1. Crimson
One of the original Cliffhanger books from Wildstorm, Ramos and Augustyn's vampire book re-established my love of vampires in the late 90s after the "Interview With The Vampire" craze killed it for me for awhile. Ramos' art is one of those that either totally works on a book or totally doesn't...here, it was a perfect fit.2. Divine Right
Jim Lee's fantasy/superhero tale of a young college student who happens to gain great, mystical powers and has to be protected from the evil that wants it! When I got back into comics in the late 90s (more on that in a minute), this was one of the gems I gave a shot. I was pleasantly surprised, because it not only showcased Lee's growth as a penciler, but as a weaver of some great stories.3. DV8
Around 1996, I gave up on comics briefly. Chalk it up to lack of funds and/or disappointment in some of the books I was regularly reading. This break didn't last long (maybe 6 months?), because some titles brought me back. I made a trip to my local comic store for the heck of it one day and a few Wildstorm titles caught my eye. DV8 was one of them. I've always loved teen superhero books, but this one was different. It wasn't a near traditional one (see Gen 13 below) in that these teens were being used by their "mentors" and they were major outcasts...they drank, were offensive, and didn't care. Still a great book, and I was glad to see the book return in a recent limited series by Brian Wood.
Around 1996, I gave up on comics briefly. Chalk it up to lack of funds and/or disappointment in some of the books I was regularly reading. This break didn't last long (maybe 6 months?), because some titles brought me back. I made a trip to my local comic store for the heck of it one day and a few Wildstorm titles caught my eye. DV8 was one of them. I've always loved teen superhero books, but this one was different. It wasn't a near traditional one (see Gen 13 below) in that these teens were being used by their "mentors" and they were major outcasts...they drank, were offensive, and didn't care. Still a great book, and I was glad to see the book return in a recent limited series by Brian Wood.4. Friday the 13th & Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I lumped these together because, well, I wanted to. I've been a fan of both series of movies for years, and their licensed comics over the years have mainly been misses. When Wildstorm got ahold of them, my hopes weren't high, but I gave it a shot. I'm glad. They were well written with great art. Wild, original stories that really fell in line with the tone of the movies.
I lumped these together because, well, I wanted to. I've been a fan of both series of movies for years, and their licensed comics over the years have mainly been misses. When Wildstorm got ahold of them, my hopes weren't high, but I gave it a shot. I'm glad. They were well written with great art. Wild, original stories that really fell in line with the tone of the movies.5. Gen 13
As I said above, some Wildstorm books helped bring me back to comics in 1996. Gen 13 was one of them. A book about teen superheroes learning about who they are, their place in the world, how they got their powers, who wants them history, and interjecting some humor and pop culture references here and there. This book made J. Scott Campbell a comics superstar, and it helped that editor Sarah Becker was featured on MTV's "The Real World" at the time.
6. Leave It To Chance
I admit, I came into this book late...after it had already run its course in fact. I found some issues in a cheap bin and decided to give it a shot. I had some about this comic about a young female adventurer and the Paul Smith art convinced me. This was an action-packed book that was quite intriguing.7. Savant Garde
A WildCATS spin-off book featuring Savant and her team (also consisting of WildCATS star Mr. Majestic) was a very cool read. Some action, mixed with an eclectic group of heroes helping out Savant. Ryan Odagawa's art really helped here...it was perfect for me with it's animated feel.8. Thunderdcats
And speaking of animation, it's no secret that I was a HUGE Thundercats fan back in the day. When I heard Wildstorm got the rights to start putting out 'Cats books again, I was all over it. A series of limited series soon followed, worked on by several different writers and artists. It was good to see the 'Cats back in action...like lost episodes of the cartoon in comic form. Sorry to see it end too soon, but I loved every issue while it lasted!9. WildCATS
The book that started it all HAS to be mentioned. When the Image founders all started their respective books, I gave a few that intrigued me a shot...Youngblood (c'mon, I was only 12, forgive me), Savage Dragon (one of my favorite books at that time), and WildCATS. I was greatly impressed with WildCATS, not only for Lee's as-always beautiful art, but it really showed that he was probably one of the best (if not THE best) writer out of those Image founders. Original concept, intriguing plots, and characters that people grew to love quickly. The book has had a few stops and starts over the years, each one drastically different than the last. But this initial 50 issue run was always fun, through all the writer/artist changes.10. Wynonna Earp
I've met few people that know this book, but once they read it, they greatly appreciate it! While it's initial Wildstorm book only lasted 5 issues (IDW brought the character back for a 3 issue series in 2003), I loved it! Wynonna is a descendant of Wyatt Earp and works as a federal marshal hunting monsters and demons. Beau Smith's story was stellar (props go to him as well for the IDW follow-up), and this book introduced me to Joyce Chin's art. The level of detail astounded me when I first laid eyes on it, and since then, I've always opted to give a book a chance if I see Chin is working on it. IDW has released a softcover collection of all the Wynonna Earp stories, so it's well worth the price if you feel inclined.
So, that wraps it all up. I am interested to see what happens with some of the Wildstorm characters in the future at DC. But I'm sad to see some of the licensed and non-Jim Lee creator owned stuff disappear from the shelf. That Wildstorm banner was waved for 18 years, and that's an impressive run.
I've met few people that know this book, but once they read it, they greatly appreciate it! While it's initial Wildstorm book only lasted 5 issues (IDW brought the character back for a 3 issue series in 2003), I loved it! Wynonna is a descendant of Wyatt Earp and works as a federal marshal hunting monsters and demons. Beau Smith's story was stellar (props go to him as well for the IDW follow-up), and this book introduced me to Joyce Chin's art. The level of detail astounded me when I first laid eyes on it, and since then, I've always opted to give a book a chance if I see Chin is working on it. IDW has released a softcover collection of all the Wynonna Earp stories, so it's well worth the price if you feel inclined.So, that wraps it all up. I am interested to see what happens with some of the Wildstorm characters in the future at DC. But I'm sad to see some of the licensed and non-Jim Lee creator owned stuff disappear from the shelf. That Wildstorm banner was waved for 18 years, and that's an impressive run.
Til next time,
Matthew
What can I say about the show? It was GREAT! I didn't think it was possible, but it was better than last year. I'm also pretty certain attendance was a lot higher (or maybe we were just seated in a better area??). Regardless, we came away from the show feeling very pleased. I sold a little of everything really, with the 
