There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and a WildC.A.T.S reboot. However, this time, DC is trying something a little different with the team first conceived by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi 30 years ago. WildC.A.T.S #1 — by writer Matthew Rosenberg, artist Stephen Segovia, colorist Elmer Santos, and letterer Ferran Delgado — finds a way to tie the popular superhero team into the wider DC Universe in a manner that finally makes sense and feels organic.
Gone is the Covert Action Teams aspect of WildC.A.T.S, making way for the Crisis Aversion Tactical Squad. Since DC is always in a state of constant peril, it’s probably a good idea to have an extra group keeping an eye out for world-changing disasters. The first issue of the series serves as an introductory piece to what’s happening and why they are here that also showcases a few members of the team and establishes Cole Cash, aka Grifter, as the central protagonist and narrator.
What’s instantly impressive about WildC.A.T.S #1 is the energy of Rosenberg’s story. He isn’t trying to imitate the writers before him. He applies a fresh spin to the series while respecting the main canon. This is a distinctly more humorous version of the team than what readers may be familiar with. That’s not to say that it’s a laugh riot, but Rosenberg knows when it’s important to have a sense of humor about the outlandish nature of the narrative.
Rosenberg also succeeds in making WildC.A.T.S #1 a fun story. Some of the previous series tried to create thought-provoking, high-brow comics that presented themselves as smarter than they really were. However, this new attempt remembers the spirit of the original comic and presents a thoroughly entertaining superhero story.
The artwork matches Rosenberg’s exciting and lively tone. Segovia gets to play with a decent amount of action scenes, giving the reader a tantalizing taste of what’s in store down the line. The artist puts the characters through the physical and emotional wringer as they spill more than a few drops of blood and unload several rounds of bullets in this first issue. Santos’ colors add another level of vibrancy and intensity to the brutality on each page. While Delgado’s lettering is like the uppercut to finish the fight, as the onomatopoeia turns up the dial and provides the soundtrack to the battles.
Some fans might be reluctant to invest in yet another reboot of this team, but WildC.A.T.S #1 attempts to do something different while providing enough familiarity for those who enjoyed the original 1992 series. It’s a good start to a new era for the team, which is already showing it isn’t afraid to integrate itself into the DC Universe. After so many false starts in the past, DC is finally delivering the WildC.A.T.s series fans deserve.
