Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #28

[Concluding my look at Joe Casey's run on Wildcats volume two. Commentary on Wildcats Version 3.0 begins on Saturday with new posts every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.]

Joe Casey and Sean Phillips' Wildcats comes to an end right here. Before I continue, I should say something about Phillips's work on the title since I've been neglecting it for a while: it's good. It is really good work that perfectly matched Casey's writing here. Phillips can tell a story like no other (except maybe Steve Dillon--and, hey, they got him to draw two issues) and can make talking head scenes work like no other (okay, again, except maybe Steve Dillon). He can do the "fantastic" as well, but his style makes it look absurd and out of place, which is what the book called for. Take this issue, for example: Agent Wax uses his ability to make others do what he wants on Jeremy Stone and we finally get a full shot of him in full-on "Maul" form... and he looks utterly terrifying and stupid. Because a giant purple guy in tighty whities would look stupidly absurd beyond the intial terror. Another artist would flash it up, make him look heroic somehow, but not Phillips, because he knew the score. I've focused on Casey's writing, because that's whose work I'm interested in and have been discussing for quite some time. But, Phillips's contribution was essential here. That needed saying.

Now then, the final issue...

It is split between two events: the aforementioned Agent Wax/Jeremy Stone stuff and Pris's tutorial by the Daemonite where she grows new legs. Casey puts both Jeremy and Pris in the past here. He shuts the door on them after one last issue of them acting like superheroes in their own way: Jeremy gets his "Maul" on while Pris uses her abilities to heal herself. At the beginning of the issue, Jeremy looks at a picture in a cracked frame--it's the cover to WildC.A.T.S. #1 and he wonders, "WAS IT EVER SO SIMPLE...?" The issue is titled "Door Prizes," which is an interesting play on the phrase since it usually means prizes won upon entry or because of entry, while Pris and Jeremy get theirs by exiting... but also because they entered. It's an odd paradox. Pris is able to move on with her life by leaving the WildC.A.T.S. behind her, but only because her superpowers healed her even though she wouldn't have been injured in the first place if it weren't for her contact with Jack Marlowe, the android formerly known as Spartan and Hadrian who she met back in the WildC.A.T.S. Got that?

The Agent Wax stuff has him stalk Jeremy for a bit and then use his powers to learn all about the WildC.A.T.S. and Marlowe. Marlowe intervenes and teleports Wax away--the next time we see him, Marlowe's plan is already in motion and we don't find out what happened in between until issue 17 of Version 3.0. This leaves Marlowe and Jeremy where Marlowe refers to Jeremy as a "former associate" and then says, "WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING... ALL OF US. I'VE FINALLY FOUND A PATH WORTH EXPLORING. / THERE IS ROOM FOR OTHERS. I CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. BUT YOU AND PRISCILLA HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH... [...] / THE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN. PLEASE LET HER KNOW THAT. BUT IT MUST BE HER CHOICE." Marlowe again recognises the bond between the former WildC.A.T.S., but tha it's a part of the past, too. He's finally grown and doesn't bury his past; he confronts it and allows it to choose if it wants to be buried or not. Instead of moving ahead alone, he gives his family a choice. Grifter chooses to go with him, while Pris and Jeremy do not.

The issue ends with Pris and Jeremy in an uncertain place, a possible romance but who knows. Pris has the final words of "BUT, THEN AGAIN... / ... WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT BRING...?" The final image is a single picture separated into two panels of Marlowe teleporting away after standing outside of Jeremy's beachhouse. Very appropriate as this book has talked around the conception of the future, of moving forward, but little movement actually occurred. In fact, this book was more obsessed with the past, with how it keeps coming up when you least expect it. For all his bluster, Marlowe accomplished little here. But, he's reconciled himself with his past and everyone is moving forward--he teleports from that past, allowing it to move into the future on its own terms, while he does the same.

In a way, volume two was the transition between WildC.A.T.S. and Version 3.0, two books that are quite different. It's no wonder that fans of the former hated volume two, because it did its best to move away from that old book, particularly under Casey. Under Scott Lobdell, it was superficially different, but was really the same old thing. Casey pushed the book into a more thoughtful place, one that examined how people deal with their past and move on from it--and how, more often than not, it has a mind of its own that we can't control. He also explored the family dynamic of the team, of old soldiers without a war to fight, and even what happens after you give up being a superhero. The last two tie into that overarching idea of the past, acting as sub-themes in a way. The family dynamic is related to that since this isn't a traditional (re: biological) family, but one forged by experience, by the past. What ties these characters together is what most of them are trying to move past--with one exception in Grifter.

Grifter is the only character who doesn't let go of that past. In fact, when a big part of it, Zealot, is discovered alive, he obsesses over regaining that lost past. In the end, he also has to let go, but not before reminding Marlowe that the past isn't buried, it is accepted, integrated and built upon. You can't forget it or fight it, you accept it. Once Marlowe does that, he is also able to move on. Grifter reminds him of the importance of the past, and he reminds Grifter of the importance of the future. Together, they are the heart of the book, two foils that cannot stay away from each other--and they are the protagonists of Version 3.0.

Volume two is over. Version 3.0 begins on Saturday and continues for 25 issues.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #27

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

The penultimate issue of Wildcats volume two continues the two-fold purpose of putting certain plots in the past and setting up Version 3.0--sometimes at the same time.

In that case is Agent Wax tailing Jeremy Stone who is doing freelance computer work--but uses his powers to shrink himself a little and make himself look like an old man. More about that next time, but Casey here is putting Stone in the past, while setting Wax up for the next series and his role there.

