Gene Ha, artist on The Authority has let it be known that we will very likely never see the third issue of the rebooted series. Grant Morrison is “busy redesigning the DC Universe,” the editor’s been let go, and Gene’s taken on new work.
What the hell happened with Wildstorm?
I was mildly curious at the time of the Wildstorm reboot. They had taken their whole universe and put big name talent on the books and started them all over.
And where are they now? This is one of the bigger stumbles we’ve seen in recent comic book history. I assume these books sold, so what was the deal? I haven’t heard a lot of stories other than the fact that Grant Morrison got too busy doing other stuff, and Jim Lee was just… Jim Lee.
There are still books coming out, but without the bigger titles to hold them up, I’m guessing they’re not doing as well as they could be, since smaller books often rely on the bigger ones to generate interest, as well as faith in the line. I’ve heard good things about Christos Gage’s Stormwatch: PHD and Gail Simone’s Welcome to Tranquility, but I think it’s the overall distaste about the mishandling of the line which makes me a little reticent about any books from them. Ron asking for his money back for Wetworks #1 didn’t help either.
Good news coming from Gene’s post is that he’ll be working on more Top 10. Bad news is that Alan Moore isn’t writing it.
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This is the kind of thing that makes trade readers out of even the most compulsive among us. Reasonable or not, I feel like regularly buying a series means entering into a gentleman’s agreement: I will buy this part of your story, and in turn you promise me that you will finish the story. Alas, sometimes this is too much to hope for.
Is it me, or does it seem like this is the year of the dropped ball? When I saw the line “one of the bigger stumbles…” it seemed to me like I hear/think that every other week. The recent bobbling of DC’s “main” character books. Mighty Avengers and the other Marvel frustrations. It feels like it’s really a cluster**** out there.
That is funny, because I was just thinking about the Authority over the weekend. I was wondering if the second issue came out and I missed it.
Yeah, what is the deal? Jim Lee I can excuse, because it isn’t unprecedented (and because I wasn’t going to buy WildCATS anyway). I am disappointed that Grant Morrison can’t follow through with Authority (I guess Final Crisis is backing that up), but why the heck can’t someone else write those characters? I REALLY enjoy Stormwatch PHD, so to me Wildstorm hasn’t completely effed things up, but the reboot seems to have become a joke.
I don’t feel a cluster**** present. I expected Mighty Avengers to get backed up and when it did, I excused it. I wasn’t expecting much from WWH and it didn’t deliver much. I didn’t expect to enjoy Avengers Initiative as much as I do. Nor did I see the Skrull stuff coming. Iron Fist and Captain America, do I have to tell you those are great books? And I really liked that eight page spread in the last issue of the Ultimates. Over at DC, I really enjoyed Bart Allen’s death, Meltzer’s JLA experiment, Checkmate always delivers, and Justice Society is fun.
So while late books and books crashing soon after getting released are unpleasant, I weigh it against what I like and I usually still come out ahead.
Great. Just frickin great.
No Authority book, but they have the time and staffing to do an alternate Authority book (The Authoirty: Prime) as well as the whole Armegeddon comic cross-over event.
I am so tired of events.
I’m with you Jimski, wait for the trade. Of better yet I think some of this stuff should only be released in trade. Wildstorm would be the perfect imprint to do this with. Why not release $12.99 trades that include a full story arch?
I feel the gods are against me here… I’d never read any Authority before, and a mate of mine just literally handed me the Relentless and New Management trades this weekend…
Read them both in one sitting tonight, was blown away, came on the internet to find out more… then I see this story!
As I’m brand new to TA, can anyone suggest which other trades I should pick up, keeping in mind I’ve only read those two?
I bought the first 12 issues of Wetworks for 5 bucks at half-priced books, I read issue one and put it down. I’d also like my money back.
Midnighter is one of my favorite books right now. The Ennis run was good, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t like Ennis. The one shot with different writers were all awesome. And I’m really interested were Keith Giffen will take it.
As I’m brand new to TA, can anyone suggest which other trades I should pick up, keeping in mind I’ve only read those two
After the Ellis and Millar runs, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve read everything essential. Everything after that kind of pales in comparison.
However, Warren Ellis did a run of Stormwatch, prior to the start of the Authority that’s pretty damn good, and it leads into the first Authority story.
