The Authority

[ProjectX2]

I've talked to many people on the site, but I don't think any of them have read it. Has anyone on the site read it? And if so, did they like it?

 

[E]

I've talked to many people on the site, but I don't think any of them have read it. Has anyone on the site read it? And if so, did they like it?

I picked up the first trade and just couldn't get into it. I got about half way through it, realized I didn't get what was going on, and went back to start over again before realizing that I didn't really care. I just didn't connect. SO I returned it and got something else.

The bad thing for me is that I have this nagging feeling that I would really enjoy Millar's work on the book, but I can't really get his stuff without reading Ellis's.

 

[ProjectX2]

Well I've got the first three trades and I enjoy Eliis's parts the most. Probably because of Hitch's art. Millar's is okay, but I don't have the last part of his.

 

[moonmaster]

Ah, a nice old thread to dig up.

So anyway, I got the first trade of this a while ago, but forgot to post anything about it. I just reread it, so I thought I'd post my thoughts. I really liked it. Though the first arc was a little boring, the second one is great. Turning earth into a giant rape camp. Who the hell would think of that? I'm probably gonna get the second trade soon. I've heard Millar's stuff is really crazy.

Has anyone else read it (I can see from above that Proj and E have)?

 

[Irish_4204]

I just got the first trade of this last week. I really enjoyed it and have ordered the next two trades. Isn't there a crossover with Planetery too?

 

[ProjectX2]

Millar's run is utter chaos. Not only is the art different nearly every issue, but the storyline starts to fall out of place. I've heard it took many years to get his entire run out.

But you can't go wrong with Ellis' run on the book. I loved it.

 

[Bass]

Regis did rock.

The second trade which collects the end of the Ellis/Hitch run and the first four of the Millar/Quitely run is my favourite. Consistently exciting and unbelievably fresh (in the TPB intro, Grant Morrison says, "Hold The Authority up to any other superhero comic. The other comic feels stale and old in comparison doesn't it? Be honest." and he's absolutely right, even today it's fresh as hell, wish I knew what made it so).

Millar's run was crazy indeed, especially when you realise his first four-part arc was The Authority fighting Jack Kirby and all of the Marvel Universe (no... really). When you read what happens to Captain America, you'll understand why Millar was so confused when Marvel asked him to do the Ultimates.

As Proj says though, Millar's run does get screwy. Quitely couldn't keep up with a monthly schedule, and while he did all four-issues to Nativity, the first arc, he did only the last two issues to Earth Inferno, the second arc. That said, the last two issues are AWESOME. The fight at the end of Earth Inferno is a worthy rival to Hulk Does Manhattan. Really. After Earth Inferno was a bull**** one-off written by somebody else which was actually just a tie-in to The Monarchy, a blatant attempt to milk Authority's success. The next issue was the first part of Millar's final arc, "Brave New World". The first issue is OUTSTANDING. Really, really is.

Sadly, Quitely was poached by Marvel to do New X-Men and this left The Authority without an artist. So, the next four-issues were a fill-in arc by a completely different writer and artist and was absolute balls. After that, Millar concluded the last three issues of Brave New World, sadly with a different artist on each issue. Regardless, the Brave New World story is very good indeed.

After Brave New World ended, Authority was cancelled and relaunched with different teams and I didn't pick it up. Apparently, it's good now, but I don't know at all.

But Millar's stuff is worth getting. Just so you got a checklist:

#1-4 Ellis/Hitch "The Circle" (Kaizen Gamorrah)
#5-8 Ellis/Hitch "Shifting Albion (Regis)
#9-12 Ellis/Hitch "Outer Dark" (???)
#13-16 Millar/Quitely "Nativity" (Jack Kirby)
#17-20 Millar/Quitely "Earth Inferno" (???)
#21 AVOID IT IS BOLLOCKS
#22 Millar/Quitely "Brave New World" part 1 (???)
#23-26 AVOID IT IS BOLLOCKS
#27-29 Millar/Various "Brave New World" (???)

And not all the main characters get out alive, so you know.

 

[ProjectX2]

Yeah, and in Ellis' last arc, The Authority kill

Spoiler

God

.

 

[Bass]

Spoilers? I left the ??? there for a reason - let them discover the crazy villains for themselves. Why don't you tell them who dies too?

 

[ProjectX2]

Spoilers? I left the ??? there for a reason - let them discover the crazy villains for themselves. Why don't you tell them who dies too?

