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WildC.A.T.s I #5
James Robinson's Complete WildC.A.T.s
Acclaimed writer James Robinson takes on WildStorm's flagship super-team
James Robinson is considered by many to one the best modern comics writers. His landmark achievement in the medium is his acclaimed run on STARMAN, which Entertainment Weekly described as “the best written super-hero in comics.”
Now Robinson's defining run on WildC.A.T.s is collected into a single volume, collecting his 1990s issues, which feature the impressive art of Travis Charest and other fine artists who provide breathtaking visuals.
Robinson takes over the reins as writer of WildStorm's flagship super hero team from comics legend Alan Moore (WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA) and continues the amazing adventures of the WILDC.A.T.S while stirring up the WildStorm Universe.
James Robinson is considered by many to one the best modern comics writers. His landmark achievement in the medium is his acclaimed run on STARMAN, which Entertainment Weekly described as “the best written super-hero in comics.”
Now Robinson's defining run on WildC.A.T.s is collected into a single volume, collecting his 1990s issues, which feature the impressive art of Travis Charest and other fine artists who provide breathtaking visuals.
Robinson takes over the reins as writer of WildStorm's flagship super hero team from comics legend Alan Moore (WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA) and continues the amazing adventures of the WILDC.A.T.S while stirring up the WildStorm Universe.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
James Robinson
1,302 books238 followersJames Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 23, 2019
I would say this "hasn't aged well," but it's so abjectly terrible that I can't believe anyone ever liked it to begin with. Robinson seems to hate his own ideas so much throughout this book that he doesn't stick with any of them longer than a page before he utterly destroys them, along with any tension or stakes he's built. It's like reading the a physical embodiment of ADHD.
Every plot goes like this: there's a mysterious, monumental threat to the earth and/or the WildCATs (I refuse to place periods between the letters of "CATs"). The WildCATs rush off to fight it. They win immediately. No one is hurt and nothing is explained.
Robinson does this over and over again. For instance, at the beginning of the book, it's revealed that a shapeshifting Daemonite has infiltrated the WildCATs. One of them is not who they say they are! Oh no! But then they figure out who it is instantly and kill them. Great work, I guess?
Then, this makes them wonder "What happened to the REAL WildCAT, since this one was fake?" So, in the next issue, they go looking for him. Then the magic teleporter WildCAT (no one's name is ever used and there is zero character development even attempted, so I have no idea what her name is) simply goes "Oh wait, I can sense him, so I know where he is," teleports to him, and gets him back with absolutely no conflict. Then they're like "OK, problem solved."
This is truly an infuriating work of nonsense. Every time I thought there was going to be a plot, Robinson solves all the problems and invents a bunch of new ones out of thin air. He also doesn't write "characters" as much as he writes "punch throwers," with nearly every issue devolving into a giant mess of fists and energy beams with no discernible stakes. The middle-point story "Wildstorm Rising" is a true testament to this, since it is genuinely 10 straight pages of the WildCATs and Stormwatch beating the shit out of each other, which ends in a draw.
But even when Robinson does invent stakes, he screws it up. In one issue, the WildCATs are rushing to stop an assassin from hitting a self-destruct button that will kill her, all her cohorts, and the WildCATs along with her. She gets to the button, presses it, and BOOM. Takes out the entire building in a massive explosion. Crazy, right??? Except all the WildCATs just climb out of the wreckage like "Wow, that was close" while all the assassins are killed. If this team is so invulnerable, why even try to stop her?! I think this is the point where I went from "this is boring" to "this is fully making me mad."
I don't know what about this run made Wildstorm want to collect it, but I can assure you there is nothing redeeming here. If the only reason you read comics is to watch nameless morons blast each other with hand-lasers, then this is for you. Otherwise, feel free to take every copy of this you come across and flush it down a toilet.
Every plot goes like this: there's a mysterious, monumental threat to the earth and/or the WildCATs (I refuse to place periods between the letters of "CATs"). The WildCATs rush off to fight it. They win immediately. No one is hurt and nothing is explained.
Robinson does this over and over again. For instance, at the beginning of the book, it's revealed that a shapeshifting Daemonite has infiltrated the WildCATs. One of them is not who they say they are! Oh no! But then they figure out who it is instantly and kill them. Great work, I guess?
Then, this makes them wonder "What happened to the REAL WildCAT, since this one was fake?" So, in the next issue, they go looking for him. Then the magic teleporter WildCAT (no one's name is ever used and there is zero character development even attempted, so I have no idea what her name is) simply goes "Oh wait, I can sense him, so I know where he is," teleports to him, and gets him back with absolutely no conflict. Then they're like "OK, problem solved."
