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unladylike's review against another edition
3.0
It's good to see Warren Ellis doing what he does best, though I can tell it will take more than a volume or two before it gets really exciting.
jsrogers123's review against another edition
5.0
Actually incredibly messed up that this didn't launch an entire rebooted Wildstorm line like it was supposed to. We were robbed!
cassie_grace's review against another edition
5.0
It's a remix of all of Ellis' old work on Stormwatch and The Authority, reimagined for 2017 and utilizing whatever he wants from the rest of the old Wildstorm books. I loved it.
bbabyok's review against another edition
5.0
Nice to see Warren Ellis returning to some of the characters he wrote before. Especially enjoyed the re-imagined world that they live in now.
wyrmdog's review against another edition
5.0
I am not an impartial party when it comes to Warren Ellis. I love almost everything he writes. I love his ideas, his structure, his characters, his sense of wonder. I am a little sad I didn't know this re-imagining of my favorite 1990s superhero properties was a thing or I'd have been all over it sooner.
One of the things I like best and that I concurrently fear most with comics are re-imaginings. Unlike reboots which tell you to throw out everything that came before and unlike relaunches which are meaningless marketing ploys that likewise jettison history and continuity, a re-imagining says, "I loved this property when it was big. I want to write it a love letter and make it relevant to now. I want to explore these characters as they put on new hats and walk new streets." Re-imaginings are an exercise in what-if that lets writers do things with characters that they couldn't do otherwise.
I know some of that is a pretty thin line, but I think it matters. I think Ellis believes that, too.
Anytime you read a re-imagining or a reboot, there are changes to your favorite characters. Weatherman One is a full-on madman (so basically what Ellis made him before, just creepier), Battalion is a woman, Deathblow is a killer teddy-bear (not literally, you just kinda want to hug him). You always hope for the best but they don't all survive the transition recognizably or peacefully. Thankfully, the Engineer is one that feels very familiar. The Engineer is the audience stand-in, introducing us to the world so the infodumps feel more natural. She's always been one of my favorite characters, even if she looks like Danger's* grandmother when she's in full combat mode. I did prefer her previous...outfit. But that's because I'm a pig. I fully accept this about myself.
Anyway, I read this with my breath held over Fahrenheit. I always liked her in Stormwatch. She was not treated well the one time Ellis had control of her narrative and given her role in this story, I am fearful of her fate here, too. Feels like she'll meet the same fate as Iron Fist's secretary in Thunderbolts 137. But even if she's casually tossed away (again), it's fun to see her given bold snark in the face of serving a man who appears to be wildly unstable. I think that having been given free reign to make the characters his own, Ellis is having a great time.
The story itself is typical of Ellis: a whip-smart funhouse mirror that twists a reflection of the world so that the horrors are enlarged, distorted, and made manageable in ways they just aren't in the world we actually inhabit. It's an examination of all we fear could be, all we know that is, and all we wish that was.
I am buckling myself in for the ride. It's gonna be great.
* (from the X-Men)
One of the things I like best and that I concurrently fear most with comics are re-imaginings. Unlike reboots which tell you to throw out everything that came before and unlike relaunches which are meaningless marketing ploys that likewise jettison history and continuity, a re-imagining says, "I loved this property when it was big. I want to write it a love letter and make it relevant to now. I want to explore these characters as they put on new hats and walk new streets." Re-imaginings are an exercise in what-if that lets writers do things with characters that they couldn't do otherwise.
I know some of that is a pretty thin line, but I think it matters. I think Ellis believes that, too.
Anytime you read a re-imagining or a reboot, there are changes to your favorite characters. Weatherman One is a full-on madman (so basically what Ellis made him before, just creepier), Battalion is a woman, Deathblow is a killer teddy-bear (not literally, you just kinda want to hug him). You always hope for the best but they don't all survive the transition recognizably or peacefully. Thankfully, the Engineer is one that feels very familiar. The Engineer is the audience stand-in, introducing us to the world so the infodumps feel more natural. She's always been one of my favorite characters, even if she looks like Danger's* grandmother when she's in full combat mode. I did prefer her previous...outfit. But that's because I'm a pig. I fully accept this about myself.
Anyway, I read this with my breath held over Fahrenheit. I always liked her in Stormwatch. She was not treated well the one time Ellis had control of her narrative and given her role in this story, I am fearful of her fate here, too. Feels like she'll meet the same fate as Iron Fist's secretary in Thunderbolts 137. But even if she's casually tossed away (again), it's fun to see her given bold snark in the face of serving a man who appears to be wildly unstable. I think that having been given free reign to make the characters his own, Ellis is having a great time.
The story itself is typical of Ellis: a whip-smart funhouse mirror that twists a reflection of the world so that the horrors are enlarged, distorted, and made manageable in ways they just aren't in the world we actually inhabit. It's an examination of all we fear could be, all we know that is, and all we wish that was.
I am buckling myself in for the ride. It's gonna be great.
* (from the X-Men)
joshgauthier's review against another edition
4.0
Ellis continues to show his skill with immensely complex and technical stories that also achieve a high entertainment value and relatively easy accessibility. And this may be my favorite thing that I've read from him yet.
Again, having no familiarity with the background of the comics universe I'm jumping into here, the reboot efforts of "Wild Storm" offer an excellent starting point for this world and these characters. Volume 1 is part international spy thriller, part-near future alternate world, and part super-hero story.
I read the volume in two sittings--which left me struggling to keep track of a few things--since Ellis's stories are complex enough when read in one go. However, this is a strong start to a revived comics universe--with a diverse range of fascinating characters and no shortage of excitement and intrigue. It feels fresh, fully-realized, and crafted with skill.
I'm not entirely certain what's going on, but I know I want more.
Again, having no familiarity with the background of the comics universe I'm jumping into here, the reboot efforts of "Wild Storm" offer an excellent starting point for this world and these characters. Volume 1 is part international spy thriller, part-near future alternate world, and part super-hero story.
I read the volume in two sittings--which left me struggling to keep track of a few things--since Ellis's stories are complex enough when read in one go. However, this is a strong start to a revived comics universe--with a diverse range of fascinating characters and no shortage of excitement and intrigue. It feels fresh, fully-realized, and crafted with skill.
I'm not entirely certain what's going on, but I know I want more.
ostrava's review against another edition
5.0
Probably some of the most confused I've been with an Ellis comic, but it delivers. Something about the Authority canon here and there (the Bleed? Or was that Planetary? Or is it all the same??), but yeah, cool stuff.
misterfix's review against another edition
4.0
Solid Ellis in top form. Leads of conspiracies within webs of intrigue and double crossing, wonderfully matched to art, color & letters that makes the story pop off the page. Eager to see where the rabbit hole leads.
itcamefromthepage's review against another edition
4.0
Very inventive w/ Warren Ellis's trademark writing style.