One man's trash is another man's treasure. Similarly, one man's heroes are another man's villains, and in this case, the latter man is Micah Ian Wright, and the heroes/villains are the members of the Authority. Wright picks up where the Coup D'Etat crossover event left off, but he does so in a manner that's thoroughly accessible and provides the title team with a completely new direction. The mission for Stormwatch remains the same, but the manner in which they go about it has been transformed significantly. The organization is no longer a symbol of the establishment, but a group of rebels fighting for ideals as opposed to ruling parties.
No longer supported by the United Nations, the members of Stormwatch find themselves on the run. They're wanted not only by worldwide governments, but by the Authority, the team of superhumans that usurped control over the most powerful nation on Earth, the United States of America. Though resourceful, the Stormwatch team needs money, weapons and tech, and a mysterious benefactor comes along offering just that. Col. Ben Santini investigate those presenting the offer, and he discovers links to powerful secret societies thought to be nothing more than the stuff of myth.
Wright did a big promotional push for this latest issue, centred around the notion that he was championing covers with dialogue as trailers for comics. It made for an interesting discussion regarding the crossover between art and marketing when it came to the exteriors of comic books. The thing is that the action on the cover here bears what could only be generously described as a passing resemblance to what we find inside the book.
As for the interiors, I'm quite impressed with C.P. Smith's artwork here. Looking at the linework, I was immediately put in mind of the styles of such artists as Tony (Starman) Harris and Dusty (Mutant X) Abell. The action moves nicely here, which is surprising, since the characters come off as a little stiff at times. The computer colors are rich and add texture to some areas, but seem flat in others. I love how they make the Authority's "Door" technology come to life, though.
Wright does a great job of making the story accessible while moving the characters in a new direction. Given their left-leaning philosophies, these characters work well as on-the-run rebels, opposing those in power. The conspiracy-theory subject matter that comes into play here is quite well researched -- no surprise, coming from this writer -- and the ending is a shocking, powerful one that's sure to have readers coming back for more with the next issue. I hope last month's crossover brings more readers to this title, because with a new lease on life in terms of art, it really deserves the attention.
