Warren Ellis' Stormwatch Was Fantastic

**Mr. Holmes** · 05-05-2012, 08:03 PM

Crap, I'm in the Batman forum. Can someone move this to the DCU forum?

Considering I earlier posted a thread about how I was let down by Authority (but that's more because the hype led me to believe the book was something else) I really love the Stormwatch concept and team format put together here. The team itself is very cool. I like the different units Henry Bendix has set up, and I like the covert but proactive approach. And surprisingly, there's a lot of depth and heart to the characters. The issue with Jenny Sparks throughout the ages was great.

**Froggy** · 05-06-2012, 01:11 AM

How'd you like change or die?

or are you still reading through it?

I liked some of the authority stuff but like a few arcs didn't do much for me and revolution was ehh

**carabas** · 05-06-2012, 02:57 AM

I really liked the scenes at Clark's.

Also, "My god, it's Beachbum. Run and hide, he's come to beat up our surfboards".

I don't really see how this StormWatch and Ellis's The Authority are not the same book.

ETA: what is in the hardcover anyway? I've been meaning to get that.

**The Beast Of Yucca Flats** · 05-07-2012, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by carabas

I really liked the scenes at Clark's.

Also, "My god, it's Beachbum. Run and hide, he's come to beat up our surfboards".

I don't really see how this StormWatch and Ellis's The Authority are not the same book.

ETA: what is in the hardcover anyway? I've been meaning to get that.

Issues #37 to 47.

**carabas** · 05-07-2012, 08:01 AM

I don't suppsoe theres any word if the Aliens crossover will be in the final volume?

**The Beast Of Yucca Flats** · 05-07-2012, 08:31 AM

Not sure, but Amazon has the release for that one at October 23rd.

**havok1977** · 05-07-2012, 09:07 AM

I agree, Stormwatch by Ellis was the beginning of something great that transformed into both The Authority and Planetary. I'm really glad I was able to catch up with the whole thing via backissue.

**Mr. Holmes** · 05-07-2012, 09:51 AM

Can a moderator move this to the DCU forum?

I think if the DCnU Stormwatch was anything like this, they'd be badly outclassing Justice League.

**dancj** · 05-08-2012, 04:28 AM

Originally Posted by carabas

I don't really see how this StormWatch and Ellis's The Authority are not the same book.

Because Storwatch is a brilliant tense sometimes political superhero thriller and The Authority is an experiment in wide-screen action which pays some lip service to the question of how far superheroes should go, but is ultimately shallow.

**ProdSlash** · 05-08-2012, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by dancj

Because Storwatch is a brilliant tense sometimes political superhero thriller and The Authority is an experiment in wide-screen action which pays some lip service to the question of how far superheroes should go, but is ultimately shallow.

The Authority didn't start that way, but evolved into that once Millar took over. Ellis' run was far better, IMHO.

**ProdSlash** · 05-08-2012, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Mr. Holmes

Can a moderator move this to the DCU forum?

I think if the DCnU Stormwatch was anything like this, they'd be badly outclassing Justice League.

I was kind of hoping for a return to that form with DCnU, and was sadly disappointed.

**Desaad** · 05-08-2012, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by ProdSlash

The Authority didn't start that way, but evolved into that once Millar took over. Ellis' run was far better, IMHO.

No, that's exactly what the Authority was under Ellis. Under Millar it became a venue for shock value violence and buggering with absolutely nothing behind it. It went from shallow with nods to greater concerns to offensively shallow, IMHO.

Stormwatch was another level entirely, not just in regards to the political component to the book - although it was quite nice to see characters being smart, as was the case with Jackson King and Henry Bendix - but it was a far more emotionally engaging book. Change or Die being the best example of this -- what an incredibly powerful read that was. I view it as one of the best things Ellis has ever written, period. But the Hawksmoore stand alone issue itself was a triumph of genre diversification.

If people liked this I highly recommend they go back and check out Doom 2099 under Ellis, which had a similar sci-fi realpolitik feel to it.

**Mr. Holmes** · 05-08-2012, 12:43 PM

So I guess the Shadow Council in the new Stormwatch is based on the faceless UN officials Bendix was deferring to in the beginning? I like Henry Bendix a lot. I feel like this is what Lex Luthor would be if he actually tried to do what he says he could do to change the world, but he does so by amassing dangerous assets and people and has highly questionable decisions. I haven't got to volume 2 yet, but it's pretty obvious he's becoming the villain.