The majority of the issue has Grifter continuing his efforts to track down Zealot and... get back together with her? Have some questions answered? Who knows? I certainly don't know what Grifter actually wants, but I suspect he doesn't either. First, he meets her in a diner where she again tells Grifter to back off--but also explains that she is wiping out all of the Coda because she feels they've perverted the sacred teachings she brought to Earth.

This leads to Grifter and Zealot killing a Coda assassin who was hired to kill a man in the witness protection program. The Coda is killed (so is the target) and that finishes Zealot's job in America. Next: Europe.

We're left with Grifter and Jack Marlowe in that house. The talk sets up Version 3.0 and the continuing use of the two as a duo that act as foils for one another. However, this scene suggests that Grifter is moving into the future, putting the past behind him. Marlowe delivers another line about them being family, explicitly stating what's been obvious since the beginning. It appears the two will continue to work together (well, they will, which I know because I've read Version 3.0).

The issue ends with Pris waking up and finding the old beachcomber in her room. He's there to help. He's a Daemonite and it's time she learned about her heritage. The past resurfaces so she can have a future--well, sort of, I guess.

Next issue is the final issue of this volume. Then, on to Version 3.0.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #26

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

In a supermarket, Pris runs into an old man who knows all about her. Thus, that subplot gets a little bit more advanced in preparation for the final two issues of this series.

The rest of the issue has Noir's power play to take control of Halo by killing Jack Marlowe and Grifter. What's remarkable is how utterly conventional most of this issue is. Noir is the classic Bond villain: he sics a rebuilt Ladytron on Marlowe, one made giant and programmed to kill without question, while his flunkies take on Grifter... all the while, Noir gloats over his genius. As Ladytron beats on Marlowe, Noir could easily move forward with his plan, but he stops and says, "...I THINK I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. / I LOVE YOU THAT MUCH..." He is a relic of the past. His insistence on playing his part allows Marlowe to triumph. Noir, despite all of his bluster, is just a stock villain.

His plan is to use Otherspace to fuel Halo batteries that will never run out of power. His goal is the acquisition of money, like most good villains. He also wants power, which is why instead of simply telling his idea to Marlowe and being content with a high-paying job, he needs to eliminate Marlowe. Of course, upon revealing his plan, Marlowe uses his new Void powers to neuter Ladytron by teleporting away her various limbs. Noir, for all his bragging over his "genius," is caught unaware.

Meanwhile, Grifter killed the three French brothers. Because that's what Grifter does. Noir was doomed to fail because he attacked two men who are perfectly suited to repel such an attack: a man of violence who knows nothing but killing, and a man beyond violence who thinks on an entirely different plane.

When all of this fails, Noir tries to defeat the two through psychological violence, playing to Grifter's masculinity and homophobia, and Marlowe's "daddy issues." However, this fails, too, because the two simply ignore what he says. It's just talk, after all. In the end, Marlowe gives Noir what he wants: a trip to Otherspace... but without any protection.

The issue ends with Marlowe holding up a battery much like Noir did at the end of issue 24, but instead of a look of smug confidence, his eye (the other covered by shadow) filled with wonder and hope. Noir's plan may have been misguided, motivated by greed, but that doesn't mean that he was wrong. Marlowe is enough of a progressive thinker to not simply discount what Noir said because he was a villain. His has moved beyond the empty binaries of "good" and "evil," preferring a nuanced world where such abstracts are meaningless.

The synthesis of Noir's innovation and Marlowe's altruism lays the foundation for Version 3.0.

There's also a key line that ties this into Casey's theme of family. At the end, Grifter says, ">SIGH< / ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST. CAN'T SAY I'LL SHED A TEAR OVER THIS ONE," telling the audience that Noir was a member of the family, but not a true one. Unlike the other former WildC.A.T.S., Noir came aboard in volume two, making him a newbie, not a full member of the family--as his actions here prove, too. However, he was one of them. He was a Wildcat and, even then, he deserves some messure of respect and compassion... hence Marlowe's punishment: Noir gets what he wants, just not how he wants it. Maybe that's the cruel way to do things, but it's also fitting.

Two more issues of volume two left.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #25

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

The extra-sized 25th issue of Wildcats is an odd one as it doesn't advance the overall plot much. It's more of a breather as Jack Marlowe and Grifter assist Captain Pacheco in taking down the Smack Fairy.

Subplots are advanced, though: Pris and Jeremy in Miami with a shot of the beachcomber we know to be a Daemonite. Noir and the French mercenaries, preparing for their hostile takeover of Halo.

But, the focus here is on Pachecho who is addicted to Hype, the drug that gives the user superhuman reflexes. The issue opens with him confronted with a drug test at the police station and him having a panic attack.

The actual takedown of the Smach Fairy is relatively simple as Marlowe once again avoids the typical showdown by using his newly acquired abilities to simply teleport the Smack Fairy and his goons elsewhere, most likely somewhere they will not survive or even arrive alive.

This issue is an odd one as I'm not certain how it fits into the overall framework of the series. It again puts Marlowe in a "superhero situation" where he acts against the convention, but is that all? What does Pacheco involvement and addiction mean? As far as I can remember, this is the last we see of Pacheco (I haven't read Version 3.0 since it first came out, though, so I could be wrong), so why use him as such? He reminds Marlowe of his responsibilities, of his obligation to help his community. Pacheco means Los Angeles, but Marlowe isn't even human or from Earth--his community is bigger and so is his obligation. His abilities suggest a larger responsibility than removing drug dealers. Perhaps, Pacheco is here to provide one part of Marlowe's inspiration for the future of Halo.

And if Pacheco provides one part, Noir provides the other. The issue ends with Noir making his move as the French brothers ambush Grifter and Noir has a newly rebuilt Ladytron attack Marlowe.

