WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, (often rendered Wildstorm) published
AmericanAn American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s. Originally an independent company established by
Jim LeeJim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of
DC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 1999. Until it was shut down, the WildStorm imprint remained editorially separate from DC Comics, with its main studio located on the
West CoastWest Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. The imprint took its name from the combining of the titles of the
Jim LeeJim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
comic series
WildC.A.T.S.Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
and
StormwatchStormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that originated in the Wildstorm Universe and has since been revived as part of the DC Universe. The original version of Stormwatch first appeared in Stormwatch Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that...
.
WildStorm published common American comics, as well as creator-owned material and licensed properties from other companies, covering a wide variety of
genreGenre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s. Its main fictional universe, the
Wildstorm UniverseThe Wildstorm Universe is a fictional shared universe where the comic books published by Wildstorm take place. It represents an alternate history of the real world where ideas such as interstellar travel and superhuman abilities are commonplace...
, features typical
costumed heroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es in various scenarios.
The publishing activities of WildStorm have varied, with changes in ownership affecting the ongoing publication of some of its titles. Peaking during the 1990s, WildStorm maintained a number of its core titles from its early period (such as WildC.A.T.S. and Stormwatch) and subsequently continued to publish material expanding its core universe. WildStorm's main titles included WildC.A.T.S, Stormwatch,
Gen¹³Gen¹³ is a fictional superhero team and comic book series originally written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi and illustrated by J. Scott Campbell. It was originally published by Image Comics under the banner Wildstorm, which went on to become an imprint for DC Comics, who continued publishing the Gen¹³...
,
WetworksWetworks is an American comic book series created by comic book artist Whilce Portacio and writer Brandon Choi. It ran for four years before ending in 1998...
and The Authority, though it also produces single-character-oriented series like
DeathblowDeathblow is a fictional character in the . He first appears in Darker Image #1 was created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi.-Fictional character biography:...
and
MidnighterMidnighter is a fictional comic book superhero, best known as a member of the rogue superhero team The Authority. Created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch, he first appeared in Stormwatch #4, before appearing in various Authority books and series and his own eponymous ongoing series...
, and has at times published secondary titles like
Welcome to TranquilityWelcome to Tranquility is an American comic book series created by Gail Simone and Neil Googe and published by Wildstorm.The series is set in Tranquility, a fictional town in Oregon, which is home to retired superheroes and supervillains as well as their families...
.
WildStorm published a number of comics based on creator-owned material and licensed properties such as
Astro CityKurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
,
Danger GirlDanger Girl is an American comic book series created by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell. The comic features a group of female secret agents led by a mentor named Deuce. The series follows the James Bond and Indiana Jones action-adventure formula, with the Danger Girls being an homage to the...
,
Red MenaceRed Menace is a six issue American comic book limited series published in 2007 by Wildstorm Productions.The setting of this story is Los Angeles in 1953 at the time of Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee trials.-Plot summary:...
,
Ex MachinaEx Machina is an American creator-owned comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris, and published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint....
, Friday the 13th,
A God SomewhereA God Somewhere is a graphic novel created by John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg. It was published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint in June 2010....
, A Nightmare on Elm Street,
The Texas Chainsaw MassacreThe popularity of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film-series and of its main character, Leatherface, led to the publication of several comic books based on the franchise. In 1991, Northstar Comics released a miniseries titled Leatherface — a loose adaptation of Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre...
,
World of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a comic book series set in the Warcraft universe and released monthly in a standard western comic format.-Publication history:...
, StarCraft, the Dante's Inferno game and
The X-FilesThe X-Files comics was a spin-off from the television series of the same name, originally published by Topps Comics and, most recently, DC Comics imprint Wildstorm.-Publication history:...
.
In September 2010, DC announced plans to shut down the WildStorm imprint in December 2010 and absorb some of its characters into the DC Universe banner sometime in the future.
Titles
Throughout most of its history the studio has published many comic book titles in continuity with each other (the
Wildstorm UniverseThe Wildstorm Universe is a fictional shared universe where the comic books published by Wildstorm take place. It represents an alternate history of the real world where ideas such as interstellar travel and superhuman abilities are commonplace...
), as well as a wide variety of unrelated, creator-driven titles such as
Ex MachinaEx Machina is an American creator-owned comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris, and published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint....
,
Kurt BusiekKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
's
Astro CityKurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
and
Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's America's Best Comics line.
Major WildStorm Universe titles include;
- WildC.A.T.s
- Stormwatch
- The Authority
- Wetworks
- Gen¹³
Following a few years as a mature-readers-only superhero imprint Eye of the Storm, in September 2006 WildStorm rebooted its Universe in the WorldStorm event.
Origins
WildStorm began in 1992 after a number of artists and creators working in the comic-book industry came together to form
Image ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. WildStorm grew out of the roots of Homage Studios and of the range of characters that had originated there. WildStorm published under the Image imprint. Image itself became the successor to WildStorm Productions and published other imprints (such as
Top CowTop Cow Productions is an American comics publisher, a partner studio of Image Comics founded by Marc Silvestri in 1992.-History:...
) where creators could work with their content as they wished.
The Image years
WildStorm became one of the founding studios that joined together in 1992 to form Image Comics. It grew out of Homage Studios, founded by artists Scott Williams,
Whilce PortacioWilliam "Whilce" Portacio is a Filipino-American comic book writer and artist. Noted for his work on such titles as The Punisher, X-Factor, and the Uncanny X-Men. Portacio was also one of the seven co-founders of Image Comics, though he did not become a partner in the company.-Early life:Portacio...
, Jim Lee, and
Joe ChiodoJoe Chiodo is an artist and colorist who has worked in the comics industry. He has been recognized for his work with a nomination for the Comics Buyer's Guide Favorite Colorist Award in 1997 , and in 1998 under his own name.-Biography:Chiodo was born on January 22, 1958, the youngest of four boys...
in
San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Lee, Williams, and Portacio had gained notoriety from their work on various
X-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
titles at
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
In late 1992,
pencillerA penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
Marc SilvestriMarc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
joined the studio to work on the first issue of
CyberforceCyberforce is an Image Comics super-hero team created by artist Marc Silvestri and writer Eric Silvestri in 1992. Silvestri would begin performing both the plotting and pencilling chores, but the series was subsequently drawn by other artists, including David Finch...
. Although he worked at the studio, his projects would debut as a new Image imprint named Top Cow. Silvestri continued to work out of WildStorm's studio for about two years. Although WildStorm considered attracting talent from the "Big Two" (
MarvelMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and
DCDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
) such as John Romita Jr., Lee decided instead to find new talent.
Lee's talent-search yielded
Brett BoothBrett Booth is an American comic book artist. He is best known for his work on Backlash, a character he co-created with Jim Lee at the Wildstorm Studios.-Biography:...
in 1992, then
J. Scott CampbellJeffrey Scott Campbell is an American comic book artist. He has had several pen names, including "Jeff Scott", but is best known as J. Scott Campbell...
in 1993. Apart from McFarlane's
SpawnSpawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
, WildStorm produced the most consistently commercially-successful comics from Image, including Lee's own titles
WildC.A.T.sWildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
and the teen-hero title Gen¹³, illustrated by J. Scott Campbell. Like many other Image titles, some of the WildStorm titles suffered from inconsistent completion and shipping, resulting in "monthly" comics coming out every few months. This era, however, produced a number of titles of varying popularity including the aforementioned Gen¹³ and WildC.A.T.s, The Maxx, Stormwatch, Deathblow,
CybernaryCybernary is a comic book series created by comic book artist Nick Manabat with writer Steve Gerber and published by Wildstorm Productions in 1995...
, and Whilce Portacio's Wetworks.
Attempts to get the studio's characters into other media proved disappointing. A Saturday morning cartoon series of the WildC.A.T.s lasted only a single season (1994–1995), while a full-length animated version of Gen¹³ was produced but never released.
DisneyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, who had acquired the distribution rights, later released the film only in a few foreign markets, leaving Jim Lee frustrated. Toys from both titles were less successful than those made by Todd McFarlane, partly due to bad marketing and partly because the McFarlane toys were targeted for a more mature audience. However, they had a big success copying
Wizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
's
Magic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
with their introduction of the Superhero card game, Wildstorms, which later spun off into a
crossoverIn comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
set of cards with Marvel. The crossover was the swan song for the Wildstorms game though, as Marvel's merchandising clout succeeded in pushing Wildstorm's out of the spotlight. Although the timing was right with their card game, they were too early by a year with a
PogPogs is a game that was popularized during the early 1990s. The word "pog" also refers to the discs used to play the game. The name originates from POG, a brand of juice made from passionfruit, orange and guava; the use of the POG bottle caps to play the game pre-dated the game's commercialization...
game which used the Wildcats characters that they released in 1993.
In 1995, WildStorm created an imprint named
Homage ComicsHomage Comics was a comic book publishing imprint, a subdivision of Wildstorm. It was created in 1995 to focus more on writer-driven titles. As part of Wildstorm, it was acquired by DC Comics in 1998...
, centered around more writer-driven books. The imprint started with
Kurt BusiekKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
's
Astro CityKurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
and The Wizard's Tale,
James Robinson'sJames Dale Robinson is a British writer of comic books and screenplays who is also known for his interest in vintage collectibles and memorabilia. His style is described as smart and energetic, built upon his vast knowledge of obscure continuity from the period known to fans and historians as the...
Leave It to ChanceLeave it to Chance is an American comic book series written by James Robinson, illustrated by penciler Paul Smith and published by Image Comics. It features the adventures of Chance Falconer, the 14-year old daughter of famed paranormal investigator Lucas Falconer, and her pet dragon, St...
(with Paul Smith) and
Terry MooreTerry Moore is a comic book author, graphic novelist and illustrator.He created the popular series Strangers in Paradise, and was involved in the founding of Homage Comics.-Biography:...
's
Strangers In ParadiseStrangers in Paradise is a long-running, mostly self-published black-and-white comic book, written and drawn by Terry Moore. The series has reached its planned conclusion, finishing off in 2007 with issue #90 of volume 3....
. Subsequently the imprint featured works by
Sam KiethSam Kieth is a New York Times best-selling American comic book writer and illustrator, best known as the creator of The Maxx and Zero Girl.-Comics career:...
, including
The MaxxThe Maxx is an American comic book series created by Sam Kieth and published originally monthly by Image Comics and now collected in trade paperback collections from DC Comic's Wildstorm imprint. The comic book, which stars a character of the same name, spawned an animated series that aired on the...
,
Zero GirlZero Girl is a five-issue comic book written and illustrated by Sam Kieth, published by Homage Comics.The plot concerns high school student Amy Smootster, and her attempts to start a relationship with her guidance counselor Tim...
and
Four WomenFour Women is an American five-part limited series published by Homage Comics. Written and drawn by Sam Kieth, it deals with four female friends of varying ages—Donna, Bev, Marion and Cindy—and a road trip during which they are attacked and sexually assaulted by two men...
, and three of
Warren EllisWarren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
' pop-comics mini-series, Mek,
RedRed is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in 2003 and 2004 by WildStorm imprint Homage Comics. It was created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner.-Plot:...
and Reload.
In 1997,
CliffhangerCliffhanger was an imprint of Wildstorm, publishing creator-owned comic books. It was founded in 1998 by Joe Madureira, J. Scott Campbell and Humberto Ramos, when Wildstorm was still part of Image Comics ....
debuted a line of
creator-ownedCreator ownership is an arrangement in which the creator or creators of a work of fiction retain full ownership of the material, regardless of whether it is self-published or by a corporate publisher. In some fields of publishing, such as fiction writing, creator ownership is a standard arrangement...
comic books which included such popular works as J. Scott Campbell's
Danger GirlDanger Girl is an American comic book series created by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell. The comic features a group of female secret agents led by a mentor named Deuce. The series follows the James Bond and Indiana Jones action-adventure formula, with the Danger Girls being an homage to the...
