Jim Lee sold Wildstorm to DC in 1998, and as of Flashpoint all of the Wildstorm superheroes are currently in the DC mainstream universe. There was an unreleased Gen 13 animated movie in 1998 by Disney and they shelved it because they didn’t want to market something towards a rival company in that case, Warner Bros.
That's not irony. That's capitalism. DC purchased Wildstorm from Jim Lee in 1998. Warren Ellis launched The Authority (A Justice League analog/ parody) in 1999 by decimating Stormwatch (who were basically an analog to The Avengers). The Elite was a direct response to The Authority, created in 2001 by Deadpool writer, Joe Kelly. Because DC can't help by cannibalize it's imprints (see VERTIGO, MILESTONE, WATCHMEN), they eventually rolled all those characters into the DC Universe proper, after the events of FLASHPOINT, in the NEW 52 Relaunch. Now I hear they're doing the same thing to PLANETARY. If you want to kill a revolution, buy it.
@@alexanderford3831 Vertigo was made by them. The authority was made close to or after DC bought wildstorm. Shared Universe ≠ to capitalize and there are tons of writers who wanted to explore wildstorm and vertigo characters in a DC universe. Stuff like Justice League Dark didn’t bring back Shade the changing man for capitalism but because Peter Milligan ( the guy who reinvented Shade in the first place) wanted to rexplored a different version. Plus there are tons of great crossovers where Indie comic crossover with Main Stream comics. As long as people are getting paid properly ( Marvel and DC never do that) there is nothing wrong with crossover. Even Moore himself said once upon a tine that he was fine with watchmen crossovers with the main DC universe ( they built into the contract that he and gibbon would get paid during that time)
Without the Authority theres no Ultimates. Without the Ultimates there’s no Avengers (2012). Without Avengers (2012) there’s no Kraven the Hunter (2024). This is called a pizza hut effect.
The boys doesn't even come close to the greatness that is the authority. They're not even in the same league. Heck Marshal law did in 6 issues that the boys tried in 72.
I'd love to see a full-on revival of The Authority, but I just can't see it working in the DC Universe. The "hook" of The Authority, as it was originally conceived, was that they were superheroes with no compunctions about incurring mass civilian casualties to take out world threats. In my opinion, that is what made the first 12 issues of The Authority so interesting: a team of superheroes willing to commit basically genocide to protect the world in the end. But I just don't see that working in the DC Universe. Maybe if they fully, 100% committed to having The Authority in the DC Universe it could be interesting. I actually think a Justice League/Authority war or something similar could be a really interesting examination on conflicting superhero codes, and an examination on superhero ethics and the relation of superhero teams to civilian lives. But I don't really see that happening. I think for The Authority to really, truly work, it has to be in it's own universe. I'd love to see an Authority revival outside the DC Universe that doesn't water down the team. Maybe it could even be a Vertigo title, what do I know?
The only thing that has ever come out of DC cannibalizing it's imprints, are toothless facsimiles. Sure they like the concept ($$$), but they have a brand to maintain, which means a Status Quo. Look at what they did to WATCHMEN with DOOMSDAY CLOCK, or WILDSTORM and VERTIGO. Now they're doing it with PLANETARY using established Bat-Family characters. I loved Warren Ellis' books because he didn't write Superheroes. He wrote Superhumans. That distinction is why I gravitated to his books, despite having zero interest in Marvel or DC. There are a few writers who have picked up that baton, like Matt Fraction, Brian K. Vaughan, and Jonathan Hickman (not to mention the OG Vertigo writers), but the status quo reigns supreme at the BIG 2. They've got product to maintain.
@@elmandarin1002 not really. BLACK LABEL is essentially M-rated Superhero Graphic Novels, many of which are written by Tom King and/or featuring Batman & family. Probably the closest thing DC had to VERTIGO was when the gave Gerard Way a bit of rope with YOUNG ANIMAL (named after the Seinen Manga Magazine), before snatching it back 2yrs later, culminating with (you guessed it) a JUSTICE LEAGUE Crossover.
Hearing about the book at first & finding about how much of a game changer it was really surprised me. I hope the DCU sticks the landing on these cool & unique "heroes"
Warren Ellis made the authority great mark millar made them memorable. Even though there were later works i did like revolving around the authority like the Garth Ennis oneshots and lobo crossovers they never really reached the same heights like the first run.
Greetings, I think THE SHADOW CABINET from DC/ Milestone tackled this type of premise before Warren Ellis began writing Stormwatch. The first issue of the New 52 Stormwatch even suggested that they were ran by a Shadow Cabinet.
