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WildStorm Productions
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryComic books
Founded1992;32 years ago(1992)(original)
February 16, 2017;7 years ago(2017-02-16)(revival)
FounderJim Lee
DefunctDecember 2010;13 years ago(2010-12)(original)
HeadquartersLa Jolla, California,U.S.
Key people
ParentDC Comics(1998–present)

Wildstorm Productions(stylized asWildStorm) is anAmerican comic bookimprint. Originally founded as an independent company established byJim Leeunder the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wildstorm became a publishing imprint ofDC Comicsin 1998.[1]Until it was shut down in 2010, the Wildstorm imprint remained editorially separate from DC Comics, with its main studio located inCalifornia.The imprint took its name from a portmanteau of the titles of theJim Leecomic seriesWildC.A.T.S.andStormwatch.[2]

Its main fictional universe, theWildstorm Universe,featuredcostumed heroes.Wildstorm maintained a number of its core titles from its early period, and continued to publish material expanding its core universe. Its main titles includedWildC.A.T.S,Stormwatch,Gen13,Wetworks,andThe Authority;it also produced single-character-oriented series likeDeathblowandMidnighter,and published secondary titles likeWelcome to Tranquility.

Wildstorm also published creator-owned material, and licensed properties from other companies, covering a wide variety ofgenres.Its creator-owned titles includedRed Menace,A God Somewhere,andEx Machina,while its licensed titles includedFriday the 13th,A Nightmare on Elm Street,The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,StarCraft,theDante's Infernogame,The X-Files,and theGod of Warvideo game series.

DC shut down the Wildstorm imprint in December 2010.[3]In September 2011, the company relaunched its entire superhero line with a rebooted continuity in an initiative known asThe New 52,which included Wildstorm characters incorporated into that continuity with its long-standing DC characters.

In February 2017 Wildstorm was revived as a standalone universe withThe Wild Storm,by writerWarren Ellis.However, the characters were reintroduced to DC continuity in 2021.[4]

History

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Image Comics (1992–1997)

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Wildstorm, founded byJim LeeandBrandon Choi,[5]was one of the founding studios that formedImage Comicsin 1992. Image grew out ofHomage Studiosand was founded by artistsWhilce Portacio,Jim Lee,Erik Larsen,Rob Liefeld,Todd McFarlane,Marc Silvestri,andJim ValentinoinSan Diego, California.All but Portacio decided to become full partners in the new firm.[6]At the time, Lee and Portacio were recognized for their work on variousX-Mentitles atMarvel Comics.

In late 1992,pencillerMarc Silvestrijoined the studio to work on the first issue ofCyberforce.Although he worked at the studio, his projects would debut as the work of a new Image "partner studio" firm namedTop Cow.[6]Silvestri continued to work out of Wildstorm's studio for about two years.[citation needed]Although WildStorm considered attracting talent, such asJohn Romita Jr.,from the "Big Two", (MarvelandDC), Lee decided to find new talent instead.[citation needed]

Lee's talent search yieldedBrett Boothin 1992, andJ. Scott Campbellin 1993.[citation needed]Apart from McFarlane'sSpawn,Wildstorm produced the most consistently, commercially successful comics from Image. These included Lee's own titlesWildC.A.T.sand the teen-hero titleGen13,illustrated by J. Scott Campbell.[citation needed]Like many other Image titles, some of the WildStorm titles suffered from inconsistent completion and shipping, resulting in "monthly" comics coming out every few months.[citation needed]This era produced a number of titles of varying popularity includingGen13,WildC.A.T.s,Stormwatch,Deathblow,Cybernary,and Whilce Portacio'sWetworks.

In late 1993, Lee launched Wildstorm Productions as a sub-imprint of Image. He explained: "During the startup of Image Comics, I incorporated my business activities under the name Aegis Entertainment. As Aegis grew and the marketplace changed, I decided a new name would more accurately define the nature of the titles we produce". In conjunction with the name change, former DC editor Bill Kaplan was brought in to oversee production and scheduling, in an effort to combat the studio's problems with erratic publication schedules.[7]

His attempts to get the studio's characters into other media proved disappointing. A Saturday morning cartoon series ofWildC.A.T.slasted only a single season (1994–1995), while a full-length animated version ofGen13was produced but never released in the United States.Disneyhad acquired the domestic distribution rights, but shelved the product.Paramounthad international distribution rights, and later released the film only in a few foreign markets.[8]Toys from both titles were less successful than those made by Todd McFarlane, partly due to poor marketing and partly because the McFarlane toys were targeted at a more mature audience.[citation needed]However, they had a big success copyingWizards of the Coast'sMagic: The Gatheringwith their introduction of the card game,Wildstorms: The Expandable Super-Hero Card Gameproduced between 1995 - 1997,[9]which was later spun off into acrossoverset of cards with Marvel. The crossover was the swan song for the Wildstorm game as Marvel's merchandising clout succeeded in pushing Wildstorm's out of the spotlight.[citation needed]Although the timing was right for their card game, they were too early by a year with aPoggame which used the WildC.A.T.s characters they released in 1993.[citation needed]

In 1995, Wildstorm created an imprint calledHomage Comics,centered on more writer-driven books.[citation needed]The imprint started withKurt Busiek'sAstro CityandThe Wizard's Tale,James Robinson'sLeave It to Chance(with Paul Smith), andTerry Moore'sStrangers In Paradise.Subsequently, the imprint featured works bySam Kieth,includingThe Maxx,Zero GirlandFour Women,three ofWarren Ellis' pop-comics mini-series,Mek,Red,andReload,andJeff Mariotte's weird westernDesperadoes.

In 1997,Cliffhangerdebuted a line ofcreator-ownedcomic books which included such popular works as: J. Scott Campbell'sDanger Girl,Joe Madureira'sBattle Chasers,Humberto Ramos'CrimsonandOut There,Joe KellyandChris Bachalo'sSteampunk,Kurt BusiekandCarlos Pacheco'sArrowsmith,Busiek'sAstro CityandWarren Ellis'sTwo-StepandTokyo Storm Warning.

1997 also saw a revamp of all the Wildstorm Universe titles, including comic-books by writers such as:Alan Moore,Warren Ellis,Adam Warren,Sean Phillips,andJoe Casey.After this revamp the newWildcatsseries,StormwatchandDV8took the places of the most popular and most commercially successful comics of the Wildstorm Universe.[citation needed]Wildstorm also made a presentation toLucasfilm Ltd.in an attempt to obtain a license for the lucrativeStar Warslicense,[10]but lost to the incumbentDark Horse Comics.

DC Comics first run (1998–2010)

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Due to declining sales across the U.S. comics industry, and his view that his role as publisher and growing family demands interfered with his role as an artist, Lee leftImage Comicsand sold WildStorm toDC Comicsin late 1998,[11][12]enabling him to focus once again on art.[1][13]The deal went into effect in January 1999.[14]DC hailed the decision as one that would "strengthen both WildStorm's ability to expand its editorial goals and diversifying DC's output".[15]WildStorm was editorially separate from DC Comics, and the two companies maintained offices on opposite coasts: Wildstorm inCalifornia,and DC inNew York City.DC's acquisition of WildStorm allowed their respective universes to co-exist, and characters from either universe could appear in the titles of either imprint.[citation needed]

In 1999, WildStorm launched several new titles, includingThe Authority,a dark and violentsuperherocomic whose characters fought dirty and had little regard for the rights and lives of their opponents; their only goal was to make the world a better place.Warren ElliscreatedThe Authorityas a successor toStormwatch.He wrote its first twelve issues before handing the series over toMark Millar.The AuthorityfusedSilver Agesuperhero concepts with 1990s cynicism. In the 2004 Wildstorm crossover,Coup d'etat,the Authority takes control of the United States. Ellis and artistJohn CassadaycreatedPlanetary,about "explorers of the strange", an experiment that merged pop culture, comic book history and literary characters.[citation needed]

WildStorm launched a new imprint titledAmerica's Best Comicsas a showcase forAlan Moore.The line includes the titlesPromethea,The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,Tomorrow Stories,Tom StrongandTop 10.[citation needed]

