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WILDSTORM SUMMER SPECIAL
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions
"Orbital"
Writer: Warren Ellis
Pencils: Cully Hamner
Letters: John Costanza
"Isolation"
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Pencils: Georges Jeanty
Letters: Kathleen at Fishbrain
"Apple Read"
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Pencils: Brian Stelfreeze
Letters: John Costanza
Inks: Karl Story
Colors: Brian Stelfreeze
Editor: John Layman
Price: $5.95 US/$9.95 CAN |
Orbital: This story marks Warren Ellis's quiet return to the Authority concept, which he created from the ashes of Wildstorm's Stormwatch series. Not only does the piece serve as an entertaining look at the current team leader's humanity, but it also serves as a primer on The Authority for potential new readers.
The story sees Jack Hawksmoor, who took over as Authority leader in the wake of Jenny Sparks's death, jaunting about the globe thanks to the Carrier's transportation technology. Hawksmoor delights in exploring cities, but he also feels their pain. He feels the pain of those metropolises that have been devastated by those the Authority would oppose, and he feels the pain of having failed some of them.
I was a fan of Hamner's art on Green Lantern: Mosaic and Firearm, and over the past decade, he's only improved. His cityscapes are stunning, and even when rendered from odd angles. But just as detailed are the joy and pain we see on Jack's face as he makes his way around the world.
This story reminds us that Ellis is a writer of range. We often associate his name with extreme, mad, sick and delightfully fun ideas, but this short story has a more tender, quietly human tone.
Isolation: Comics are often referred to as escapist literature, and boy, was that true when I was a kid. I used to dream about having super-powers, imagining that all my problems would be solved, all my worries would just melt away. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Jenkins points out that from a more... adult point of view, it wouldn't be all it's cracked up to be.
His tale of the Engineer's efforts to indulge her more basic human urges had me smiling from start to finish, but hidden in the masturbation jokes and sweaty Mexican lovers is a message one should consider. We all seek more power in some way -- usually by earning more cash, or influence of some other kind -- but one should keep in mind that power isolates.
This is easily the strongest work I've seen from Jeanty. I suspect some of that greater strength stems from working closely with his inker -- studiomate Karl Story -- but I get the impression that perhaps a stronger script also brought out the best in his work. A script of higher calibre could inspire the same in the art.
Apple Read: This story didn't connect with me as strongly as the others. Azzarello's look at two different moments in an immortal's life was clever and entertaining, but it didn't really have anything to which I could relate.
As the immortal Kherubim warrior known as Zealot purchases an apple at a streetside fruit stand, an attack by a group of thugs reminds her of a similar situation centuries past.
While Azzarello's story may not have the emotional core I was looking for, the symmetry in storytelling made for a nice effect. Stelfreeze's art is, as always, stunning. I'm used to seeing it used to render the urban warriors of the world of the Batman, so it was a refreshing change of pace to see it applied to a period piece.
Other: The main purpose of this Wildstorm Summer Special is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gaijin Studios, a small collective of comics artists based in Atlanta. The membership has changed over the years, but the names will all be familiar. From Hamner to Jeanty, from Adam Hughes to Tony Harris, Gaijin has boasted an impressive array of talent. Some former Gaijins have contributed some stunning pin-up pieces, and I rather enjoyed the background information on the studio. It served as something of a peek behind the Wizard's curtain.
Overall, while this was an entertaining read, I always flinch when pin-ups and fluffier text pieces are used to fill up a book carrying such a hefty price tag.
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