The Wild Storm: Michael Cray Vol. 1

Wildstorm: Michael Cray #1-6

by Bryan Edward Hill, N. Steven Harris (Illustrator), Larry Hama (Illustrator)

Spinning off of Warren Ellis' critically acclaimed THE WILD STORM comes a reimagining of vigilante assassin Deathblow in THE WILD STORM: MICHAEL CRAY VOL. 1!

Michael Cray, professional assassin, has been betrayed by International Operations and has an alien life-form in his head that's either killing him, transforming him or both. The only thing that can bring sense to his life is for him to do what he does best: kill the wrong people for the right reasons. But Michael needs support and resources to hit back against I.O., and he gets them in exchange for working with Trelane, taking out her targets, his way. First up? A sociopathic Silicon Valley billionaire by the name of Oliver Queen!

Based on a story from New York Times best-selling writer Warren Ellis (TRANSMETROPOLITAN, RED, THE AUTHORITY), newcomer Bryan Hill redefines this classic '90s WildStorm hero in THE WILD STORM: MICHAEL CRAY VOL. 1! Collects issues #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Dc Comics, Science Fiction, Thriller, Graphic Novels Comics

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2018

About the author

Bryan Hill is a screenwriter, photographer, tv writer, and director. He is known for his work on the DC show TITANS and for his work in comics, most notably his outings on DETECTIVE COMICS, POSTAL, AMERICAN CARNAGE, KILLMONGER and ANGEL.
His writing is infused with esoteric principles, which can also be found in his photography and music.
He lives and works in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This almost feels like an Elseworlds book instead of a spinoff from Warren Ellis's The Wild Storm. Michael Cray is basically Dexter, an assassin who only kills bad people. He gets brought into a secret government agency to kill these bad guys and steal their tech. the twist is that these are twisted versions of DC's heroes. He gets a team assigned to him who are completely worthless. (See the last issue for how much "help" they provide.) Cray also has a tumor in his head that is giving him powers to disintegrate anything he touches.

The art and coloring are terribly amateurish. The artist constantly has characters' heads turned at an angle but doesn't know enough about perspective to keep the tilt consistent. The coloring looks like it was done with magic markers and just makes things worse. It really looks like a teenage art student drew it.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

The central Wild Storm series is interesting and has been staging some strong world building storylines. Michael Cray entered that universe in the first issue of Wild Storm and is the very first spin-off to the series. Michael Cray is a mixed bag of storytelling and twisting on the core DC characters. Much like the film Brightburn, this twists the heroes from DC into villains, often horrific redesigns.

Why the 3.5?

Bryan Hill's style is a little non eventful for my liking. I would have liked a more coherent plot device instead of this episodic structure, that channels the central DC universe. It is fun, but if I had to compare, it is a Michael Cray kills the DC universe. I liked the volume, but it doesn't have a lot of depth and to be perfectly honest, I'm a little shocked they didn't channel the Wild Storm storylines.

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am taking a gamble on this series. Trying it out. I am a little behind and just yesterday picked issues #1 and #2 from my local comic shop. I am thinking about getting the trade paperback versions of Wild Storm (Vols 1 and 2) in order to really catch up on these unique stories.

This Michael Cray is far different from the Deathblow I remember. But I like the approach Bryan Hill/Ellis is taking with this character. And I really enjoy the villains he has selected. Besides Green Arrow, the next one up is Barry Allen/Flash and then Aquaman. Ha, I love it!

Next week I will pick up issues #3 and #4 and slowly catch up. Then keep collecting this title.

