CHEETAH versus CATWOMAN
The Long Road Home: Part 1 (DC)
Where: Catwoman #78 When: June 2008
Why: Will Pfeifer How: David López

The Story So Far...
After a spate of especially violent superhuman crimes, the secreted United Nations agency called Checkmate set about plans to 'relocate' the world's super powered criminals on a distant planet called, Salvation.

Amanda Waller leads the initiative with her group of reformed and controlled criminals, the Suicide Squad, in an effort to round-up the powers, and redistribute them with the use of Apokoliptian Boom Tube technology.

Catwoman finds herself among those trapped on the hell planet, which is actually a training ground for the New Gods. Populated by deadly and malicious creatures designed to harden those trained there, Catwoman has much to contend with, not only the wildlife, but also arch enemies like Hammer and Sickle...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Cheetah 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Catwoman 3 (Professor)
Speed: Cheetah 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Catwoman 4 (Trained)
Energy Power: Draw 1 (None)


- Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva was an anthropologist who travelled to Africa to seek out the secrets of a tribe whose guardian is said to possess the powers of a cheetah.

When this guardian is killed by marauders, Minerva steps up to the mantle, but details of the mystic process mean the recipient must be a virgin, which she is not. The irregularity means the mystic powers of the Cheetah become a curse, as Minerva finds herself wracked with pain, and bloodthirsty when in the form of a human-cat.

As Cheetah, Minerva possesses strength, speed, agility surpassing any ordinary human, approaching the levels of the creature from which she takes her name. Her senses are also heightened to comparable levels to the animal.

- Selina Kyle lives a life on the streets, coming to be known as a notorious thief. Her escapades garner much attention, and eventually force the burglar to lay low, where she continues her career in crime as a dominatrix extracting information from potential victims.

Kyle gains extensive training in the martial arts, and inspired by the mysterious vigilante called Batman, adopts her own leather mask and catsuit ensemble to become Catwoman.
As Catwoman, she embarks on a career as an ambiguous entity in the Gotham City landscape. Though regularly acting as a professional burglar and occasional mercenary, Catwoman also comes to be known as a protector of Gotham's East End. She is also known to be romantically involved with Batman.

Catwoman is a highly skilled fighter at peak physical condition, with impressive physical strength, agility, and speed. Catwoman also utilizes weapons including a whip, cat o' nine tails variation, and claws contained within her gloves.

History: Catwoman (1-0-0)
The Math: Cheetah Ranking: Catwoman (#21)

What Went Down...
Alone on a planet populated by murderers and madmen, Catwoman finds herself face-to-face with her Russian arch-enemies, Hammer and Sickle. Ever the survivalist, Catwoman convinces them her alliance with Lex Luthor can get them off the planet, but only if she can convince the All-American Luthor to aid the tandem of Russian super-soldiers.

The Russians prove less than invested in their role as Catwoman's super-muscle when Cheetah descends on the trio while they overlook Lex Luthor's camp. Tensions between the feline-themed ladies had built over previous encounters.

Forced to fend for herself; Catwoman finds herself physically overwhelmed by her stronger opponent, who pins her to the ground before slamming her head into the stone underfoot. Cheetah prepares to toss her foe to the villains below, but the incredibly agile Catwoman is able to swing out of the press position, using her momentum to drive Cheetah's arm into a jarring slam.

Suffering a broken wing, Cheetah is too distracted to defend herself from Catwoman's preemptive assault. A rock serves as a makeshift equaliser, Catwoman wielding it as a weapon she breaks across Cheetah's face, before toppling her with a roundhouse kick.

The rush attack hurts Cheetah, making her increasingly desperate.
Catwoman reaches for the whip, wrapping it around Cheetah's head with a violent crack. Unwilling to go down so easy, Cheetah yanks on the whip, flicking Catwoman over the edge of the cliff. The whip drags both women down, but only one of them is in condition enough to maneuver in the air...

Catwoman rides her attacker to the ground, but the impact fails to put an end to Cheetah's vengeful desires. Catwoman paws at her belt, revealing a cigar marked "J" just as the feline villainess launches herself.

"Any of you *koff* guys see the Joker tell him I said thanks for the cigar."

The explosion puts a punctuated end to the latest installment in the growing rivalry between vixens. The war, however, is but beginning, as Luthor and Catwoman look to the night sky to witness a boom tube open...

The Hammer...
Ladies and gentlemen, Catwoman officially smoked Cheetah. Oh, come on! What would victory-by-Joker cigar be without a bad joke to close the deal? Ah, to hell with you guys!...

