I’ve been a little behind this month because of my new job. This month’s also shorter than my previous posts. Just not as much to say about this issue. It trods along, but as usual, the issues seem shorter than I’d like, or atleast not as dense as I’d like. If the Authority was wide-screen action film, then The Wild Storm is like an adult TV show like those from HBO/Showtime/Netflix, etc in it’s pacing with the exception that it’s not an hour long worth of material, I’m not sure it’s even 1/2 hour’s length, but I still enjoy it. I just want more!!!! What do you guys think?
Well,.. please scroll down and check out my Meanderings in Chapter 4 of The Wild Storm!
What are Meanderings
In-depth analysis/thoughts, questions, and speculation.
The Wild Storm #4 Variant Covers
The Wild Storm #4 Meanderings
LINKS
The Wild Storm #4 Variant Covers
Here is the variant cover by Jason for issue #4.
Here is Jim Lee’s variant cover for issue #4
Pencils Inks
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Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Jon Davis-Hunt
Colors: Steve Buccellato
A 5-page preview provided by Den of Geek!
The Wild Storm Chapter Four Meanderings
Grifter Action
I really do hate criticizing Jon Davis-Hunt’s action sequences with Grifter. I just don’t find that it flows. I kinda have to take a look at the panels every single time trying to follow what’s actually happening. The problem for me is that I don’t find following the action intuitive. Some more than others. The first panel, ok, Grifter is shooting some guys in front of him. The second Grifter panel, there are two guys next to him. I think at first I wasn’t sure if those were two different guys or not. After going through it again I decided it must be two different guys. I THINK he’s twisting around to aim at them, but I’m not sure that makes sense since if he’s twisting around that means they were behind him and should be facing the other direction right? On top of that, they seem to be slightly in front of him if he did twist around. So maybe he’s NOT twisting around, but that they’ve just appeared slightly behind him? And then the 3rd panel, at first I wasn’t sure if he shot two other guys on the ground, but then decided maybe it’s the same two guys from the previous panel hitting the floor with blood splattering upwards.
Action like this is inspired for sure. It’s how you’d like it to be seen as if it were a film. It’s difficult to do and I honestly not sure how it could be done better.
Black Razor CAT
Just making note that NOW they’re being referred to as a Black Razor CAT. Before I thought there may be a distinction between Razors and Black Razors, no pe.
John Cassaday or Providence?
In this panel, Ivana is off to the side watching a screen where she says “You didn’t actually have to show me the Breslau II to prove to me it’s still XXXXing there, you idiot.” The “idiot” she’s referring to is this woman with a name tag “Cassaday!” Could that be in homage to John Cassaday Or could it be Cassandra, as in Cassandra Newland, a.k.a Providence?!
Lauren Pennington a.k.a. Fahrenheit
Gasp! Another familiar character from old-school Stormwatch! Looks like here, she’s just an assistant or something to Henry Bendix and not a “seedling” with fire powers, yet!
Henry Bendix, a.k.a. The Weatherman
I just thought this was interesting cause it shows that Bendix’s stern disposition is actually just a front! Guess he just doesn’t want to show any weakness as it does look like he’s getting old and maybe there are others who either want to take him down or replace him. Again, he really does make me think of Weyland from the new Ridley Scott Alien prequels and a lot less like Picard from Star Trek the Next Generation, which he was more like in the original StormWatch.
Oh, and they actually referred to him as The Weatherman in this issue. (Can’t remember if they had in previous issues.”
It definitely seems like Ellis is painting him to be a pretty horrible person. He doesn’t like humanity. Sounds like he’s an evil bastard.
Secrets and Lies
IO and SkyWatch have a deal about telling each other about “technological breakthroughs.” It seems implied here that perhaps even though they tell each other about breakthroughs, it’s not in their deal to actually share usage of them? And here, Angie is using it. OR maybe it’s implying that IO found out about some tech that SkyWatch did NOT tell them about as they should have in their deal and not only has Skywatch failed to tell them about this technology, but IO is also using it?
Incident Group and Division
As previously mentioned in the first issue or so, Division seems to be the Ground Division of SkyWatch. I don’t believe “incident group” is a title, but just some SkyWatch or Division members tasked with investigating the Angie “incident,” specifically the footage. And Lucy Blaze, a.k.a. Zealot is the agent put on the case by the Division.
SkyWatch
Our first full glimpse of SkyWatch!
Michael Cray a.k.a. Deathblow
Here we see Cray beginning to develop an ability that seems to disintegrate things by touch. So far we haven’t heard Michael Cray being referred to as Deathblow. I wonder if maybe he gets that callsign later when his powers develop and that Ellis has a logical explanation for why “Deathblow.” It all begins with a touch,… a death touch before the death blow.
Final Page
The last page is always an ending where we see someone coming or going it seems. It’s ok, but it hasn’t had the impact I would have preferred yet. It’s always just a little underwhelming.
LINKS
READ MORE WILDSTORM POSTS!
Meanderings from The Wild Storm #1, #2, #3
Pre-Launch Speculation
Storm Warning: What is the Wild Storm
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