WildC.A.T.s #7
(W) Matthew Rosenberg (A) Christian Duce, Danny Kim
In Shops: May 09, 2023
SRP: $3.99
With his teammates thinking he’s dead, Grifter fights for his life in a future conquered by…the HALO Corporation?! It’s Grifter vs. the Void for the fate of an enslaved humanity!
Grifter is dead? Yeah, we know that’s not the case, well, not likely, but his teammates don’t know what’s happening. WildC.A.T.s #7 not only kicks off the search for Grifter but also shifts the series a but making it clear that the the call is coming within the house. Something’s rotten with the Halo Corporation.
Written by Matthew Rosenberg, WildC.A.T.s #7 tells two stories. The first is what’s happening to Grifter. Having killed Void, he’s now being shuffled throughout the multiverse being sent from world to world where he’s fighting to survive. Then, there’s his teammates who know he’s not dead, they just don’t know where he is. They also know something is up with their former employer.
Rosenberg does a great job of balancing the two stories. There’s some good action throughout, but what stands out is Rosenberg’s focus on the characters and their personalities. Each stands out in their own way and between the situations they’re in and their banter, you get a comic that’s fun to read. There’s a pacing to the dialogue and what’s said that’s hard to not enjoy the comic. There’s a level of comedy that really emphasizes who this team is, who these characters are, and makes it stand out from the other DC team comics.
Rosenberg also does an amazing job of making characters who really are shitheads be likeable. There’s a sense that the team doesn’t necessarily like each other but will still defend each other when attacked. They’re dysfunctional family and in a way, the readers are sucked in to be a part of that family.
The art for WildC.A.T.s #7 is a bit off this issue though. Danny Kim and Christian Duce trade off on the art and the two styles are very different and it’s noticeable. One handles the team’s story while the other handles Grifter’s and Grifter’s segment feels… off. There’s something that doesn’t quite pop to it, it’s an issue with the entire comic where the art doesn’t quite have the energy that we’ve seen in other issues. With color by Elmer Santos and Tony Aviña and lettering by Ferran Delgado, the comic has a look that feels more thrown together than flowing. There’s some panels and moments that are great but overall, something about the flow and how it all comes together doesn’t quite work as it has.
WildC.A.T.s #7 continues a great series. It’s done a fantastic job of working in classic elements in new ways and folding the characters into the greater DC Universe. It’s also willing to throw some wild ideas and moments out there that keeps readers on their toes and create a reading experience that continues to be fun with every issue.
Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Danny Kim, Christian Duce
Color: Elmer Santos, Tony Aviña Letterer: Ferran Delgado
Story: 8.3 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
WildC.A.T.s #7
(W) Matthew Rosenberg (A) Christian Duce, Danny Kim
In Shops: May 09, 2023
SRP: $3.99
With his teammates thinking he’s dead, Grifter fights for his life in a future conquered by…the HALO Corporation?! It’s Grifter vs. the Void for the fate of an enslaved humanity!
Five issues in and WildC.A.T.s has quickly become one of the most entertaining superhero action comics on the shelves right now. There’s been a fantastic mix of humor, action, and heart, updating a 30 year old property and properly integrating it into the DC comic universe. For the past few issues, tensions have been rising as a new Seven Soldiers have been introduced, stealing the spotlight and glory from the WildC.A.T.s team. WildC.A.T.s #5 builds in that further throwing out more questions and leaving a lot of head scratching.
Written by Matthew Rosenberg, the series has done a fantastic job of keeping a lot of classic elements of these characters, and the Wildstorm Universe, and mixing it up just enough for something that feels knew, different, and at the same time familiar. Cole is dead with his teammates trying to figure out what happened and if it even really is Cole’s body they saw. Then, there’s the issue with the Seven Soldiers who are clearly wildcards where something is… off.
WildC.A.T.s #5 takes all of that and just adds to the insanity as the Seven Soldiers, and especially Majestic, dealing with Superman who is interested in the hero who claimed he was from Krypton. Then there’s a certain classic character donning his costume adding to the bigger question as to what exactly is going on with the Seven Soldiers. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the ending!? It all comes together for an issue that delivers a lot of action and throws in a lot of questions.
