WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Bryan Hill, Dexter Vines, N. Steven Harris, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz and Warren Ellis' Michael Cray #1, on sale now.


Warren Ellis has done a fantastic job of re-establishing and re-inventing the Wildstorm Universe in The Wild Storm. The world feels both familiar and refreshing, complex and approachable, and it perfectly captures the secret paramilitary paranoia that was so pervasive throughout much of the original universe. Bryan Hill and N. Steven Harris have built Michael Cray to be an outcropping of Ellis' work, while also giving the people what they want -- alternate universe versions of their favorite comic book characters.

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Michael Cray, once known as Deathblow, is a trained killer and professional assassin who has spent much of his solo book taking out evil versions of the Justice League. He killed a deranged version of Oliver Queen, a paranoid the Barry Allen and a monstrous Arthur Curry. He has since gone up against a ruthless Diana Prince and a sadistic version of John Constantine. Michael Cray #11 added two familiar DC characters into the Wildstorm Universe.

The penultimate issue of the series dives into the backstory of Diana Prince, showing her tragic beginnings and rise to power as part of her quest to bring the Greek gods back to the world. At one point in her journey, she comes to know Alexander Luthor, who is something of a modern day corporate conqueror. Diana gets close to Luthor, then blackmails him in order to get access to his research into super soldier serums. It is through this transaction that she seemingly gains all the strength and power of Wonder Woman.

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Her quest for power doesn't stop there. In order to bring back her gods, she must first find someone with the ability and knowledge to do so. Her search leads her to Dr. Kent Nelson, the man who became Doctor Fate in another world. In the Wildstorm Universe, the gods do not walk side-by-side with mankind. Few believe that they are real, but Nelson points her to the one man who may be able to help her: Dr. John Constantine. Unfortunately, before we can see if Fate exists in this world, Diana destroys the Helmet of Fate and kills both Kent and his wife in cold blood.

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The story of Michael Cray is coming to an end in Issue #12, but there is no telling which DC Comics heroes and villains might show up before it's all over. Diana mentions the name Bruce Wayne in this issue, so for all we know Cray will have to take out some crazed vigilante version of Batman in the end. It's been a fun ride through a darkly pessimistic world that mirrors the DCU. It feels like there could be one more surprise before the end.