And that was the problem. The Shadow Cabinet was all about secrets, even Dharma didn't told the truth to it's members. The Authority was about being totally open. Everytime there was a crisis, the leader (Jenny Sparks and later Jack Hawksmoor) used to broadcast a message for all the earth, to explain the situation. None of the same " people are not ready for the truth" crap. I hated how in the new 52 they insisted no one, not even other heroes, should know about them.
@lacrartezorok4975 I see your point. As for the New 52 Stormwatch ; they did give a valid reason why they were secretive. Stormwatch accidentally started The Seven Years War when they attempted to go public. Also there had to be an explanation of how the DC Universe persevered during World War 2 when there was no Justice Society of America. It was hinted that Stormwatch was acting in the shadows. I do think after the formation of the New 52 Justice League they were a defunct organisation even though they didn't admit it. I was waiting for a story to explore that but the book got cancelled.
@@afroscifizianzcomix7836 IMO, stories of superhero intervention in real-world conflicts collapse under their own narrative weight. There are only so many scenarios. The superheroes will: A) Completely overwhelm the opposition, altering history in the process. B) Be met with equally powerful opposition, in which case, the aftermath of collateral damage and mass casualties would be incalculable. C) Are nerfed by the writers (The NEW 52 STORMWATCH) to make the story function, but is otherwise beneath the ability of the participating characters. Comics took all the wrong lessons from these books, but Alan Moore was commenting on this with DOCTOR MANHATTAN and MIRACLEMAN. History would be irrevocably altered by the intervention of a pro-active deity.
@@alexanderford3831 All very good points but I think Peter Milligan who wrote New 52 Stormwatch # 10 handled this very skillfully. Thousands died in the conflict and Stormwatch spent 30 years book burning ,book publishing, committing assassinations , destroying Royal dynasties and using their technology for mass hypnosis to change remembered history.
I really enjoyed this video! I loved reading about the authority growing up. I think (and hope) they'll be in good hands with Gunn given his artistic style
Off topic and love your videos Owen but man its gonna be hilarious to see how people react to the relationship between Apollo and Midnighter when the Authority movie comes out if its shown especially with how they resemble Bruce and Clark😂
@@OwenLikesComicsRight the amount of clickbait headlines UA-camrs are gonna make post The Authority movie if that relationship is shown is gonna an epidemic
The Authority is such an interesting batch of characters that I've seen. After being introduced to them by PKJ's Action Comics and Morrison's Superman/Authority series, I read the Ellis and Hitch era of the team during the Summer of last year. Their time on the books was pretty good and I really hope after their movie, The Authority will get a new ongoing series so people can get to learn more about them. I already know a awesome team to work on the book: Deniz Camp and Andrea Milana.
Owen Likes Comics, could you also make a video about How comic book writer Robert Venditti saved Hawkman? His comic book run on the Winged Avenger proved to be a fun-thrilled take on the character, not only by fixing the identity of the character that was tangled by many creators at DC Comics but also by expanding his mythos. What do you think?
1)Most people don't get that there're two versions of The Authority. Ellis version was, what if The Avengers/JLA has starred in Independence Day? Millar version was what if the Avengers/JLA wanted to change the world? 2) I bet who really liked Stormwatch/ The Authority was Bruce Timm. A) Batman beyond's Superman is a mix between the Kingdom Come version and Apollo. B) The Justice Lords are a mix of The Authority and Greenwald's Squadron Supreme. C) The Watchtower with a lot of staff was based on Skywatch. D) He let Ellis recycle the plot of his crossover for The Authority/Planetary for the Dark Heart episode. E) He obviously took influences for The Authority for the animated movie Justice League Gods and Monsters.
@@Sonicman4155 Same! I loved "Gods and Monsters". I guess some people didn't want to see more of "Mexican" Superman. It goes too much against the status quo I guess.
I’ve never understood the take that there was something ‘morally ambiguous’ about The Authority: quite the opposite, it was a book in which the super team is very moral while confronting reality’s bluntness head on. Later critical takes on the characters by other writers to me showed a fundamental and lazy misunderstanding of the book.
@@toddblackwood129 The Authority was a Gen X satirical take on The Avengers-turned-Justice League. They were crass, respected no Authority (pun intended) but their own, and acted unilaterally as sovereign peacekeepers wielding absolute power on the world stage. That may be fine as a philosophical experiment, like Plato's Republic or a comic series that boasts "wide-screen action and world-ending crises," but when applied to a real-world setting, it gets a bit murky. Obviously removing despots from positions of power is a good thing. But that leads to all kinds of fallout. What happens to that country after? What do you do with loyalists? Who manages the elections? Educates the masses? Builds the economy? What is the economy? Now you're in the position of something like the G7 or the UN, which is exactly the point. Without some world-ending threat, The Authority could care less. They never had any interest in governing. Just overwhelming anything they identify as a threat to humanity (?) and neutralizing it with superior force. Essentially they're a giant gun aimed at the world (or it's alternatives) with a single word command: "BEHAVE." Benevolent Dictatorships of Utopian/Dystopian fiction like THE OVERLORDS in CHILDHOOD'S END, THE WORLD CONTROLLERS in BRAVE NEW WORLD and even MIRACLEMAN at the end of Alan Moore's run, explore the boring work of shepherding humanity. THE AUTHORITY doesn't engage with any of that. It's all gas -- an exercise in RAW POWER, and a middle-finger to the Status Quo of Superhero Comics industry (which literally ruled in the short term, and spawned a number of spin-offs). BENEVOLENT TYRANNY is still TYRANNY.
I think the authority is so unique and cool because of how interesting their characters are. Like ofc you have the Batman and Superman of the team. But you also have a god of cities who believes heroes should get more into politics, or the spirit of a century, etc
I guess people should really start calling the comic book era from the late 90's to now as the cinematic age, and use The Authority as one of the first if not the first landmark from the era.
The Authority was groundbreaking in its time.. I remember seeing the similarities between The Authority & Grant Morrison's New X Men as well as the Ultimates... much darver than the X Men & the Image titles of the 90s in both art & storylines. But sadly just like everything different that becomes successful...the comic book companies couldn't help but beat the to DEATH.. This reminds me of when movie like Star Wars .Jaws & Indiana Jones .. basically good clean fun movies like the seriels of the 30s...blew up in popularity in the late 70s & early 80s ..after a decade or so of much darker movies like Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets & Taxi Driver..who came from a time when directors would do ANYTHING in order to be as DIFFERENT as possible from another director's work. But the Star Wars & Indiana Jones movies became FRANCHISES as opposed to CINEMA made by Scorcese ..Mike Fredrich..etc etc..& as of 2024... those franchises have been beaten to DEATH as well...& im hoping that that will go full circle as well.
Storm Watch #1 is the true beginning, or you miss the point. SW is what if SHIELD agents all had powers. Change or Die did Watchmen better. Later creators missed the Authority's point. They were protecting humanity from powered individuals. Mark Millar ruined it.
@@douglasbriel6103 I always thought of STORMWATCH as "UN-backed Avengers," but you're right. They were more like a precursor to *ULTIMATE AVENGERS (MCU), with superheroes working alongside government/military personnel. I did appreciate the Relaunch of STORMWATCH under as Anti-Superhuman military TEAM: ACHILLES, under former BLACK RAZOR (remember those guys?), Santini. Especially when they came into direct conflict with THE AUTHORITY early on, but drama with the writer's military background led the book to just fizzle out. *I'm not a fan of Mark Millar, and I do think he missed the point of The Authority, but he is great at selling an idea. He even took Bryan Hitch with him to MARVEL.
@alexanderford3831 I'm not a fan of millar either, but Bryan Hitch art is easily the best part of the Ultimates. P.S. I hope the Authority movie would be based on the Warren Ellis ran since, in my opinion, that the best ran in the entire series.
Now that I've watched this video, I'm glad that I didn't get into the series back when. It was a mistake to take Wildstorm to DC imo, and an even worse idea integrating the characters into DC. I wholeheartedly agree with anpother commentor here that a revival of the team outside of DC would be perfect.
I remember when this came out and every little edgelord was going on and on about how The Authority could beat every super team. I still hold a grudge against the comic because of that lol.
I’m going to be honest, I had never really heard of the The Authority before James Gunn announced that he was going to be adapting it as part of the DCU, so this video has been really helpful in educating me about who they are and how they came to be. Great work as always!
That's great! It's definitely worth checking out their first volume, I picked it up fairly cheap and I'm sure DC will be reprinting it with the film on the way.
I do not think that The Authority movie could ever work in a DC Cinematic Universe. It should be stand-alone movie like Watchmen or V for Vendetta. Even tho those kind kind of movies are better in graphic novel format. Done right, The Authority could change this. Best possible way is to make it meta movie about superhero movies. That way it coud achieve the masterpiece status that Watchmen has as a comic book.
Warren Ellis is a piece of human filth - also his trilogy of Stormwatch/The Authority/Planetary might be one of the best superhero stories ever told. Both of these things are unfortunately true at the same time
@@GreenGoblet22 yeah. That honestly hurt really bad, because his writing is what brought me back to comics in the early 00's, and I was waist-deep into THE INJECTION when the stories started to break. It still hurts.
I always loved Midnighter. He'd spend a whole day breaking jaws then go home and argue about doing laundry with his husband (Apollo). It's too bad he never got a solo run that really did him justice. Especially because his abilities to see every outcome of a fight is a cool mechanic.
IMO even early on Midnighter had a good solo run and Orlando's run in DC was aces too, I think he may be the most visible character of the whole run. Swift is the one that gets no respect lol.
The authority as a whole I am not a fan of mostly because this team are just jerks and killers who aren’t fun to read in my opinion, but I am glad you enjoy this team then I did, because at the end of the day we all have are own opinions. 😊
What if The Boys lived in DC, Sperman proceeds to stop Jenny Sparks from smoking, Frost and co... well it's way more edgy and fun than Amanda Waller reuse in 999 time, Creature Commandos = Suicide Squad in russia, who let Gunn cook 😂
I think you're doing a massive disservice to your channel by spoiling everything story wise in these videos. You can still tell the story of these comics without giving away everything. I want to watch your other videos but now I wont because you'll just spoil the story of the comics that look interesting.
I respectfully wouldn't call my overview of the story here spoiling. This video covers over 100 issues of comics, and although I do have to go into detail and talk about the main plot points of the Ellis/Hitch run, it's hardly a page-for-page "here's everything that happens so you don't have to read it." I do appreciate your comment, and I think it's a fair thing to raise and for me to reflect on. There has to be a balance between giving enough detail to accurately tell the history of a comic, and not just turn the video into me reading a comic to you.
▶ If you enjoyed this video, consider supporting Owen Likes Comics on Patreon: www.patreon.com/owenlikescomics
How about gen13 or other Image comics. They were big in early to mid 90's
Jim Lee sold Wildstorm to DC in 1998, and as of Flashpoint all of the Wildstorm superheroes are currently in the DC mainstream universe. There was an unreleased Gen 13 animated movie in 1998 by Disney and they shelved it because they didn’t want to market something towards a rival company in that case, Warner Bros.
I have a soft spot for the Authority, they have that perfect balance of colorful silly superhero antics, and grounded and gritty action and ideas
That first arc really is cinematic comic books and still a wower.
Yeah. It kind of went to shit after Warren Ellis and John Cassaday left.
@@christownsend7552you mean Bryan Hitch
@ As a gd matter of fact. I do. I just finished rereading Planetary.
Basically, he did to Stormwatch what Liefeld did to New Mutants, including turning a book into a new book.
I appreciate the casualness of "then they fought god"
The fact that Manchester Black was a member of The Elite who later features as a member of Stormwatch is deeply ironic.
That's not irony. That's capitalism.
DC purchased Wildstorm from Jim Lee in 1998. Warren Ellis launched The Authority (A Justice League analog/ parody) in 1999 by decimating Stormwatch (who were basically an analog to The Avengers). The Elite was a direct response to The Authority, created in 2001 by Deadpool writer, Joe Kelly.
Because DC can't help by cannibalize it's imprints (see VERTIGO, MILESTONE, WATCHMEN), they eventually rolled all those characters into the DC Universe proper, after the events of FLASHPOINT, in the NEW 52 Relaunch. Now I hear they're doing the same thing to PLANETARY.
If you want to kill a revolution, buy it.
@@alexanderford3831 Vertigo was made by them. The authority was made close to or after DC bought wildstorm. Shared Universe ≠ to capitalize and there are tons of writers who wanted to explore wildstorm and vertigo characters in a DC universe. Stuff like Justice League Dark didn’t bring back Shade the changing man for capitalism but because Peter Milligan ( the guy who reinvented Shade in the first place) wanted to rexplored a different version. Plus there are tons of great crossovers where Indie comic crossover with Main Stream comics. As long as people are getting paid properly ( Marvel and DC never do that) there is nothing wrong with crossover. Even Moore himself said once upon a tine that he was fine with watchmen crossovers with the main DC universe ( they built into the contract that he and gibbon would get paid during that time)
Without the Authority theres no Ultimates. Without the Ultimates there’s no Avengers (2012). Without Avengers (2012) there’s no Kraven the Hunter (2024). This is called a pizza hut effect.
