WildC.A.T.s #3 continues the upward momentum of the series with its best issue yet. As the previous issue ended, Halo was introducing its group of superheroes… the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Wait, what!? While the WildC.A.T.s do the actual work, it looks like this new team is going to get all of the credit, and you better believe that’s not going to sit well.

Writer Matthew Rosenberg delivers a beyond entertaining issue as we get to know this new superhero team with some great commentary from the WildC.A.T.s. It’s just perfectly played out that brings the larger than life feel of 90s comics but to the line where it all doesn’t feel eye-rolling comical. Rosenberg’s writing delivers a natural reaction that we can all see ourselves doing. Snide remarks lead into some tense moments and a few fists flying but it never crosses that silly line of two superhero groups fighting due to a misunderstanding. And through it all, Rosenberg delivers lines and moments that are hard to not laugh at. There’s a perfect delivery and comical timing that creates a comic that’s almost a superhero action comedy. It’s just… fun!

But, it’s not the WildC.A.T.s without some messed up mission and lots of action and Rosenberg delivers that as well. Grifter continues his mission to figure out what’s up with the Court of Owls, again with some amazing comedic timing and the rest of the team has to rescue a diplomat’s kid. It all goes spectacularly wrong as it always does with the team. But, at least it’s off the rails entertaining.

A lot of the timing and comedy as to do with Stephen Segovia‘s art. With Elmer Santos on color and Ferran Delgado‘s lettering, it’s all laid out on the page and delivered perfectly. Jokes about falling out of a window are played so well with a balance of what’s shown and what’s not. The reactions to the introduction to the Seven Soldiers is about what is said as much as the look on a face and body language of who said it. This is a great example of story and art perfectly aligned. Then there’s the action. The team delivers that with such great visuals, it feels like watching a summer action film. The sequences are over the top but delivered with such confidence and such a way that again it’s just… fun.

WildC.A.T.s #3 is exactly that, fun. It continues a series that takes what worked so well in the 90s but refines it. Much like the re-launches of this team throughout the years, this latest volume focuses on certain aspects and does them so well delivering a new take that has the DNA of what was but mixes it up just enough to deliver something new but familiar. After years of false starts, this is a series that might have finally cracked the code of re-introducing the world of Wildstorm into the DC Universe proper.

Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Stephen Segovia
Color: Elmer Santos Letterer: Ferran Delgado
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

When I think of 90s Image Comics, I think of comics that are more flash than depth. While they looked great, the stories were often muddled, disjointed, or incoherent gibberish. Things were up and down for a while with the publisher and overall it felt like art was the priority over story. In reality, you need a solid balance of both for a successful comic and even today some comics struggle. So, it was interesting to dive back in the world of WildC.A.T.s with a debut issue that launched the team into the spotlight once more after lurking in the background. The first issue was entertaining full of action and humor but overall it leaned heavy into the action end of things. WildC.A.T.s #2 finds that nice balance with action, humor, some solid character interaction, and a lot of surprises.

With their latest mission gone wrong, Cole and Zealot are stuck in the basement with a knocked out teammate and a mysterious cult around them and the security forces of the place they just hit in pursuit. But, what could be worse? How about the Court of Owls’ Talons! Yeah, it’s Grifter and Zealot versus Talons in what feels like the perfect nemesis for the team and the Halo Corporation.

Written by Matthew Rosenberg, WildC.A.T.s #2 is a solid second issue building off of the first and really getting things going. We get hints as to where this team came from and what their mission is with an ending that’s quite a surprise. But, Rosenberg delivers a perfect foil. The Halo Corporation, as presented, is a semi-benevolent corporation set on protecting this Earth and dimension. They have their hands in all sorts of goods but also a strike team to get their hands dirty. They manipulate things on a consumer scale. The Court of Owls manipulate things from the shadows, also with their own strike team to do battle. The team are solid adversaries and Rosenberg gives the first encounter a nice wtf aspect of it. He expands upon it with a debate as to what to do next about it all that hints there’s more going on.

The art by Stephen Segovia is fantastic with color by Elmer Santos and lettering by Ferran Delgado. There’s an interesting aspect to the art style with a lot of action but also a lot of more “straight” moments of boardroom meetings. The fact both can be done without it feeling a bit weird and no change in style is great. Zealot gets the spotlight during a sequence dealing with would-be assassins and the choice of panel use and art is great with Zealot looking like she pops off the page. The art too feels like it emphasizes the humor with moments that are both silly and straight at the same time.

WildC.A.T.s #2 improves on the first issue giving a solid villain for the team to go against and delivering surprises. This is a comic that delivers action but also the ramification of those actions. It takes what worked well with the original and updates things a bit with the team finally fitting in nicely with the DC Universe and delivering a bit more personality beyond how cool they look when they do battle.

Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Stephen Segovia
Color: Elmer Santos Letterer: Ferran Delgado
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle