And Then There Was Stormwatch.....

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of injecting outside properties into another established canon, so I was ready to not be a huge fan of Grifter, Voodoo and Stormwatch showing up in the DCU. Therefore, I was ready for Stormwatch #1 to possibly suck. The first issue of this series introduces the team consisting Jenny Quantum, Jack Hawksmoor, the Engineer and Martian Manhunter alongside three brand new characters including one called the Eminence of Blades (they're really running out of names). This incarnation of is part of an organization that has protected Earth in secret for centuries. They don't believe themselves to be superheroes, but prefer the term "professionals." It's a thin premise as far as ironing these no nonsense protagonists into the fold, but it serves its purpose.

Here's my problem: the purpose it serves simply doesn't work. Stormwatch (basically the Authority) could NEVER exist in the same space as the Justice League. They'd spend 30 pages a month at each other's throats instead of getting sh** done. It'd be like Congress...or my parents. The League would find Stormwatch to be excessive and just like Stormwatch would probably think the League is a bunch of pussies. Except Batman...because he thinks EVERYONE'S a pussy. DC is a universe built on archetypal superheroes. They're the standard. They don't need to be edgy and that's not what anyone really reads DC for, so it's redundant to have a bunch of tough guys come in and call the Superfriends lightweights.

Be all that as it may, this is still a halfway decent book. Cornell does the best he can with the task he's been given. It's not quite action packed, but there's enough of a balance between action and exposition to keep the story progressing. The best part of this for me is that the first Big Bad is the Moon...the evil talking Moon. That's just f**kin awesome. Sepulvelda's artwork makes every look like they're staring into the Sun with a lot of squinting that's supposed to look like hardcore faces. Stormwatch is passable read until the Justice League makes an appearance in the book to kick their asses and remind them whose house it is. Bottom Line: Sloppy yet salvageable artwork, balanced pace, thin crossover premise, but great potential...just not now. 6.5 out of 10.