in the DnA run are never forgotten.

I think they’re much better off for it.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

“The Beautiful People” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Brian Wood
Pencils: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Fiona Staples

We’re almost done with the re-introduction of the Dv8 gang. It was apparent from the start that this was what Wood was going to do. For the most part, I think he’s done a good job of it. However, I’ve felt some of the re-introductions have been stronger than others.

Here we focus on Sublime and Evo. It’s interesting that Wood decided to put these two in an issue together but if he hadn’t, all eight issues of this series would’ve been taken up by a character. As it stands, it seems that only the last issue will focus on all of them (I realize issue 1 did, but it used Copycat as the main character to do it). Fiona Staples’ beautiful cover is a perfect summary of this issue concerning these two characters. I don’t remember too much about either character so it was nice to focus on them a little. Although, I think ultimately Sublime gets more of a focus than Evo.

I don’t know why, but some of these issues seem to read really fast. It’s true again with this one. It’s got a similar structure to the others in that we see (these are not spoilers) how Sublime got hooked up with her tribe and Evo too. We get a nice showcase and explanation of both of their powers. And we get some good character moments during the majority of the issue. It leads to a conflict at the end that I was expecting but I will say I’m glad it was not resolved by the end of the issue. Instead, it leads us to a pretty good cliffhanger that I think will help Sublime and Evo’s story feel like it didn’t all get forced into this issue.

I can’t end this review without talking about Rebekah Isaac’s art. She is such a solid artist. She’s proven with each issue that she is not going to shortcut her way through any of this (except for her issues with The Carrier, we forgive you Rebekah , for more on what I’m talking about listen to our interview with her in Episode 2). I hardly ever mention any of the other people on this book but I think colorist Carrie Strachan deserves a big shout out too for helping bring Rebekah’s art to life. I especially love the scenes at night we’ve seen so far. They’ve got such a cool look to them.

Overall, I like the structure of this story but I’m starting to get the feeling that we might have benefited from a few more issues to this series. Obviously I won’t know for sure until it’s over but so far, we are definitely focusing on Freestyle next issue (based on the cover image). So regardless, I’m just happy that we’ve got these characters up on the stands again and that there are taking part in a great story.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another review packed episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz and Ben Murphy brings you Wildstorm reviews for the weeks of July 28th and August 4th 2010. Reviews including The Authority: The Lost Year #11, Garrison #4, Wildcats #25, The Authority #25, and Sparta USA #6.

00:00:34 – Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #11 for the weeks of July 28th and August 4th.
00:00:59 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.
00:01:10 – Ben gives a quick update on the wildstormaddiction.com website. The About page has been updated to include bios of Joe and Ben as well as an explanation of the ratings we give on all the books we review on the show. Along with a chart and average of our comic reviews, so check it out!
00:02:01 – Ben announces the soon to open Wildstorm Addiction Store! The store will feature many Wildstorm creator owned sets even before the trades hit the stands! Along with some various choice sets and signed issues. We will also be announcing details for some upcoming free give-a-way contests for the Wildstorm Addiction Podcast, so stay tuned!
00:02:58 – Joe reviews The Authority: The Lost Year #11 Written by Keith Giffen and Grant Morrison, interior art by Brandon Badeaux, and cover art by Gene Ha.
00:11:10 – Ben gives his take on Garrison #4 written by Jeff Mariotte, with art and cover by Francesco Francavilla.
00:18:19 – Joe reviews the epic Wildcats #25 written by Adam “I need my A.C.” Beechen, art by Tim “Why didn’t you call me?” Seeley and Andy Smith, along with a cover by Al Barrionuevo.
00:30:58 – Ben gives his thoughts on his current favorite WSU title, The Authority #25. Written by Tom Taylor, interiors by Al Barrionuevo, and cover by Howard Porter, Allen Martinez and Wes Hartman.
00:42:45 – Joe wraps up the weird, wacky, and always eclectic mini-series, Sparta U.S.A. Issue #6 is written by David Lapham, art and cover by Johnny Timmons.
00:51:31 – Ben give you both the print and digital Wildstorm Releases for the weeks of 7/28 through 8/4.