Needless to say, it wasn't the pun that delayed yet another entry in the Infinite Wars. Suffice to say my time's been pretty well booked lately, but I was too excited about the prospect of getting another entry from 2008 up on the Wars, that I just had to push on! What a trooper.

Earlier in the year we featured a previous encounter between these two characters; from the Loeb/Sale mini, Catwoman: When in Rome; as a direct response to the release of this issue that caused a minor stir. It's nice to be able to follow up, because the issue delivers exactly the kind of whip cracking throwdown I had hoped for.

For those who missed it; it was the salacious reception of the Adam Hughes coverart that had many interpreting the lip-biting cover as the latest in a long line of covers that are gratuitous.
While I would accept Hughes has a reputation for provocative artwork, and Catwoman covers have certainly pushed that line; I felt, and feel, this was more fantasy than fact when describing the feral ferociousness of this cover. Suffice to say, it proves an accurate representative of internal materials now detailed.

That's not to say I'm stupid or blind, mind you.
My threshold for embarassment and arousal might be a bit more relaxed than our friends from the United States, but my thoughts did turn to the Comics Fairplay regular feature when spying what is to be the second-to-last cover for this series of the book [Catwoman #81].


Top 25 Ladies#1 Invisible Woman (Marvel)
#2 Catwoman (DC)
#3 Storm (Marvel)
#4 Rogue (Marvel)
#5 Wonder Woman (DC)
#6 Wasp (Marvel)
#7 Zatanna (DC)
#8 Elektra (Marvel)
#9 Kitty Pryde (Marvel)
#10 Hawkgirl (DC)
#11 Tara (Marvel)
#12 Spitfire (Marvel)
#13 Hellcat (Marvel)
#14 R. Mika (Capcom)
#15 Phoenix (Marvel)
#16 Black Cat (Marvel)
#17 Black Canary (DC)
#18 Black Widow (Marvel)
#19 Lyja (Marvel)
#20 Tabitha Stevens (Marvel)
#21 She-Thing (Marvel)
#22 Powergirl (DC)
#23 Stargirl (DC)
#24 Sayd (DC)
#25 Sakura (Capcom)I'm no wowser, but if a scene depicting the catsuit clad heroine bent over infront of spotlights isn't gratuitous, I do not know what is! Yeesh!

Food for thought, though that may be, it's actually the impending cancellation of the title that's the real talking point. Upcoming issues bring Selina Kyle back to her stomping grounds of Gotham, but it looks like her return from Salvation will only bring her into conflict with the villains of Gotham, and former-flame, Batman.

Admittedly, between being busy and distracted by other sources, I'm a bit out of the loop, but I just don't know what to expect from the coming months at DC!

Final Crisis has thrown all kinds of theories at the wall! The final chapter of the so-called "Crisis Trilogy" has me feeling everything I've mocked others for. After scoffing notions that Identity or Infinite Crisis were building to a line-wide reboot or fragmented multiverse; I find myself dreading the potential of exactly that.

Catwoman has been confirmed for post-cancellation appearances in Detective Comics, but for a title that's held such a consistent standard for over eighty issues, it seems like a bitter consolation for Will Pfeifer, David Lopez, and fans of the series. It also begs the question of what the future holds for the character.

I have to admit, thoughone of Wonder Woman's few readily identifiable adversaries, I liked the notion of seeing Cheetah and Catwoman continue their acquaintance as rivals. As a supporting character herself, that might be a little too much to ask for, but the baggage Catwoman has accumulated in her solo adventures may yet find it's way to pages inhabited by the Dark Knight, which could make for some very interesting material.

Continuing the theme that seems to have trumped Invincible Iron Month; Cheetah and Catwoman are also prime examples of characters it might be nice to see in the upcoming Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe. The modern Cheetah certainly has qualities sure to appease certain expectations of MK fans.
I'd love to elaborate, but I'm absolutely zonked, so I'll take my leave satisfied with just getting an entry done! Make sure you stay tuned for the various things going on around the site, and keep rocking! More soon!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5

You'll have to wait a while before preordering the collected edition of this Catwoman story, but there's plenty of other Catwoman goodness on offer in the Infinite Wars: Amazonian Gift Shoppe! Titles reviewed, and recommended, are all available at low prices thanks to Amazon, and by using purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Show your support, check out the many titles on offer, including the series, Salvation Run! Be sure to also check out the urban adventures of the White Ghost in our very own, The Kirby Martin Inquest. At the special price of $1.99 for twenty-two pages of full-size story, it's the perfect time to show your support for resident fledgling (and exhausted) talent, Mike Haseloff!

