Warren Ellis' Stormwatch Was Fantastic

[Desaad]

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.

Indeed indeed.

So you've read the Authority already, yes? One recommendation that I'm probably going to be alone in; check out "The Monarchy" after you've read all that. It gives a nice, more multi-dimensional take on Bendix post everything (because he really begins to become the big bad of the Wildstorm universe after Ellis' work on the character) and it's a very interesting, intricate, adult response to the Authority, IMHO.

[BohemiaDrinker]

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.

Yeah, Ellis Stormwatch was indeed amazing.

As you, I also read the Authority fiorst, and though I liked, I have to say, the reading of StormWatch really adds to it, so I`d suggest that once you`re done with StormWatch, to re-read Authority. It seems a lot less shallows this way.

Even then, I still prefer StormWatch of the two.The character work done there was amazing - one of the best in Ellis`career, IMHO - and I feel that in that book, Ellis really set out to stretch his muscles; he experimented with story structure and length, with the clichés of the genre and sets out to re-imagine all eras of it trough characters like The Changers and Jenny Sparks. His smart people are actually smart (which is kinda hard to do in comics), and the Sci-Fi concepts are great, not to mention it was iin this book that Ellis used some of previous WildStorm continuity and created a truly cohesive back-story to the WS universe as a whole, a little task in which even people like Alan Moore kind of failed.

One recommendation that I'm probably going to be alone in; check out "The Monarchy" after you've read all that. It gives a nice, more multi-dimensional take on Bendix post everything (because he really begins to become the big bad of the Wildstorm universe after Ellis' work on the character) and it's a very interesting, intricate, adult response to the Authority, IMHO.

You`re not alone Desaad, The Monarchy is definitely worth checking out, even I having find it hard to read sometimes, it`s a pretty cool take in that universe.

And since you`re liking Ellis`s Stormwatch, Mr. Holmes, I`ll also recommend "Planetary" which is, IMO, the strongest of Ellis`work in WildStorm (a shame that it was plagued with such massive delays at the time of original publication), which is basically a love letter to everything that formed comics (and other forms of media, in a smaller scale) and a great read by itself - even if StormWatch and Authority actually add to it.

Another recommendation would be Joe Casey`s "WildCATS 3.0". It`s not really a super-hero comic, and it falters a little bit near the end, but it`s a great, intelligent take on super-powered beings and their responsibilities, but going pretty much in the complete opposite direction than the Authority.

[Desaad]

I'm with you on Wildcats 3.0 and Planetary, surely.

I will say that I believe Planetary has been a bit mythologized over the years, and that a lot of it seems heavy handed in hindsight (especially the Vertigo issue), but it's still a beautiful, mad romp through the pop culture milieu.

[BohemiaDrinker]

I'm with you on Wildcats 3.0 and Planetary, surely.

I will say that I believe Planetary has been a bit mythologized over the years, and that a lot of it seems heavy handed in hindsight (especially the Vertigo issue), but it's still a beautiful, mad romp through the pop culture milieu.

I noticed that in the Vertigo issue too, but always assumed it was intentional... that exchange between Elijah and Jakita about how those english characters look ridiculous now, but "hey, it´´s been ten years" actually permeates that whole issue in my head.

[Mr. Holmes]

Yeah I've read Wildcats 3.0 and Planetary, and I'm big fan of both. I'll check out Monarchy, definitely.

Does anyone know about Stormwatch PHD or Achilles Team? Are any of these good?

[BohemiaDrinker]

Yeah I've read Wildcats 3.0 and Planetary, and I'm big fan of both. I'll check out Monarchy, definitely.

Does anyone know about Stormwatch PHD or Achilles Team? Are any of these good?

Never read Achilles. StormWatch PHD has an interesting premise and characters, but it does not compare to the books talked about above. It`s still way above average superhero comics, though.

[Desaad]

I noticed that in the Vertigo issue too, but always assumed it was intentional... that exchange between Elijah and Jakita about how those english characters look ridiculous now, but "hey, it´´s been ten years" actually permeates that whole issue in my head.

Right, but I felt the message was a little bit too obvious, a little too out there.

Maybe it's just my personal preference, but I prefer it when issues work on multiple levels, without an interdependence. In a number of planetary issues I felt that there was a dependence on knowledge of the influences.

[Desaad]

Yeah I've read Wildcats 3.0 and Planetary, and I'm big fan of both. I'll check out Monarchy, definitely.