• KANE AND LYNCH #1
• TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #3
• New digital comic offerings (courtesy of comixology.com) $0.99-$1.99
  • Under Wildstorm – Ex Machina # 1 & 2, Gen 13 #25 & 26, Stormwatch PHD #17 & 18, Supernatural: Origins #4 & 5, The Authority #5 & 6, The X-files #1 & 3(no #2 for some reason), Wildcats #5 & 6, Planetary #8 & 9, and Red Faction: Armageddon #1 FREE, Red Faction: Guerilla #1 FREE. Red Faction is a mature title so you’ll have to be signed in to comixology to view, but it’s free to sign up.
  • Under DC – Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth, and Planetary/JLA: Terra Occulta.

00:53:30 – Joe almost forgets to say goodbye to everyone, don’t worry everyone I set him straight!

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Horacio Domingues
Colors: Jonny Rench
Letters: Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Neil Googe

Gail Simone does know how to write a fun comic. This little venture back into the town of Tranquility has her in top form as she crafts another great mystery while not skimping on the humor.

The opening pages are great! They offer more back story on the characters of Tranquility in fun and unique ways just like Simone did in the original series. But don’t think these little nuggets are just for fun. If you pay attention you can start putting together some of the mystery. This is especially true with the last page. I thought it was brilliant.

I will say a huge part of the mystery set up in the first issue is answered here (seemingly) and I’m kind of glad this revelation came early in this series. When you’ve only got 6 issues to work with, you don’t want to spend too much time on build up. Plus, we don’t just have one mystery to follow, we’ve actually got two as a once thought dead character has returned.

Horacio Domingues’ art does seem a lot stronger in this issue too. I don’t know what it was about issue one that made the art feel a little rushed and with not much detail. But here it seems he put a little more into it, especially during the humorous parts at the beginning and the end. Plus, Domingues does some inserts on the panel borders that really added to some key scenes. It’s not all fun and games though as we get a great action scene towards the end of the issue.

I still have neglected to re-read the original series but so far I can tell you Simone is adding enough information here to where I don’t feel lost. So if you’re still afraid to pick this up because you think you’ll be lost, think again. Simone is a great writer that doesn’t disappoint so you know coming into this you’re going to get a great story.

8 out of 10 (On it’s way to greatness!)

Writer: Phil Hester
Pencils: Cruddie Torian
Inks: Saleem Crawford
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Wes Abbott
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: J.G. Jones

This is definitely turning out to be one of the most interesting and unique Gen 13 stories ever told.

Phil Hester I think is doing a good job of using the Armageddon environment. Plus, he moves the story along rather nicely in this issue which works well since there’s only two issues left in his arc. We get to find out some interesting info about the new character Hester introduced in this run, Pathcutter. As for the other characters, even though the ones that constitute this Gen 13 are not all the originals, Hester continues to allow them to evolve and really begin to mesh well with each other in ways that don’t just mirror the old team members.

Cruddie Torian’s art continues to strengthen with each issue. If you pay attention to his work, you’ll pick up on little visual references he plants here and there (see if you can identify which movie the guns the guards are holding on page one are from). I haven’t seen someone who I think nails Fairchild’s look (my personal favorite Gen 13 character) in a long time. Speaking of Fairchild, I find it funny that with Gen 13 we’ve been getting guest cover artists just like over in Wildcats and The Authority (we get a gorgeous J.G. Jones cover here) and while they’ve all drawn her in that one-piece sleeveless variation of her old costume on the cover, in the interior she hasn’t donned it since the war with The Red Blade. Honestly, I’m liking the simple black costume Torian has given her. I think it’s appropriate to what she’s dealing with as a character.

Every time I write a Gen 13 review lately, I try my best to refrain from complaining about this title not being monthly. But Hester and Torian make it that much harder when they keep putting out such solid issues. The cliffhanger to this issue is crazy and I wonder if it’s an event that will send Fairchild over the edge. Hester has already done a great job of showing us how Fairchild is not dealing well with all the changes in her life lately.

This Gen 13 run is the most unique I’ve seen it in a while. Hester does well to make sure we don’t know where he’s taking the team next and has done well to bring life to some of these characters which are still relatively new. The cliffhanger just leaves me wishing it were October already.

7 out of 10 (Slightly above average)

Writer: David Lapham
Pencils: Johnny Timmons
Colors: Darlene Royer
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Johnny Timmons

Why? Why? Why! Why did we have to waste so much time on those first four issues when there was such a great story to be told here at the end? The final issue of Sparta is what this entire series should have been, compelling, action-packed, and spinning off of what turns out to be a very cool premise!

