The Authority (1999-2002): one of the best team books *ever*?

I was re-reading this wildly magnificent Wildstorm gem last night (the full run is here in the Comics section) and…wow! What a magnificently creative and fun read this series is!

I’d argue it’s one of the best team books ever, easily in the Top Five of All Time. The characters are very unique (I love Midnighter, Jenny Sparks and the Engineer in particular), their designs are cool and the writing is good. An Authority movie based on this series can’t come soon enough. An animated series would be swell too.

Have you read this series? If you have, what did you think of it? If you haven’t read The Authority, you should =)

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I’m making further progress on this piece de resistance. Just gets better and better with each issue.

Someone else here has had to have read this (there was a request from someone for the last three issues of this too and thanks to DCU for obliging on that). It’s friggin’ bad@$$!

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I have never read this series.
But after this sparkling review, I am adding it to my pull list.
Immediately.

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I’m a big fan of the authority although when they go over the top like the time they cut off giant man’s legs was a bit much to take…

@Kitty, we must discuss this series once you get into it. Be aware that it is definitely a Mature Readers title. It’s got violence, language, allusions to other things, etc.

Savor each page of each issue like a fine meal. Re-read certain pages a few times if need be as some of the scientific concepts are weighty but once you understand them, you think “Wow! That is cool!”

The art…oh boy. Bryan Hitch and Frank Quietly are the headliners (I think Dustin Nguyen does a few issues too). Hitch draws action sequences on a level above almost everyone else. You could frame some of his art in a museum it’s so eyepoppingly beautiful. That goes for his entire oeuvre outside of The Authority as well.

So yeah, damn good series.

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That’s Frank Quitely autocorrect, not “Quietly”.

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Omg… I’m so excited to get started!

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I’m excited for you to get started! I’m at #3, so whenever you reach that LMK.

Very curious as to your thoughts on #'s 1 and 2.

I read first two issues but from what I’ve research/read, it’s recommended to read Stormwatch before jumping in The Authority. Both written by Warren Ellis. It’s going to lack the context to make it mean anything by just The Authority alone. I don’t think Stormwatch is in DCU.

But correct me if I am wrong @Vroom since I am not too familiar with Warren Ellis The Authority and Stormwatch.

The Ellis run on Stormwatch helps to a degree. However, I first read The Authority and fell in love with it before I even knew about Ellis’ run on Stormwatch, let alone actually read it.

So it’s a YMMV deal.

The Authority was one of the books that brought me back to comics after a long period away. Things change in this book, it isn’t find bad guy doing bad things, chase, fight, catch, escape, rinse and repeat. I’ve always like the scale of the foes the Authority fought and how everyone had to pull their own weight.

The heroes of the authority seem more real to me than traditional heroes. No Apollo and Midnighter are not Superman and Batman, respectively, but they appeal to me more. Jenny is a great leader when there weren’t a lot of women leaders of team

Now while volume 1 is the pinnacle of the Authority in my opinion, I would like to see subsequent volumes.

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Now that I have finished what’s available of Planetary and The WildStorm, The Authority is next! Glad to see it get such high praise. Now, if they would only add the rest of The WildStorm and all of the other WildStorm imprints! Grr!!

Especially Divine Right: The Adventures of Max Faraday. My favorite Wildstorm title.

I love the Authority. For those that might be interested, DC is putting out an Authority Omnibus HC at the end of July.

I don’t buy much paper anymore, but I have this on pre-ordered.

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THE AUTHORITY had me at Warren Ellis. To me, there are echoes of this in Millar’s SHARKEY.