When Noir confronts Marlowe, he delivers a monologue that is almost explicit in where Casey wants to take Halo and Marlowe: "THE THING IS... I'V BEEN WATCHING YOU VERY CAREFULLY THESE PAST MONTHS... / ...WATCHING AS YOU'VE COMPLETELY SQUANDERED THIS OPPORTUNITY... FUMBLING ALONG IN SOME SIC LOYALTY TO A DEAD ALIEN MENTOR. / WHO, I MIGHT ADD, NEVER KNEW HOW TO EXPLOIT THIS SITUATION EITHER. / SOMEONE HAS TO TAKE THE REINS OF THIS CORPORATION... SOMEONE WITH VISION. / IT'S CERTAINLY NOT YOU." Noir throws Marlowe's past in his face--something Marlowe has insisted he's put behind him, buried. But, has he? For all his talk about the future, has he really done anything that progressive? He keeps getting caught up in these "superhero situations" like the one in this very issue--even at the expense of business like in the first part of "Serial Boxes." Noir is an agent of change for Marlowe--he is a typical supervillain, but the active nature of the villain is what Marlowe needs, what he will learn from.

But, that's next issue.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #24

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

After the last two issues focusing on the dual interests/problems of Grifter and Jack Marlowe, this one takes a broader view and also brings the two together.

The issue begins with Captain Pacheco as we learn two important pieces of information: he's a drug addict of some sort and under lots of pressure at work to crack a case/make an arrest.

Then, it's off to Miami with Jeremy and Pris as he takes her home from the hospital. Again two pieces of info worth mentioning: the new house on the beach is being paid for by Halo, and Pris sees another Daemonite in the hospital, this time posing as a nurse.

The rest of the issue is mostly taken up with Marlowe and Grifter. First, Marlowe discusses business and Void's condition with Noir. Marlowe blames himself and Noir for what happened. He isn't aware of Noir's sabotage, but since Noir helped build the Otherspace exploration device, Marlowe "ASSUME[S] IT WAS SLOPPY WORKMANSHIP THAT RESULTED IN THE LAB ACCIDENT." As a result, he suspends all Otherspace exploration. Noir is not pleased.

Grifter arrives with news of Zealot being alive, while Marlowe shares the news of Void's injury. The dynamic between the two is interesting as they don't really like one another, like two brothers who took different paths--but the connection is still there. Grifter needs help with tracking down Zealot and Marlowe needs help with Void. Seems he wants to join with the Void entity, to provide a host body and needs Grifter to abort the procedure (and kill both Void and Marlowe) should something go wrong.

Before Marlowe steps into the energy container with Void, Grifter yells, "ADRIANNA'S GONE! SO WHO ARE YOU SAVING?!" To which, Marlowe responds, "THIS IS VOID. / HER LACK OF HUMANITY DOES NOT EXCLUDE HER FROM OUR COMPASSION. / SHE IS, AFTER ALL, ONE OF US." Again, this idea of helping one another because of a shared past--but they're part of the same "family"--arises. And that's all that needs said. Even though Marlowe and Grifter make a deal, it's implied that they would help one another no matter what, because that's how things are done. They are two brothers who don't get along, who don't see eye to eye--but, if the other needs something, they'll go to the ends of the earth (and probably further).

We get a page that includes a montage panel of Marlowe and Void joining with panels from old comics and a back-and-forth of captions by the two that contain Marlowe's android perspective on joining and quotes from Void's past. The page ends with Marlowe's shadowed face emerging from the energy and saying, "IT WORKED."

Immediately, we have him teleport into Pacheco's apartment, still in his suit, but now it is silver like Void was. His eyes glow pink. He has gone from simply an android to a superpowered android. While his abilities have always been above that of a human, he is now more powerful than his fellow androids. He has transcended them and finally become a post-android, a super-android, whatever term you want to use. In his efforts to move into the future, he becomes something from his past, basically.

We learn that Pacheco's case is to take down the Smack Fairy, a drug dealer from Alan Moore's first issue on WildC.A.T.S. and the current supplier of hype, a drug that gives the user advanced refexes--makes them superhuman. Marlowe is interested in helping.

The issue ends with Noir continuing his powerplay as he meets the Meurtre Brothers as LAX--three French mercenaries Noir has brought to LA to kill Marlowe and help him take over Halo. The issue ends with one of the most important panels in Casey's run on volume two: Noir holding up a battery and saying, "IT'S AN OLD AXIOM... BUT SO VERY TRUE... / HE WHO HAS THE POWER... HAS EVERYTHING." The battery is important as it will become the crux of Halo's operations--and the phrase is important as it will come back to haunt Noir since he does not have the power. Marlowe was already more advanced than him and, in this issue, becomes even more powerful. We're looking at a dead man who doesn't know it yet.

Until next issue.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #23

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

Last issue, I said that Casey purposefully has Grifter and Jack Marlowe's stories parallel one another as the two are foils. Then, Grifter wallowed in his past relationship with Zealot and his role as the "guy with guns" in the WildC.A.T.S., while Marlowe denied his past, focusing only on the future. In this issue, the pairing continues as both face problems.

The issue actually begins with two pages of Agent Wax as he quits the National Park Service and we learn he has a superhuman ability to control people with his voice. He plays a major role in upcoming issues (mostly Wildcats Version 3.0).

Grifter's story in this issue has him hunting down Zealot via local Coda dens. When he finds her, she is standing over the bodies of dead Coda warriors and attacks him. The fight between them is an odd mix of violence and sex as she dominates him--in both pursuits. In the end, she leaves him with an arrow through his right shoulder and a warning not to come looking for her again. After last issue's revelation that Zealot is alive and Grifter is so close to recreating that past he wishes still exists, it's taken away again.

