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Grifter – Wildstorm Addiction
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A Wildstorm comic book podcast for Wildstorm addicts by Joe Soliz and Benjamin Murphy!
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Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 38
Sep 8, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #12, Grifter #12, Ravagers #4 and Voodoo #12, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #38 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. 00:01:12 – Joe gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU. Rob Liefeld has quit DC Comics. Apparently, zero issue is his last. Frank Tieri mentioned on Twitter that he’s staying on the title. Liefeld mentioned that Marat Mychels will take over art duties on Grifter and Scott Clark is moving to Deathstroke. In November, Team 7 #2 has a variant cover by Brett Booth and Grifter #14 has a rematch between Grifter and Midnighter. Our Gen 13: deviantART Club is still going. 5 years strong now! Our current art contest is a Back to School theme. If you’d like to participate, head to http://gen13-club.deviantart.com/ to join. Check out our new Facebook Fan Page for Team 7 http://www.facebook.com/team7comic and in case you missed it, there are also FB fan pages for Stormwatch, Grifter, Voodoo, and even a Wildcats page, all of which can be found under the Likes Section of the Team 7 page. Old WS creator-owned title, Casey Blue Beyond Tomorrow #1 is up at comixology. It was drawn by former Gen 13 artist Carlo Barberi and written by B. Clay Moore. It’s only $0.99. TWIT guest Patrick Norton @patricknorton from Tekzilla announced his favorite comic book character to be The Midnighter on episode #365 watch it here at the 24:45 mark: http://twit.tv/show/this-week-in-tech/365 00:09:58 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #12. Released on 8/01, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad & Julio Ferreira and cover by Scott Clark. Did you see that ending coming? I submit that you did not! 00:25:55 – Joe follows up on his thoughts for the twelfth issue of Stormwatch. 00:31:12 – Joe reviews Grifter #12. Released on 8/08, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Scott Clark and cover by Rob Liefeld. 00:42:16 – Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #12. The best issue since the hostel takeover of this book! 00:44:10 – Ben reviews the fouth issue of the Ravagers. Released on 8/08, written by Howard Mackie with art by Daniel Sampere & Stefano Martino and cover by Ian Churchill. I love the muscle men!!! 00:54:51 – Joe gives his thoughts on the Ravagers. 00:58:26 – Joe gives his review of Voodoo #12. Released on on 8/22, written by Josh Williamson with art and cover by Sami Basri, finally! Last regular issue of this title. 01:07:11 – Ben gives his assessment on the last issue of Voodoo’s own title. 01:08:53 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #12’s that have released last month. 8/08 Deathstroke #12 – Zealot and Deathstroke vs. Lobo 8/22 The Savage Hawkman #12 – Hawkman vs. Pike, Pike reveals Daemonites harvested to serve Kherubim, Kherubim appear to have lost, Helspont and Daemonites going after Thanagar next, mentions The Bleed, has a sentient air cycle called Spartan. 8/22 I, Vampire #12 – vs. Stormwatch 8/29 Superman Annual #1- Helspont appearance and a glimpse of Daemonite homeworld. 01:13:10 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 9/05 STORMWATCH #0 The history of Stormwatch’s activities in The New 52 are revealed! A new villain arrives, and the safety of the team has never been more in doubt! For the week of 9/12 GRIFTER #0 What is the dark truth behind Grifter’s powers? Find out in this issue! Plus: More on the Daemonite threat, new characters are introduced, and tons of bullets fly! RAVAGERS #0 Detailing the brutal abduction by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. of Beast Boy and Terra! Learn how the paths of these two heroes will affect the entire team! DEATHSTROKE #0 What horrors led Slade Wilson to become Deathstroke – the most dangerous killer in the world? More on the history of Team 7 and the first appearance of a fan-favorite character in The New 52! TEAM 7 #0 Threads of the entire DC Universe collide in this new series set in the early days of The New 52 from writer Justin Jordan (The Strange Talents of Luther Strode). As Superman emerges, so too does the world’s counter measures against him and his kind! Dinah Lance, Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash, Slade Wilson are Team 7 – and their story will change everything you know about The New 52! For the week of 9/26 VOODOO #0 The truth about Pris is revealed at last as she sets off on a mission for vengeance that can only end in genocide! 01:14:40 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics over the summer. 01:15:55 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78 Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com! Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com. Facebook Fan Page: <a title="Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wildstorm-Addiction-Podcast/154080507950657" target="_...
Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 37
Aug 11, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #11, Grifter #11, Ravagers #3 and Voodoo #11, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:34 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #37 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. 00:01:12 – Ben gives only a little bit of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU. 20 years ago this month in August 1992, WildC.A.T.s #1 was released! In October, Voodoo joins Grifter with issue 13, Team 7 #1 debuts with a Jim Lee variant and mentions Gamorra, Superboy shows up in Ravagers #5, and Deathstroke #13 solicitation reads “Deathstroke and Zealot learn the terrible fate of the planet Kheran and brace for the long-lasting repercussions it will have on the DC Universe.” (Kheran a typo or new name for the Kherubim homeworld as it was traditionally Khera?) Grifter Vol 1: Most Wanted trade came out July 25th which collects issues #1-8, Nathan Edmondson’s entire run with art by CAFU and Scott Clark. DC Heroclix: Batman is coming Nov. 2012 and as part of the set release, there are pictures of figures for the Wildstorm versions of Grifter, Maul, Voodoo, and Zealot. Rob Liefeld announces that his current run at DC will end his run on superhero books to focus on creator-owned projects. Joe mentions his twitter conversation with Brett Booth about bringing back Backlash into the new DCU 52. 00:05:50 – Joe starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #11. Released on 7/04, written by Peter Milligan with art by Eduardo Pansica and Ignacio Calero with a cover by Scott Clark, Dave Beaty, and Pete Pantazis. Also four inkers on this issue! Joe comes up with some great anime references that remind him of some of the scenes that happen in this issue. 00:20:20 – Ben follows up on his thoughts for the eleventh issue of Stormwatch….it’s no Grifter, and that’s a good thing, a very good thing! 00:22:44 – Ben reviews Grifter #11. Released on 7/11, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels, inks by Rob Hunter with cover by Rob Liefeld. One word, childish. 00:30:27 – Joe gives his assessment on Grifter #11…not much to say really. He did like Marat Mychaels’ art at least. But how can Grifter continue to have these amazing powers without a penalty of some sort, even Superman has kryptonite. 00:36:16 – Joe reviews the third issue of the Ravagers. Released on 7/11, written by Howard Mackie with art and cover by Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund. Joe really likes this book because it feels the most fresh of the bunch as far as the ideas that are being dealt with for each issue. 00:48:56 – Ben gives his thoughts on the Ravagers, which are pretty close to Joe’s feeling on this title as well. Being unfamiliar with the “color” concepts carried over from Animal Man and Swamp Thing has him intrigued enough to catch up on those title to better understand where it’s all coming from. He’s also glad that they’ve pivoted away from “the Culling” crossover story line and seem to have their own problems to deal with at the moment, survival and all. 00:50:46 – Ben gives his review of Voodoo #11. Released on on 7/25, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Paulo Siqueira. Loving it to the very end!!! 01:04:23 – Joe gives his assessment on Voodoo #11, not before naming the power that Priscilla has by Dragonite-ing out. He’s bummed out that this title feels like it’s giving up at the end as it has clearly been better than Grifter. Even though it’s cancelled it doesn’t have to feel that way. 01:07:42 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #11’s that have released last month. 7/11 Deathstroke #11 – more Zealot 7/25 Grifter Vol 1: Most Wanted – TPB (Go get it!) 7/25 The Savage Hawkman #11 – another Pike appearance, not much, just another cameo 01:11:34 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 8/01 STORMWATCH #12 MARTIAN MANHUNTER battles STORMWATCH! A major turning point for the DC Universe as MARTIAN MANHUNTER quits STORMWATCH forever! Don’t miss STORMWATCH this month in I, VAMPIRE! For the week of 8/08 GRIFTER #12 Face-off with HELLSPONT! RAVAGERS #4 Betrayal, revelations, blood, and DEATH come to the group as some find themselves powerless to the seductive charms and horrific powers of BROTHER BLOOD. RIDGE is prepared as a blood sacrifice to indoctrinate the newest members of Brother Blood’s cult. NOT everyone will survive this fatal encounter. DEATHSTROKE #12 The final battle with LOBO by new writer/artist ROB LIEFELD! For the week of 8/22 VOODOO #12 VOODOO and PRIS are ready for the fight of their lives…against each other! Is this the end for VOODOO? THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #12 HAWKMAN vs. ST. BASTION – with PIKE, an incredible assassin with key info about Hawkman’s past, caught in the middle! I, VAMPIRE #12 ANDREW BENNETT’S hold over the vampires is about to collapse as STORMWATCH attacks. 