I enjoyed Wildcat as a member of the Justice Society, but where I really began to dig him was in the Bob Haney written issues of The Brave and the Bold. Sure, Wildcat was not supposed to exist on the same Earth as Batman, but Haney never let that kind of thing get in the way of a good story! That attitude was a big inspiration for this blog. I like the fact that Wildcat became to be known as a trainer of other heroes, with characters such as Black Canary, Catwoman, and even Batman receiving some tutelage from him. He maintained that status with the return of the JSA and it helped him to stand out among other heroes. Ted Grant is now MIA along with the rest of the JSA characters as a result of the DCU reboot, here's hoping that he won't be missing for long.
That is one great Rude commission!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Wildcat appeared so often he was almost like a regular cast-member when Haney was writing B & B....
ReplyDeleteDidn't Wildcat's origin show him being inspired by a comic book featuring Green Lantern? That puts his origin on Earth-1 if I'm remembering correctly so the truth is that he shouldn't have been in JSA, not B & B!
ReplyDeleteid still like thing with xena warrior princess,xombi,zot
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of Scott McCloud and Xena, so there's a good chance you'll see some covers you like on this blog... although not necessarily with Ben Grimm. Stay tuned!
ReplyDeleteDave sez,
ReplyDeleteNice cover! Excellent commission!
Roy Thomas had The Atom and Wildcat trained by the same boxer in All-Star Sqaudron didn't he?
There were a couple of Wildcat mini-series that were pretty good...the Batman/Wildcat and Catwoman/Wildcat team-ups...
There's a terrific Alex Toth vibe to that Steve Rude drawing. It's also one hundred per cent better than most of the New 52.
ReplyDeleteWildcat was such a popular guest star in the 70s that he made the cover of a Batman Super-Spec, you might recall. I also enjoyed his Hispanic successor in the 80s but she was killed off pointlessly in the following decade -or, as I like to think of it, The Garb Age.
Another character I have always enjoyed. I tracked down his Brave & Bold appearances, including the three issue miniseries.
ReplyDeleteAnd I immensely enjoyed the JSA characters when I discovered them in their JLA crossover in #121 or so there.
Preferred the yellow-and-purple Sandman costume over the trenchcoat outfit (I like them looking like heroes), Starman, Hourman, Dr. Midnite.
Team them up individually with anyone from Marvel and I'm sure to enjoy it.