As for Marlowe, last we saw him, Captain Pacheco was firing a gun at him. We find him unharmed--a hole in his suit is all. Pacheco still wants Marlowe to become part of his Crash Squad, to serve the community. While Marlowe attempts to transcend his superhero past, Pacheco pesters him to resume that role.

Their discussion is interrupted by a problem with the Otherspace probe. Some of the machinery has malfunctioned and Void is trapped--and only Marlowe is able to withstand the pressure and save her... maybe. Again, a member of his family is in danger and he automatically resumes his "superhero" role, rushing into danger at the possible cost of his own life. While Grifter cannot recreate his past, Marlowe cannot deny his. He saves Void, but she is critically injured.

The issue ends with Noir talking to the injured Void who is in a containment tank as he gloats over sabotaging the timing mechanisms--and how he's got big plans to take things over.

Next issue: Marlowe becomes even more powerful.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #22

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

There are two plots running through this issue: one focusing on Grifter, the other on Jack Marlowe. Casey returns to showcasing these two characters as the protagonists of the book, and as foils for one another. Each one's focus in this issue is the opposite of the other's.

In Grifter's plot, we see him continuing his path of self-destruction and wallowing in the past as he gets drunk and picks up platinum blonde women. On the third page, his advances cause a woman to call him disgusting and storm away, and his response is, "AHHH... FERGIT IT... / ...YER HAIR AIN'T WHITE ENOUGH ANYWAY..." It's been pretty explicit so far that he's obsessed with Zealot, who he thinks is dead and is dealing with that pain by having sex with as many who kind of resemble her as possible while embibing as much alcohol as possible.

After that woman leaves, Zealot shows up and Grifter is so gone he doesn't recognise her. He just says things like "...YOU'RE ALL THE SAME... AND NONE OF YOU EVEN COME CLOSE... / YOU DON'T... FEEL THE SAME... TASTE THE SAME... / AIN'T NOTHIN'... LIKE THE REAL THING..." and "NICE HAIR. COLOR... ALMOST PERFECT... COULD BE LONGER, THOUGH..." Really, he's a mess, but Zealot still goes back to a motel with him and they have sex. She endulges in his obsession for unknown reasons. Later that night/morning, the room is stormed by Coda and Grifter finds himself fighting side-by-side with a woman he thought dead. After they've killed all of the Coda, Zealot kisses him and takes off. In future issues, she will insist that Grifter stay away from her--so why did she come to him? Just to let him know she's alive? Because she still cares? Because she wanted some help taking out this Coda cell? We don't get any resolution here.

In Marlowe's story, not much happens. He is continuing his "Otherspace" project and Noir wants in. Void is scheduled to pilot the probe, which Noir does not like--but Marlowe recognises that he cannot be trusted. Marlowe has another job for Noir: use his skills to "REPAIR AND REACTIVATE" Ladytron "ONCE [MARLOWE] DECIDE[S] WHETHER OR NOT [THEY] SHOULD REACTIVATE HER." While Grifter wallows in the past, Marlowe reconsiders elements of it, but only in looking forward. Ladytron, of course, reflects Marlowe as they are both pieces of technology that are also very human (or Kherubim in Marlowe's case).

There's also a brief, one-page scene involving Pris in the hospital that acts to advance her subplot (she sees a Daemonite among the doctors) and to remind us that while Grifter obsesses over his lost love, Marlowe has moved past his. Grifter seeks to recapture what he has loss and Marlowe purposefully ignores it.

At the end of the issue, Captain Pacheco returns and fires a gun at Marlowe. Now, we only see the gun go off and, next issue, we see that Marlowe has a hole in his suit. His action scene has little explicit action, while much of the issue has Grifter and Zealot killing Coda on-panel and very explicitly.

As I've said before, Grifter and Marlowe are foils, each representing two reactions to the end of the WildC.A.T.S. and the war: Grifter lingers in the past, trying to recreate it, comfortable with that life; Marlowe puts it behind him, trying to transcend it, uncomfortable with that life.

What's particularly interesting is that Grifter's plot gets the bulk of the issue, an equal amount of progress is made in his and Marlowe's stories. Page after page of fighting doesn't actually accomplish much in the comic and seems almost out of place. Has Casey included those scenes as a compromise to the genre? I don't think so--at least, not completely. Since Grifter still inhabits that world, the comic must inhabit it as well. Last issue had Grifter fighting Agent Orange and this one has him "teaming up" with Zealot to fight some Coda.

You'll also note that I continue to refer to the character as Grifter rather than Cole Cash most of the time. That's because that is the identity he chooses to adopt most of the time and the one that he's obviously more comfortable with. When he's Cole, he gets drunk, acts like a jackass, and fucks anything with light enough hair; when he's Grifter, he's confident, able, and... well, he seems almost happy. He needs a purpose and killing people is the only purpose he's known for a long time, so it makes perfect sense that that's what he clings to.

And I've prattled on long enough. Next issue: things go wrong for both of our heroes. At the same time. Gee, what a coincidence.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #21

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

You know what's really weird about last issue and this one? Steve Dillon not only does the interior art, but also draws the covers. That seems to never happen, so it's nice to see. The inked-but-not-coloured versions of the covers can be seen here (scroll down and they'll be there somewhere). Just an interesting little tidbit of information.

We conclude the two-part "Sodom and Modem" with an action-packed issue as the CIA closes in on Jeremy while Cole is hooking up with a platinum blonde in eremy's hotel room. The issue is divided between Grifter fighting Agent Orange, and Jeremy dealing with CIA Agent Cave while chatting with MADGE, the government computer system that's in love with him.