Exactly.. basically EVERYTHING eventually becomes a FRANCHISE
I think people should suffer for their art a little so I really appreciate you making this video.
why are you the way that you are?
The Authority > The Boys
Squadron Supreme > The Authority
@@ProjektTaku Squadron Supreme is good too
Jesus > Everything
@kbg12ila cool man, I'm glad you found Jesus.
The boys doesn't even come close to the greatness that is the authority. They're not even in the same league. Heck Marshal law did in 6 issues that the boys tried in 72.
I'd love to see a full-on revival of The Authority, but I just can't see it working in the DC Universe. The "hook" of The Authority, as it was originally conceived, was that they were superheroes with no compunctions about incurring mass civilian casualties to take out world threats. In my opinion, that is what made the first 12 issues of The Authority so interesting: a team of superheroes willing to commit basically genocide to protect the world in the end.
But I just don't see that working in the DC Universe. Maybe if they fully, 100% committed to having The Authority in the DC Universe it could be interesting. I actually think a Justice League/Authority war or something similar could be a really interesting examination on conflicting superhero codes, and an examination on superhero ethics and the relation of superhero teams to civilian lives. But I don't really see that happening.
I think for The Authority to really, truly work, it has to be in it's own universe. I'd love to see an Authority revival outside the DC Universe that doesn't water down the team. Maybe it could even be a Vertigo title, what do I know?
The only thing that has ever come out of DC cannibalizing it's imprints, are toothless facsimiles. Sure they like the concept ($$$), but they have a brand to maintain, which means a Status Quo. Look at what they did to WATCHMEN with DOOMSDAY CLOCK, or WILDSTORM and VERTIGO. Now they're doing it with PLANETARY using established Bat-Family characters.
I loved Warren Ellis' books because he didn't write Superheroes. He wrote Superhumans. That distinction is why I gravitated to his books, despite having zero interest in Marvel or DC.
There are a few writers who have picked up that baton, like Matt Fraction, Brian K. Vaughan, and Jonathan Hickman (not to mention the OG Vertigo writers), but the status quo reigns supreme at the BIG 2. They've got product to maintain.
Vertigo is DC Black Label now
Do not read the new jenny sparks series. Trash. Art and story. Ruined her
@@elmandarin1002 not really. BLACK LABEL is essentially M-rated Superhero Graphic Novels, many of which are written by Tom King and/or featuring Batman & family.
Probably the closest thing DC had to VERTIGO was when the gave Gerard Way a bit of rope with YOUNG ANIMAL (named after the Seinen Manga Magazine), before snatching it back 2yrs later, culminating with (you guessed it) a JUSTICE LEAGUE Crossover.
@@elmandarin1002 Didn't they bring Vertigo back recently? I might've been mistaken. Either imprint would work for The Authority, in any case.
Excellent video. I like forward to seeing them in the DCU.
You and me both!
Excited for DCU and how Gunn will do going forward
Dude I can’t wait to watch this
Edit: Bravo Owen
Thanks!
Hearing about the book at first & finding about how much of a game changer it was really surprised me. I hope the DCU sticks the landing on these cool & unique "heroes"
Warren Ellis made the authority great mark millar made them memorable. Even though there were later works i did like revolving around the authority like the Garth Ennis oneshots and lobo crossovers they never really reached the same heights like the first run.
I felt like Mark Millar took away the nuance that made The Authority great and instead made it more into stereotypical edgelord schlock.
@@tylerbertram7065part of that was on purpose I think
Kev was a series of miniseries. It’s something that at one point was progressive but now has aged poorly
It'll definitely be interesting to see how much the upcoming film adapts or is inspired by that initial Authority comic run.
Terrific video, Owen!
Greetings,
I think THE SHADOW CABINET from DC/ Milestone tackled this type of premise before Warren Ellis began writing Stormwatch. The first issue of the New 52 Stormwatch even suggested that they were ran by a Shadow Cabinet.
And that was the problem. The Shadow Cabinet was all about secrets, even Dharma didn't told the truth to it's members. The Authority was about being totally open. Everytime there was a crisis, the leader (Jenny Sparks and later Jack Hawksmoor) used to broadcast a message for all the earth, to explain the situation. None of the same " people are not ready for the truth" crap.