, Joe Madureira's
Battle ChasersBattle Chasers is an American fantasy comic book series by Joe Madureira, launched in April 1998. It was one of the most popular American comics series in the late 1990s, but suffered from extreme scheduling problems, with an average of about six months between issues, including a delay of 16...
,
Humberto RamosHumberto Ramos is a Mexican comic book penciller, best known for his work on American comic books such as Impulse, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man and his creator-owned series Crimson.-Career:...
' Crimson and Out There,
Joe KellyJoseph "Joe" Kelly is an American comic book writer, penciler and editor who has written such titles as Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics, and JLA...
&
Chris BachaloChris Bachalo is an American comic book illustrator known for his quirky, cartoon-like style. He became well known for stints on DC Comics’ Shade, the Changing Man and Neil Gaiman's two Death series...
's
SteampunkSteampunk was a steampunk/fantasypunk comic book series by artist Chris Bachalo and writer Joe Kelly, published by Wildstorm Comics' Cliffhanger imprint.-Publication history:...
,
Kurt BusiekKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
and
Carlos PachecoCarlos Pacheco is a Spanish comic book artist and penciller. Pacheco was born in San Roque, Cádiz. He is best known in the United States for his work on titles such as Avengers Forever, X-Men and Green Lantern...
's
ArrowsmithArrowsmith is a fantasy comic book by writer Kurt Busiek and penciller Carlos Pacheco, published by Wildstorm's Cliffhanger imprint. It first premiered as a six-issue miniseries in 2003.-Plot:...
and Warren Ellis's Two-Step and
Tokyo Storm WarningTokyo Storm Warning is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in 2003 by WildStorm imprint Cliffhanger. It was written by Warren Ellis, with art by James Raiz and Andrew Currie.-Publication history:...
.
1997 also saw a revamp of all the WildStorm Universe titles, including such prominent comic-book names as
Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
,
Warren EllisWarren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
,
Adam WarrenAdam Warren is an American comic book writer and artist who is most famous for his adaptation of the characters known as Dirty Pair into an American comic book, and for being one of the first American commercial illustrators to be influenced by the general manga style...
,
Sean PhillipsSean Phillips is a British comic book artist.He is best known in the American comic book industry for his work on DC Comics' Sleeper, WildC.A.T.s, Batman and Hellblazer.-Career:...
and
Joe CaseyJoe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite, among others.-Biography:...
. After this revamp the new Wildcats series, Stormwatch and
DV8DV8 is a comic book published by Wildstorm. The series revolves around the lives of a group of Gen-Active people , initially living in New York under the supervision of Ivana Baiul, who sends them on life-threatening black ops assignments.-Publication history:The series lasted 32 issues, and was a...
took the places of the most popular and most commercially successful comics of the WildStorm Universe.
The DC years
As sales of comic books went into decline from 1993, Jim Lee started to look for a buyer in the mid-1990s. The result was the 1998 acquisition of WildStorm by
DC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
(effective January 1999). According to DC, this was meant to "strengthen both WildStorm's ability to expand its editorial goals and diversifying DC's output". DC's acquisition of WildStorm allowed the two universes to interact with each other, with the result that characters from each universe would soon make appearances in each other's titles.
1999
1999 became a hallmark year for WildStorm. It launched several new titles, including The Authority, a dark and violent
superheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic, whose heroes had total disregard about things such as honorable battle or not killing their opponents; its goal was only in making the world a better place.
Warren EllisWarren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
created The Authority from the ashes of
StormwatchStormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that originated in the Wildstorm Universe and has since been revived as part of the DC Universe. The original version of Stormwatch first appeared in Stormwatch Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that...
