DC COMICS
WRITER: B. Clay Moore
ARTIST: Ramon Perez
COVER: Sean Chen

Wildcat returns to one of the old gyms he ran in the past to investigate some shadowy activities and to find out if his ageing body still has what it takes.

This story has a nice simplicity to it. Wildcat is presented as a boxing champ who turned to superheroics, plan and simple. No surprise revelation about his family's past, no mysterious new superpower, no old enemy seeking revenge. Well, this is the first part of a three-chapter story so who knows what will eventually turn up. But for now, Wildcat is just a hero, trying to catch some badguys. Despite his violent past, he seems free of remorse and regrets. Quite refreshing for a character these days.

The art is a bit raw, like a less mature version of Darwyn Cooke. But it does have a subtle power to it, even without any gigantic explosions or sizzling death rays to liven things up. The best part ironically is the fight with Solomon Grundy in the beginning. The boxing match later in the story looks a bit rushed.

As for poor Solomon Grundy, he may have been born on a Monday but he is being overused all the rest of the week. Now, he is getting beaten by one guy-- without powers. Yes, I know his power level varies with each incarnation but he is rapidly turning into the bad guy that DC uses to fill space when they need a meaningless fight scene in a story. He used to be a major force in the DC universe. The editors should use him more sparingly unless they want to turn him into just another punching bag.

This issue gets three stars out of five.