This story could’ve easily been told in three issues, maybe four, but certainly not the six we got. Issue 1 was good as an introduction to this world, Issue 2 did a little better at setting up the mystery and solidifying the characters, but I could’ve completely ignored Issue 3 and 4 and just skipped to 5 and 6. I’m all for setting up characters, especially when you’re introducing a unique world like this, but there is such a thing as too much set up. I feel like I’ve sat through an hour and a half worth of a lackluster movie only for the last 30 minutes to be totally awesome!

In these last two issues this series has gone from being a David Lynch film to being Red Dawn. There has been great action and the showcase of magic has increased substantially in this issue. The magic in this world was something that was never fully explained but up until this issue was also not used much either. It is something that I wish would’ve been explored more.

I will say that the secret behind the town is pretty cool and makes the revelation of who the Maestro is from last issue make a lot more sense. There is a lot more allusion to the famous Battle of Thermopylae. I kind of felt like Lapham was forcing it into the story because at this point it’s obvious he was alluding to it already. He could’ve left out any mention of it and I think people still would’ve gotten it.

So, what are my overall thoughts on this series? I’d say it was just okay. All the awesome stuff at the end is not enough to justify getting through those early issues. Even if you read this in trade you’d realize that the story drags in the middle. But the plus side to having the entire story in your hands is that you can flip to the end and see all the great stuff that happens. Lapham does leave it open for a sequel though. I’d hope now that the town’s portion of this story seems to be done that Lapham will take the strengths of these last few issues and do something really good with it in a future series.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

Writer: Tom Taylor
Plot Assist: Adam Warren
Pencils: Al Barrionuevo
Colors: Eltaeb & Mayor
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Cover: Howard Porter & Allen Martinez

Don’t let the title of the issue fool you. It does everything BUT suck! But rest assured, Tom Taylor finds a clever way to present the title too. I personally thought it was hilarious how he did it.

After the events of the last few issues I figured things would show down a bit here and I was partially right. Taylor does take the first half to the issue to fill us in on the mystery of Jack’s secret weapon. There is also time to get genuine reactions from the other team members concerning Jack’s weapon. Each of their reactions makes perfect sense and you’re either going to feel really sorry for Jack at the end or hate him for being such a jerk. I personally felt sorry for him.

I liked how even characters like Freefall and Rainmaker stood for what they believed in during this issue. Since they’re obviously the youngest of the team, it seems as if they’ve just been doing what they’re told. But of course that required some trust on their part that those in authority (no pun intended) were trustworthy. But after recent events, they have every right to question that and I loved that about them in this issue.

Taylor also continues to interject great science fiction into run, even mixed with a little science fact (well, hypothetical fact but certainly not straight up fiction). Barrionuevo gets to draw some incredible widescreen shots that have made for some breath-taking moments in this run. Just when I think Barrionuevo’s art is getting a little too dark for my tastes, he reminds me that he’s just setting the mood for the interior shots. Because when we see exterior shots of The Carrier and all the bright vibrant colors of the things they’re discovering, you’ll see the strength of Barrionuevo’s artwork in full force.

But the creative team’s not done with us yet. As the solicits reads “The Carrier appears to finally be approaching its ultimate destination”. Taylor not only gives us a cool little twist at the end but also leaves us with a great cliffhanger!

We’re rolling the down the second half of this creative team’s run. It’ll be a race to see who has the bigger finish in December, The Authority or Wildcats. Regardless, I can tell you it’s going to be one hell of a race!

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Joe David Soliz brings us the news from the San Diego Comic Con. We also have reviews of Dv8: God’s and Monster #4 and the new series, Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #1.

