Espionage goes superhero scale in this Waller vs. Wildstorm preview

In the late 1980s, there was a secret war going on that very few knew about — a war over control of the intelligence agency Checkmate. On one side, Jackson King and the superhero team known as Stormwatch. On the other…? Amanda Waller and some of the most untrustworthy people imaginable… including Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke. Get ready for DC’s next big thing with a preview of the first issue of Waller vs. Wildstorm.

An alternate version of mainstream DC history and mythology from DC’s Black Label imprint, Waller vs. Wildstorm isn’t just a celebration of the power of the original Wildstorm mythology — which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year — it’s also a tense political thriller in keeping with John Ostrander’s original Suicide Squad series of the ‘80s, where Amanda Waller first showed that she had what it takes to keep control over an entire universe worth of strategy and planning.

Co-written by Evan Narcisse (DC Power: A Celebration, Batman: Gotham Knights — Gilded City) and national security reporter Spencer Ackerman, the four-issue series is illustrated by Jesús Meriño, with cover artwork for the first issue from Jorge Fornés, Eric Battle, and Mike Norton. The series was initially solicited as part of DC’s Wildstorm anniversary plans in late 2022, but rescheduled just prior to launch; while no reason was given at the time, it’s worth noting that original series artist Eric Battle has been replaced by Meriño for the final published edition of the issue.

Look below for a sneak peek at the issue.

Waller vs. Wildstorm #1 will be available March 21.

Jim Lee and other Wildstorm alumni spent a San Diego Comic-Con panel remembering the classic imprint last summer.