I hated how in the new 52 they insisted no one, not even other heroes, should know about them.
@lacrartezorok4975 I see your point. As for the New 52 Stormwatch ; they did give a valid reason why they were secretive. Stormwatch accidentally started The Seven Years War when they attempted to go public. Also there had to be an explanation of how the DC Universe persevered during World War 2 when there was no Justice Society of America. It was hinted that Stormwatch was acting in the shadows. I do think after the formation of the New 52 Justice League they were a defunct organisation even though they didn't admit it. I was waiting for a story to explore that but the book got cancelled.
@@afroscifizianzcomix7836 IMO, stories of superhero intervention in real-world conflicts collapse under their own narrative weight. There are only so many scenarios. The superheroes will:
A) Completely overwhelm the opposition, altering history in the process.
B) Be met with equally powerful opposition, in which case, the aftermath of collateral damage and mass casualties would be incalculable.
C) Are nerfed by the writers (The NEW 52 STORMWATCH) to make the story function, but is otherwise beneath the ability of the participating characters.
Comics took all the wrong lessons from these books, but Alan Moore was commenting on this with DOCTOR MANHATTAN and MIRACLEMAN. History would be irrevocably altered by the intervention of a pro-active deity.
@@alexanderford3831 All very good points but I think Peter Milligan who wrote New 52 Stormwatch # 10 handled this very skillfully. Thousands died in the conflict and Stormwatch spent 30 years book burning ,book publishing, committing assassinations , destroying Royal dynasties and using their technology for mass hypnosis to change remembered history.
I really enjoyed this video! I loved reading about the authority growing up. I think (and hope) they'll be in good hands with Gunn given his artistic style
Excellent video the authority is a classic comic series it shows what superhero comics should be. I cannot wait to see them in the dcu
The video that I didn't know that I needed. Great work.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Late 90s, early 2000s Wildstorm had quite a few hidden gems. Hope you'll cover more.
Any recommendations? I’m always looking for stuff to read
Great authority analysis! Can’t wait for the Klaus vid!!!
Off topic and love your videos Owen but man its gonna be hilarious to see how people react to the relationship between Apollo and Midnighter when the Authority movie comes out if its shown especially with how they resemble Bruce and Clark😂
You know someone will go on a tirade about how they turned the Authority "woke"
@@OwenLikesComicsRight the amount of clickbait headlines UA-camrs are gonna make post The Authority movie if that relationship is shown is gonna an epidemic
The Authority is such an interesting batch of characters that I've seen. After being introduced to them by PKJ's Action Comics and Morrison's Superman/Authority series, I read the Ellis and Hitch era of the team during the Summer of last year.
Their time on the books was pretty good and I really hope after their movie, The Authority will get a new ongoing series so people can get to learn more about them. I already know a awesome team to work on the book: Deniz Camp and Andrea Milana.
Always a pleasure, sir. Thank you.
My pleasure!
Owen Likes Comics, could you also make a video about How comic book writer Robert Venditti saved Hawkman? His comic book run on the Winged Avenger proved to be a fun-thrilled take on the character, not only by fixing the identity of the character that was tangled by many creators at DC Comics but also by expanding his mythos. What do you think?
Just wanna say that the Wild Storm is a total blast, and feels like a love letter to the whole history of the Wildstorm universe.
I kinda want to see Owen or Strange Brain Parts cover the end of the Supreme power universe.
Authority along with Ultimates and Bendis really changed the course of comic books.
Well put. Loved this series when I read it but it felt at odds with itself at time. But when it soared it SOARED
omg it's my favourite comictuber 😍
And definitely, The Authority is a book of contradictions but when it works? It's as good as comics get.
Can you do WildC.A.T.S. next??
Great video 💙
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank You! I loved the Authority! One of my all time favorite teams! I liked them better as Wildstorm characters
1)Most people don't get that there're two versions of The Authority.
Ellis version was, what if The Avengers/JLA has starred in Independence Day?
Millar version was what if the Avengers/JLA wanted to change the world?
2) I bet who really liked Stormwatch/ The Authority was Bruce Timm.
A) Batman beyond's Superman is a mix between the Kingdom Come version and Apollo.
B) The Justice Lords are a mix of The Authority and Greenwald's Squadron Supreme.
C) The Watchtower with a lot of staff was based on Skywatch.
D) He let Ellis recycle the plot of his crossover for The Authority/Planetary for the Dark Heart episode.
E) He obviously took influences for The Authority for the animated movie Justice League Gods and Monsters.
