WildC.A.T.s #1 featured Reviews 

“WildC.A.T.s” #1

By | November 10th, 2022
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Grifter! Zealot! Deathblow! Fairchild! All characters I normally don’t care about in the least. But they’re bringing back “WildC.A.T.s” with a new take on a quintessentially 90’s series. All of that sounds like the makings of a completely forgettable comic, so then… why was it so entertaining?

Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Illustrated by Stephen Segovia
Colored by Elmer Santos
Lettered by Ferran Delgado

BETTER LIVING THROUGH VIOLENCE
Spinning off from the pages of Batman comes a senses-shattering new series! The HALO Corporation has gathered a motley crew of operatives, led by Cole “Grifter” Cash, who are going to make the world a better place…no matter who they have to kill! Working in the shadows of the DC Universe, this new covert team has been tasked with gathering an elite group of scientists for the first phase of their plan…but the Cats’ mysterious leader, Void, might have other plans!

Yes, you read that right, a nearly-forgotten 90’s era DC antihero team has been reformed, and it’s actually a lot of fun. So what is it that makes the new run on “WildCA.T.s” worth reading?

It all starts with the characters, as any team book (heck, any comic in general) should. To put it simply… they’re all flawed, damaged people who probably have no right wielding as much power as they do, and putting them on a team together is almost certainly a recipe for in-comic disaster. So naturally, they’re all hired to work together by an equally-flawed organization.

And it’s good when a series starts with characters who have a long way to go before they become proper protagonists. Seeing them work, develop, and overcome their flaws makes following a series all the better. Will we get the same with the “WildC.A.T.s” team? It’s too soon to say, but for now, we can enjoy the chaos that they bring.

However, there is a drawback to introducing all these characters at once: not everyone actually gets a chance to do much. Grifter gets the most to do, with his narration carrying through the story and him getting a few scenes to himself, but that leaves the rest of the team with less time for us to get to know them. We get a little from Zealot during her introduction which helps establish her character and her banter with Grifter, but very little after that. Fairchild also gives us very little, even if she gets to show off her powers a bit, and Deathblow perhaps does the least.

Of course, we’ll naturally get more from them as the story goes on, though it’s important that they get properly introduced to us as readers. And of course, anyone familiar with them from other comics will likely already know who they are, but for many readers this will be their first introduction to the characters, so first impressions matter.

As for the story itself, this chapter primarily serves to establish the team and their powers while putting them in precarious situations. The mission isn’t fully explained, but that’s a mystery that’ll be revealed in due time. In the meantime, we get to see the organization they’re working for, and occasionally see them interact with certain familiar members of the DC universe, like Green Arrow (and a near-miss with Nightwing that was pretty funny). This also establishes them as a team of morally ambiguous antiheroes who aren’t afraid to kill anyone regardless of whether they’re heroes or villains, as long as it accomplishes their goal.

In other words: it’s a fun action-packed romp, and sometimes that’s all you need.

Now let’s get to the artwork. Stephen Segovia illustrates this issue, with color work by Elmer Santos. And in general, their work is quite nice. Stephen’s character designs carry across plenty of personality and maintain consistent, recognizable designs, plus we often get some great expressions from them (I particularly like Fairchild’s look of boredom as they’re getting shot at). The backgrounds are clean and uncluttered, but still keep the setting and even the personality of the area intact. And while the panel compositions are usually pretty straightforward – typical rectangles that take up either the full width or half the width of the page – this allows the story to flow at a nice pace without distraction, and it makes the moments that deviate from that design have more of an impact.

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Of course, this comic is one that demands a lot of action, and Stephen’s artwork can certainly provide that. The action set pieces are big, taking up a good amount of real estate on the page, but also filled with plenty of flying bullets, slashing swords, and big impacts. It’s dynamic, and it lets the characters showcase their skills, making it kick things off to a good start.

Meanwhile, the color work by Elmer Santos tends towards the brighter and cleaner end of the spectrum, even when the characters are in the dingier areas of town. The lighting and shading effects he adds are quite nice, and help bring out Stephen’s designs while keeping everything clear and illuminated. We also get a nice array of colors in this issue from the surroundings, character outfits, and lights within various laboratories, making the bright shades pop.

While it might be tempting to make a comic like “WildC.A.T.s” lean towards the grittier, or even aim for a more 90’s-era style, the brighter and cleaner artwork here is in the comic’s favor. It changes the mood so that it and readers alike take it less seriously, so it’s easier to enjoy the ride. Not every antihero comic needs to be grim, gritty, and edgy – sometimes things can be colorful while characters are shooting and cursing at each other, and that just makes it all the more entertaining.

Is “WildC.A.T.s” a revolutionary, fine art comic? Of course not, but it’s not trying to be. It’s a comic about a bunch of murderous misfits trying to do some good in a very violent and clandestine way, and it succeeds. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this, because it’s a just plain fun ride.

Final Verdict: 7.9 – A solid start that promises this comic is going to be a surprisingly fun read, with solid character work, storytelling, and art.


Robbie Pleasant

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