After the Wildstorm universe merged with DC’s premiere heroes, WildC.A.T.s immediately brought everything that there is to love about Wildstorm. Gritty fights, raunchy humor, and surprisingly dark themes have been at the helm of this book since WildC.A.T.s #1. WildC.A.T.s #11 brings all of those elements back into the fold.
Teaming up with Stephen Segovia, Danny Kim, and Tom Derenick on art, Matthew Rosenberg finally gives the chance for the team to fight as, well, a team. With Grifter having spent the past few issues in another dimension and with Marlowe rarely playing along with the rest of the crew, this issue represents the first real time that everyone has been on the same page. The fact that it took eleven issues to reach that point is actually a mark in the book’s favor.
After all, this issue balances every character impeccably. Despite having to balance an ever-ballooning cast of characters, everyone gets a chance to play into setting up the team’s plan. Even Fairchild has multiple moments to shine — something that she has desperately needed to truly set up her status in the DC universe.
DC Comics
As always, this issue perfectly balances its high stakes with its sense of humor. Every character understands the weight of HALO’s plans, but their inability to take it completely seriously makes them surprisingly relatable. Their continuing hatred for Marlowe makes their reactions realistic and proves that Rosenberg isn’t willing to overlook Marlowe’s horrific actions.
One element of the humor does continue to serve as more of a distraction than an asset, however. The characters often use vulgar terms that feel appropriate for an under-the-radar team like the WildC.A.T.s. Every instance is replaced by a few special characters. Yet, as a 13+ book, there really isn’t a need for confusing phrases like $%*^@ to be thrown into the comic. It accomplishes nothing except forcing readers to step back and consider which four-letter word Grifter means. 13-year-olds are perfectly alright reading the word “Shit”. Pretending otherwise is just jarring.
There is another issue early in the book, and it relates to its heavy-handed exposition. Instead of offering meaningful dialogue, the characters just argue back and forth about previously established narratives. The first few pages are filled with it. A more organic dialogue would have been nice, but it ends fairly quickly and still flows relatively well.
DC Comics
Setting the writing aside, the art in WildC.A.T.s #11 is mostly incredible. One character’s shocking return is perfectly drawn and colored to create a terrifying and ominous perspective. The panel is so haunting that it is genuinely difficult to look away.
A highlight from this book has been the art, but a few pages in this issue do suffer from a jarring art change. Instead of having a single artist on the issue, it has artists with completely different styles clashing throughout the issue. Every one of the artists is capable and fitting. Unfortunately, their art is so stylistically divergent that it feels like DC stitched in pages from a different book.
The characters more than make up for any issues, of course. There’s nothing more fun than seeing Grifter barking at Marlowe or Batman undermining Arsenal. Ladytron has one particular scene that teases a common comic trope in a perfect way, and it helps to add some much-needed rest to the narrative. The stakes have become so heavy that it’s just nice to see characters taking a breath and toying with each other for a change.
DC Comics
As the end of the series approaches, the book is also doing a great job of wrapping up its plots. Every planted seed has begun to sprout, and they are all coming to a head at about the same point. Rosenberg is weaving a complicated plot, and he’s doing a great job of integrating it all. In a field so crowded with characters, it’s an impressive display of narrative control.
Another positive of WildC.A.T.s #11 is that characters actually do things. Instead of Grifter and Priscilla being the only ones with active plots, the rest of the team gets involved. It’s nice to see them doing more than standing around and talking. The fighting is fun, well-planned, and has some serious narrative consequences that the book has been building on since the beginning.
It’s hard to overlook how much fun WildC.A.T.s #11 is. While there are some flaws, the story, characters, and humor elevate the book beyond any criticism. It’s just a great book to look at and laugh with. Most of the art is fantastic, and there’s one particular panel that can haunt readers in their dreams. With just one issue to go, WildC.A.T.s is set to enjoy a strong ending to a fantastic run.
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