. He would write its first twelve issues before handing the series over to
Mark MillarMark Millar is a Scottish comic book writer, known for his work on books such as The Authority, The Ultimates, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Civil War, Wanted, and Kick-Ass, the latter two of which have been adapted into feature films...
. The Authority fused the hope and strivings of the
Silver AgeThe Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
superheroes with a cynical look at humanity. The fight between the heroes and the corrupt parts of humanity would lead the series into the 2004 Wildstorm crossover,
Coup d'Etat"Coup d'État" was a company-wide crossover event published by Wildstorm Comics in 2004.-Publication history:The story ran across 4 issues, each featuring one of the major titles in the Wildstorm Universe at that time: Sleeper, Stormwatch: Team Achilles, Wildcats 3.0 and The Authority...
, where the Authority would take control of the United States of America. Ellis and artist
John CassadayJohn Cassaday is an American comic book artist and writer, born in Fort Worth, Texas and currently residing in New York City. He is known for having a high level of precision and realism in his work....
would create
PlanetaryPlanetary is an American comic book limited series created by writer Warren Ellis and artist John Cassaday published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics...
, a story about explorers of the strange. This would be an experiment in intermeshing a look at pop culture, comic book history and literature with Cassaday's unique artwork.
Around this time, WildStorm also launched a new imprint titled America's Best Comics. This was specifically to allow
Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
to create a number of comics based on his own ideas. The line has been widely lauded and awarded, giving life to titles such as
PrometheaPromethea is a comic book series created by Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III and Mick Gray, published by America's Best Comics/WildStorm....
,
The League of Extraordinary GentlemenThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, publication of which began in 1999. The series spans two six-issue limited series and a graphic novel from the America's Best Comics imprint of Wildstorm/DC, and a third miniseries...
,
Tomorrow StoriesTomorrow Stories was an American comic book series created by Alan Moore for his America's Best Comics line, published by Wildstorm .-Overview:...
,
Tom StrongTom Strong is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division.-Background:Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero"...
and Top 10.
2001
The studio launched Eye of the Storm in 2001 as an experiment. Most of the WildStorm imprint morphed into "Mature Readers" superhero comics. Joe Casey kept writing Wildcats, although it became Wildcats 3.0. The new version was penciled by Dustin Nguyen with inks by Richard Friend. Gen 13 was relaunched with a new first issue, written by X-Men's Chris Claremont. Gen13 spinoff
21 Down21 Down is a comic book published by Wildstorm, and created by writers Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Jesus Saiz.-Publication history:...
was written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Grey. After Point Blank, a mini-series starring Grifter,
Ed BrubakerEd Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...
carried on with the same ideas and launched the critically acclaimed
SleeperSleeper was a comic book series written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, published by DC Comics under their Wildstorm imprint. The series consisted of two twelve-issue limited series and the events of the first "season" served as a catalyst for the Coup D'Etat line-wide crossover.Sleeper...
, set in the WildStorm universe.
2001 also saw the start of
Warren EllisWarren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
's
Global FrequencyGlobal Frequency is an American comic book limited series published by Wildstorm Productions, created and written by Warren Ellis.It is a science fiction series set in the present day, consisting of single-issue, standalone stories. The series of twelve issues was published between October 2002 and...
. The rights for Global Frequency were bought by
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in 2004 and a pilot for a TV series for the WB network was made. However, the show was not picked up, although the pilot was later leaked to the internet. Stormwatch was relaunched as Stormwatch: Team Achilles, an anti-superhero book featuring Black Razors-leader Ben Santini and his group of soldiers marking humans stand in the WildStorm Universe.
The studio gave The Authority to writer Robbie Morrison. The Authority team starred in a one-shot called "Scorched Earth" (2003) and appeared in a back-up story that ran in all the "Eye of the Storm" titles. After this, they finally received a new ongoing series. It was the series that featured a storyline that became the "Coup D'État" crossover, which ran through Authority, Sleeper, Stormwatch: Team Achilles and Wildcats 3.0.