@lacrartezorok4975 Justice League Gods and Monsters is my favorite Elseworlds movie. I wish they did more with it.
@@Sonicman4155
Same! I loved "Gods and Monsters".
I guess some people didn't want to see more of "Mexican" Superman.
It goes too much against the status quo I guess.
Thank you, Owen.
I’ve never understood the take that there was something ‘morally ambiguous’ about The Authority: quite the opposite, it was a book in which the super team is very moral while confronting reality’s bluntness head on. Later critical takes on the characters by other writers to me showed a fundamental and lazy misunderstanding of the book.
@@toddblackwood129 The Authority was a Gen X satirical take on The Avengers-turned-Justice League. They were crass, respected no Authority (pun intended) but their own, and acted unilaterally as sovereign peacekeepers wielding absolute power on the world stage. That may be fine as a philosophical experiment, like Plato's Republic or a comic series that boasts "wide-screen action and world-ending crises," but when applied to a real-world setting, it gets a bit murky.
Obviously removing despots from positions of power is a good thing. But that leads to all kinds of fallout. What happens to that country after? What do you do with loyalists? Who manages the elections? Educates the masses? Builds the economy? What is the economy?
Now you're in the position of something like the G7 or the UN, which is exactly the point. Without some world-ending threat, The Authority could care less. They never had any interest in governing. Just overwhelming anything they identify as a threat to humanity (?) and neutralizing it with superior force. Essentially they're a giant gun aimed at the world (or it's alternatives) with a single word command:
"BEHAVE."
Benevolent Dictatorships of Utopian/Dystopian fiction like THE OVERLORDS in CHILDHOOD'S END, THE WORLD CONTROLLERS in BRAVE NEW WORLD and even MIRACLEMAN at the end of Alan Moore's run, explore the boring work of shepherding humanity. THE AUTHORITY doesn't engage with any of that. It's all gas -- an exercise in RAW POWER, and a middle-finger to the Status Quo of Superhero Comics industry (which literally ruled in the short term, and spawned a number of spin-offs).
BENEVOLENT TYRANNY is still TYRANNY.
Dude, you make good videos and I enjoy watching them. Bravo. 👏🏻 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏼🌈❤️🌈❤️🌈
Surprised you didn’t mention Kev and the team ups with Lobo
I think the authority is so unique and cool because of how interesting their characters are. Like ofc you have the Batman and Superman of the team. But you also have a god of cities who believes heroes should get more into politics, or the spirit of a century, etc
Hopefully you’ll do Planetary at some point.
I Love the Authority! Can’t wait for the movie and hope it stays live action!
Great video 😎👍🎅❗
Thanks!
I guess people should really start calling the comic book era from the late 90's to now as the cinematic age, and use The Authority as one of the first if not the first landmark from the era.
I’ve got such a weird relationship with the Authority.
The Authority was groundbreaking in its time.. I remember seeing the similarities between The Authority & Grant Morrison's New X Men as well as the Ultimates... much darver than the X Men & the Image titles of the 90s in both art & storylines.
But sadly just like everything different that becomes successful...the comic book companies couldn't help but beat the to DEATH..
This reminds me of when movie like Star Wars .Jaws & Indiana Jones .. basically good clean fun movies like the seriels of the 30s...blew up in popularity in the late 70s & early 80s ..after a decade or so of much darker movies like Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets & Taxi Driver..who came from a time when directors would do ANYTHING in order to be as DIFFERENT as possible from another director's work.
But the Star Wars & Indiana Jones movies became FRANCHISES as opposed to CINEMA made by Scorcese ..Mike Fredrich..etc etc..& as of 2024... those franchises have been beaten to DEATH as well...& im hoping that that will go full circle as well.
My goats. When I heard we were getting an Authority movie I started spinning on my head
The Best Things that ever came out of Image in that Era were The MAXX, Stormwatch and The Authority
How much do wanna bet that the jackhammer will be referenced in The Authority movie?
Storm Watch #1 is the true beginning, or you miss the point. SW is what if SHIELD agents all had powers. Change or Die did Watchmen better. Later creators missed the Authority's point. They were protecting humanity from powered individuals. Mark Millar ruined it.
100% Agreed
@@douglasbriel6103 I always thought of STORMWATCH as "UN-backed Avengers," but you're right. They were more like a precursor to *ULTIMATE AVENGERS (MCU), with superheroes working alongside government/military personnel.