01:12:55 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics over the summer. Joe’s voicemail got moved to Ep. 78 because of San Diego Comic Con. And finally, an old Image favorite Cyberforce is coming back in a unique way through Kickstarter. Go to www.kickstarter.com and type in Cyberforce or (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/620244384/cyber-force-returns) 01:15:37 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: <a title="http://twitter.com/grifter78" href="http://twitte...
Transcribe →Grifter #11
Jul 11, 2012Tap to summarize“Forgive Us Our Synge” Writer: Rob Liefeld & Frank Tieri Pencils: Marat Mychaels Inks: Rob Hunter Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Editor: Brian Smith Cover: Rob Liefeld (No Spoilers) After taking a sharp 180 with the new creative team a couple of issues back, the Grifter title has been a mixed bag. However, much like last issue’s surprise revelation, Tieri and Liefeld are starting to interject some interesting twists that are reminiscent of what Josh Williamson did when he came on Voodoo’s book. Hopefully, these twists will be enough to get people drawn back to this book. I’ll admit the last couple of issues of Grifter haven’t exactly been my favorite. But since then I’ve had to take the perspective that this is like a new book and instead of issue 11, this is more like issue 3 of a new series. This version of Grifter is more like he was in the old Wildstorm U and as long as I keep that in mind, I can enjoy the series more. First off, it was a nice surprise to see Marat Mychaels drawing this issue. He’s one of Liefeld’s regulars and he normally pencils Liefeld’s creations or will assist with any projects Liefeld’s working on. I actually met him at Wizard World-Austin in 2010. He’s a really nice guy and I do like his art. Since he’s from the early days of Image, much like Scott Clark, Mychaels art takes me back. He’s also good at doing action which we learned from writer Frank Tieri last month that this was one of DC’s mandates for the title. In that, the title is certainly not lacking. But my one concern about that mandate is it doesn’t leave Liefeld and Tieri enough time let us get to know Grifter. It’s funny because Grifter even comments that “Lately, life’s been a friggin’ whirlwind.” I don’t think he could’ve summed up the title better. In getting the creators to focus on action, they are meeting a classic aspect of the character but there’s so much more that can be done. That said, I do appreciate a nice twist the writers throw in at the end but again, because they’re made to focus on action so much, a twist is all they have room for. After talking with Tieri it just makes me wish editorial would leave writers alone because I’d be curious to see what they could do without all these mandates thrown at them. Next issue is set to be interesting as we have another appearance by Helspont promised in the solicits. Like I’ve said before, I support this title even if I don’t agree with everything that’s being done in it. I just want this character to be successful in the New 52 and between this title and the upcoming Team 7 title, I’m glad he’s getting a lot of exposure. 7 out of 10 (Above Average)
Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 36
Jul 6, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review the new DCU versions of Stormwatch #10, Grifter #10, Ravagers #2 and Voodoo #10, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:34 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #36 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. 