Waller Vs. Wildstorm #1
Written by Spencer Ackerman & Evan Narcisse
Drawn by Jesus Merino with Vicente Cifuentes
Colored by Michael Atiyeh
Published by DC Comics

The Skinny: Cold War spy craft meets ’90s superhero excess in this unique miniseries.
I’m the biggest fan of DC’s Black Label comics. I found previous comics in the line oversized, overpriced, and all too often reliant on shock value and gimmickry rather than their story. (See Batman: Damned for more hot tea on Batman’s junk) But Waller Vs. Wildstorm is a book that I have been looking forward to, and it did not disappoint.
 Written by famed political journalist Spencer Ackerman, and Evan Narcisse, the book is a taut reimagining of Checkmate, one of the DC universe’s metahuman government organizations, as a late Cold War-era spy agency, doing shadowy deeds in war-torn proxy states. But with super-powers. The whole issue serves as a framing device, with Stormwatch leader Battalion meeting cub reporter Lois Lane in the hotel bar of one of DC’s many fictional third-world countries. He is trying to get her to dig into the past of a black site operative who is gaining control of Checkmate, an ambitious young woman named Amanda Waller. 
 My background with the Wildstorm universe and Stormwatch is spotty, having only picked up the books during The Authority and having seen little of the line’s reinvention as a part of the already overly stuffed DC Universe. But this issue gave me the relevant information without needing a degree in DC lore or becoming too much of an information dump. This issue serves primarily as an introduction to the story and universe, so I’m interested in where the book goes from here.
 Jesus Merino’s art is showcased by the DC Black Label large print size, and looks absolutely gorgeous paired with Cifuentes’s inks and Atiyeh’s rich, vibrant colors. The more grounded, serious story really pops against the colorful era-accurate designs for these ’90s heroes. 
 Waller Vs. Wildstorm is a prestige miniseries being released episodically from DC Black label. The first issue is available now digitally through Comixology, or in print at Your Local Comics Shop. If you are in the mood for some late Cold-War nostalgia, or want a superhero comic with a bit more bite to it, I recommend you give it a look!