00:00:34 – Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #10 for the week of July 21st and the weekend of July 25th.
00:00:50 – Spoiler alerts warning, but all the written Wildstorm reviews at site are spoiler free unless otherwise noted.
00:01:00 -Shout out to Cosgrove at retrojunk.com who says: “These podcasts are amazing, man! They’re truly respected on this end. Thanks!”
00:01:37 – Joe gives the Wildstorm news: Wildstorm will have a ton of projects to coincide with the new movie “Red” based on Warren Ellis’ mini-series, premiering Oct. 15, Joe’s birthday. They will be releasing a Red:Prequel Special at the end of September, written by Cully Hamner, art and cover by Cully Hamner 48pp. $4.99. A new edition of the trade will be shipping in October; written by Warren Ellis, art and cover by Cully Hamner collecting the 3-issue miniseries under a new cover by Cully Hamner that also includes the script to issue #1 and never-before-seen developmental art by Hamner for $14.99. Each week in October a Red movie tie-in issue comes out. Red:Joe Special (Morgan Freeman) $3.99 and Red:Victoria Special (Helen Mirren) written by Jon Hoeber, art by David Hahn, cover by Cully Hamner. Red:Marvin Special (John Malcovich) written by Erich Hoeber, art by Diego Olmos, cover by Cully Hamner. And finally Red: Frank Special (Bruce Willis) written by Gregory Noveck, art by Jason Masters, with a cover by Cully Hamner.
00:04:43 -To coincide with the release of the Victorian Undead trade in October Wildstorm will be releasing a Victorian Undead Special written by Ian Edginton, art by Horacio Domingues, and a cover by Ethan Van Sciver.
00:05:10 -Also in October Wildstorm will be releasing End of Nations #1 written by Ricardo Sanchez, art by Yvel Guichet, and a cover by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. This is a four issue mini-series based on the highly anticipated, massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game End of Nations from publisher Trion Worlds and developer Petroglyph! This is the same company that is developing The Telara Chronicles which also debuts from Wildstorm in September. The solicit reads, “Economic disaster brought world governments to their knees. Industrialized nations, for the first time, experienced hunger and poverty on a scale not seen outside the most stricken third-world countries. The Order of Nations, a new world power, stepped into the chaos and restored order, imposing a tyrannical rule. But they pushed too hard and people everywhere began to openly challenge them.  Follow the story of one resistance group as they struggle against the totalitarian regime of the Order of Nations in this 4-issue miniseries.”
00:06:32 – The new Wildstorm digital comic offerings courtesy of www.comixology.com, ranging from $0.99-$1.99 are: The entire Mirror’s Edge series #1-6 plus #0 FREE, Gen 13 #23 & #24, Stormwatch PHD #15 & #16, Supernatural: Origins #1-3, The Authority #3 & #4, The X-files #0 & #1, Wildcats #3 & #4, and Planetary #7.
00:07:37 – Joes brings a special SDCC report direct from the source, lucky guy! Be sure to check out the written post and follow along as Joe gives us his analysis of the event here: Wildstorm Addiction goes to San Diego! Also, download and listen to the audio from the actual Wildstorm panel from the 2010 comic con at the Official Wildstorm Podcast site.
00:26:03 – Unfortunately Ben is just finishing up getting over a cold and couldn’t stop coughing enough to get this review out, so Joe had to step up to the plate without any warning. Sorry about the all new all awesome Joe episode everyone! He reviews Welcome to Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #1 written by Gail Simone, art by Horacio Domingues, and cover by Neil Googe, along with a variant cover by Ethan Van Sciver.
00:37:33 – Ben tries to spit out some thoughts on the re-introduction of Welcome to Tranquility.
00:42:16 – Joe reviews Dv8: Gods and Monsters #4 (of written by Brian Wood, art by Rebekah Isaacs, and cover by Fiona Staples.
00:52:40 – Ben gives his thoughts on Dv8: Gods and Monsters #4.
00:54:13 – Ben works up the strength to give you the other Wildstorm Releases for the week of 7/21.

• God of War #3 (OF 6)
• Modern Warfare 2: Ghost #6 (of 6)
• World of Warcraft Book 2

00:54:34 – Joe mentions one more thing about his trip to San Diego, just rub it in Joe! Actually Joe got to hang out with the guys who produce the Only the Valiant Podcast which is focused on Valiant Comics. You can check out episode #46 to hear Joe live from SDCC here onlythevaliant.com.

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.

(No Spoilers)

Action! Action! Action! That’s what I’m learning this story is about. I’ve called this Wildstorm’s summer blockbuster before and there’s no better description for it. There is a small thread of a story here but for the most part, it’s all action all the time.

I think I’m starting to see that this book would’ve been great in the 90’s. In the 90’s it was all about great art and less about story. I have to honestly say I think the saving grace with this comic for me is Francesco Francavilla’s art. There’s just no substance to this story but damn does Francavilla draw some amazing action scenes in this comic! If Michael Bay is looking for another movie to do after Transformers 3 is done, this would be a worthy candidate based solely on the amount of action.

The last issue moved the story along a little better than here. There are some really clever scenes in here involving Garrison and how he eludes the authorities but not much else. I will say I love how Garrison’s pursuers raise their arsenal to a very lethal notch after losing to Garrison several times over the past few issues. It seems like overkill but Garrison proves that in his case it may still not be enough.