QUICK FIX DOUBLE FEATURE: Out of the Bag
HAMMER versus CAPTAIN COLD
The One You Love Conclusion (DC)
Where: Catwoman #49 When: January 2006
Why: Will Pfeifer How: Pete Woods

Quick Fix...
So, we dared to touch upon the nasty subject of Amazons Attack [Wander Woman], a series that has done absolutely nothing for the otherwise rising star of writer, Will Pfeifer.

In light of that, I thought it was probably worth zooming in to check out some of Pfeifer's much better work, namely picking up the slack on Catwoman after fan favourite writers Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker left the title reinvigorated. Tag neglecters might also like to backtrack to the only other entry from Pfeifer's catalogue, the first issue of Captain Atom: Armageddon, reviewed earlier in the year.

But back to Catwoman. For those not terribly interested in the character or the title, it's probably hard to appreciate the situation Pfeifer was put in. The pressure almost certainly didn't come from the company, as this was among several maneuvers that really positioned Pfeifer as one of the up-and-comers at DC, but for fans and an industry, this was potentially a recipe for disaster!

The title had languished in a decade of reality-defying purple bodysuits, and equally unfathomable boobs, the result of Frank Miller's Year One contribution decaying as it passed through filter, to filter. Such a prominent character was undeniably calling out for a revamp. Fortunately for all concerned, it was masters Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker who ultimately answered in a series of short back-ups in the pages of Detective Comics.

The duo were able to steer Catwoman back to the light with a sexy and smart approach to the characterization, that was achieved through Cooke's fun, chic pencils, and an overall intelligent script. Likewise, fleshing the supporting cast out to include golden age Detective Comics character, Slam Bradley, was a stroke of genius, and the finishing touch to sustaining Catwoman as a property.

Cooke left the book, but Brubaker continued to enjoy success with the visually similar collaborations that followed, most prominently stories with Cameron Stewart. Fill-in writers and artists would follow, while the book ebbed and flowed after suffering War Games crossovers, marking the end of Brubaker's run (#37).
With Brubaker presumably fatigued, and Marvel-bound, the time had finally come to find a replacement on the sleeper-hit of the decade.

Enter: Will Pfeifer and Pete Woods.
Stand-ins filled the void, but it was with issue #45 that the next chapter in the renewed Catwoman's saga began. Pete Woods' visuals departed totally from the cartoony approach initiated by Cooke. Pfeifer represented a slightly less radical shift in the writing, but still delivered what could be described as a less cute, stylized approach to the character, opening her up more to the urban sprawl of Gotham's moving parts, and the super-elements of the Infinite Crisis Society.

It wasn't all about Catwoman, though, and Pfeifer did well to borrow and continue elements established by the previous creative teams.
In issue forty-nine, occasional Catwoman co-hort, Captain Cold, is perturbed to learn of Catwoman's apparent demise at the hands of Angle Man.

The Society quartet of Hammer, Angle Man, Hugo Strange and Cold see to the body's dismemberment, scattering it across Gotham City so as to reduce trace evidence. They are of course, completely unaware of Catwoman's gambit involving the calling in of a favour from a shape-shifter.

Content with a less brutal way of crime, Captain Cold opts out of maintaining his association with the villains, considering Catwoman's murder "unnecessary."
Displeased with Cold's dated consideration of the criminal fraternity, Strange sets his Russian super-solder on him.

Though far out of his weight-class, the seasoned Cold proves more than enough brain for the brawny Hammer. Reaching quickly for his ice-blasting gun, the Captain fires off a massive blast that encases Hammer from the waist-down, in solid ice.

Cold presses his seniority, taunting the super-powered Russian with the information that he chose to use the gun only on medium -- not enough to be lethal. The show of strength not only immobilizes the deadly Hammer, but punctuates a point that he is not a man to be meddled with.

With this first storyarc, the relatively untested Pfeifer quickly established himself as a man more than suitable for the job. Though broadly different from the more isolated adventures of the first twenty-five critically acclaimed issues, Pfeifer continued Catwoman's legacy appropriately, meeting the editorial requirements of a DC Universe becoming increasingly interconnected.

Woods maintained a visual style that complimented everything established previously, like the revamped Catsuit, while paying a respect to reality that also served characters like the villainous duo, Hammer and Sickle.
It would be the two Russian characters, who first appeared in Outsiders in 1986, that would continue to plague Catwoman in later issues, establishing the book as a conscious, on-going story in the same vein as projects such as Judd Winick's run on Batman, oft discussed here on the Secret Earth.