The use of Agent Cave is a little off as he spends most of the issue toying with Jeremy rather than arresting him. He has Jeremy explain the situation to MADGE for his own amusement, counting on Agent Orange to take down Grifter. Not only that, his arrogance leads him to have Jeremy tell MADGE about Agent Orange--a mistake.

Agent Orange has had his blood replaced with dioxin, which makes him damn near impossible to stop. Grifter does everything he can think to take him down, but it isn't until MADGE uses a neural shock that's basically an off-switch for Agent Orange that he finally goes down.

We again "see" Jeremy use his superpowers, but it happens off-panel. We cut from Grifter and Agent Orange to Agent Cave unconcious and stuck in a wall with Jeremy telling MADGE that he took care of Cave. This is the third time Casey has had Jeremy use his "Maul" powers and, aside from his confrontation with Sam Smith (a "supervillain"), they have all taken place off-panel, with a shot of a giant purple fist at most. This is contrasted with Grifter whose acts of violence happen on-panel--as he is still living within that superhero/action mentality while Jeremy has moved past it. I've mentioned that before, but it's the continuing points of Casey's run: what happens after the war is over? What is the state of post-superhumanity?

As well, the issue ends with Cole telling Jeremy something that has been obvious, but still needs stating as it relates to the manner in which Casey approaches these characters:

"HEY, WE MIGHT NOT BE DOING THE 'COVERT ACTION TEAM'-THING TOGETHER ANYMORE... / ...BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE STOP LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER. / NEXT TIME... DON'T FORGET THAT."

The former WildC.A.T.S. are a family, which is the core premise of the book, really.

Agent Orange is worth remembering as he plays a part in Wildcats Version 3.0. The scenes between him and Grifter are not worth mentioning beyond highlighting Agent Orange's utter dominance over Grifter--and how unnerving this is for Grifter. As well, to once again highlight that Grifter gets numerous action scenes in this issue, and will continue to be one of the few characters who has extended acts of violence on-panel.

Next issue: the return of Zealot.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #20

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

After the events of "Serial Boxes," Joe Casey is joined by guest artist Steve Dillon for the two-part "Sodom and Modem." The story revolves around Grifter visiting Miami and his staying at the same hotel as Jeremy Stone. The first issue deals with the weird complicated relationship the former WildC.A.T.S. have with one another. You get the idea here that Cole and Jeremy don't really like one another all that much. Cole is mostly interested in picking up platinum blonde-haired women, while Jeremy wallows in self-pity.

In one scene, Cole makes fun of Jeremy for his efforts to "cure" Pris of her Daemonite genetics, which causes Jeremy to level Cole with a giant purple fist. Both men are assholes, but they can't escape one another, not really. Casey recognises that their past has stuck them together--despite what Jack Marlowe said at the end of last issue. For all of this book's concerns with the future, the past is an ever-compelling and influencing factor in the lives of these characters.

Cole's obsession with platinum blondes stems from his inability to get over Zealot. Jeremy uses his brains in an effort to finally get the hot girl to like him, no doubt trying to overcome lots of rejection and hurt feelings--all the while ignoring what she wants (or that it seemed she liked him already).

Also introduced in this issue are three CIA agents investigating Jeremy for his interfacing with MADGE, a government computer that is a closed system and, supposedly, unhackable. And not only that, it's fallen in love with Jeremy. Among the CIA agents is Agent Orange, who we'll learn more about next issue. He is worth paying attention to as he becomes part of Casey's big picture in Wildcats 3.0, which we're fast approaching.

To be concluded next time.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #19

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

In the conclusion of "Serial Boxes," Casey returns to one of his most consistent "tricks": the anti-climax. Throughout his career, he often sets up a grand confrontation in traditional superhero terms, but then undermines it through a resolution that involves no physical confrontation. Here, he doesn't go that far--he provides some action, but only in the most technical sense.

Jack Marlowe and Grifter have set a trap for Sam Smith--a public speaking engagement at UCLA. Except, Marlowe has used his considerable resources to close down the entire campus, so there's no chance of any innocent people getting hurt. This is important as it goes against two superhero tropes: normally, the villain sets the trap for the hero; and, normally, fights are public with innocent lives in danger. Marlowe is not limited by this sort of thinking as he is a post-superhero (I don't like the term that much either, but it's the best I've got).

Unfortunately, Agents Wax and Mohr hide on campus, hoping to arrest Smith. They confront him when he comes on campus. He kills Mohr and injures Wax.

In the auditorium, Smith and Marlowe face down one another with Smith starting things off by using his fire vision on Marlowe--which does nothing except burn away Marlowe's clothes, skin and hair, leaving the humanoid android body unharmed. The last time we saw Marlowe in this form was issue ten when the energy from Emp's death left him looking very much the same. Then, he told Grifter not to look at him--here, he simply says to Smith, "WELL MET. / PRAY YOU HAVE MORE TO GIVE."

Smith sees this as a confrontation between good and evil in a typical superhero manner: the final showdown between two families, one of heroes, one of villains--and he's loving it. But, Marlowe ends it with two words: "TAKE HIM." Then, Grifter shoots Smith in the back of the head. We--and Smith--get only the most basic of superhero/supervillain confrontations before it is over.

After, Marlowe and Grifter have the following exchange:

Marlowe: HOW DID THAT FEEL?

Grifter: FELT FINE. HOW'D IT FEEL TO WATCH?

Marlowe: I DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING.

Grifter: THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD'VE DONE IT.

Grifter, still trapped within the older way of thinking, one of traditional heroes and villains, finds satisfaction in the confrontation as he performs his role per usual--but Marlowe finds no satisfaction, much like the reader. There is no feeling of triumph here, because this was not an epic fight between good and evil--it was just putting down a mad dog that had to be put down. You do not feel good about it, you do not celebrate. The two simply teleport away, leaving Smith's body to the National Park Service.