Francesco Francavilla continues to deliver some gruesome death scenes too. This is why I can’t get away from comparing it to a summer blockbuster movie. You’ve got lots of explosions here and lots of fighting with little story. Isn’t that the traditional formula for a summer blockbuster?

I think when all is said and done this may read better as a whole. There’s still a mystery behind the title character that has yet to be solved. I was hoping for at least a little more revelation in this issue. But like I said, I think Francavilla’s art is really what’s got me enjoying a book that would normally leave me wanting for more story. So far it’s been a fun little romp that hasn’t required much thinking on my part. I know one thing for sure. If these last 4 issues are any indication, we’ve still got 2 more action-packed issues before this mini-series is done.

7 out of 10 (Above Average)

“Damage Control” (No Spoilers)

Writers: Grant Morrison & Keith Giffen
Pencils: Brandon Badeaux
Colors: Jonny Rench
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Gene Ha

In-freaking-credible! I wish all of Lost Year had been like these last two issues. Everything came together in this issue; the story was engaging and once again we’re treated to amazing art by Brandon Badeaux.

Badeaux’s art is what really made this arc for me. It is incredibly detailed and combined with Jonny Rench’s colors makes for some of the best art in a comic I’ve seen in a long time. Plus, Badeaux’s designs for the alternate reality Authority are just wicked! I’ve heard people say they don’t think Badeaux could handle a monthly book because his art is so detailed. Personally, I’d wait on a bi-monthly book if he were doing the art. It’s that good.

But one thing’s that also really good here is the story. It’s not something that’s entirely original but it’s enough to give this little two-issue arc the sense of being something bigger and more epic. There are also a ton of cameos by other Wildstorm heroes in this alternate universe which adds to the scope of the events. And this time, even though the story is wrapped up quickly, I don’t feel cheated. I consider this the big budget movie of this series (complete with awesome special effects).

If you have not been following Lost Year, or got frustrated by some of the same things I did along the way, I say pick up issue 10 and 11. They are just too beautiful not to have in your collection. I cannot say enough good things about them. Although at the same time it saddens me that the series as a whole was not like this. It could be argued that they were saving the best for last but it’s still a lot stuff to sift through before we get to this point.

Well, we’re done to one issue left and then this series wraps up. It will be interesting to look at the series as a whole when all is said and done but the awesomeness displayed here is probably too little too late.

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

Writer: Adam Beechen
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks: Andy Smith
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Wes Abbott
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Al Barrionuevo

Here it is! The battle of the century! Midnighter vs. Zealot! Did the fight deliver? I say, yes!

Adam Beechen relies on two of his many strengths during this issue. First, he uses a character that is normally in the background to narrate the events (similar to Runt narrating Gen 13 #34, which was also written by Beechen). This time it’s Petrified Girl, originally of the superhero team The Paladins (introduced in Number of the Beast). I had wondered what Beechen’s reasoning was in bringing Petrified Girl to Earth with Zealot, Cybernary, and Maul. It becomes clearer as she narrates the fight.

Second, he still is able to juggle several different stories within the 22 pages. He doesn’t use the entire issue to focus on the fight which is probably a good idea because it might have made it a pretty shallow issue. We get some time with the other characters currently active on missions like Battalion and Ladytron’s encounter with the new and mysterious character, Aeon. He also continues to tease us with some old Wildcats villains who have returned. And finally we catch up on Grunge and his current mission as well as a smaller arc for Warblade. There are also more cool cameos from other Wildstorms characters including a certain team fans have wanted to see in action again.

But don’t misunderstand me, just because the whole issue isn’t one long fight, we do not get cheated at all. The title of the issue, “Knock Down, Drag Out” says it all. On top of that, Midnighter and Zealot bring up some interesting arguments against each others’ beliefs as they fight. By the end, I think it’s resolved the only way it could’ve been resolved. Plus, it leaves at least one character’s future in question with an interesting new dilemma.

Tim Seeley’s art of course continues to be great but here he really gets to shine as he choreographs the fight and comes up with some great shots (pun intended). Plus, when you get to see Aeon in action it really is cool. I’m very interested to see what the real deal behind this character is. He drops some hints in this issue but not enough to put anything together yet.