Does anyone know about Stormwatch PHD or Achilles Team? Are any of these good?

I read them both.

Achilles is similar to The Boys, really; it's all about a UN sponsered team of military men created to police and take down superhuman threats. I think there were some strong ideas there, but the execution was a little too stereotypical 'grrrr, I'm a badass!'. They use technology and guns and their smarts and bluster to get the job done, and supers are portrayed as pretty one dimensionally stupid and useless. It's fine for what it is, but what it is isn't very deep or layered. If you like those types of stories, go for it.

PHD was, conceptually, about how to run a low budget group of superhuman response team. It was more of a hodgepodge, the concept being to use exceptional people from all walks; a cop who had taken out multiple superheroes with his smarts and skills, a reformed villain who was a tech guy, a low powered former superhero (Fahrenheit, who you might have recognized from Ellis' run), a military guy who was really good at taking pretty much everyone and anyone out.

It was written by Christos Gage, so if you've read his work, you'll know what to expect; competent but unremarkable work. It was drawn by Doug Mahnke and in that regard it was exceptional.

[Mr. Holmes]

I'll probably hold off on them.

It looks like the only trade for Monarchy only collects the first four issues. And the reviewers on Amazon seem critical of the writing (although the criticisms were really vague).

[Desaad]

The Monarchy is incredibly divisive, to the point that it's really just unpopular. It doesn't fit AT ALL with the general tone and direction of the Wildstorm universe at the time - people went in expecting Authority, and they got, Authority as filtered through the mad dream of Shade the Changing Man.

Basically, I look at the Wildstorm of that period as the new Marvel universe, or the pre-Ultimate universe, edgey and violent and action packed. The Monarchy belonged at Vertigo, in terms of style and tone (but worked fully with Wildstorm ideas and concepts).

[Froggy]

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.

that's a really good comparison and yeah I liked bendix too in stormwatch but in authority it gets a bit over the top but that's what the authority rolled with

Indeed indeed.

So you've read the Authority already, yes? One recommendation that I'm probably going to be alone in; check out "The Monarchy" after you've read all that. It gives a nice, more multi-dimensional take on Bendix post everything (because he really begins to become the big bad of the Wildstorm universe after Ellis' work on the character) and it's a very interesting, intricate, adult response to the Authority, IMHO.

The monarchy is on a whole nother level I always felt with even wilder ideas than Authority and stormwatch presented so I agree with you on that


Anybody think we might see some more stormwatch people show up in the DCNU?

like I'd love to see Winter, Fuji, or even Flint

[Mr. Holmes]

That's good, I prefer the Vertigo style and tone. But then again, I think Warren Ellis manages to bring out the edgy, "cool" tone to his books much more effortlessly than someone like Mark Millar on the Ultimate books.

I think Fuji is showing up in one of the Lobdell books. Now that I think about it, I think Peter Milligan is channeling the Ellis style in the new Stormwatch. At least I think more so than the other two.

[BohemiaDrinker]

like I'd love to see Winter, Fuji, or even Flint

Fuji is in the Teen Titans book, as part of NOWHERE.

Now that I think about it, I think Peter Milligan is channeling the Ellis style in the new Stormwatch. At least I think more so than the other two.

Completely agree. I ended up enjoying the last issue more than I think I would, mainly because I was expecting something pretty different from Milligan, and what I actually got was more familiar than anything.

[Desaad]

Because Ellis is wittier than almost anyone else in comics.

Look, here's the reality; Mark Millar isn't a new Warren Ellis, Mark Millar is an evil Geoff Johns doppleganger.

They use - or I should say, over use - the same 'momentism' style of writing. Their stories are built around one liners and single image shock value reveals. Their characters are all very basic, very mainstream, very one dimensional, but also very clear.

The only difference between them is the tone of those moments. Where as Geoff Johns prefers 'triumphant' moments such as "I wrote the book on Will Power!" or the kiss between the Hawks, or "Get the hell away from him!" or "I-I don't know how [to give up]", Millar prefers "You think this A on my head stands for France?!" or Wolverine slashing his way out of Hulk's stomach, or something involving Buggery or what have you.

They've become closer and closer over the years, though, as Johns loves falling back on violence, but rarely goes for the excessively inventive gross outs of Millar.

[Froggy]

Fuji is in the Teen Titans book, as part of NOWHERE.

oh man I should try reading that again

i heard grunge was there, fairchild

thanks for the tip BohemiaDrinker