The Fix: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5
Winner: Captain Cold

[The existence of supporting characters, regular and cameo, continues to prove to be crucial to the on-going success of Catwoman as a series. Pfeifer does well here, highlighting his ability to handle just such a task. Not as isolated or stylistic as previous portions of the run, but still a very honorable continuation.]

---

TRIPLE THREAT versus CATWOMAN
Paperweight Part 1 (DC)
Where: Catwoman #63 When: March 2007
Why: Will Pfeifer How: David López

Quick Fix...
So, as you may have gathered, Will Pfeifer has remained on the book, continuing his run to now and beyond. Next week issue #71 hits stands, so if you're reading now and are getting jazzed up for Catwoman, rest assured that a familiar product is readily available. We are celebrating the better side of Pfeifer, but I'd also recommend the Brubaker/Cooke/Stewart trades, if you're in the market.

So, Pete Woods departs after the first chunk, paving the way for David López to step in. Like Stewart to Cooke, or Allred, the shfit between Woods and López is minimal, making for a smooth reading experience as Pfeifer continues his story across the issues.

It's probably worth noting the fantastic covers the series has enjoyed post the minimalist approach of the earlier issues. Adam Hughes' efforts on covers have ranged everywhere from action packed stills, insinuative story previews, and super-sexy pin-ups that just scream Catwoman.

Among my favourites would have to be the recent red-background simple cover to #70; the panda-eyes of #51; and the sheer menace of #45, complete with Deathstroke, the character who was believed to have killed Catwoman by the end of her previous series, disguised as on-again-off-again love interest, Batman!

Of particular note on these covers, Catwoman's voluptuous figure, that represents the sexy, sassy confidence of the character, but also manages to portray her as something resembling a real woman. Absent are, dare I quote myself, 'the defiant hips of a fifteen year old,' regularly showcased on inhumanly busty characters suched as everyone's favourite, Powergirl.

One Year Later, life is beginning to crunch on Selina Kyle, who has taken a most unlikely path over the missing year. Now a mother; Kyle's young protégé has represented the mantle of Catwoman while the original take time to recover.
Unfortunately, things get hairy for this young Catwoman as she becomes wanted for a murder commited by her predecessor, and gets caught-up in the pressure of increasing unrest in the unified criminal underworld.
Back in action, Kyle tackles these problems head-on.

Hoping to protect herself and her ward, Catwoman reaches out to The Calculator, the brilliant hacker crucial in facilitating the unification of villainous efforts. She opts for his services in erasing police data, rather than enlist the aid of former Batgirl, Oracle, in an effort to avoid revealing her part in a murder to Batman.

The Calculator, apparently displeased over Catwoman's wavering allegiance, offers her up to a trio of young criminals hoping to put their new genetic enhancements to the test in the name of bigger fish. He diabolically pits the Triple Threat against an unsuspecting Catwoman, as a test of initiation.

The trio catch Catwoman unawares as she swings toward the Calculator's digs on the assumption he will help her with her problem.

The team-leader snatches Catwoman up and uses his powers of flight to take her airborne with the presumed intent of dropping her from a great height - but things go south, quickly.

Resorting to a less than graceful out, Catwoman throws her leg up, striking the unprotected crotch sufficiently enough to send them earth-bound. She offers some friendly costume advice, recommending padding.

Landing in the snowy ground with the agility of a cat; Selina is again taken by surprise by the super-strong member of the trio. He wraps her up in a sleeper hold, proposing they test her reflexes to see if they're as quick as her wit, holding her for his fellow who sparks with electrical energy.

Once again the Catwoman's feet do the majority of talking for her.
She uses the hold to swing both her feet up, knocking the electrically charged villain's hands up to narrowly avoid being blasted with raw electricity.

Tired of the amateur assault, Catwoman opts to pull out all the stops.
She snags the lightning-shooting threatster's hand in a scissor lock, again using the leverage afforded by the hold of the other villain, to lift her entire body into snapping the newbie's wrist.

With two of the three down, she makes a confident insinuation, prompting the final of the super-powered upstarts to run for his life.

In light of the message of our last feature [Wander Woman], it's perhaps some kind of irony that Catwoman represents the morally grey area. Unlike a Wonder Woman, Selina Kyle has enjoyed success in the modern age without any real characterization hiccups or restraints. Her status as neither hero nor villain has certainly contributed to this success, but I think overall she's managed to remain an interesting character through the mounting developments made over the years.

