by scherem Monday 23rd April 2007

Wildcats V2.0 and V3.0

Before the WorldStorm, before there was a WildStorm, there was WildC.A.Ts (Convert Action Teams)., Jim Lee\’s entry into the world of independent comics. The name WildC.A.Ts conjures up many images in the mind of comic readers. Those who read it currently, hear this name and think of the scheduling woes that version 4 (by Grant Morrison and Jim Lee) is experiencing, older readers will remember the first version being the one time flagship of the Image and Wildstorm Universe, selling a number most likely north of half a million. WildC.A.T.s (and other image books at the time) was in many ways the epitome of comics from the 1990\’s: Big Guns, Big Action, Big Breasts and Big Art filling each issue.

The covers to the first issues of each version, has the art/story come full circle?

A quick note as to why as I referring to each Wildcats series as versions, not volumes. Yes, its the same continuing story, but each version has its very own unique take on the idea of the title. The first version was a typical action story, the second we\’ll discuss later, the third about branding and corporate politics and the current isn\’t really known yet. How did the concept of Wildcats change from one of convert actions teams to one of brand building? Let\’s look at what was the concept of version 1, and is to this day the overall driving force of the series.

The plot of Wildcats was fairly straightforward. Two Alien races, the Kheran and Daemonites have been engage in a war that span centuries, with Earth serving as a beachhead. The Kheran (the good guys), mixed with the native Earth population, creating a group of half-breed offspring, that later would be gathered by Lord Emp, and forged into a team to combat the Daemonite menace. Upon a trip back to Khera (the first in centuries) a simple truth was revealed to the Wildcats: the Kheran\’s won the war centuries ago. The Wildcats had no reason to exist anymore, and this is where version 1 ended.

While making for a shocking revalation, the conclusion of the war also killed the main concept of the book. For the title to continue in any form, a new direction would be needed, one that would be first started by Scott Lobdell and Travis Charest, but only truly realized when the team of Joe Casey (G0DLAND) and Sean Philips (CRIMINAL) came on at issue 8. The first collection of this run, Wildcats (no longer convert action teams), Vicious Circles, sets a very different tone from its predecessors: There is much less focus on violence and more on the characters reacting to the news that the war is over and fallout from the first seven issues. From this point on, the threats the \’cats would face in this version are not armies of evil alien forces, but instead more urban in nature: homicidal killers, corporate espionage and drug trading. A few times these threats would also come from within.

One reviewer of this version, referred to it as the \’1990\’s superhero hangover\’. If the style of early nineties comics was the post-senior prom party, Wildcats 2.0 was the group of people standing in the mess that was once a living room. All that can be done by this group is to try and shake off the haze of the past night and make the best guess of where to go from here. The future awaits, and for the first time in a long time, it is unknown. The cleaning the previous nights mess, is very much what Casey and Philips make the heart of Vicious Circles. The central theme of the collection is one of moving on, and trying to leave things in a better state then when you found them.

One such attempt to clean house is when Lord Emp, one of the last pure Kheran\’s on Earth and leader of the Wildcats, arranges a fateful meeting in Las Vegas with his only remaining enemy, Kenyan. When the dust from this final confrontation settles, those left standing realize that for the first time they are truly alone, and have to began the difficult process (some for the first time) of finding their place in the world. The bright lights of Las Vegas never seemed so dark before. And this is only the midway point of this volume. By the end, the seeds are laid for what will ultimately lead to next iteration of the title, Wildcats Version 3.0.

The dark, muted palette that color the art enhances the somber tone of this story. Philips, who originally made his mark on Hellblazer, meets the artistic challenge that this unique subject matter brings head on, showing how each character reacts to true life changing events, often in the space of a couple panels. During the conversation heavy points of the story, Philip\’s art blends wonderfully with the dialog, making these sections not a chore to the reader who is used to more action. Truly, not enough can be said of Philips work in this book, his design of Lord Emp\’s true form is testament to his ability as a penciller. At this stage of his journey, Emp looks horrific, yet has the ability to generate sympathy.

Long time comic readers, don\’t let the title of Wildcats and what it implies discourage you from trying this out. New readers, the recap page at the front does an adequate job of bringing you up to speed and filling any holes or questions you may have in the story. You have no excuse to ignore this run of Wildcats. This is a book that deserves to be read, as it perfectly shows what became a hallmark of comics in this decade: growth of character and the humanizing of heroes and their battles, all done with an independent flair. This series is highly recommended.

If you enjoy this volume, check out the rest of the Casey-Era Wildcats with the following trades:

 

Martin Scherer enjoys reading, thinking and consuming comics in mass amounts. When he is not doing this, he looks forward to hearing your comments about this, past articles or general questions about comics posted below, or sent to his email, martin@geekscape.net