Yeah, well maybe you should have just said that. We can't all have Nexus brains like you.

 

[Bass]

Ah, but not all of use could be Projects like you.


I dunno what that means either. Sometimes the Nexus brain makes you say something and never tells ya why.

In any case, I forgive you for not being able to read my mind.


Now, if just once, a woman would say that to me instead of just yelling, "You should've known..."

 

[Friday]

I've read it. I've got a love for most all things Wildstorm, after they grew up a little. It's a fairly contained universe, letting things line up much more than in mainstream Marvel or DC. This is a bit of a double edged sword though, as sometimes you've got to do some digging to get everything straight. For example if you haven't read Stormwatch then going into The Authority might have you scratching your head. Or maybe you're a WildC.A.T.S fan so you pick up Point Blank, but then you've got no clue who the Authority characters in it are. And god help you if you've not read any other Wildstorm books and try to make sense of the Alternate Earths issues in V2 of Stormwatch...

But for all my rambling there its good. It's almost all good. The tones and themes in almost all the great runs in it are things that are quite often ported over to the current Ultimate Universe thanks to thier shameless theft of writers wink Casey's WildC.A.T.S, Ellis' Stormwatch, Ellis' Authority, Millar's first two Authority arcs, Casey's Majestic, Brubaker's Sleeper, Stormwatch: Team Achillies, and Planetary ( ), all excellent, and all giving each other structural support and a strong background. If you want a Universe that will reward you for digging deeper into it then I'd strongly reccomend it.

 

[Bass]

I've read it. I've got a love for most all things Wildstorm, after they grew up a little. It's a fairly contained universe, letting things line up much more than in mainstream Marvel or DC. This is a bit of a double edged sword though, as sometimes you've got to do some digging to get everything straight. For example if you haven't read Stormwatch then going into The Authority might have you scratching your head. Or maybe you're a WildC.A.T.S fan so you pick up Point Blank, but then you've got no clue who the Authority characters in it are. And god help you if you've not read any other Wildstorm books and try to make sense of the Alternate Earths issues in V2 of Stormwatch...

I jumped into the Authority without reading Stormwatch. I had no problems.

 

[Friday]

I jumped into the Authority without reading Stormwatch. I had no problems.

Now, see I'd have been wondering on Jackson King, Gamorra, and what the previous incarnations of The Doctor and THe Engineer were. Maybe thats just me though.

 

[Bass]

See, I just thought, "It's backstory. If its important, they'll go deeper into it." And they did.

I did wonder who they were, but didn't think, "Man, this doesn't make any sense." It makes sense without knowing. I've gone back and read Stormwatch, but in my opinion, it lessens the Authority simply because Stormwatch wasn't very good.

 

[ProjectX2]

I didn't like Stormwatch as much.

 

[Friday]

See, I just thought, "It's backstory. If its important, they'll go deeper into it." And they did.

I did wonder who they were, but didn't think, "Man, this doesn't make any sense." It makes sense without knowing. I've gone back and read Stormwatch, but in my opinion, it lessens the Authority simply because Stormwatch wasn't very good.

Yeah. Stormwatch really didn't start kicking till the arc with The High. After that I was enjoying it enough to be quite put out that they ended it. Especialy in a cross company crossover. For another team. Most of the characters off panel at that.

And god was Hitch's art bad there. Theres one Panel of King in the Weatherman get-up walking twords the camera that I always want to scan in and put up in the Brain Hitch is god threads.

 

[Bass]

Yeah, Final Orbit sucks balls.

Apparently Wildstorm said to Ellis, "We're cancelling Stormwatch. Kill the team." and Ellis said "Let me keep Stormwatch Black." Though, I dunno how true that is.

The High wasn't too bad, but really, it is extremely pale when compared to the Authority. I mean, the Stormwatch crew wear costumes from the Next Generation. Come on!

 

[ProjectX2]

Yeah, Final Orbit sucks balls.

Apparently Wildstorm said to Ellis, "We're cancelling Stormwatch. Kill the team." and Ellis said "Let me keep Stormwatch Black." Though, I dunno how true that is.

The High wasn't too bad, but really, it is extremely pale when compared to the Authority. I mean, the Stormwatch crew wear costumes from the Next Generation. Come on!

Final Orbit was when they were killed of by Aliens? That sucked...

 

[E]

I bought the first Authority TPB and just couldn't get into it. It wasn't that it was bad, just not enough to make me want to keep turning pages.

Although I didn't read Stormwatch first...maybe that was the problem.