Two "Winter Special" anthologies also came out, but sales floundered on both despite critical acclaim. Some titles, such as Gen 13, suffered cancellation early on and 21 Down did not get its planned second season. Thus, most of the line was canceled two years after its foundation, except for Sleeper, which got its second season published and had a definite ending. Wildcats 3.0 was the title fans most derided DC for canceling, considering writer Joe Casey stated that he planned an organic ending in #40. Even though canceled, Stormwatch: Team Achilless last issue never came out due to very low sales.
2004-2010
In
2004-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
, WildStorm revamped its system of sub-imprints. The company properties fell under the
Wildstorm UniverseThe Wildstorm Universe is a fictional shared universe where the comic books published by Wildstorm take place. It represents an alternate history of the real world where ideas such as interstellar travel and superhuman abilities are commonplace...
imprint, the creator-owned properties fell under the WildStorm Signature Series imprint and all the licensed properties fell under the WildStorm imprint.
In the post-Eye of the Storm state, WildStorm published fewer titles centered around its Wildstorm universe titles, including
MajesticMister Majestic is a fictional character, a Wildstorm Productions superhero created by H.K. Proger and Jim Lee. He first appears in a backup story within WildC.A.T.s #11. One of the most powerful heroes in the WildStorm universe, he bears a strong, deliberate resemblance to DC Comics's...
, whose series grew out of his spotlight in Superman titles and Wildcats:
NemesisNemesis is a fictional comic book character owned by DC Comics/Wildstorm Comics. She is an immortal member of the Adrastea class from Khera and a trained Coda warrior.-Life on Khera:...
. In August
2006-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
, WildStorm consolidated all its output under a single "WildStorm" label to simplify the imprint brand for consumers and retailers. In
2007-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
, the Wildstorm universe became Earth-50 as part of the DC Multiverse.
In April
2008-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
, it was announced by Ben Abernathy that the events of
Wildstorm: RevelationsWildstorm: Revelations is a comic book limited series, written by Scott Beatty and Christos Gage with art by Wes Craig.After "Wildcats: Armageddon", Nemesis recruits Savant and Backlash to help her try to stop the end of the world....
,
Wildstorm: Armageddon"Wildstorm: Armageddon" was a crossover event in the Wildstorm Universe, written by Christos Gage and drawn by various artists.Armageddon led into a number of bi-weekly series, Wildstorm: Revelations and Number of the Beast, which resulted in the relaunch of a number of Wildstorm titles.-Issues:The...
and
Number of the BeastNumber of the Beast is a comic book limited series, written by Scott Beatty, with art by Chris Sprouse.Number of the Beast was the second of a number bi-weekly series, it was preceded by Wildstorm: Revelations, which resulted in the relaunch of a number of Wildstorm titles.-Characters:As well as...
would segue into Wildstorm: World's End, a post-apocalyptic direction for the line. In July of the same year
Christos GageChristos N. "Chris" Gage is an American comic book writer and screenwriter.-Early life:Gage is the son of author and journalist Nicholas Gage. He was born in New York, and grew up in Athens, Greece, and then North Grafton, Massachusetts...
and
Neil Googe-Biography:Googe's early comics work include a Shotgun Mary mini-series and work on 2000 AD, including a number of Judge Dredd stories....
published a new WildCats: World's End #1. There followed in August 2008 a new Authority: World's End #1 by
Dan AbnettDan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and
Andy LanningAndy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
with art by
Simon ColebySimon Coleby is a British comic book artist who has worked mainly for British sci-fi comic 2000 AD and Marvel Comics.-Biography:...
, Gen13 #21 by
Scott BeattyScott Beatty is an American author who has written comic books and encyclopaedias based on DC Comics characters.-Biography:Beatty has worked extensively for the popular comic book publisher DC Comics since the mid '90s...
with art by Mike Huddleson, and Stormwatch: PHD #13 by
Ian EdgintonIan Edginton is a British comic book writer.He is one of the few British comic talents to follow the reverse trajectory to the one usually taken: becoming successful in American comics before returning to work for 2000 AD.-Biography:...
with art by
Leandro FernándezLeandro Fernandez is a comic book artist, known for his work on various Marvel comic book titles.-Career:Fernandez is best known for providing the art for The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and Spider-Man: Tangled Web series, as well as one story arc of the Oni Press publication Queen & Country.His...
