This weekends' entries are going to be a challenge for me, since while I've wanted to talk about these subjects for some time, the reality set in that I've not read these books in YEARS. So I'm heavily pulling at foggy memories, along with ramshackle internet research, to present you with some lesser-known subjects. Enjoy, regardless!
I suppose today is a lead-in for a subject I'll be tackling for three whole days, next week. (One of them is even slotted for a Friday "Funnies" Foolishness entry!) But today's topic ties in to my coverage of the Extreme Studios "Extreme Prejudice" crossover. No... It's not the sequel, "Extreme Sacrifice"... or the following sequel, "Extreme Destroyer". Not yet, anyways. But while some readers may have felt like the Extreme Studios branch of Image Comics was hoarding their first crossover event to their universal subsection, they may have been elated that Top Cow Studios and Homage/Wildstorm Studios had a little creative baby brewing, teaming their two most recognized... or their two founding... teams in one event. Ladies and gentlemen... I bring you Cyberforce and WildC.A.T.s in "Killer Instinct".
"Killer Instinct" arrived as both "Cyberforce" and "Wildcats" were being relaunched as ongoing series books in 1993. Unless you were "Spawn", ALL of the initial Image Comics launch titles were limited series. "Cyberforce", created by Marc Silvestri, detailed the adventures of a cybernetically-enhanced "mutant" team consisting of:
- Stryker: Four-armed metal appendaged leader... who never met a shaving razor to clear off his stubble, or a barber to do away with his ridiculously long ponytail.
- Ripclaw: A Native-American not-Wolverine... At all.
- Heatwave: Generic power-blast character who no one remembers SUPREME!
- Cyblade: Not at all Psylocke with basically the exact same costume and power, but with a MASK!
- Impact: Not-Colossus of the team, with nothing special outside of insanely curly and long hair.
- Ballistic: Generic gun-toting former villain of the team, who's main purpose was to be the tough chick to look hot.
- Velocity: Last but not least, the not-Kid Flash with boobs.
"Cyberforce" took the traditional relaunch path, in that it began as a whole new series. "Wildcats"... because I REFUSE to type the acronym for the team's name every time I write about them... had more noble intentions. Jim Lee, its creator, decided to keep the original numbering of the mini-series, and thrust his new run of the series at issue five. Our line-up of Kherebum defenders against the not-Skrull invasion of the Daemonites consists of:
- Spartan: Generic power-blast character, but with the difference of being the team leader... and being not-Vision/Red Tornado.
- Grifter: Hoo-boy... Where do I start with his "not-being" riffs? How about I just keep it simple, and say he's the team gunslinger and bad-attitude sporter.
- Zealot: Not-Wonder Woman, who doesn't care about slicing bad guys to bits.
- Voodoo: Stripper/exotic dancer who has psychic powers. Or maybe what some people wanted Jean Grey to be, only if they were more sexist.
- Maul: Not-love child between the Thing, Hank Pym, and Grape Ape, who had size and mass powers.
- Warblade: Not-other love child of Wolverine and the T-1000, with liquid-metal hands that often shift into claws.
- Void: Not-Nightcrawler with boobs, who is the team teleporter.
So, what would bring such teams together? Surely it has to be a threat of not-Galactus proportions, right? ... Er, how about we try a former lover of both Warblade and Ripclaw's named Misery, who seeks to gain lost technology for bio-mechanical creations on an island that would be forgotten after this storyline, until "The Authority" is launched?
I have to mention that, previous to this crossover, there has been NO mention of any pasts with either Warblade or Ripclaw. And this was the first appearance of Misery... who, huge shocker, is the not-Typhoid Mary meets White Queen of the story. I dimly remember that, outside of putting the mental whammy on both teams so that Cyberforce and Wildcats dog pile on each other nearly constantly, she assembles her own team of generic thugs. But hey, what does all this matter when you have TWO stellar first-line Image creators bringing their universes together for a "key, impactful storyline"?
And this leads to the major issue of the storyline: it's all about the creators and their artistry... but NOT their storytelling. I'd almost venture to say that Marc Silvestri was the better writer of the duo, because at the very least, he was able to sustain "Cyberforce" as a title under his direct creative influence for many more years than Jim Lee was able to. But that's kind of like saying since Steven Seagal was in Action Movies for far longer than Steve Austin, that makes him a creatively superior artist by proxy. If you want story, all there is to pick up is mystery woman from our not-Wolverines pasts comes back, sucker-punches the heroes collective minds, and throws them at each other for four issues like a pile of action figures, while we look at the "purty piktures".
But that MAY be this miniseries' key strength: the artwork of Silvestri and ESPECIALLY Jim Lee were at their peaks for this storyline. I remember one key gimmick for one of the prelude issues, "Wildcats #5" was that it featured a six-page centerfold spread of the team in combat. Over the top? Certainly. But in this speculator-market time, would you REALLY have expected any less? I've generally thought Silvestri was a solid artist, but maybe with assistance to the new digital coloring techniques, Jim Lee's half of the miniseries just pops and thrives. So what if the story is dumber than a box of rocks? So are most attractive celebrities that we probably spend way too much time searching for photos of on the internet. And a four-issue fight scene? Well, one could argue that's a case of decompressed storytelling, but remember my Hulk/Thing entry? Some could argue that Stan Lee splitting two issues for one fight between the FF and the Hulk was decompression. Even the greats want to try and spread out a storyline for as much interest as they can bilk out of it.
And where does this crossover leave us at the end? Well... We got a typical Marvel-esque set-up; may as well have a Marvel-esque finale, with the teams realizing they have been tricked, and team up to tackle Misery and her threat to use the hidden technology to her benefit. But in the conflict, Misery dies... and aside from our two not-Wolverines, not one reader wept at the loss of a character that really didn't matter... and the hidden technology is revealed to be one of Spartan's lost arms from the past. Thus does Cyberforce and Wildcats go their separate ways, never to meet again... because by the time the mid 90's arrived for Image Comics, pretty much EVERYONE kept to their own separate universe sandboxes.
I think this miniseries is best described as pretty but vacant. We're told the events that occur HAVE meaning, but they're never touched on again. We were lead to believe this battle would hold lasting impact for both teams. They didn't. We were given the impression Misery would be a lasting threat in the Image Universe. ... I KNOW they wrote a Misery one-shot around 1994 or 1995, but that was just a flashback issue, and I've no clue if the character was played around with further in either the Top Cow or Wildstorm universe. All I know is if you're a sucker for the 90's era of crossover novelty excess, this may be your gourmet blend. Otherwise, you'll be at a loss to wonder why this was even put in a trade paperback.
... Oh, I DIDN'T mention this was traded? About ten bucks for a used copy of Amazon, if you're either curious or have so much money that ten dollars is your couch change.
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