[Cale · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a massive step down in quality from the main series, though I think that may have more to do with my utter disgust with the concept driving the story than with the story itself. I've read lots of Elseworlds and parallel world stories, but there was something about this concept (Michael Cray is an assassin who is being taken over by a strange creature/power while he executes alternate versions of DC heroes, played here as villains) that just rubbed me the wrong way from the start. Cray doesn't have a whole lot of personality, although I did find his interactions with his unwillingly-chosen team interesting. But the taking down of Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, and especially Arthur Curry were just completely unpleasant experiences. Maybe it was intentional (the included Series Proposal states that pretty clearly, but aspects of the proposal were completely ignored, [the Structure determination] so I don't know if it still factors in), but it didn't work for me. What's worse is that there's no real creativity in the execution of the contracts. The action here is pretty dull, and the art is serviceable but not impressive. And the teaser for the next issue makes it pretty clear that the continued series will not be for me. Hopefully it's not an important series for the larger The Wild Storm story, because I don't think I can stomach any more of it.

[Siona Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little worried for this title after the preview of it in the latest Wild Storm issue, but it was actually pretty good. I'm glad this isn't set in the actual DC continuity. This looks like it'll be a lot more straightforward than the Wild Storm series is.

[Alex Sarll]

Deathblow was never one of the more interesting Wildstorm characters; his chief achievement is managing to prove that yes, there can be a superhero universe assassin with a name which sounds vaguely similar to, yet even more grubby than, Deathstroke. On top of which, I'm still ambivalent about the Warren Ellis Wildstorm reboot from which this spins off, and the one thing by Hill I've previously attempted to read was the abysmal Postal. But this is alright. You can tell it's based on an idea from Ellis; having sinister versions of DC heroes as Michael Cray's psychotic targets is very Planetary. And the art sells them as larger-than-life but still just about techno-thriller plausible, even if there are occasional panels which left me thinking, no, that's not quite how faces work. A running seam of commentary on Cray's experience as a black government operative, versus his dad's experience as a rebel, ensures there's something here beyond the mean thrill of seeing a nasty Flash or Green Arrow get splatted, and if it's not enough to get me rushing out for Hill's next project, it's certainly left me in a position where I might consider giving one a chance. It is noticeable, though, reading Ellis' original pitch in the backmatter, that he suggests a flexibility with the format which Hill doesn't use, and that the one target here of Hill's own invention is the one whose backstory rests on what could be alternate history, but looks a lot more like a complete absence of research. Still, my main objection is that it's a crying shame that at no point does anyone make a pun on the new meaning of the lead's name. You know, he shoots up a gathering of rich young scumbags modelled on the Teen Titans or whatever, then someone surveys the wreckage and says 'Hey, this party is really Cray.' Ah well, maybe in Volume 2.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Cray is Deathblow, re-imagined as an assassin with some sort of alien lifeform that has taken up residence in his brain and is either slowly killing him or slowly remaking him. I loved the idea that his first 3 targets are all alternate-universe versions of well-known DC characters: Oliver Queen, here a deranged psycho who hunts humans with his bow and arrow; Barry Allen, a corrupt police officer killing off those he imagines will usher in a future age wherein artificial intelligence will wipe out humankind; and Arthur Curry, a whack-job who has taken it upon himself to experiment with chemistry/biology to become a new variety of humanity that can breathe underwater, and who preys on the simple locals who live near his seaside mansion. What I didn't love so much was the crappy artwork that got worse and worse as the series went on, really devolving in the section devoted to Curry/Aquaman. If this series continues (and the final issue reveal of an alternate John Constantine suggest this), I hope they'll find a stronger artist to continue on.

[Nicole Westen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked a lot of the concepts in this, but it just made me feel... meh.
I like that DC is upping its diversity, good for you.
I like the idea that there's a world where there aren't traditional 'super heroes'. This is more like if DC comics were an episode of Criminal Minds. Which is cool, I love 'what ifs', and just taking off in different directions to see what plays out.
I just couldn't get into it.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cool! A spinoff of Mark Millar's excellent The Wild Storm series, about our assassin from the first couple of issues.

Except it has almost no connection to the main series.

And its premise is that Michael Cray wanders around assassinating villainous alternate-universe versions of DC heroes.

This piece of murder-porn crap is one of the most disgusting things I've ever read from DC.