& Francisco Paronzini.
The Stormwatch: PHD title ended in November 2009. The remaining series each received another creative-team shake-up as 2010 began: February's The Authority #18 by Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman with art by Al Barrionuevo, Wildcats #19 by
Adam BeechenAdam Beechen is an American comic book writer who wrote Countdown to Adventure and co-wrote Countdown for DC Comics.-Animation:Beechen has written scripts for various cartoon, such as Teen Titans, The Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats, Pink Panther and Pals, The Batman and the Ben 10 franchise...
with art by
Tim SeeleyTim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe vs. Transformers and New Exiles.-Career:Seeley has illustrated a variety of comics, including Kore, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe vs...
and
Ryan WinnRyan Winn is an American comic book artist and inker residing in Orange County, CA. He frequently contributes artwork for DC Comics and starting in early 2011, he will be working on Batman with artist Tony Daniel.-Career:...
and April's Gen13 #35 by
Phil HesterPhil Hester is an American comic book artist, penciller and writer.-Biography:This Eisner Award-nominated artist was born in eastern Iowa, where he went on to study at the University of Iowa...
and art by Cruddie Torian.
WildStorm varied its publishing with licensed properties, such as
A Nightmare on Elm StreetA Nightmare on Elm Street is an American horror franchise that consists of nine slasher films, a television show, novels, and comic books. The franchise began with the film series created by Wes Craven. The franchise is based on the fictional character Freddy Krueger, introduced in A Nightmare on...
, Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,
World of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
,
The X-FilesThe X-Files comics was a spin-off from the television series of the same name, originally published by Topps Comics and, most recently, DC Comics imprint Wildstorm.-Publication history:...
and Dante's Inferno. WildStorm has also published original graphic novels from the pens of writers
Kevin J. AndersonKevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
,
John RidleyJohn Ridley is an American film director, actor, and writer.Ridley got his start as a stand-up comedian. He eventually was hired as a writer for sitcoms such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Martin...
and
David BrinGlen David Brin, Ph.D. is an American scientist and award-winning author of science fiction. He has received the Hugo, Locus, Campbell and Nebula Awards.-Biography:...
.
The imprint was shut down in December 2010, with Wildcats #30 and Authority #29 as its last issues, although DC announced that the characters would be integrated into the DC Universe some time in the future.
DC Universe revival (2011)
In June 2011, DC Comics announced the relaunch of its DC Universe imprint in September 2011; the relaunch will include ongoing solo series for
VoodooVoodoo is a comic book character from the Wildstorm Universe and has since been revived as part of the DC Universe.-Wildstorm:The first Voodoo series was a four-issue limited series, published in 1997 and written by Alan Moore.-DC Comics:...
and Grifter, & a revived Stormwatch series featuring
Martian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
, Jack Hawksmoor,
MidnighterMidnighter is a fictional comic book superhero, best known as a member of the rogue superhero team The Authority. Created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch, he first appeared in Stormwatch #4, before appearing in various Authority books and series and his own eponymous ongoing series...
,
ApolloApollo is a fictional character, a comic book superhero who first appeared in the Stormwatch series, but is best known for his role in The Authority. While visually distinct, Apollo is cast in the mold of the Superman archetype....
, the
EngineerThe Engineer is the name of two fictional characters in the . The current Engineer, Angela Spica, is a member of the Authority, first appears in The Authority #1 and was created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch.-The First Engineer:...
, and
Jenny QuantumJenny Quantum is a fictional comic book superhero in the Wildstorm Universe published by DC Comics. She first appeared as a child in The Authority #13 , and was created by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely...
.
External links
See also