We’re a few decades removed from the August 1992 debut of “WildC.A.T.s” #1. After all this time, “WildC.A.T.s” co-creator Jim Lee is still heavily associated with the property. A few decades later DC just inadvertently ended another reboot of the WildC.A.T.s property with “The Wild Storm” #24 last year. We know that Jim Lee’s WildStorm Imprint of Image Comics is still (somewhat) important to the overall makeup of DC. How did the foundation of “WildC.A.T.s” foster so many characters and comics decades in the future? How have Lee’s pencils changed over the years? Finally, does the script from Lee and co-creator Brandon Choi service the debut of this property well, let’s find out!
Written and Penciled by Jim Lee
Written by Brandon Choi
Inked by Scott Williams
Colored by Joe Rosas
Lettered by Mike Heisler
In the ’90s the stars of the comic book industry were the artists. With that in mind, let’s take a first look at “WildC.A.T.s” #1 through the lens of Lee’s interiors. Lee’s pencils are inked by Scott Williams and colored by Joe Rosas. Lee obviously has talent as a penciler but “WildC.A.T.s” #1 shows Lee indulging in some of his worst properties as an artist. The biggest mistake in the issue is Lee’s focus on the female anatomy on the page. Voodoo, Zealot, and Void are depicted with similar, unrealistic anatomy that is prominently displayed on the page. Lee’s page layouts are ambitious but cluttered. I appreciate all the effects on the page like panel bleeds and unconventional panel borders. However, this is also a problem as Lee’s technical skills do not support the chances he takes as an artist.
In terms of the script, “WildC.A.T.s” #1 is admirable delivering a new roster of heroes and a semi-coherent plot. There are tons of iconic characters introduced in this issue. Some of the heroes feel like cliches that are designated to their specific role in the issue like Voodoo. While Lee and Choi have a few great lines and character moments for Jacob Marlowe, certain supporting players play their function and sneak into the background. Marlowe is definitely the standout as a character who assembles the team of heroes back together.
Lee’s pencils are expressive and stylized in the issue. I applaud Lee for taking artistic chances especially in the context of this issue launching Lee’s Image publishing imprint. However, it is clear that Lee possesses a great amount of technical ability and is glossing over details with the interiors of the issue. Given the fact that I am assessing this art decades after it was published, Lee’s art needs to be understood in context. However, there is a reason why this wave of comic book art has been retroactively held in low regard by the comic book industry. Lee’s male characters are all drawn with a bulky body type that shouldn’t apply to each character in the issue. Also, the ambitious layouts have a problematic approach directing the reader’s focus to the next panel. Due to the frequency of prose in the script, Lee’s confusing layouts are even easier to lose track of as the issue progresses.
“WildC.A.T.s” was released in the same decade as comic book classics like “Kingdom Come.” Image disrupted the comic book industry at the time it was founded and it is more than fair to judge the end product against the competition. “WildC.A.T.s” reads great in the context of certain other Image releases. Despite my misgivings and even considering Lee succumbing to some of his worst impulses as an artist, there’s a level of quality throughout the chapter.
I am glad to see that Lee and Choi have not excessively overwritten the script. The comic book does have a lot of text but other releases at Image are much worse around this time. There was a general tendency to write a lot of prose in comics during this period. I appreciate how much time Lee and Choi dedicate to filling out the world. This comic would spawn multiples mini-series and a small Universe of superheroes. The ambition on display in this issue proves why this would be the case. I’m also really happy to see Lee and Choi give the script a good villain. It is comedic that the issue features a weak cliffhanger despite having those villains in the last part of the issue.
Choi and Lee build a solid foundation for a superhero Universe. The characters are expressive and flashy, I particularly enjoyed reading about Jacob Marlowe’s role in the title. The achilles heel of the title and aspect keeping it from the realm of quality is the artwork. The depiction of the women in the issue is so egregious and oversexualized that I would categorize it as offensive. I know that the creative team has learned their lesson for the most part based on subsequent releases. Also, another fascinating lesson that creators can learn from “WildC.A.T.s” #1 is that you have to learn the rules in order to break them. Lee and Choi don’t seem to have a firm grasp on the comic book medium but introduce a ton of characters and craft really complicated artwork and script.
I can tell that Lee, Choi, and company attempted to put their best foot forward into the initial chapter. In fact, I could see how many fans would likely be impressed by the level of quality in this chapter (especially during the early ’90s.) However, it is clear that “WildC.A.T.s” #1 only lays the foundation for what creators like Warren Ellis, Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch, and Jon Davis-Hunt would do to expand the idea of “WildC.A.T.s” and WildStorm as far as it could go!