00:01:13 – Joe gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU. September is DC’s Zero Month where all titles will get a zero issue to fill in some gaps not yet explained in the New 52. Four new titles are coming during the month and one of them is a Team 7 book, written by Justin Jordan and art by Jesus Merino. The solicitation reads, “Set in the early days of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, threads of the entire DC Universe collide. As Superman emerges, so does the world’s counter measures against him and his kind. Team 7 is comprised of Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash, Slade Wilson – and their story will change everything you know about DC COMICS-THE NEW 52.” Unfortunately, this good news comes with some bad news as Voodoo #0 will be the last issue of the series. However, Grifter survived this round of cancellations so we’ll still have 4 regular titles featuring Wildstorm characters and hopefully some more guest appearances throughout the DCU as we’ve been seeing so far. DC released some advance trade info for 2013, including the following: JANUARY “The Culling: Rise of the Ravagers TP” Collects: LEGION LOST #8-9, SUPERBOY #8-9, TEEN TITANS #8-9 and TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1. FEBRUARY “Batman/Deathblow Deluxe Edition HC” Collects: Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire #1-3. “Stormwatch Vol. 2: Enemies of Earth TP” Collects: STORMWATCH #7-12 and RED LANTERNS #10. “Global Frequency TP” Collects: Global Frequency #1-12 (oddly listed under Vertigo) “Voodoo Vol. 2: The Killer In Me TP” Collects: VOODOO #7-12 and 0. MARCH “Red Lanterns Vol. 2: The Death of the Red Lanterns TP” Collects: RED LANTERNS #8-13 and STORMWATCH #9. “Sleeper Omnibus HC” Collects: POINT BLANK #1-5, SLEEPER SEASON ONE #1-12, SLEEPER SEASON TWO #1-12, COUP D’ETAT: SLEEPER #1 and COUP D’ETAT AFTERWORD #1 (also listed under Vertigo) “DC Universe by Alan Moore TP” Collects several of Alan Moore’s DC works but also collects some of his Wildstorm works which includes WILDSTORM SPOTLIGHT #1, VOODOO #1-4, DEATHBLOW: BYBLOWS #1-3 and WILDC.A.T.S #50. (The HC of this came out March of this year) 00:08:08 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #10. Released released on 6/06, written by Peter Milligan with art by Ignacio Calero and cover by Miguel Sepulveda. 00:24:30 – Joe follows up on his thoughts for the tenth issue of Stormwatch, which were much like Ben’s on this one, just an okay issue for Stormwatch’s standard. Not too great and not terrible either. A setup for hopefully some great things to come. 00:27:09 – Joe reviews Grifter #10. Released on 6/13, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Scott Clark and cover by Rob Liefeld. Two months in a row Joe doesn’t like where this title is going, especially as the dialogue that is being written for Grifter. However he does say that it is the better of the last two and it did have a readership increase of about 1,000 copies for the month which is a good sign. 00:37:48 – Ben gives his assessment on Grifter #2, I mean #10, right? And the baddie at the end actually reminded him of a portly Attica. 00:39:40 – Ben reviews the second issue of the Ravagers. Released on 6/13, written by Howard Mackie with art and cover by Ian Churchill. With two new baddie characters introduced it’s hard for me to remember if I’ve seen them both after how many bad guys were in the Culling crossover. 00:47:20 – Joe gives his thoughts on the Ravagers and gives us some insight on the new mythos in the new 52 about the animals, the green, and the rot. Joe is loving this book and especially Ian Churchill’s artwork. 00:49:54 – Joe gives his review of Voodoo #10. Released on on 6/27, written by Josh Williamson with art by Sami Basri and cover by Paulo Siqueira. Joe didn’t dig this issue that much because he felt like it slowed down a bit thinking that Josh knew the title was ending. 00:57:39 – Ben gives his assessment on Voodoo #10, which he was along for the ride from the beginning of the issue despite its many, many problems. It just had a fun vibe to it realizing that this title is coming to a close. 00:59:06 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #10’s that have released last month. 6/06 Red Lanterns #10 – continues directly from Stormwatch #9, vs. Atrocitus and Midnighter punches a cat! 6/13 Deathstroke #10 – Zealot is confirmed to be Kheran 6/27 The Savage Hawkman #10 – Pike appears, is called Kherubim, and talks about how his destiny is to kill Hawkman (reminiscent of his destiny to kill a Wildcat in WSU) 01:01:21 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 7/05 (New books on Thursday because of the holiday, or not apparently because both Joe and I were able to get books on the 4th!) STORMWATCH #11 THE ENGINEER takes center stage! There is a shadow organization as old as STORMWATCH…but who are they and what secrets do they hold? For the week of 7/11 GRIFTER #11 GRIFTER faces off against the powerful DAEMONITE known as SYNGE! DEATHBLOW and CHESHIRE are along for the ride – and that’s your