I think it's almost fair to say it took until 2001 for the character to finally be honed to perfection. Brubaker and Cooke refined the character down to it's strongest parts, which has benefitted many-a story since, including tangential tales like Jeph Loeb's Hush. A clearer definition of the character in contemporary continuity made for a thoroughly interesting and successful affair between long-time rivals, Catwoman and Batman.

I think it's fair to say Pfeifer's work on the character has waned slightly in more recent stories. Such may be the nature of the project as it becomes something of a Daredevil style book, to the DC Universe. I'd like to think even at it's lowest points, Pfeifer has earned his place among the "young" guns of comics writers.

Before we wrap this one up, I have to shoot-out a thank you to the ever-so relevant When Fangirls Attack, who have again included one of our features in their regular reference lists. Theirs is a support that is always greatly welcomed, and I hope those of you visiting the site for the first time might get something out of it, and continue to return for more of our fist-shaking antics.

Lots of stuff going on, but we'll be back for the usual Friday hits, with a little bit of a twist for the break while Bahlactus takes a couple of weeks off. Be here!

The Fix: 4.5 The Issue: 4
Winner: Catwoman

[Despite the questionable efforts of Amazons Attack, Pfeifer continues his run on Catwoman with relative success. Characters Hammer and Sickle continue to be of relevance as he builds on the reality of Gotham's East End through the tried-and-true method of continuing stories, and recurring themes and characters.]

MR MAJESTIC versus CAPTAIN ATOM
A Scream Across the Sky (Wildstorm comics)
Where: Captain Atom: Armageddon #1 When: December 2005
Why: Will Pfeifer How: Giuseppe Camuncoli

The story so far...
Nathaniel Adam, a former soldier, was subjected to an experiment that left him encased in an indestructable alien alloy that was the material for the ship in which he was to have travelled. From that day forward he became the explosive superpowered agent: Captain Atom!

After years with the Justice League, Captain Atom eventually returns to the military under the Luthor administration, and when a Kryptonite meteor is heading straight for the Earth, is commissioned to pilot a ship to preemptively destroy the threat.

Captain Atom is successfully, but the explosive destruction of his ship throws him hurtling forward through time until, with his skin suffering damage, he finally comes to a stop in a strange and unfamiliar world, with an equally unfamiliar appearance: and in this new world, he's far from welcomed.

Previous Form:
Captain Atom & Mr. Majestic: Neither character has yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Majestic 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Mr. Majestic 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Mr. Majestic 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Captain Atom 7 (Solar Power)


Well, I've gone out of my comfort zone again, this time with far more positive results than the last entry. [Strange Tales #111]

I can't say I've ever had any real interest in Wildstorm in any of it's incarnations. The Authority and some of the stuff done with those characters has at least appeared interesting, but never enough to finally wrench me away from properties I've previously invested in. In fact, prior to this, the only other encounters I've had with Wildstorm characters have been arcs in Superman and Fantastic Four, so I'm entirely unlearned.

Fortunately for the tape, Mister Majestic is an entirely accessible character.
In fact, anyone remotely familiar with Superman (or maybe even Sentry) could have enough information to deduce their way to some reasonable expectations for the character. Sure, there are some considerable differences, but as I love to scream violently at children, you do not need the forty-year history to understand a single, twenty-four page story. You just need to know how to read.

Captain Atom and I aren't exactly bossom buddies, but we're familiar enough to know passing info of each other. I know that he's a hero that's struggled to ever really extend himself above supporting B-character to more prominent characters in the DC Universe. I also know that he has a lot of potential, both destructively and conceptually.

I like to give Captain Atom the same benefit of the doubt I give to Martian Manhunter, and just assume that he can hover around the Superman level of strength and capability, but has been hindered by popularity contests.
Not that you can't readily find stories to back that theory up. It's just, for the purposes of the tape, I'm sure some would argue his strength doesn't quite come up to that par.

Given the nature of these characters we can deduce it will at least be a very close clash. The bredth of capabilities at Mister Majestic's disposal means he should come into a fight like this with the advantage. It's really about Captain Atom stepping up to that, and avoiding succumbing to the onset of power.

Unlike Superman, Majestros exhibits more chi-styled energy attacks, on top of the standard eye beams. Still, as impressive as Majestic gets, Captain Atom's key to victory has to be tapping into that invincibility, and really driving home with the wealth of energy inside him. That said, it might truly be too close to call! Adding to the variables, the fact that in this particular story, Captain Atom has apparently lost his alloy whilst being infused with a taste of the Void power.