This is truly an infuriating work of nonsense. Every time I thought there was going to be a plot, Robinson solves all the problems and invents a bunch of new ones out of thin air. He also doesn't write "characters" as much as he writes "punch throwers," with nearly every issue devolving into a giant mess of fists and energy beams with no discernible stakes. The middle-point story "Wildstorm Rising" is a true testament to this, since it is genuinely 10 straight pages of the WildCATs and Stormwatch beating the shit out of each other, which ends in a draw.
But even when Robinson does invent stakes, he screws it up. In one issue, the WildCATs are rushing to stop an assassin from hitting a self-destruct button that will kill her, all her cohorts, and the WildCATs along with her. She gets to the button, presses it, and BOOM. Takes out the entire building in a massive explosion. Crazy, right??? Except all the WildCATs just climb out of the wreckage like "Wow, that was close" while all the assassins are killed. If this team is so invulnerable, why even try to stop her?! I think this is the point where I went from "this is boring" to "this is fully making me mad."
I don't know what about this run made Wildstorm want to collect it, but I can assure you there is nothing redeeming here. If the only reason you read comics is to watch nameless morons blast each other with hand-lasers, then this is for you. Otherwise, feel free to take every copy of this you come across and flush it down a toilet.
April 9, 2023
It was okay, but it could’ve definitely been better. Half of the time I didn’t really have much of an idea what was going on. It was fun regardless.
Wildcats Issues 15-19, Wildstorm Rising 1, and Issue 20 (in that order) are much better than the Annual and Team One: Wildcats issues 1-2.
Team One would have been better if it didn’t have the ending it had it was too quick and too abrupt.
The annual isn’t even worth reading.
Wildcats Issues 15-19, Wildstorm Rising 1, and Issue 20 (in that order) are much better than the Annual and Team One: Wildcats issues 1-2.
Team One would have been better if it didn’t have the ending it had it was too quick and too abrupt.
The annual isn’t even worth reading.
June 18, 2020
I have never liked Erik Larsen's art. If his series are anything like this one-liner fest, then it's good I stayed away. The humor alone is cringe-worthy. Thanfully, the next arc is going into full-blown spycraft thriller shoot-em-up with gorgeous artwork. The only downside is that it ends in a crossover with Stormwatch.
The Wildcats get attacked in their base and Voodoo is taken out. It's a plan of the Deamonites to hit high-value targets in the energy commission, including Jacob. Ben Santini is the new and as-yet not trusted leader of the Black Razors who are tasked with protecting future targets. Their job becomes twice as hard when they learn that for the next hit one of the Daemonites is posing as a Wildcat. The Wildcats know nothing of the infiltration without Voodoo's sight.
The Wildcats get attacked in their base and Voodoo is taken out. It's a plan of the Deamonites to hit high-value targets in the energy commission, including Jacob. Ben Santini is the new and as-yet not trusted leader of the Black Razors who are tasked with protecting future targets. Their job becomes twice as hard when they learn that for the next hit one of the Daemonites is posing as a Wildcat. The Wildcats know nothing of the infiltration without Voodoo's sight.
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April 19, 2021Tomo cuyo material creo que fue traducido e incluido en dos tomos de Archivos Wildstorm.
May 31, 2021
I enjoyed the writing during the Santini/Black Razors arc and Travis Charest's art, but not much else. Barry Windsor-Smith is a great artist but a horrible fit for drawing Wildstorm characters.
July 7, 2021
So this is one of the moments that Image Comics, particularly Wildstorm began to get actually good. James Robinson has a bit more of a purple prose that was associated with Image, and Travis Charest evolves during this run.
May 16, 2014
So, I was a weekly comic book reader, and full-fledged Marvel zombie when Image Comics and the Wildstorm Universe were first created. At the time I put next to no thought into these books. Since then my tastes have broadened significantly but still never read much from the original Wildstorm books. I found this relatively cheap and thought it was worth the gamble. Frankly, it wasn't. James Robinson takes over the writing duties for Jim Lee and delivers a nearly indecipherable mess. I was never sure what was happening and if it mattered. Part of the issue is the editorial decision in making this collection, as it doesn't collect a story but just Robinson's work. Its incomplete, to say the least. Its hard to believe that people enjoyed this then or now. The art was up and down. Travis Charest's work was good but sometimes rushed. The low point being Larry Stroman's work. It sill boggles my mind than an editor said yes to his pages. Overall, this book did nothing to make want to dive back into this universe. It was not entertaining and felt arduous.
July 27, 2011
Starman is one of the greatest comics ever written, so I will read any output by James Robinson, which is somewhat perilous, because his Justice League really blows. Anyways, you have to take this for what it is ... early to mid 90s Image, but, much like the Green Lantern movie, I thought it was fun. I've always thought the Wildstorm Universe is rich with compelling characters, the artists that created them just don't know how to write is all ... so they have to have guys like Robinson and Moore fix everything and make them not cliche.
July 12, 2013
The Team One comic is quite good. Everything else has Robinson's unique flair to various degrees, but the stories are so scattered and incomplete as to be almost worthless.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews