To many, the title DV8 won't mean much, but it should. Not only did the series last for 32 issues, it also assisted to launch the career of one Warren Ellis. Originally a spin-off title from WildStorm's Gen13, DV8 garnered a small cult following until its cancellation in 1999, where these characters have essentially remained on the shelf ever since.
Until today. DMZ and Northlanders scribe Brian Wood has blown off the thick layer of decade-old dust and set out on a mission to make the DV8 characters relevant with this new 8-issue series from WildStorm, Gods and Monsters. With issue #1, Wood finds that necessary balance between staying true to the voice of the original characters while making them not only his own, but accessible for the slew of readers that may be unfamiliar.
In most ways, he succeeds. Gods and Monsters is essentially a reboot for these characters, which is apparent the moment Wood thrusts them together on a savage, foreign planet. Admittedly my experience with the original DV8 is limited, but there is no reference in Gods and Monsters to the plotlines of the original series, which were mostly wrapped up upon cancellation. It's a good decision overall, but if the unfamiliarity of these characters doesn't throw you for a loop, the intensity will.
Wood finds the tone of the story immediately. There's a severe aura of doom that bleeds from the pages from the book, thanks in no small part to both Wood's writing and Rebekah Isaacs' artwork. With Wood's methodical script combined with Isaac's rendering of bland, empty skies and worlds exploding within the first few pages, Gods and Monsters takes on a very apocalyptic feel. I can't recall a book that felt so unsettling so quickly, and it's a testament to the talents of both creators.
That said, DV8 by Brian Wood is exactly what you would think a superhero book written by him would be like. It's thoughtful, weird, and has a very surreal quality to it. Thankfully, the assist by Isaacs fits right in to that style. Isaacs brings a very traditional sensibility of superhero comic storytelling to Gods and Monsters #1 with everything from her panel composition in action sequences to the layouts. It's very simple, but helps secure this first issue from going overboard on the somewhat abstract themes that Wood delivers in his writing. Between the two of them, Wood and Isaacs strike a beautiful balance that result in a very unique book.
It's difficult to judge where DV8 is headed from here, but issue #1 provides a very solid foundation to a new chapter one of WildStorm's longest dormant properties.