The Math: Mister Majestic (Super Class)
The Pick: Mister Majestic

What went down...
Emerging from the rubble of his crash landing, Captain Atom has little time to explore his new appearance. His arrival has not gone unnoticed, and Mister Majestic apparently has some opinions to be made -- with his fists!

Captain Atom, taken somewhat unawares, suffers the consequences of this strange world, alien to him. Majestic's unceremonious attack serves as the first clue to the nature of a world lacking of DC morals and values.

The battery continues, Majestic declaring his Kherubiam will to protect at all costs. His philosophy is reflected in property damage as he sends Captain Atom flying through the rubble of a building, before sending him off with a staggering left hook that leaves Atom to land on a car below. It is crushed.

Surviving the impact relatively unscathed, Atom's concerns shift from his unfamiliar surroundings to more instinctive issues. Majestic swoops down directly into the path of Captain Atom's unbridled rage.

The blast leaves a smoking Majestic on his knees before the power of Captain Atom. He makes his own decree about the nature of his powers and strength: "My name is Captain Atom. As in A-Bomb... As in nuclear fission... As in... The end of the world."

With his declaration, the Captain raises his glowing hands above his head and strikes down at the floored Mister Majestic. The force of the impact sends the caped Kherubian shattering through the road and into a plummet far beneath the surface Earth.

Believing from his own perspective he has put a stop to a potential public menace, the Captain turns to the people adjacent to the street looking for accolades, but instead is met with fear and loathing.

Confused and certain that he isn't home, Captain Atom takes to the skies with the question, "Where am I?"

The hammer...
The winner by knock-down -- Captain Atom!

Initially I was fairly shell shocked after reading this issue.
As I mentioned in the opener, I wasn't at all familiar with the Wildstorm Universe going in to this series, and somewhere amidst the reviews and second-hand opinions I got a very different impression of what I was getting myself in to.

The shock came when I found myself reading a superhero book.
Okay, sure, I knew there were superheroes involved, but I mean this is a superhero book. There just aren't any two faux-intellectual ways about it, this makes no effort to make a commentary on the nature of humanity or superheroes, this just serves up a smackdown-fest and a whole lotta plot.

Having long since digested that fact I can definitely say it's a damned good superhero comic! Giuseppe Camncoli pencils up a storm with a firm grasp on the margins of human subtlty that go along with this far-out, in-your-face action piece. It dances a line somewhere between cartoon and from-life, and is slick and smooth, beautifully complimented by inks by Sandra Hope, and colours from Randy Mayor. It really is, visually, the total package.

While the script might not set the world on fire twenty years from now, this is one of the best first-issues I've read in a long time! In a decade bogged down in "slow-burn" opening issues that take excessive amounts of time to look at, but not elaborate on pieces of the puzzle, this one is a real treat.

Where something like the recent Omega Flight meanders around the anticipation of the formation of a new team (for a few issues), this one dives in head-first to give you more than enough information and development to feel satisfied.
We open with stylistically attentive recaps on recent events for Captain Atom, which tie everything together, while also lamenting on the parallels between his current predicament, and perennial origins.

If I had to have a gripe about the series, it would be to the very core of the concept. Armageddon alludes to a prophecy from the Wildstorm Universe, and an editorial decision to reboot the Wildstorm Universe under new direction as an off-shoot world existant within the DC megaverse.

While I have no allegiance to what has come before in the Wildstorm books - in fact, probably quite the opposite, given the relative disinterest in characters that appeared generic and uninspired - I'm never a fan of stop-starting an established canon in the interest of making it so-called "new reader friendly."

It might be a heavy-handed approach to a medium built on a pinch of salt, but I don't think history should be taken lightly. I would rather my art imitate some elements of life, and with rare exception, I don't think time and history should be omitted from the list.

I also had hoped that this might be a slightly more unique way to metatextually tie the DC/Wildstorm knot, forming a relationship between imprint and character that would prove mutually beneficial. Captain Atom lends what little DC "name" he has to the smaller branding, and Captain Atom gets a chance to be a big fish in a smaller pond, and lift his own stock somewhat.

It might have been a more superficial take on things, and I suppose there's every chance it might have upset existing Wildstorm fans even more than what eventuated, but... I don't know. As much as I enjoyed what I read, it just wasn't at all what I had expected. Still, a very enjoyable first issue!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 6