guarantee that the action won’t stop! RAVAGERS #3 BROTHER BLOOD is here to destroy your heroes! BEAST BOY and TERRA continue to feel the ramifications of THE CULLING! DEATHSTROKE #11 DEATHSTROKE, ZEALOT and the OMEGAS vs. LOBO! DEATHSTROKE races to find the crashed STARPOINT cruiser and the ship’s WORLD BREAKER protocol! For the week of 7/25 VOODOO #11 “DEAD CITY” continues as Pris is forced to team up with VOODOO to survive an onslaught of mutated DAEMONITES! THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #11 HAWKMAN inches closer to answers about who he is and why he is being hunted! Introducing ST. BASTION! He’ll stop at nothing to discover the secrets of the scrolls Carter Hal revealed in issue #9! (more Pike? He will be on the cover of issue #12 for sure) 01:02:06 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards <a title="Clark's Bar Message Bo...
Transcribe →Grifter #10
Jun 14, 2012Tap to summarize“Cover Me!” Writers: Rob Liefeld & Frank Tieri Pencils: Scott Clark Inks: Dave Beaty Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Editor: Brian Smith Cover: Rob Liefeld (No Spoilers) The second issue of Liefeld and Tieri starts off pretty weak but some interesting revelations at the end make for a much better comic. Even Clark’s art seems to be getting back to where it was before the current run started. It’s not a huge improvement but it is a step in the right direction. After last month I was kind of dreading where this issue would take us. The first half of the comic was more of a mixed bag than the last issue. We still get some cheesy dialogue but it is sprinkled with some great action scenes. I have to say it was so cool seeing Deathblow and Grifter fighting side by side again. But as much as I liked the action, as I neared the end of the comic, I feared that might be all we get and thus would end another issue of Grifter without much direction. Thankfully, I was wrong. Grifter’s abilities take a dramatic turn in the issue and it’s an idea I actually thought should’ve been covered with the Grifter in the old WSU. It’s hard to talk about without spoiling anything but let me say this. If you remember Grifter’s battle with Green Arrow in Grifter #4, you may remember the incident where he caught one of the arrows that was shot at him. At the time, even he mused that it would be a long time before he learned how he could do that. Other than this moment, Grifter having any abilities beyond being good with a gun had not been explored yet. I have to say I’m happy with this turn of events and I hope it signals positive change for the title. Even Scott Clark’s art seemed to be returning to its normal awesome style. There were some weird choices in some of the shots with the line work but overall it looked better. Even the Daemonite Elite Class looked better than last issue. And I love the way he draws Cheshire! As long as Clark is drawing beautiful women I’m still on board! I am worried a little about the next issue because I’m not impressed by the design of the new villain they’re set to fight. But I’ll reserve judgment for that until next month. It’s still by no means perfect, but I’m not as exasperated with this title as I was last month. Above all else, I’m glad Grifter survived the cut of the 3rd wave of the New 52. I hope this creative team takes this opportunity to take some chances on the title and really garner some attention to it. 6 out of 10 (Slightly Above Average)
Transcribe →Grifter #9
May 10, 2012Tap to summarize“This Means War!” Writer: Rob Liefeld & Frank Tieri Pencils: Scott Clark Inks: Dave Beaty Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Editor: Brian Smith Cover: Rob Liefeld (No Spoilers) The new creative team of Rob Liefeld with Frank Tieri as co-plotters finally makes their debut this month but unfortunately a lot of the concerns fans had about this creative team are present in this issue. This mixed in with surprisingly weak art by the normally solid Scott Clark do not make for a good beginning on this run. Those who know me know that next to Batman, Grifter is my favorite character. I’ve also been accused of the being the cheerleader for all things Wildstorm-related and some have discounted my reviews because they think me biased. I’ll admit that I do love the Wildstorm characters and for the most part I am pretty lenient when it comes to their stories. But I have to say I was not happy with this issue of Grifter. I am a very positive person and don’t like focusing on negatives so I’ll get through them quick and then talk about what I did