The issue ends with Void telling Marlowe that she's left Grifter in Miami and asking if he will want to return to Miami as well. Marlowe responds, "NO. / MY PLACE IS HERE AT HALO. / THE PAST IS A THING TO BE BURIED. AN IRRELEVANT CONCEPT. DESTINY IS WHAT PUSHES US FORWARD. / THE FUTURE AWAITS." Marlowe recognises that he has moved beyond his former comrades. He will always have a connection to them as they are his family, but he has also outgrown them in many ways. From this point forward, Marlowe will pursue his path and, at best, bring them with him, force them to grow to his level--he will do his best to avoid stooping to theirs again, as he was forced to here.

"Serial Boxes" is a story about burying the past, of moving beyond former limitations. It will spur growth in Pris and Maxine--even Grifter. In killing the grandson of his "uncle/father's" enemy, Marlowe concludes the superhero chapter of his life.

Of course, Casey follows this up with two issues of Grifter and Maul versus the CIA. Hoo-ha.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #18

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

The penultimate chapter of "Serial Boxes" is a nice mixture of quiet and action. It begins with Agents Wax and Mohr, where he learn how Mohr came to work for the National Park Service: an ex-girlfriend had superpowers and went crazy, and he "neutralized" her. Casey sets up these guys are experts in taking down superpeople, causing us to wonder: who will get Sam Smith first, them or Marlowe and Grifter?

Speaking of which, those two plan a way to kill Smith when he arrives in LA to confront/kill Marlowe. A contained "public appearance" is Marlowe's plan. They want to keep the entire thing quiet, but Maxine Manchester eavesdrops...

We get another postcard page with Smith writing a letter to his dead grandpa. Noir and Jeremy are in Miami, and they learn of a lecture Marlowe is giving at UCLA, which Smith also sees on the news. These scenes actually do little beyond keep us in touch with the characters.

The most important scene of the book, really, is a two-page discussion between Marlowe and Grifter. Grifter confronts Marlowe on his motivation for wanting Smith dead--he wants Marlowe to admit he wants revenge, to put Smith down because of what he did to Pris and Jeremy. And Marlowe says this. Again, Casey gives us a small moment demonstrating that Marlowe is not a typical android. As well, that these two characters are not so different, really. They are the heads of the Wildcats "family," forever together and, when things get rough, they are united. They are foils for one another.

The rest of the issue focuses on Maxine's attempts to find Smith first and kill him herself. She eventually finds him--thankfully because he's arrogant enough to register under his actual name (but not before breaking in on several other Samuel Smiths). In the ensuing fight, Smith burns her alive with his eyes. We last see her being hit with his fire vision before Marlowe has Void teleport her back to the Halo building... where she's completely on fire. After she's put out, it's clear that she's dead.

Again, one of the women in the book is mutilated... and, this time, killed by Smith. This one has its own disturbing subtext: Maxine dies because she takes the initiative to kill Smith herself instead of leaving it to the alpha males of the group. Pris's mutilation was because she was sexually independent, Maxine's because she is active and... okay, psychotic in her desire to kill sometimes. Not sure Casey intended these readings of what happens, but it's also pretty blatant.

Next issue, Smith dies.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #17

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

A quiet, emotional issue after last issue's brutal injuries to Pris and Jeremy.

We begin with Jack Marlowe meeting with Captain Anthony Pacheco, a member of the LAPD who wants Marlowe to help out with his crash squad. This meeting is interrupted with news about Pris and Jeremy.

Nearly all of the rest of the issue takes place in a Miami hospital and we get a sense that Marlowe is not as heartless or cold as he's seemed these past few issues. Casey has been very good at giving us little moments that suggest that there's more to Jack Marlowe than just another android. At the same time, one convention of science fiction (which this is, by the way) is the seemingly unfeeling android that is really just as "human" as the rest of us. Except, is Jack Marlowe human or is Casey perhaps writing him in a similar manner but with a Kherubim basis? I honestly don't know as the thought just occurred to me, but it would make more sense.

This android character is also different from Casey's other android, Automatic Kafka. Marlowe does not wallow in what he is or long to be something else: he knows who and what he is and acts with confidence. He is rarely unsure or self-doubting. He is decisive and very much the opposite of Kafka. But, that's a discussion for another time.

Marlowe shows concern here for Jeremy but is more interested in Pris and in who did this. He clearly has his goal in mind and uses Agents Wax and Mohr to further that goal when they arrive on the scene. It's interesting to see how Casey has Marlowe be so decisive and active that he operates on another level here: everything he says and does is both out of concern for his "family" and in furtherance of finding the person(s) responsible. He gains information from the agents that this is a serial killer, which makes the prospect of revenge even more appealing since he probably deserves to die. Not only that, but Marlowe learns from Pris everything Smith told her--including his motives. Pris and Jeremy were hurt in an effort to get at Marlowe, making it his responsibility--not that he didn't already think it was, but this adds a level of blame, too. After several issues of control since he had to kill Emp, Marlowe now faces a situation that he is not in control of. How he reacts says a lot about him.

At the end of the issue, he leaves Noir in Miami and has Void bring him home... with a stop in between to pick up Grifter. The issue ends with a splash of the two arriving in Marlowe's office in their respective costumes (Marlowe in his suit, eyes glowing; Grifter in his mask, guns drawn). These two define Casey's run, particularly when they're together.

But, that's next issue.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #16

[My issue-by-issue analysis of Joe Casey's Wildcats run returns after over a month off. New posts Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.]