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this. Kind of like Injustice but with an assassin after all the characters. Oliver queen, barrry allen and arthur curry all become targets. However they arent versions of their normal dc selves. Good action and solid art.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wildstorm: Michael Cray
Author: Bryan Hill, N. Steven Harris, Dexter Vines
Publisher:
Date: 2018
Pgs: 160
Dewey: 741.5973 WIL V.1
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
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REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
Cashiered out of military service by a shadowy extragovernmental organization and put to use doing wetwork for that organization, Michael Cray went from Special Ops soldier to Black Ops operative. When that organization discovers that he has a brain tumor, they toss him to...right into the arms of an even more shadowy organization. The tumor is more than it appears. It’s alive and sentient and gives him powers and abilities. Abilities that if his current masters find out about will put him on their hit list...since what he’s been doing is killing metahumans for them. Takes place in an alternate DC universe where some of the names and faces you know pop up in parallel existences, not all of them heroic...or sane. What happens when Michael realizes that the devil he serves is as bad as the devils he is erasing...

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Genre:
Manga
Comics
Graphic Novels
Superheroes


Why this book:
Always been a fan of the Wildstorm characters. Glad that DC didn’t give them the Ultraverse treatment like Marvel did when they bought Malibu.
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Favorite Character:
I like Michael Cray. Though I will admit that I had him confused with Jackson King for a bit.

Least Favorite Character:
Cray’s team appear as cardboard characters. Only there to be brushed off. And they don’t appear loyal to him at all. Black Ops cadre with this kind of self-interest is probably a Dead Ops cadre. Leading to his using them as bait instead of as team members.

The Feel:
If feels like the Wildstorm universe, even with the DC characters popping up in alternate universe roles.

Favorite Scene / Quote:
Every interaction with Michael’s dad gives me that other shoe about to drop feeling. This may have been me foreshadowing on my own since I had him confused with Jackson King aka Battalion and his dad, Isaiah King aka Despot.

Love Cray’s team building exercise on top of the parking garage in Boston. IE: You’re all bait.

Barry’s de-evolution accellerating after Cray reveals his “trap” to him. The drugs, the superspeed, and the suit, an unholy trinity unbalancing Barry.

What Cray does to Barry’s data, nice. He suspects the organization, at last.

Pacing:
Very well paced.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
I’m sure it will be addressed in Volume 2. But, we leave Leon missing an arm, bleeding out on the beach on a cult infested island. And the team is in limbo.

Hmm Moments:
The heroes being the bad guys. Or are Cray and his organization the bad guys. Didn’t seem that Cray was questioning nearly enough. But he comes around.

An early days Green Arrow would be a much easier target than a more experienced one. This tracks as a character exercise. Well done.

Aqua-Gillman is pretty Black Lagoon. But the backstory is awesome.

The Unexpected:
I was more than a few pages in before I realized we weren’t in the mainstream DCU. I thought alternate JLAers, but my guess now is more in line with alternate Crime Syndicators. Alt Barry is scary bad assed. He’s like a smarter version of the junkie Johnny Quick of Earth-3...or whatever the Crime Syndicate of Amerika’s world designate is now.

Was surprised when I figured out the alternate DC character paradigm and that they didn’t go Trinity. Glad they didn’t. Just surprised.

Why isn’t there a screenplay?
If they did this, they shouldn’t say that it’s an alternate world. Just let the audience go into shock when they realize that Green Arrow is in the movie...and that he’s a Most Dangerous Game serial killer.
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Last Page Sound:
Conscience on Cray’s part. Wonder if his “team” will come for him in Volume 2? Considering how badly they meshed and worked with him, my money would be on them not standing a chance.

Author Assessment:
I want more.

Editorial Assessment:
Well done.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
really good book
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[Sans · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Bryan Hill took the bones of Bloodlust! and dropped Green Arrow into the Wilton Graff role.

I'll bite. Gimme the next issue. Just maybe don't explode anymore small animals please.