like about the issue. One struggle fans have had with the Wildstorm characters being introduced into the New 52 is the “old vs. new” argument. Many of the Wildstorm characters in the New 52 are vastly different from the originals. This has turned off some but for me it has been interesting. I never expected, nor really wanted, a direct translation of the old WSU into the DCU. A lot of these characters in their old incarnation wouldn’t fit in the DCU. The DCU Grifter has been one that has been chased, beaten, and finally had his loved ones take away. In issue 8 the DCU Grifter seemed practically on the verge of suicide because all of this had transpired and it was very appropriate based on what he had experienced. The Grifter in this issue, however, talks and acts like the WSU Grifter. You’d think I’d be happy with that fact but for me it kills everything that’s been setup about the character so far. The WSU Grifter varied depending on who wrote him. Some wrote him more serious while others a tad bit goofy. I never liked the latter. Grifter’s not meant to be a wisecracker, especially not the DCU Grifter. Even though he mentions the loss of his brother, I don’t see the hurt he was dealing with last issue. To me, this is a step backwards for the character. Also, it is good to have artist Scott Clark back but for the first time since he’s been on the series, I felt his art seemed a bit rushed in some areas. He had the previous month off so I was kind of disappointed to see this. I’ve always like Clark’s art and the fact he’s from the old Wildstorm crew adds a bit of nostalgia to the title for me. I hope this was just a temporary thing because this title needs a lot of help right now. It was also hard to get into the story and dialogue. The story of Grifter being the Chosen One to fight against the Daemonite is a storyline that has been used countless times and just didn’t seem to fit here. Grifter was definitely setup by the Daemonites as was revealed last issue but I don’t buy this new development. Grifter was fine just being a thorn in the Daemonites side. Finally, I will say (no spoilers because he’s on the cover) that seeing Deathblow introduced into the DCU was a nice treat. Deathblow was one of my favorite Wildstorm characters and it’s going to be fun seeing him and Grifter in a book together again. I also like the design for Cheshire. I’d never read about her in the old DCU but since we’re not getting Zealot (apparently she’s going to appear in Deathstroke), it’s cool that we’re going to have at least one ass-kicking female in this title for now. This title was already on life-support and it really needs something unique to get people to try it. It’s frustrating as a fan because I love this character so much but it’s so hard to get people to read a book I myself am starting not to enjoy. But I am loyal and I will follow Grifter to the bitter end but I hope Leifeld and Tieri have something big up their sleeves because this title needs serious help. 5 out of 10 (Average)
Transcribe →Grifter #8
Apr 13, 2012Tap to summarize“…must come down” Writer: Nathan Edmondson Pencils: Daniel Sampere Inks: Dave Beaty & Mark McKenna Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Editor: Brian Smith Cover: Scott Clark (No Spoilers) After a string of action centered issues, Nathan Edmondson takes his last issue to tie up some loose ends and give us an emotional action-packed ending to his Grifter run. Even fill-in artist Daniel Sampere does a great job of taking the reigns from Scott Clark for an issue and doing some great work as we see this first chapter of Grifter’s story wrap-up. I have to admit, when I first starting reading the issue, I got a little annoyed at how it started. I knew going into it that it was going to be Edmondson’s last issue and I wondered if DC had given him enough notice that he was leaving the title so we could get some sort of closure. The result is a mixed bag as I think its obvious DC told him they were taking him off the book because he shoves a lot into the issue in order to resolve plot lines he’d been laying out. It starts with the death of a character Edmondson introduced and they are taken out very unceremoniously. One could argue that it was done the way it was because of the idea that death is sudden and sometimes it’s over quickly without one last speech or final rally before the character dies. But I think here it’s mainly because it was something Edmondson had to do quickly because he only had one issue to wrap up a lot. But on the flip side, I did like