Little known fact: Serial Boxes takes place at the same time as Jackie Brown or so says the first page of issue 16 where Pris and Sam Smith are talking in a mall food court--and we get a shot of Sam Jackson as Ordell (minus the little braided goatee and long hair) with the back of Pam Grier's head and her holding a cigarette. Not that that really has anything to do with the comic, but I've always enjoyed that panel.

This issue is very focused on Smith and Pris, including some interaction with Jeremy--and a couple of scenes with Agents Wax and Mohr. Mostly, we get Smith's attempted seduction of Pris that goes from mall to club-hopping back to Jeremy's place where he has just figured out how to eliminate the Daemonite genes from Pris--but she doesn't know that.

Something about Smith winds up turning her off... and he reacts by burning a hole through her with his eyes and then going to town in attempting to mutilate her. As always, he explains who he is and why he's doing this, but this time, two things that haven't happened before occur: the woman he's about to kill knows Jack Marlowe and Smith is stopped.

Namely, by a giant Jeremy who beats the shit out of Smith until Smith blasts Jeremy in the eyes and gets thrown out of the house. The issue ends with Jeremy grasping blindly for Pris, only to grab one of her legs... neither of which are attached to her anymore.

The two scenes with the NPS agents establish their methodology and goals: they deal with superpowered criminals and serial killers. As well, it establishes that they have figured out where Smith may go next: to Jack Marlowe.

The storytelling in the scene where Smith attacks Pris is fantastic as we get shots of Jeremy in his soundproof lab, about to do more work--and leave Pris completely on her own. But, he finally (and, for some reason) just busts through the wall. Phillips's art is great here. Very creepy and suspenseful.

The actual attack on Pris is a little problematic, I would imagine, for some. Pris is typically a strong woman who is very independent and can take care of herself, but, here, she is a victim. Normally, I would agree that it falls into the "woman in refrigerator" mould that many comics do, but Pris's role as victim here underscores one of Casey's themes in this book: what happens to soldiers after the war? Pris has chosen to lead a "normal" life and ignores her heritage, abilities and past as a superhero-of-sorts. Smith, on the other hand, has embraced his heritage and abilities, becoming a supervillain-of-sorts. Jeremy is slightly heroic, but as he's also turned his back on his past, he is only partially successful--he gets rid of Smith, but is also seriously injured and unable to prevent injury from coming to Pris. Additionally, this injury puts Pris into a position where she reconnects with her natural abilities and heritage.

Also, most of the former WildC.A.T.S. are victims in one way or another, with the exception of Jack Marlowe, I'd say. That said, the elimination of the female WildC.A.T.S. is a pattern in this book, as we'll see--and a disturbing one, at that.

To be continued on Saturday.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats Recap

It's been over a month since my last post regarding Joe Casey's run on Wildcats and that's a long, long time online. In that past month, many things have happened that have no doubt made you forget all about my analysis of that book, so I figure before jumping back into it on Thursday, I'll do a quick recap of what's happened, and maybe try to draw out some of the recurring ideas/themes.

Wildcats was relaunched in 1999 following DC's purchase of Wildstorm with Scott Lobdell writing and Travis Charest on art. It was a bimonthly book to accomodate Charest's slow pace. It was not good. It was a bad comic on almost every level--and, yeah, I'm including art, because, while Charest's work is pretty, it doesn't function well at telling a story. Pretty pictures are nice, but I want more out of my art.

The basic concept was that of a "non-team" that lacked direction, except Lobdell did his best to give it direction in the form of Kenyan--a human made immortal by Emp/Jacob Marlowe. So, the team is after him--the team consisting of: Emp, now a Kherubim high lord ready to ascend; Spartan, a near indestructible android with advanced strengths and other abilities; Grifter, Cole Cash, a guy with guns; and Noir, a gay French arms dealer with computer skills.

Other former WildC.A.T.S. show up like: Voodoo/Pris, a Daemonite half-breed who is sleeping on Maul/Jeremy's couch in Miami--he has the power to increase and decrease his mass and is working on a way to eliminate the alien genes from Pris's body as a surprise in an effort to get her to love him. There's also the dead Zealot, who Cole is all kinds of in love with. And Jeremy Reno/Warblade who had his girlfriend killed by Pike and then killed Pike. He is currently retired and living in New York.

Towards the end of Lobdell's run, Casey came on board to script a couple of issues over Lobdell's plots, but that didn't make them any better. In a few spots, Casey took the opportunity to make fun of the book (or, so I read certain pieces of dialogue). Lobdell stayed on the book until issue seven and Charest left after issue six, having only completed two full issues--three more involved another artist doing part of the issue and issue five had Bryan Hitch on fill-in. These issues act merely as a prelude to Casey's run.

Joe Casey took over the writing with issue eight and Sean Phillips came aboard on art. Their first arc was three issues and acted as a means of eliminating both Kenyan and Emp from the book, while also advancing Casey's pet themes for the book: post-superhumanity and what do soldiers do after the war is over? In these issues, Emp and Kenyan have a final face-off with Kenyan killing himself, while Spartan kills Emp to assist in his ascension. Additionally, Casey plays around with the conception of family, specifically juxtaposing Kenyan and Spartan as the two "sons" of Emp, one good and the other evil.

Following those issues, Casey continued to have Grifter and Spartan act as foils to one another as Grifter continues along his same path as a mercenary, while Spartan adapts the identity of Jacob Marlowe's nephew, Jack and takes over as head of Halo. He moves the company to Los Angeles and uses his superpowers rarely. A suit is now his costume. Casey also brought back former WildC.A.T.S. Ladytron (Maxine Manchester--a psychotic, foul-mouthed cyborg killer) and Void, who no longer has her human host.