Where Rosenberg’s story really stands out is the ability to just nail every scene and situation with exactly what it calls for. The WildC.A.T.s and Seven Soldiers are two very different personalities of a team and each is on full display here. One is a dysfunctional team but still a team and “friends”. The other is just a team where you can sense a seriousness and tension within. It all plays perfectly on the page making you like one so much more and want to boo the other.
So much is helped by Stephen Segovia and Christian Duce who provide the art and make an appearance by Superman seem completely normal. With color by Elmer Santos and lettering by Ferran Delgado, the comic is great to look at delivering a lot of swift action and surprises. There’s also a solid delivery of jokes through body language. How characters stand, their face, their body language, all punctuates the moments and makes everything feel so natural.
WildC.A.T.s #5 is another fantastic issue that just has so much packed in. There’s shock appearances, good fights, lots of humor, a bit of everything coming together to entertain. There’s so many directions the series, and characters, can go, it’s a series that keeps readers on their toes playing off of nostalgia but plotting a new path.
Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Stephen Segovia, Christian Duce
Color: Elmer Santos Letterer: Ferran Delgado
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle
I Am Batman #18
(W) John Ridley (A/CA) Christian Duce
In Shops: Feb 14, 2023
SRP: $3.99
Jace Fox is on the most urgent mission of his tenure as Batman: to save the life of his mother. At war with the domestic terror group called the Moral Authority, Jace fights a relentless battle alongside his sister Tiffany and a new hero who bridges DC’s past, present, and future as I Am Batman comes to a spectacular and emotional close.
I Am Batman #17
(W) John Ridley (A) Eduardo Pansica, Christian Duce
In Shops: Jan 10, 2023
SRP: $3.99
Following the shattering revelations of the previous issue, Jace must set aside his renewed bitterness toward his father and go save his mother. But Jace doesn’t go it alone. Ready or not, Tiff steps up as New York’s newest hero.
I Am Batman #15
(W) John Ridley (A) Karl Mostert (CA) Christian Duce
In Shops: Nov 08, 2022
SRP: $3.99
A Dark Crisis tie-in issue! When Jon Kent first asked Jace Fox to join the new Justice League, the answer was a firm no. But as Deathstroke and the Legion of Doom hunt the heroes of the DCU Jace learns the hard way that there are some fights from which Batman cannot run, and the only thing he has to fear…is fear itself!
At the end of I Am Batman #14, it looks like Jace Fox has done the unthinkable, putting a serious beating on NYPD Detective Whitaker. But if you noticed the final page, things might not be as they seem (check Detective Whitaker’s eyes). In this next issue Jace finds out that his deepest fears are being exploited as he faces off against Sinestro (his first legit super-villain), and finds that he may have a larger stake in that battle than he realized.
Get a look at what’s coming in I Am Batman #15!
A Dark Crisis tie-in issue! When Jon Kent first asked Jace Fox to join the new Justice League, the answer was a firm no. But as Deathstroke and the Legion of Doom hunt the heroes of the DCU Jace learns the hard way that there are some fights from which Batman cannot run, and the only thing he has to fear…is fear itself!
Written by John Ridley, with art by Karl Mostert, a main cover by Christian Duce, and variant covers by Jeff Spokes, Canaan White, and Khary Randolph. I Am Batman #15 comes to comic shops on November 8.
I Am Batman #14
(W) John Ridley (A/CA) Christian Duce
In Shops: Oct 18, 2022
SRP: $3.99
The mystery of a pair of brutal murders is solved, a hero is born, and a mantle is passed. The conclusion of the intense “She Got Next” saga will reverberate from New York all the way back to Gotham City as it sets up the next chapters for both Jace Fox and Renee Montoya.
I Am Batman #13
(W) John Ridley (A/CA) Christian Duce
In Shops: Sep 13, 2022
SRP: $3.99
Batman and the Question’s investigation into Anarky’s murder puts them directly in the crosshairs of a rogue police unit set up to deal with the “radical” activist, and which is willing to kill to keep their secrets. At the same time, as she watches a friend being lured back into a life of crime, sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tiffany Fox.
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