where the story goes from there. As the cover shows, Max Cash is still alive, so no spoilers there. I loved the brother vs. brother conflict. I have a brother so stories like this are easy for me to relate to. I will be up front and say it was all resolved very quickly. But for the short time it lasted I did enjoy it. It made me wish that Edmondson had revealed earlier that Max was alive and we had spent the last few issues having the two brothers at odds. I think it would’ve strengthened all the issues we’ve gotten since Max was thought dead. Another thing I appreciated here was Grifter’s inner dialogue. I liked it early on in the series but again, when Scott Clark came on the book a lot that was replaced with more action. Here, I actually felt sorry for Grifter and understood how defeated he felt. Everything has literally been taken from him by the Daemonites so now he has more than enough reason to want to hunt them down. This to me solidified his purpose. Before, he seemed to be reacting to the situation and now I feel we may get a more proactive Grifter. Of course, this also depends how much of this development Liefeld will keep in upcoming issues. The Grifter title started really well for me, dropped significantly into too much action and not enough story, but then made a decent rally here at the end of Edmondson’s run. I know Edmondson had planned to be on Grifter longer and I think I can see the frustration in his writing when he realized he wasn’t going past this issue. I took this last issue as a “what could have been” issue of sorts. This felt like more of an amalgamation of the first couple of issues but with a decent amount of action as compared to the action-heavy issues we’d been getting. But next month, we’ve got Scott Clark back on as artist with Liefeld plotting and Frank Tieri assisting with story duties too. We’ll see where the new team takes Grifter from here. Hopefully, most of fans will too. 8 out of 10 (On its way to greatness!)
Transcribe →Grifter #7
Mar 15, 2012Tap to summarize“Frostbite” Writer: Nathan Edmondson Pencils: Scott Clark Inks: Dave Beaty Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert Associate Editor: Brian Smith Editor: Bobbie Chase Cover: Scott Clark (No Spoilers) Another action packed issue of Grifter comes and goes but this time the contender of the moment is Midnighter of Stormwatch. Fans of the old Wildstorm Universe known that the last time these two characters met, it did not end well. While it is a fun encounter and it was handled well, we still have yet to learn more about Grifter. I think I’ll start with Scott Clark’s art this time. Some people have really been split on his art but I really felt it was stronger here. I don’t know if it’s the fact that the setting was in the snow but it just didn’t seem as ink heavy as it has the last few issues. I love seeing Scott Clark’s rendition of Grifter. There’s just something about the way he draws Grifter that is very definitive for the character. He also does a decent Midnighter and I loved how he did certain shots where Midnighter was mostly in shadow but his symbol was visible. It was a nice effect. What is getting to me about this title is we’re not learning anything new about Grifter. The funny thing is it seems to have started when Scott Clark came on the title. I’m not sure if Edmondson ramped up the action in the title because of Clark because action is definitely Clark’s strong point. I have enjoyed Scott Clark’s action scenes but it seems that we lost a lot of the story-telling from the early issues. Based on the conversations Grifter had with his brother in the early issues, we know that Grifter is ex-special forces. Old Wildstorm readers know that in the WSU it was Team 7 he was a part of (which was an idea used in Lois Lane and the Resistance during Flashpoint). Now I wasn’t 100% expecting that Edmondson would use that during his run, but at the very least I was hoping for some flashbacks to this time in Grifter’s life. I just want a little more substance from this title and I think after 7 issues, I’ve given it more than enough time to deliver that. I am still enjoying the Grifter title, but I’m actually ready for something new with the character. Edmondson does leave us on a couple of interesting notes as Grifter comes up with a new plan to stop the Daemonites which sounded interesting. However, with Edmondson only having one issue left I’m not if it’s an idea that will carry over into Leifeld’s upcoming run. I will end with one great thing about the issue (and this is not a spoiler since it’s on the cover of the next two Superman issues). We get to see Clark’s rendition of Helspont and his arrival in the DCU! It’s a nice lead in to Superman #7 and I can’t wait to pick it up! 6 out of 10 (Slightly above average)