I did appreciate the Relaunch of STORMWATCH under as Anti-Superhuman military TEAM: ACHILLES, under former BLACK RAZOR (remember those guys?), Santini. Especially when they came into direct conflict with THE AUTHORITY early on, but drama with the writer's military background led the book to just fizzle out.
*I'm not a fan of Mark Millar, and I do think he missed the point of The Authority, but he is great at selling an idea. He even took Bryan Hitch with him to MARVEL.
@alexanderford3831 Storm Watch was actually an arm of The United Nations.
@alexanderford3831 I'm not a fan of millar either, but Bryan Hitch art is easily the best part of the Ultimates.
P.S. I hope the Authority movie would be based on the Warren Ellis ran since, in my opinion, that the best ran in the entire series.
Before Ellis, Stormwatch was a totally generic 90's comic. I only bought them because it was where Backlash debuted.
Now that I've watched this video, I'm glad that I didn't get into the series back when. It was a mistake to take Wildstorm to DC imo, and an even worse idea integrating the characters into DC. I wholeheartedly agree with anpother commentor here that a revival of the team outside of DC would be perfect.
I remember when this came out and every little edgelord was going on and on about how The Authority could beat every super team. I still hold a grudge against the comic because of that lol.
I’m going to be honest, I had never really heard of the The Authority before James Gunn announced that he was going to be adapting it as part of the DCU, so this video has been really helpful in educating me about who they are and how they came to be. Great work as always!
That's great! It's definitely worth checking out their first volume, I picked it up fairly cheap and I'm sure DC will be reprinting it with the film on the way.
I love the Authority
I do not think that The Authority movie could ever work in a DC Cinematic Universe. It should be stand-alone movie like Watchmen or V for Vendetta. Even tho those kind kind of movies are better in graphic novel format. Done right, The Authority could change this. Best possible way is to make it meta movie about superhero movies. That way it coud achieve the masterpiece status that Watchmen has as a comic book.
Warren Ellis is a piece of human filth - also his trilogy of Stormwatch/The Authority/Planetary might be one of the best superhero stories ever told.
Both of these things are unfortunately true at the same time
@@GreenGoblet22 yeah. That honestly hurt really bad, because his writing is what brought me back to comics in the early 00's, and I was waist-deep into THE INJECTION when the stories started to break.
It still hurts.
The first three volumes were revolutionary. Then it all went to shit as it is destined to be.
Without the authority there would not be the og ultimate marvel line the boys the elite
Do wildcats
I always loved Midnighter. He'd spend a whole day breaking jaws then go home and argue about doing laundry with his husband (Apollo).
It's too bad he never got a solo run that really did him justice. Especially because his abilities to see every outcome of a fight is a cool mechanic.
IMO even early on Midnighter had a good solo run and Orlando's run in DC was aces too, I think he may be the most visible character of the whole run. Swift is the one that gets no respect lol.
He did get a solo run by ennis where he goes after hitler
I read Warren and mark
🤘🏼🔥🔥
The authority as a whole I am not a fan of mostly because this team are just jerks and killers who aren’t fun to read in my opinion, but I am glad you enjoy this team then I did, because at the end of the day we all have are own opinions. 😊
The way they had been kinda described to me before as kinda dark but kinda goofy kinda made me think their like superheroes to the doom patrol kind of
What if The Boys lived in DC, Sperman proceeds to stop Jenny Sparks from smoking, Frost and co... well it's way more edgy and fun than Amanda Waller reuse in 999 time, Creature Commandos = Suicide Squad in russia, who let Gunn cook 😂
I think you're doing a massive disservice to your channel by spoiling everything story wise in these videos. You can still tell the story of these comics without giving away everything. I want to watch your other videos but now I wont because you'll just spoil the story of the comics that look interesting.
I respectfully wouldn't call my overview of the story here spoiling. This video covers over 100 issues of comics, and although I do have to go into detail and talk about the main plot points of the Ellis/Hitch run, it's hardly a page-for-page "here's everything that happens so you don't have to read it."
I do appreciate your comment, and I think it's a fair thing to raise and for me to reflect on. There has to be a balance between giving enough detail to accurately tell the history of a comic, and not just turn the video into me reading a comic to you.
What is blud yappin about
@@shreddin_itnonsense. This comic has been out for 20 years. If he hasnt read it yet, chances are he never will so who cares?
You didn't even mention the impact that these comics had on the LGBTHQ community.
What Impact?
@@T3aseW1thease The comic books are not just for yt cis-men
@ never said that they were but ok