The studio launchedEye of the Stormin 2001 as an experiment.[further explanation needed]By this time, WildStorm had become largely a "mature readers" imprint. Joe Casey continued writingWildcats,retitling itWildcats 3.0to reflect the shift in tone. The new version was penciled by Dustin Nguyen with inks by Richard Friend.Gen13was relaunched with a new first issue, written by X-Men's Chris Claremont. AGen13spinoff,21 Down,was written byJimmy PalmiottiandJustin Gray.After thePoint Blankmini-series,Ed Brubakerdeveloped the same themes into the critically acclaimedSleeper,[16]set in the WildStorm universe.[citation needed]

In 2001Warren EllisbeganGlobal Frequency.The rights forGlobal Frequencywere bought byWarner Bros.in 2004 and a pilot for a TV series forthe WB Networkwas made. The pilot never aired and was not picked up as a series, although the pilot was later leaked on the internet.[17]Stormwatchwas relaunched asStormwatch: Team Achilles,about a team of normal soldiers who combat rogue superheroes.

Robbie Morrison wrote a one-shot featuring theAuthoritycharacters, titled "Scorched Earth" (2003).[18]It was serialized as a back-up story in theEye of the Stormtitles. A new ongoingAuthorityseries began the storyline of theCoup d'étatcrossover, which ran throughAuthority,Sleeper,Stormwatch: Team AchillesandWildcats 3.0.

TwoWinter Specialanthologies also came out.[further explanation needed]Most of the line, exceptSleeper,were canceled two years after their introduction.[citation needed]

In2004,WildStorm revamped its array of sub-imprints. The core titles were grouped into the "WildStorm Universe" imprint, the creator-owned properties became the "WildStorm Signature Series" imprint, and all the licensed properties remained under the "WildStorm" imprint.[citation needed]

FollowingEye of the Storm,WildStorm published fewer WildStorm Universe titles, includingMajesticandWildcats: Nemesis;Majesticwas based on a character that had appeared in DC Comics Superman titles. In August2006,WildStorm simplified its "brand" by returning all content to a single WildStorm imprint, and discarding the "Universe" and "Signature Series" imprints. In2007,the WildStorm fictional universe became "Earth-50", part of theDC Comics Multiverse.[citation needed]

In April2008,Ben Abernathyannounced that the events ofWildstorm: Revelations,Wildstorm: ArmageddonandNumber of the Beastwould segue intoWildstorm: World's End,apost-apocalypticdirection for the line.[19]In July of the same year,Christos GageandNeil Googepublished a newWildCats: World's End#1. There followed, in August 2008, a newAuthority: World's End#1 byDan AbnettandAndy Lanningwith art bySimon Coleby,Gen13#21 byScott Beattywith art byMike Huddleson,andStormwatch: PHD#13 byIan Edgintonwith art byLeandro FernándezandFrancisco Paronzini.

That same year, DC releaseld thecrossoverlimited seriesDC/Wildstorm: DreamWarone of the earliest times where DC and WildStorm characters would appear together. The six-issue comic book limited series was written byKeith Giffen,drawn byLee Garbett,and published byDC Comics.[citation needed]

TheStormwatch: PHDtitle ended in November 2009. The remaining series each received another creative-team shake-up as 2010 began: February'sThe Authority#18 byMarc Bernardinand Adam Freeman with art byAl Barrionuevo,Wildcats#19 byAdam Beechenwith art byTim SeeleyandRyan Winn,and April'sGen13#35 byPhil Hesterand art byCruddie Torian.[citation needed]

WildStorm varied its publishing with licensed properties, such as:A Nightmare on Elm Street,Friday the 13th,The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,Mirror's Edge,World of Warcraft,The X-Files,Dante's Inferno,andGod of War.WildStorm has also published original graphic novels from writersKevin J. Anderson,John RidleyandDavid Brin.[citation needed]

The imprint was shut down in December 2010, withWildcats(vol. 5) #30 as its last issue, although DC Comics announced that the characters would reappear some time in the future.[3][20]

DC Comicsrelaunched its DC Universe imprintin September 2011, which included the integration of the WildStorm characters into the DC Universe. The initial wave of relaunched titles included:VoodooandGriftersolo series, a revivedStormwatchtitle featuringJack Hawksmoor,Midnighter,Apollo,theEngineer,andJenny Quantum,[21][22][23]and a revived version ofTeam 7with non-WildStorm charactersDeathstroke,Amanda WallerandBlack Canary.TheTeen Titansspin-off titleThe RavagersfeaturedCaitlin FairchildandWarbladeas part of the cast,[24][25]whileWildC.A.T.svillainHelspontappeared inSuperman#7 and #8,[26][27]Grungeappeared inSuperboy#8,[28]Zealotappeared inDeathstroke#9,[29]andSpartanappeared inTeam 7#5.[30]Midnighter was a recurring character inGrayson,before spinning off into his own ongoing series. Midnighter and Apollo also appeared in a 6-issue miniseries,Midnighter and Apollo.

