HALO is evil, Grifter is teleporting across dimensions, and there’s a new WildC.A.T.s team stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. All in a day’s work for the WildC.A.T.s. With everything going to hell in a HALO basket, Matthew Rosenberg, Christian Duce, and Danny Kim have come together to provide another look into one of DC’s most chaotic teams.
SPOILERS AHEAD for WildC.A.T.s #8!
With the WildC.A.T.s trying to decide if Priscilla is worth trusting, they resort to the same tactic that has become their calling cry: Bickering. Thankfully, the arrival of John Lynch — another callback to the Wildstorm universe — means that the team can finally get started in facing off against HALO.
Priscilla isn’t happy with their scheming. She calls Marlowe, who is far from pleased with… well, everything. She finishes her call with Marlowe and goes about her way, while the Void’s skeletal face watches her. Not dead? Probably not dead.
Grifter, meanwhile, is still trying to figure out his new universe. As the team is attacked by robots, Grifter slips away to try some investigations of his own. As usual, his plan falls apart instantly. More robots find him, and he’s only saved by the arrival of two members of the team.
They head into Lord Emp’s tower as they continue their hunt for their world’s Void. There’s an attempt at a plan, but they’re the WildC.A.T.s; it backfires. Three villains attempt to take down the heroes, while Grifter and Damian trade verbal jabs. It’s a remarkably fun dynamic that desperately needs to be explored in the mainline DC universe.
Unfortunately for Grifter, the fun ends quickly. As Zealot arrives on the scene, Damian desperately tries to hold her off. He earns a knife to the throat for the pleasure. There goes that dynamic.
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It’s a tragic moment that isn’t entirely earned. Damian has been fun, but there’s not much underlying the character in this universe. If not for the existence of the actual Damian Wayne, it would have been an easily dismissed panel. Thankfully, Rosenberg capitalizes on existing attachment to the character, and it works well.
Zealot may be fighting to the death, but Grifter isn’t in it to kill her. He discovers that she married that world’s Grifter, and she has been butchering the world for Lord Emp ever since his death. He also learns that his teammate is secretly Zealot’s sister. It’s hardly the time for serious revelations, but Damian’s death draws them back to the fight.
While Zealot’s sister answers her sword for sword, Grifter just pulls down his mask. Zealot initially assumes that he must be a trick, but Grifter convinces her otherwise. The two kiss, and it’s a genuinely touching panel. Zealot tries to recruit him to her cause, and that’s how she gets a bat to the face shortly after. The WildC.A.T.s aren’t great at romance.
They’re not great at spying either. Priscilla finally breaks into Marlowe’s office, only to be immediately apprehended. The real owners of HALO are in the building. It’s the Court of Owls. Priscilla doesn’t know who they are, but it’s probably enough to earn a nice set of censored swear words in the next issue.
As the other universe’s WildC.A.T.s mourn Damian, Grifter slips off to greet the Void. He has a gun to her head. He tried that already in WildC.A.T.s #6. It didn’t go well.
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If there’s anything that WildC.A.T.s #8 does exceptionally well, it’s humor. Even the book’s action tends to run with an edge of comedy buried in the gutters of every panel. Grifter asking for Deathstroke’s last words immediately results in Grifter shooting him halfway through. It takes away from some of the emotional impact of the story, but it also creates a fairly unique tone that sets the book apart from the rest of the DC line.
The coloring also helps to keep the book as flashy as Grifter. Bright, dynamic colors lend well to the book’s many action scenes, and the art does great work at distinguishing the Zealots from each universe. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell the difference between Grifter and Max, which can get somewhat confusing. Thankfully, all it takes is for one of them to open their mouth to realize just how distinct they truly are.
Another disappointing note with the issue is how slow the Halo arc has been to unravel. While Grifter suffers through his multidimensional journey for most of the issue, his actual WildC.A.T.s team isn’t doing much. They’ve been sitting around and talking for a while. It’s clear that Rosenberg has a real love for Grifter, but the rest of the team deserves some attention too. Hopefully, the introduction of Lynch can put them on the right track.
While it has its flaws, WildC.A.T.s #8 does exactly what a good WildC.A.T.s issue should. It creates thrilling action, adds in some high stakes, and pays tribute to the Wildstorm universe while also building on its new landscape. Its brilliant sense of humor certainly doesn’t hurt.
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