Well, it’s been a long time since a Wildcats series reached issue 25 and it is in great hands with this current creative team. This is the mid-point for their run so now we start the road to December when their run ends and see what other exciting things they’ve got planned.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

New puzzle covers for the Wildcats and The Authority were released. One cover was by Tim Seeley and the other was by Jheremy Raapack. Preview art for upcoming Gen13, Wildcats and The Authority issues was also shown. Writer Adam Beechen arrived late but discussed that several story arcs would be wrapping up soon in Wildcats, including the arc involving the character Aeon.  Phil Hester talked about enjoying his collaboration with Cruddie Torian, saying he was a great fit for the title. Ben Abernathy discussed DV8:Gods and Monsters and how it’s been well-received. Images from Gail Simone’s Welcome to Tranquility:One Foot in the Grave were met with applause. Ben talked about the series being a direct sequel to the original. He went on to discuss the new Wetworks:Mutations one-shot. It will be part of the “World’s End” story and will catch up readers on what the Wetworks team has been doing.

The panel discussion then shifted to Wildstorm’s creator-owned titles. Ben Abernathy talked about Ex Machina’s final issue. Ben stated, “You guys will be blown away by issue fifty!” Jim Lee will provide a variant cover for the issue, which is 48 pages, with no ads. Kurt Busiek mentioned that his comic Astro City had been picked up as a movie by Working Title Films. He also said that the Silver Agent mini-series is the “final issue” in the first stage of Astro City’s over-arcing story. This will lead into the new Astro City monthly series, which will have new characters and new mysteries. Stuart Paul talked his Ides of Blood mini-series, stating that the premise is the assassination of Julius Caesar by vampires. In this series, vampires are the new slave class in Rome. He also mentioned there are nods to Shakespeare and Dracula mythology. Christian Duce is a South American artist who is new to this country and will be doing art for the book. Next up is the mini-series Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom, which is out on stands now. Peter Hogan actually got Alan Moore’s blessing to write this story, which ties back to the original Tom Strong series. Finally, a sequel to Victorian Undead was announced. It will start with a Victorian Undead special in October and will continue with a five-issue mini-series beginning in November. The original creative team of writer Ian Edington and David Fabbri will return.

Next up was Wildstorm’s licensed properties. First up is the Red: Eyes Only prequel comic, which marks the first time artist Cully Hamner will not only provide art, but will also write the issue. Cully received Warren Ellis’ blessing to do this prequel when Ellis was unavailable for the prequel. Two T.V. properties were talked about, which were Fringe: Tales from the Fringe and X-Files/30 Days of Night. The Fringe comic is in continuity with the show. Several video game titles were discussed, including Gears of War, God of War, Telara Chronicles, Kane and Lynch, Ratchet & Clank, Driver and End of Nation. The Gears of War comic coincides with the release of the video game Gears of War 3 in the Spring.

The panel was opened to fan questions. Chris Striker of The Higher Authority website asked if Wildstorm was going to do more original graphic novels similar to A god Somewhere. Hank Kanalz said they are looking at several projects. When asked if he had any more projects coming, Kurt Busiek said he had a project called Witchland. He described it as Astro City if the genre were urban fantasy; magic in ordinary life. It will be a six issue mini-series.  Busiek also added he is doing a sequel to his Arrowsmith comic in novel form called Arrowsmith:Far from the Fields we Know.

The panel closed off with Adam Beecheen as he invited attendees to join him at the Hyatt bar for a meet-and-greet.

UPDATE: Also, not revealed at the panel but revealed afterward by Darick Robertson, he and Christos Gage have an un-named creator-owned project they’re working on.

Show Notes:
Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy talk about the Wildcats on an exclusive interview with Adam Beechen to discuss both he and Tim Seeley’s monumental issue #25. Adam decided that with his supreme celebrity status that air conditioning was more important than sound quality. So even though I took a stab at reducing the background noise, in the end I decided to leave it as is. I apologize for this inconvenience, however, Adam doesn’t care about you and says he just wanted to get back to his Mai Tai’s. [Comment in jest by the editor, BEN]