DC Comics revival (2017–present)

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On February 16, 2017, Wildstorm was officially revived withThe Wild Storm #1byWarren EllisandJon Davis-Hunt,a 24 issue series that re-imagined the Wildstorm Universe. On October 11, 2017, Wildstorm launched a second series underThe Wild Stormbanner with the 12 issue mini-seriesThe Wild Storm: Michael CraybyBryan Hill.Following the conclusion ofThe Wild StormDC Comics announced that a newWildcatssix issue mini-series was to debut August 28, 2019, again penned by Ellis with art by Ramon Villalobos, but was cancelled in 2019.[31][32]

Grifter, Apollo, and The Midnighter appeared in the alternate future timeline seriesFuture State:Dark Detectivein 2021.[33]The Wildstorm characters were then officially reintroduced into DC Universe continuity later that year inBatman: Urban Legends#5[4]andSuperman and The Authority.[34][35]The new Authority team then appeared as supporting characters in the Superman crossover story arcWarworld Saga.[36]

A 12 issueWildC.A.T.Sseries by Matthew Rosenberg and Stephen Segovia ran from 2022 to 2023.[37][38]The 2023 seriesBirds of Preyfeatures WildC.A.T.S member Zealot, and the newOutsidersseries relaunches the Wildstorm titlePlanetarywith a new version of the character The Drummer as well as the Authority's sentient home The Carrier.[38][39]The 2023DC Black Labelmini-seriesWaller vs. Wildstormfeatured Wildstorm characters such asTeam 7andStormwatch.[40]

In 2023,James GunnofDC Studiosannounced thata film based onThe Authoritywas in development and would help form the basis of the newDCU.[41]In November 2023,María Gabriela De Faríawas cast to play The Engineer, a member of The Authority, in the forthcomingSupermanfilm ahead ofThe Authorityfilm.[42]