[RND · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spy action comics where Deathblow assassinates AU versions of Justice League members Green Arrow, The Flash, and Aquaman. Art could be a little more polished, but this was fun enough.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good series, but not as good as the main Wild Storm series. The gag here is that Cray is assassinating "Wild Storm Universe" versions of various DCU heroes. That's kind of fun, but I'm not really seeing any larger or interesting theme to it yet. If these alternate characters were making some kind of point about their DCU counterparts, or the superhero genre in general, that would be interesting. But they just seem to be unrelated characters with the same names and vaguely similar powers/origins to the DCU originals. It's not nearly at the same level as something like Planetary or Watchmen. Maybe I'm missing something.

The larger story involves the entity sharing Cray's head, which he originally thought was a brain tumor. That's developing slowly; after six issues, we still don't know much. And there's another thread about his boss Trelane and what her real motives are. That's also interesting, but I'm not sure where it's going yet.

So, overall, a fun book, but incomplete. We do learn a lot about Cray as a character in this volume, but not much about any of the other characters, and not much about the ongoing subplots. I'm assuming it'll all come together in the next volume, and I'm looking forward to that.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, but like... what?

So, I'm not strongly familiar with the Wild Storm universe outside of Ellis's current run. As it stands Wild Storm feels like a fairly self-contained series. Moving over to a focus on Michael Cray, we meet some twisted versions of some big names from the DC Universe, and bloodshed ensues.

Michael Cray embraces a fast-paced and pulpy form of storytelling which has a distinctly serialized feel to it--in this case, episodic assassinations of high-profile hero-villain-type-characters.

There's some interesting dynamics in Michael Cray's own mental state being taken over, and in his interactions with his handler and his team. The format doesn't linger too long on these elements, but there are some strong moments that come out of them.

Overall, it's certainly an interesting read, which feels like a strong deviation from the elements that characterize the core Wild Storm series, but one that has some notable strengths in its own right.

I'm curious to see where it goes before I make any lasting judgments on the series, but vol. 1 certainly has me intrigued.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Cray is the world's deadliest assassin. He has a support team, a handler with questionable motives, and a brain tumor that is transforming him into something more than human -- or less. Cray's charge is killing murderous monsters...who happen to be Wildstorm analogues of DC superheroes. Nifty premise.
This book is as Warren Ellisy as it can possibly be, without the mad old Englishman writing it himself. Ellis hands the Cray concept to Bryan Edward Hill, who runs with it. Hill is an outstanding writer --read his Detective Comics run, and American Carnage, while you still can -- but the structure and tone of this series is pure Ellis. This is a good thing.
The subpar art of N Steven Harris is not a fatal flaw, but it makes the book a bit of a slog. Harris's action sequences are largely confusing, and much of the time his characters' faces barely look human.
But the strong premise, the compelling character of Michael Cray, and the sheer Ellisness of it all make this a worthy read. Can't wait to dig into Volume Two.

[Gbolahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Splash art, so, very little words. Even that art eventually got annoying. Irritating stilted conversations. Who writes like this?? There was even the angry Black man angle, complete with Kangol and all. The bad guys' monologues?? Seriously?? Their mental illnesses were such horrible useless tack-ons.

OQ's sin, apart from murdering people, doesn't make sense. Too convoluted. Short description, still convoluted. And what was all that bull about being the only one who could kill OQ?? He wasn't even the one that killed him! Like, seriously, dude didn't even have a plan!!🤦🏿‍♂️ Just stumbled in there and hoped for the best.

That scene of him fighting with a cigar in his mouth was cool though, I grudgingly admit...

They then spoiled all that with the bad guy who chooses to kill a good guy slowly instead of quickly. Seriously, we have all seen Bond films!

Damn. This was terrible. Art, story, everything.

[Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

If main storyline 'Wild Storm' volumes get a three-star rating, then this gets....less

I get what they're trying to do here, but you're main character (Deathblow) hasn't had much of an origin in the main books of 'Wild Storm'. He was developing a conscience at the end of his time with IO. They tried to 'retire' him, but he killed the contractor and got hired by a new group. Turns out...there's only two big global forces at play in the WS universe. This has to be a cover for Skywatch.

We're expected to jump on this storyline and just nod our heads and smile. Warren Ellis' proposal makes sense, but I don't think it's anything that'll engage readers long term. If anything, this probably should have been all of it. I can't believe it made it to a vol. 2.
======
Bonus: Oliver Queen...you have failed this city (and your costume) for the last time.
Bonus Bonus: Missed opportunity for Zoom to be Barry Allen's sociopathic 'other' voice

[Adan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun, but a bit predictable. Part of what makes the main Wild Storm title so good is its unpredictability (and that it’s written by Warren Ellis). After getting forcibly ditched by IO in the main book, Cray goes to work for Christine Trelane and EPS, an Earth-based front for Skywatch. He spends six issues killing three DCU analogues who have gone rogue and are killing people for various reasons. Seeing twisted versions of Green Arrow, Barry Allen, and Arthur Curry was fun, and even the bits with Cray learning more about his weird superpower/tumor were good, but overall it felt too monster-of-the-week to me. Also, I was not a fan of the art.

[Jason Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

volume 1 ain't great, but it does get a lot better in volume 2 so there's that.

Loosely tied to The Wild Storm only in name and aliens without the IO/Stormwatch/Authority fight.

It does have dark versions of the justice league who are pretty fun to see.

First six issues are really more of one-offs but the second arc from 7-12 is good.

I wasn't familiar with Deathblow from the older Wildstorm stuff so I could take this character as-is which seems like a departure from who he was.

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather rubbishy reboot of the Deathblow character from the old Wildstorm universe, redone as, it seems, a pitch for a TV series. The big draw is that Cray is being tasked to kill twisted AU versions of DC characters in stories that liberally lift from other sources (“The Most Dangerous Game” and Lovecraft, among others.) Generally terrible artwork and thin, thin characters.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent start to the new Wildstorm universe, not as action- and revelation-packed as Ellis’ work on The Wild Storm, but enjoyable nonetheless. The alternate-world take on classic DC heroes is the centerpiece of this book, but the background plots, especially Cray’s relationship with his father, add a great depth and color.

[MR C D ROOME]

Enjoyable but not quite as good as it needs to be

Nice setup. Interesting stories. Ok art. Based on a Warren Ellis set up and linked to his wildstorm relaunch. This holds the attention but is not as good as it needs to be. There is some fun to be had with the premise but once you've seen one dark version of a dc character you've seen them all.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was, quite frankly, a disappointment - especially since this is meant as a spin-off from Warren Ellis' main-spine The Wild Storm book, which is excellent. I can't quite decide if the writing is mediocre and the art is poor, or the other way around. Don't think I'll continue with this.

[Andres Pasten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es un 2,5 pero seria mucho premio ponerle un 3. No esta a la misma altura de la serie de Ellis. Casi como una version alternativa de lo que fue Planetary, tratando de hacer homenaje en algunas viñetas clásicas de otros comics de DC.

[Mark Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written spin off that's let down by artwork that feels quite inexperienced, particularly where faces are concerned. Cray is a moralistic assassin whose been tasked with killing off the DC B-list. Ellis' guide notes are an interesting and entertaining read in their own right.

[Paul W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Michael Cray is hired to help fix the world by removing dangerous individuals. They have all s0 far been Justice league analogues and I love it. I wish the art was more consistent but otherwise, this book is fantastic.

[vk chompooming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved 90's Image and Valiant publications! Michael Cray (Deathblow) was one of these titles that had my interest. This new reboot was incredible! I loved the storyline and the artwork. I was sad when the series was never completed.

[Drizztl · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An interesting beginning but I'm not in love with the art. Will keep reading though.