I thought Brubaker’s 12 issue arc Revolution that essentially ended the Authority up until the most “recent” 2 issues was also pretty good and worth a read.
There was also a stand alone OGN kind of thing by John Ridley and ifanboy favorite Ben Oliver that I consider my favorite Authority story outside of Ellis’ initial run.
And finally the Jenny Sparks prequel mini-series by Millar ties together the Stormwatch and Authority series very nicely.
That’s my little Authority recommendations to supplement Josh’s lackluster list.
And finally the Jenny Sparks prequel mini-series by Millar ties together the Stormwatch and Authority series very nicely.
That’s my little Authority recommendations to supplement Josh’s lackluster list.
A) I agree about Jenny Sparks.
B) Bite my ass punk!
Wow! Thanks guys, wasn’t expecting such a great response, you have my humble thanks…
Brandon: Midnighter was also one of my favourite characters (just behind Jenny), so I’ll take any suggestions you have?
Josh: Are the other TA stories after so bad as to not buy? I’m not being a critic, I just don’t know. Very interested in the Stormwatch that lead up to TA tho… name of trades would be lovely so I know I’m ordering the right stuff.
Cincinnatus: The Jenny Sparks prequel sounds awesome… well, anything Jenny Sparks related does. Any trades you could suggest (title, etc.. it’s hard to find this stuff in a backward UK town).
Thanks so much everyone, you’ve been totally awesome on this question, and completely the reason I keep coming back here for info.
You know, I read the first issue and was uninterested. Welcome to Tranquility was good and then lost me. The reboot itself was like a pixie breaking wind. Wildstorm in general is uninteresting. The only thing going for it right now is Ex Machina. And that’s pretty much it.
What bugs me about the Wildstorm line and Jim Lee in general is Jim Lee. Everytime a Wildstorm book gets some momentum he feels the need to jump in and grace it with his presence which always kills said momentum. He did it with Gen13 and he damn sure did it with Wildcats. The Joe Casey run had reinvented the entire premise of the book following the Alan Moore run, but since that book had momentum Jim Lee decided to reboot the universe to what? Books that don’t come out…again. The only thing going for it IS Ex Machina, until Jim Lee wants to poke his nose in it.
First off, I forgot to give you guys the title for the John Ridley and Ben Oliver (art on Ultimate X-Men for the recent Cable arc) Authority book I was praising. It’s called “Human on the Inside”. And it’s really good, you should go buy it.
As far as the Stormwatch trades go I think they started renumbering the books for Ellis’ run so the Wildstorm website (http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?cat=WILDSTORM) lists his first book as number one and his last book as number five. I liked them all a lot except for the last one but that was kind of a tying up loose ends getting ready for the authority kind of situation.
Jenny sparks is a central character for the Stormwatch books and most future members of the Authority can be found in there too. There’s a good bit with Jack Hawksmoore (my personal favorite) and some Midnighter/Apollo stuff as well.
RON!!! Josh is making fun of me!!
now now boys – play nice
I don’t see mah daddy ’round here boy, an’ ain’t no one gon’ tell me whut ta do, neither no how.
(Been reading Preacher.)
Lissen, last time Ah loucked at a map of ‘merica Ah don’t ‘member seein’ Maine or Cali-four-nigh-ay or New Yawrk anywheres on it. So Ah’ll be Gawd Damned if Ah’ll let you talk sass to me boy.
You gonna wish yo daddy was round bout these parts afta ah done finished wit wut I wanta do to ya.
(Been imitating Josh (and Rogue))
There is a very good Planetary/The Authority crossover that I believe is written by Warren Ellis. It has the teams going up against Lovecraft-like cosmic monsters.
It’s funny — I tend to get pissed at some of the corporate aspects of the big-two comic industry. But this is one time when I can’t understand why a company would bend over backwards so far to accommodate a creative.
DC/Wildstorm owns The Authority, they spent all this time and effort to execute and market their “reboot” — why didn’t they just bring in a different creative team to write the series once it became apparent that Morrison (who I assume was responsible for this delay) couldn’t deliver? He’s not going anywhere — he can still write it in the future. But to hold up one of your biggest selling books for almost a year..? Because HRH Morrison decided that it wasn’t a priority..?
It’s bad business and it sucks for fans.
And don’t get me started on The Wintermen. Fuckers.