Adam really elaborates on many of the questions asked with many insights into what has happened with the Wildstorm Universe over the past two years.
00:00:34 – Ben welcomes everyone to Episode #9 for the week of July 21st. He introduces Joe and own special guest for the evening, Adam Beechen, writer of the Wildcats: World’s End.
00:00:56 – Joe welcomes Adam and thanks him for being on our show.
00:04:37 – How did you get your start in the industry Adam?
00:06:39 – How did you get pulled into the Wildstorm Universe?
00:08:25 – You have a ton of characters to deal with in your Wildcats run. How do you keep track of them all?
00:12:10 – What are some of your influences as a writer, especially coming from an animation background.
00:13:35 – How proud are you guys to be breaking the issue #25 milestone with Wildcats?
00:20:09 – Can you explain the costume changes in the WSU? (Originally meant for Tim Seeley, unfortunately we couldn’t get him on the call at the time.)
00:23:30 – You were able to introduce some great new villains into the WSU with Sebastian and the Red Blade. Are there any classic villains you’d like to bring back?
00:28:20 – We haven’t seen too much change in any of the bigger core characters. However some of the Gen 13 characters(Grunge in Wildcats & Roxy in the Authority, as well as Fairchild in Gen 13) have really been stepping up and taking on more of an adult role, can you explain the decision to highlight these characters?
00:34:16 – After two years into World’s End there are still a lot of people on the fence about the Wildstorm Universe. What would you say to those people to win them over?
00:49:43 – Are there any characters or titles left that you’d like to write or do a solo book on?
00:51:40 – Fun Question! Everyone’s been dying to know(actually just me) who came up with the “cats” in the title pages of the current Wildcats run?
00:53:08 – Adam gives a shout out and an invitation for anyone attending the San Diego Comic Con this weekend. There is a Wildstorm panel Saturday July 24th from 6:30-7:30pm. After the panel Wildstorm will be having a sit-down at the Hyatt bar around 8:30 to chat. Meet Adam there!!

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com.
Follow Adam Beechen on twitter: http://twitter.com/sonnova

Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Horacio Domingues
Colors: Jonny Rench
Letters: Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Neil Googe
Variant Cover: Ethan Van Sciver

Welcome ‘back’ to Tranquility! That quirky little town in the Wildstorm Universe that Gail Simone introduced us to back in 2006. In case you don’t know, the original Welcome to Tranquility ran for 12 issues. As part of the Worldstorm event, it retroactively added this cast of elderly superheroes to the Wildstorm Universe. For example, it added a history between Majestic, The High, and Tranquility resident Maximum Man as a trio fighting crime in the early 20th century called The Big Three. It was an idea that did not exist before the series. After the series, there was a Welcome to Tranquility: Armageddon one-shot that appeared as part of the Wildstorm: Armageddon crossover. Since then, we haven’t seen the town other than a few mentions of it over in Gen 13.

First thing you need to know is this happens before World’s End so it has no bearing on that story. The second thing I’m sure you want to know is, “Can I read this without reading the first series?”. Well, kind of. This is truly a sequel to the original series. It follows on the heels of the original arc which centered around the story of Mayor Alex Fury. But there is at least one reference to the second arc of the original series. Simone does a good job of getting us up to speed on the events of previous series. So, I can honestly say you won’t be lost reading this, but you will have the feeling that there was a whole other story that happened that you missed out on. Thankfully, the original series is collected in trade and it’s not a big deal to catch up with it.

The original series had Neil Googe doing the art. This time he’s only providing the covers. We have Horacio Domingues on art. I’ve seen his work elsewhere and I have to say it’s just ok. It’s similar enough to Googe’s that if you were reading, it wouldn’t be too jarring of a visual change, but I don’t think Domingues puts as much detail in his art like Googe does. An example of this is a scene of a car exploding that in my opinion looked really weak. Don’t get me wrong, his art is not terrible at all. It fits the series perfectly. I just thought it could have been stronger.

One of the things that I loved about the original that’s still intact here is Simone’s humor. We start off with a couple of great gags at the beginning including a very clever one that gives us a summary about what happened in Tranquility’s first arc. Plus all the dialogue is spot on. Every character’s personality shows through in not just what they say but also how they say it. These are all Simone’s creations so I’m glad she’s the one writing this book.

This was a good first issue that sets up a great new mystery for the citizens of Tranquility. We got to see the majority of the residents here but there’s still a few more I hope to see by the end of the mini-series. I’m glad Simone decided to come back to this sandbox and play.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Writer: Brian Wood
Pencils: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Fiona Staples

Okay, now we’re back on track with this issue! The series had slowed down a little bit, especially last issue, but now we’ve got an issue centered on Threshold. Did anyone really think we’d get a slow issue dealing with Threshold? I think not!

