Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #9

[Continuing my look at Joe Casey's run on Wildcats. New posts Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.]

The second issue of the Casey/Sean Phillips run has two plots running parallel: Grifter, Spartan and Noir's attempt to find Emp; and Emp's confrontation with Kenyan in a casino.

The first plot explores the superhero element of the team as Spartan and Grifter stop a former supervillain from breaking into the casino's vault. Now, this former villain sold his suit for a device that will rip the hinges out of the vault--he has moved past strict adherence to the mask-and-cape nature of superpowers. So hs Spartan, who fights the entire time in regular clothes. Grifter, on the other hand, dons his typical mask. He is still trapped in a mindset that everyone else has moved beyond. Spartan, in particular, is on the path to evolving far beyond what he once was.

The second plot sheds some light on the Emp/Kenyan relationship, but not much is added. Emp is responsible for Kenyan's immortality and Kenyan is a psychopath--shown when Emp reveals that he's just a hologram and duplicates the effect, causing Kenyan to go on a shooting-spree. This also hints that Emp is beyond his old concerns for human life. He knows what Kenyan will do, but doesn't care.

This issue doesn't have nearly as much as last issue (or next issue), but drives the story forward and expands a few of the themes. It also ends with Emp telling Kenyan to kill him.

...wait, what?