Written by: Matthew Rosenberg
Art by: Stephen SegoviaColors by: Elmer Santos
Letters by: Ferran Delgado
Cover art by: Stephen Segovia
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: November 8, 2022
WildC.A.T.s #1 follows Zealot, Grifter, and Deathblow as they try (and fail) to acquire a scientist for Director Marlowe.
Is It Good?
WildC.A.T.s #1 is a unique case of a writer trying to capture the irreverent charm and snarky wit of a bygone era while missing the mark completely. Is this a terrible comic? No, I've read much worse, but if this is how DC intends to bring WildC.A.T.s back to the collective consciousness of comic readers, DC would have been better off letting the property sleep for a few more years."Whoa, whoa, whoa. Tell us how you feel, Mr. Reviewer, Sir," you chastise. Fine fine. Again, it's not the worst comic ever, but the word that comes to mind is "pointless."
Rosenberg's premise centers around the three OG WildC.A.T.s - Grifter (in the absolute worst costume downgrade ever), Zealot, and Deathblow - on assignment to recruit a scientist for their diminutive handler, Director Marlowe. Rosenberg does a decent enough job capturing the reckless nature of Grifter's personality, the team's first mission is botched spectacularly, and the post-mission debrief is as irreverent as you would expect in a WildC.A.T.s story.
However, the story stumbles right from the beginning by failing to clarify one necessary piece of information - why does Marlowe want a scientist? You might be tempted to think this is a small question, but it's not. The mission to recruit a scientist is the crux of the entire issue. It's the motivation behind everything the WildC.A.T.s do, so without it, the team makes a mess without an apparent reason.
No stakes are established. No urgency is set. There's no goal in mind, and the team has no sense of purpose other than to follow orders. In short, this is as engaging as watching somebody drop a bag of groceries after running an errand at the grocery store.
Segovia's art is decent enough. Segovia is better known for comic covers. While the level of detail in the internal pages doesn't live up to the level of detail on his covers, the action is energetic, and the panel compositions are solid. This issue is a perfectly serviceable art delivery if you can look past the horrendous Grifter costume design.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
WildC.A.T.s #1 captures the voice of the original characters. Still, the mission makes little sense, no stakes or urgency are established, the art is mildly better than average (except for a horrible Grifter redesign), and the whole issue fails to grab you on any level.
5.5/10
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