Since he first appeared in the original Gen 13 mini-series Threshold has always been a very interesting character to me. He’s psychotic but he’s well justified in being this way I think. He saw his parents murdered in front of him when he was just a kid. He was raised by Project Genesis to be a killer. And he had Ivana Baiul as a lover once upon a time, something I think would drive anyone crazy. He’s also a very angry character which means he could snap at any moment and believe me, snap he does.

One of the interesting themes of this issue is fear versus respect. Threshold is obviously someone who wants to be powerful and to be feared for it. But Brian Wood reminds us that there is such thing as respectful fear. Threshold is forced to look at himself and his methods in this issue and determine if his history of failure as a leader is because his focus has been in the wrong place. I love stories like this. It reminds me a lot of the lessons learned in Batman Begins.

With Threshold being the focus of the issue, Rebekah Isaacs gets to draw some intense action scenes. And if you know Threshold, you know that his fights can get pretty gruesome sometimes. I’m happy to inform you, that trend continues here. We get to see both sides of Threshold’s fighting expertise: using his powers and fighting hand-to-hand.

By the end, we get some classic Threshold moments as his little journey comes full circle. It’s a tragic event but it is completely in character with Threshold. I’m just curious to see what the repercussions of his actions will have concerning another Dv8 member who got caught up in the incident.

We’re half-way through this mini-series and it has been a solid read so far. Wood and Isaacs continue to give us an engaging story. Each month they prove why they were the perfect creative team for this book.

8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)

Show Notes:
Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy talk about the Wildstorm comic releases for the weeks of 6/30 through 7/14.

00:00:34 – Joe welcomes everyone to Episode #8 with reviews of The Authority #24, Sparta USA #5, The X Files/30 Days of Night #1, and The Authority: The Lost Year #10.

00:00:47 – Joe starts us off by laying down some Wildstorm news.

• 00:00:59 – Special shout-out to our international listeners.  According to our download reports we’ve got people who’ve downloaded from Chile, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Spain, Canada and the Russian Federation.  And of course, a big thanks to all our listeners in the USA!  We’ve gone international!
• 00:01:34 – More Digital comic offerings from DC this week courtesy of comixology.com: ranging from $0.99-$1.99, Supernatural: Origins #1, Entire Dante’s Inferno 6-issue mini, Entire Fringe 6-issue mini #0 also offered for FREE, Mirror’s Edge 1-5 (no #6) #0 also offered for FREE, 1st 3 issues of Victorian Undead, Planetary/Authority: Ruling the World one-shot, WORLD’S END-Wildcats #2, Gen 13 #22, Stormwatch PHD #14, The Authority #2, & Wildstorm Universe #0 is FREE (Was a free giveaway last summer at SDCC & comic shops written by our very own Chris Striker of The Higher Authority site-(http://theauthority.ws/)
• 00:03:26 –Thanks to titanthrope for your comment on The Authority #24 written review at site. We’d appreciate more of these from listeners in the future so that we are making sure to cover what you want to hear!

00:03:49 – Ben reviews The Authority #24 “Mondregon Part 2″ written by Tom Taylor, art and cover by Al Barrionuevo.
00:20:06 – Joe pimps Sparta #5 written by David Lapham and art by Johnny Timmons.
00:33:09 – Ben is fired up about the new licensed title The X Files /30 Days of Night crossover written by Steve Niles and Adam Jones, art by Tom Mandrake, with a cover by Andrea Sorrentino. Two variant covers, one by Sam Kieth and the other by Tom Mandrake and JD Mettler.
00:46:00 – Joe is pleasantly surprised by another issue of The Authority: The Lost Year reviewing issue #10 written by Keith Giffen and Grant Morrison, art by Brandon Badeaux, cover by Gene Ha. Hey Mikey, he likes it!
00:59:49 – Ben gives you the other Wildstorm titles that have released over the last three weeks that we didn’t review.

• 6/30
  • DANTE’S INFERNO
  • GEARS OF WAR #12
  • RESIDENT EVIL #5 (OF 6)
• 7/8
  • ABSOLUTE PLANETARY BOOK 1: NEW PRINTING
  • TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #2
• 7/14
  • ABSOLUTE PLANETARY BOOK 2
  • ASTRO CITY: SILVER AGENT #1 (OF 2)
  • FREDDY VS. JASON VS. ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS
  • FREE REALMS #11 (OF 12)

The opening and closing music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com.

Contact info:
Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78
Ben: Look up “yoyomaster146” at the Wildstorm Resource Wiki (http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com) or on the Wildstorm Message Boards.
Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict
Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com!
Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com