Titles

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Major WildStorm Universe

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Creator-owned titles

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Licensed titles

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See also

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References

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  1. ^abTantimedh, Adi (February 25, 2006)."New York Comic Con, Day One: Jim Lee Spotlight".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on December 27, 2013.
  2. ^Overstreet, Robert M. (1996).The Overstreet comic book price guide: books from 1897-present included: catalogue & evaluation guide-- illustrated(26th ed.). New York: Avon Books. pp. A-52.ISBN0-380-78778-4.OCLC34703954.
  3. ^abChing, Albert (September 21, 2010)."DC Co-Publishers Announce End of WILDSTORM Imprint, Zuda".Newsarama.
  4. ^abMollo, Drew (July 26, 2021)."Wildstorm's Wildcats Officially Return to DC Continuity".Screenrant.RetrievedMay 25,2023.
  5. ^"WILDSTORM Vets Reunite For Oral History".Purch.RetrievedJanuary 27,2016.
  6. ^ab"Image Comics FAQ".Image Comics.RetrievedJanuary 27,2016.
  7. ^"Image Comics Continues to Evolve".Electronic Gaming Monthly.No. 55. EGM Media, LLC. February 1994. p. 216.
  8. ^"Gen13: Whatever Happened to the '90s Icons Animated Movie?".December 19, 2019.
  9. ^"Characters from the Wildstorms Collectible Card Game".Gamespot / CBS Interactive.RetrievedJanuary 27,2016.
  10. ^Senreich, Matthew (August 1997). "Battle Rages for Star Wars License".Wizard.No. 72. p. 21.
  11. ^Lee, Jim (March 1999). "Welcome and Happy New Year!".Wildcats(vol 2) #1WildStorm Productions,p. 27.
  12. ^Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1990s".DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle.London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley.p. 286.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.In a landmark deal, DC purchased Jim Lee's WildStorm imprint, gaining another super hero universe.{{cite book}}:|first2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^Lee, Jim; Baker, Bill (2010).Icons: The DC Comics & WildStorm Art of Jim Lee.Titan Books.pp. 8 and 10.ISBN978-1845765194.
  14. ^Dominguez, Noah (December 2, 2022)."Jim Lee Pens a Moving Letter to WildStorm Fans".CBR.com.Archivedfrom the original on December 3, 2022.RetrievedDecember 3,2022.
  15. ^"About WildStorm".DC Comics. April 21, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon February 17, 2009.RetrievedDecember 31,2010.
  16. ^Harper, David, "Multiversity Comics countdown: Our Favorite Brubaker Books",January 4, 2012, retrieved June 12, 2012
  17. ^All The Rage: You're On The Global Frequency
  18. ^"The Authority: Scorched Earth (2003)".comicbookDB.com.RetrievedJanuary 27,2016.
  19. ^Arrant, Chris. "NYCC '08: LIVING IN THE RUINS: WS Editor Ben Abernathy on 'Worlds End'"Newsarama, April 19, 2008
  20. ^"WildStorm & Zuda Imprints Close Amidst DC Changes".Comic Book Resources. September 21, 2010.RetrievedDecember 31,2010.
  21. ^Trunick, Austin (June 7, 2011)."DC Embraces Its Dark Side".The Source.DC Comics.RetrievedJune 9,2011.
  22. ^Hyde, David (June 9, 2011)."Welcome to the Edge".The Source.DC Comics.RetrievedJune 9,2011.
  23. ^DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » "Swords and sorcery and superheroes"
  24. ^Newsarama.com: TITANS, LEGION, SUPERBOY & RAVAGERS Cross for "The Culling"
  25. ^Newsarama.com: HOWARD MACKIE Talks BEAST BOY, THE RAVAGERS Line-up
  26. ^Newsarama.com: DC Comics' FULL March 2012 Solicitations
  27. ^Newsarama.com: DC Comics' FULL April 2012 Solicitations
  28. ^Superboy(vol. 5) #8 (April 2012)
  29. ^Deathstroke#9 (May 2012)
  30. ^Team 7(vol. 2) #5 (April 2013)
  31. ^'WildCATs' to Be Relaunched at DC This Summer
  32. ^Warren Ellis’ WildCats relaunch canceled by DC Comics – but could later resurface!
  33. ^Johnston, Rich (February 6, 2021)."Deathblow, Team 6, Marlowe – Wildstorm Comes To DC Infinite Frontier".Bleeding Cool.RetrievedMay 25,2023.
  34. ^Stone, Sam (June 30, 2021)."How Morrison's Superman and the Authority Fits Into DC's Current Continuity".CBR.RetrievedMay 25,2023.
  35. ^Harth, David (February 3, 2023)."Everything You Didn't Know About Superman & The Authority".CBR.RetrievedMay 25,2023.
  36. ^Davis, Michael (November 11, 2022)."10 Times" Warworld Saga "Was The Best Superman Comic Arc This Year".CBR.RetrievedNovember 3,2023.
  37. ^Corley, Shaun (November 13, 2022)."DC's New WildCATs Team Reverses the New 52's Wildstorm Failure".Screenrant.RetrievedMay 25,2023.
  38. ^abComments, Rich Johnston | Last updated | (October 24, 2023)."WildCATS Ends With #12 - What's Up With WildStorm At DC Comics Now?".bleedingcool.com.RetrievedNovember 3,2023.
  39. ^Comments, Rich Johnston | (November 10, 2023)."Yup, DC Comics' Outsiders Is A Full Blown Planetary/Authority Revival".bleedingcool.com.RetrievedNovember 17,2023.
  40. ^Waller vs. Wildstorm,vol. 1, no. 1 (May 2023). DC Comics.
  41. ^Kit, Borys (January 31, 2023)."DC Slate Unveiled: New Batman, Supergirl Movies, a Green Lantern TV Show, and More From James Gunn, Peter Safran".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedApril 12,2023.
  42. ^Grobar, Matt (November 15, 2023)."'Superman: Legacy' Sets María Gabriela De Faría To Play Villain The Engineer ".Deadline.RetrievedNovember 17,2023.
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