Transcribe →Grifter #6
Feb 11, 2012Tap to summarize“What Goes Up” (No Spoilers) Writer: Nathan Edmondson Pencils: Scott Clark Inks: Dave Beaty & Walden Wong Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert Editor: Bobbie Chase Cover: Scott Clark Edmondson and Clark deliver another action packed issue of Grifter. There have been a few that have grown weary with all the action, but Edmondson takes the story in a couple of different directions which could have easily been solved with some tried and true storytelling. This has left the title open and left us wondering where it will go next. This book is plotted like an action movie. It’s a combination of Scott Clark’s layouts and the situations Nathan Edmondson puts these characters in. I get a very James-Bond feel to the story because he’s taking us to interesting locations having the characters solve the problems presented by doing some pretty crazy things. If Edmondson hadn’t given Grifter some of the abilities he did, Grifter wouldn’t have lasted long in this book. The Daemonites have been established as a legitimate threat and we’ve seen how normal humans haven’t fared well against them for very long. We get to see a little more of Grifter’s love-interest, Gretchen, in this issue. Because of the situation they find themselves in, we don’t get to know more about her character but I was happy to see she can hold her own against the Daemonites. I can see why Grifter is attracted to her. To round out the cast, Grifter gets more support from the mysterious woman Sofia, who seems to be more than prepared to face the Daemonite threat. There was an obvious path Edmondson could’ve taken the story with these three but I’m glad he chose to throw us for a little loop to keeps things interesting. I’m still very much enjoying this title but I would’ve been disappointed if Edmondson had taken the easy way out of this story. I’m glad he chose a different route and it’s makes next month’s issue that much more anticipated. Because the solicits show us it’s Grifter vs. Midnighter! I can’t wait! 7 out of 10 (Above Average)
Transcribe →Grifter #5
Jan 12, 2012Tap to summarize“The Sleep in Seattle” Writer: Nathan Edmondson Pencils: Scott Clark Inks: Dave Beaty Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert Editor: Bobbie Chase Cover: Scott Clark (No Spoilers) The second outing between writer Nathan Edmondson and artist Scott Clark continues to ramp up the action that began last issue. I don’t know if the pairing has decided to add this much action to cater to Scott Clark’s strength, which is action scenes or it just worked out this way. All I know is that it has taken this series up a whole new notch for me. I feel like the last two issues have set-up a healthy pace for the series. We had an awesome fight last issue with Grifter and Green Arrow but it also moved the story along as we found out something new about the Daemonites. This issue does the same expect this time we get a great fight between Grifter and the Daemonites themselves. This issue had the Daemonites acting like they did in the old Wildstorm Universe where they would usually attack in large numbers. Even though these Daemonites have a completely new design than their predecessors, it was very nostalgic for me seeing Grifter take on a Daemonite swarm. Scott Clark was made for this book. His panels and layouts have so much energy and he keeps the fight scenes interesting. I love that he keeps Grifter moving from panel to panel and puts him in some great poses. I also have to give him kudos for doing well in matching previous artist CAFU’s design for the Daemonites. With a design as complex as theirs, sometimes it can be lost in translation with a new artist coming onboard. But Clark’s art is not only consistent in this area but he also does well to match it as he fills the pages with the Daemonite horde. For those who thought the first few issues of Grifter were a little slow, give these last two a try. For one thing, you will get a lot more action and get a deeper view of what the Daemonites are up to. The solicits show that Edmondson and Clark should be working together on the title for the next few months. I anticipate the issues can only get better from here. 8 out of 10 (Above Average)
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