Publisher's Weekly Review
Assassins, altered human superbeings, clandestine organizations, and threats from the stars all collide in Ellis's reimagining of characters from the Wildstorm universe, several of which he created in their original runs. Grifter, Voodoo, Zealot, Deathblow, and the Authority's Jenny Sparks and the Engineer all receive a makeover for today's audience, with their world morphed into a landscape of superpowered espionage. The story follows a spur-of-the-moment act of selflessness that thwarts an assassination and sets in motion events that expose the corporation International Operations (IO) as the crafter of alien hybrid technology and the secret controller of the world. The script is as tight as one expects from Ellis (Transmetropolitan), though this first volume mostly amounts to six issues of setup and exposition, occasionally interrupted by bursts of violence. It's not bad by any means, and what's being established is a slow burn that will likely pay off in subsequent collections. The art by Davis-Hunt (Clean Room) is crisp and rich in detail, reminiscent of the work of Frank Quitely, though the characters' faces all bear a certain mannequin-like blankness during the sequences not featuring mayhem. This promising start bears sticking with. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
Ellis (Injection) and Davis-Hunt's (Clean Room) reboot of "The Wild Storm" series begins with one act of selflessness that is the tipping point for a war that has been brewing for years. When engineer Angela Spica saves the life of Jacob Marlowe, the CEO of a prominent technology company, she reveals her secret to the world: an advanced cybernetic suit hidden under her skin. Now, two powerful organizations, International Operations and Skywatch, have Angela in their sights, aiming to gain control of the technology she has gone to great lengths to hide. Ellis's talent as an sf writer shines as he revitalizes a universe that has not been advanced since 2010. Surveillance and what institutions do with information are among the hard-hitting topics here, enriched by Davis-Hunt's highly detailed cityscapes, memorable character designs, and brutally violent action scenes. This volume collects single Issues 1-6 of the series. Verdict Ellis and Davis-Hunt kick off the series with a fast-paced story that will attract all sf fans. Coarse language and violence may keep this out of the hands of younger readers.-Taylor Silva, Fall River P.L., MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
