Waller vs. Wildstorm #2 – Spencer Ackerman/Evan Narcisse, Writers; Jesus Merino/Vicente Cifuentes, Artists; Michael Atiyeh, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: It’s been a few months since the first issue of this intriguing black-ops miniseries, which pitted Amanda Waller against the superhero Jackson King. Waller got the better of King, managing to get him stripped of his Battalion suit and moved to a non-combat position, while she ascended through the Checkmate ranks and began the process of winning the Cold War through superheroes. Lois Lane played a very key role in that issue, which makes her absence from this one a little surprising. Now, years later, Amanda is a power-broker not just in the United States, but in the world—as she helps to engineer a coup in Gamorra, with the new hand-selected President getting a powerful super-suit to help her enforce her rule. But dark clouds are gathering, as Amanda’s second-in-command Adeline Kane has been arrested—and now her old rival King is asking her in for a casual interview.
This is probably the most unconventional superhero book on the stands, with it playing out like a prestige political drama for much of it. King’s thirst for revenge and Waller’s gamesmanship make the conversation between them highly entertaining, with King thinking he has Waller cornered only for her to reveal an ace up her sleeve. The only wrinkle in this is, occasionally the story will be crashed by the most ridiculous ‘90s antiheroes you’ve ever seen. This series embraces its Wildstorm roots, with Jackson King’s secret Stormwatch team being rather unfamiliar to anyone who only followed the many recent reinventions. The first two issues here have mostly been setting up the central conflict, but now both sides have their armies and war is coming. I’m not sure the two parts of this concept quite work together fully, but it has been highly entertaining to watch the creative team try.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
