“The Protectorate 1 of 3: Groundwork”
Writer: Adam Beechen
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks: Ryan Winn
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Wes Abbott
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Scott Peterson
Cover: Pete Woods
This is the most solid I’ve seen Wildcats in a long time. We are five issues into this creative teams’ run and they continue to deliver each month. I have not walked away from a Wildcats issue of theirs yet and felt disappointed.
What are the strengths here? Well, first off, the debut arc was an all out three-issue battle. This left very little time for character moments and character development which is what some complained about. However, last issue gave us nothing BUT character moments with absolutely no action. It was a great “breather” issue. Here Beechen and Seeley start revving the engines to prepare us for more craziness.
We start with some great moments with Grunge. He’s always been seen as the dumb-one of Gen 13 which was funny because in reality he’s very smart. He’s forced to make a decision to grow-up pretty fast now that the world has ended. The cool thing about this though is that despite everything, he’s still lovable Grunge. I think Beechen nailed his character and set up a great plot thread with him.
The action comes in as we follow Battalion and Ladytron on their mission to find Earth’s current Doctor. Beechen has a lot of fun with this scene as he takes a few jabs at a certain comic company who shall remain nameless (hint: It’s not DC). This next tidbit might be a bit spoilerish but you’ll have to forgive me for it. Beechen does something some thought impossible. He makes DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar somewhat relevant! You’ll see what I mean when you read.
This title’s strength also lies in the fact they are getting a lot of story into each issue. Besides what I’ve already mentioned we still have storylines with Majestic/Nemesis, Warblade, Link, and Zealot/Midnighter. Even more so, I don’t feel cheated on any of them!
Last issue was a good jumping on point, but this one could be as well. It’s got enough set-up in it to give a new reader time to digest while still inserting some action, which is what was missing last issue.
It is so good to have a book like this that I not only look forward to each month, but also leaves me very satisfied in the end. Tim Seeley? Don’t think I’ve forgotten you. Your art is still phenomenal and did anyone ever tell you, you draw gorgeous women?
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Excellent!)