In the story I was last discussing, Serial Boxes, there is a man killing women with the last name Marlowe. He is the grandson of a superpowered gangster who Emp put in a coma, and he inherited his grandfather's power to shoot fire from his eyes. He is Samuel "Slaughterhouse" Smith. He views his actions as a means to get at Jack Marlowe and continue the war between the families. Marlowe used his powers to stop a high speed chase and has attracted some attention. He has Noir and Void working on a project in Otherspace. Noir does not like Void. We've been introduced to Agents Wax and Mohr of the National Parks Service, a government branch that apparently handles superhuman-related crimes. Issue 15 ended with Smith hitting on Pris after she's been using Marlowe's credit card.

As I've said, some of the themes/ideas to look out for:

* Post-superhumanity--what comes after being a superhero?

* What happens to soldiers after the war is over?

* The conception of family: whether biological or created--and make no mistake, the people here are a family

If you want to read my posts on these issues, here are the links:

Issues 1-13 plus the 2000 annual and Ladytron special
Issues 14 and 15

On Thursday, I will resume this series of posts with Wildcats #16 and it will pick up its usual schedule of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #15

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

Christ, my brain is very, very tired. On Sunday, I lost five thousand words of my novel/thesis in a PDA "fatal error" that caused the document to just disappear. Thankfully, it wasn't a substantive amount of text, only being what I'd written on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So, yesterday, I did a marathon writing session to rewrite it all--and complete the section. But, that did mean the novel is, basically, finished (barring revisions and a couple of additions, plus the essay I have to write for it). That's my way of saying that I'm mentally drained and if this post isn't that long or great, that's why.

Thankfully, this is part two of the six-part "Serial Boxes," so not a whole lot worth discussing.

--Samuel Smith continues to track down and seduce women with the last name Marlowe only to use his superpowers (heat vision) to kill them.

--Noir is assigned to work alongside Void on Halo's Otherspace project.

--Pris continues to shop (and then return her purchases) with the Halo credit card under the name of Marlowe--she and Jeremy discuss their heritage a little and she seems apathetic

--Smith heads for Miami

--the introduction of Agents Wax and Mohr of the National Park Service. They are on the trail of Smith.

--the introduction of Anthony Pacheco, an LAPD captain

--Smith begins his seduction of Pris

What does it all mean? Important characters first appear here, specifically Agent Wax, who is a major player in Casey's run. The Smith v. Marlowe family feud continues as he reaches his penultimate stop. The introduction of Otherspace, a concept from Casey's Mr. Majestic run--and Noir's growing ambitions/antipathy for Void. Note his treatment in subsequent chapters of this story. Jeremy is close to curing Pris, but does she want to be cured of her Daemonite heritage?

Everything is questions right now, which is to be expected. I'll be better on Thursday.

Joe Casey Comics: Wildcats #14

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

We begin "Serial Boxes" here, a story where nearly every loose thread comes together in one way or another. Like most first issues of an arc, this one is set-up.

The first scene has an old man coming to the bed of another old man but the second is in a coma of some sort. The first old man talks about how he was the second's aide back when the second was a mob boss who could shoot fire from his eyes until a midget fried his brain. The aide has kept track of the midget, who we know as Emp, Saul Baxter and Jacob Marlowe. Although Emp is dead, he has family (Jack Marlowe), so the aide contacted the mob boss's grandson who also has the ability to shoot fire from his eyes. The aide told him everything and the grandson seems quite insane. The aide unplugs the mob boss and then takes a pill, committing suicide.

Jack Marlowe is meeting with Chinese businessmen and discusses Halo as a force beyond politics, using business to make the world better--the meeting is interrupted by news footage of a high speed chase, so Marlowe flies over then and lands right in front of the criminals's car... which barely damages his suit. He's taken in for questioning, but leaves when not charged with anything.

In Miami, Jeremy Stone is running some tests on Pris. He promised to take her shopping in return, but backs out--he does tell her to take whatever she needs from his wallet, where she finds a Halo credit card for J Marlowe.

The grandson, Samuel Smith is in bed with a woman he just met. She asks about him and he tells the story of his grandfather and Emp, and when he mentions the name Jacob Marlowe, she remarks that her name is Marlowe, too, isn't that a coincidence? His eyes light up.

This will be a story about family and the legacy of family. Smith hunts down Marlowes in an attempt to avenge his grandfather despite the fact that Emp is dead. Pris is not a Marlowe, but may as well be as she's part of the extended family. Void has returned, also a member of the family. So is Maxine and Jeremy and Grifter. Jeremy is concerned with the genetic fallout of his and Pris's family, namely the Kheran and Daemonites, and the effect it has.

As well, this is, again, a post-superhero book, in a sense, but it has many superhero elements. In this issue, Marlowe acts like Superman, but you will note that his costume is now his business suit. He is not above getting his hands dirty, but that is not the way in which he chooses to make the world better. Here, he tries to do business with Chinese business in an attempt to free that country from its communist dictatorship.

He also now has an archenemy, of sorts, in Sam Smith, a man who shoots fire from his eyes. They will have a confrontation. Smith attacks Marlowe in the way that villains often do, through loved ones--here, not really, as having the same last name does not mean a blood relation, especially in this case as this Marlowe is not human and neither was Emp. The name means nothing. It is much like the superhero name in that sense--it is chosen, it is a disguise. Jack Marlowe's secret identity is Spartan, a Kheran android meant to act as a bodyguard. However, that secret identity no longer exists... the superhero has taken over completely. Ironically, his secret identity is his former superhero name and his superhero name is what we'd normally consider a secret identity. In a traditional comic, he would be mild-mannered Jack Marlowe during the day and the superhero Spartan at night.

That's all I have for now. See you Tuesday for more.