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StormWatch: The Road to The Authority Compendium
Collects Stormwatch (Vol. 1) #37-50, Stormwatch Preview #1, and Stormwatch (Vol. 2) #1-11.
Before the Authority make their big-screen debut, read the pivotal stories that paved the way to the ground-breaking team's comic book debut!
The Authority is slated as a highly anticipated upcoming feature film from DC Studios, adapting the brutal super-team introduced by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch to live-action for the first time. Readers curious about the formation of the Authority can trace their origin in Stormwatch: The Road to Authority Compendium, a comprehensive collection of the influential stories that set the stage!
In 1996, Warren Ellis took over as writer of Stormwatch, a major part of Jim Lee’s WildStorm Productions, alongside artist Tom Raney. Ellis reinvented the concept from more conventional superheroics to a take-no-prisoners strike team that quickly attracted attention throughout the industry, as readers questioned the way that superheroes are perceived.
Ellis redefined the team and introduced new members, including the electric Jenny Sparks, the city-symbiote Jack Hawksmoor, powerhouse Apollo, and brutal Midnighter—leading directly to the game-changing debut of The Authority!
Before the Authority make their big-screen debut, read the pivotal stories that paved the way to the ground-breaking team's comic book debut!
The Authority is slated as a highly anticipated upcoming feature film from DC Studios, adapting the brutal super-team introduced by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch to live-action for the first time. Readers curious about the formation of the Authority can trace their origin in Stormwatch: The Road to Authority Compendium, a comprehensive collection of the influential stories that set the stage!
In 1996, Warren Ellis took over as writer of Stormwatch, a major part of Jim Lee’s WildStorm Productions, alongside artist Tom Raney. Ellis reinvented the concept from more conventional superheroics to a take-no-prisoners strike team that quickly attracted attention throughout the industry, as readers questioned the way that superheroes are perceived.
Ellis redefined the team and introduced new members, including the electric Jenny Sparks, the city-symbiote Jack Hawksmoor, powerhouse Apollo, and brutal Midnighter—leading directly to the game-changing debut of The Authority!
656 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2025
3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,909 books5,765 followersWarren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 10, 2025
There are two very different books combined here.
Stormwatch V1 #37-50.
I started reading Stormwatch just as a prelude to reading Authority, I was expecting it to be more like homework to get the most out of the thing I actually wanted to read. I have been so pleasantly surprised! The art and colouring is incredibly nostalgic for that 90s art style. It's not exactly pretty, but that was the trend at the time.
There's shadowy government agency conspiracy, politics, and superheroes. It's a great read.
If the book ended here it would have been 4, 4.5 stars.
Stormwatch V2 #0-11.
From the off, this book did not sit right with me. The art team changes lose so much of the books identity with flatter work. Paneling and layout may as well just be storyboards. The plot moves to 3 issue serials, the first of which is just plain messy. Characters behave nothing like themselves, despite Warren Ellis continuing to be the writer.
#4, 5, 6 we have a brief return to form. The original creative team is back, new characters are introduced, it feels like that same world as V1.
but then, oof.
The last serial I've forgotten already despite reading it days ago. Between #10 - #11, the major final plot beats happen in a different comic (W.I.L.DCats, but not just that, a crossover special between W.I.L.DCats and Aliens) where StormWatch aren't even background players. They're mostly dealt with off-panel.
And so, Stormwatch ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. There's not much story for the final issue. There was no threads to resolve, despite the events of the missing story from this collection.
There's not much to say about the final issue itself, there's very little story, a few pages of a storyline that should have been the plot of Volume 2, and a quick teaser for The Authority.
What is interesting is the "MailWatch" page, which is just a page of admissions from Ellis including:
- He had a structure for #37-50, but after the relaunch wanted to quit after #3
- I remember when finishing issue #4 I wonder why the creative team reverted, well it seems they also didn't care much for the new art of #1-3.
- Even with the gang back together, he was bored of StormWatch and wanted a new book.
So the whole reason V2 felt like spinning plates was because they were. What a disappointment!
Still, I read this whole thing for The Authority. The characters who weren't totally flattened in V2 make the jump too. Hopefully the energy is back there.
Stormwatch V2 I'd give 2 stars, and only because #4-6 were so good. The rest I would honestly recommend skipping.
So meet in the middle, this collection gets 3 stars.
Stormwatch V1 #37-50.
I started reading Stormwatch just as a prelude to reading Authority, I was expecting it to be more like homework to get the most out of the thing I actually wanted to read. I have been so pleasantly surprised! The art and colouring is incredibly nostalgic for that 90s art style. It's not exactly pretty, but that was the trend at the time.
There's shadowy government agency conspiracy, politics, and superheroes. It's a great read.
If the book ended here it would have been 4, 4.5 stars.
Stormwatch V2 #0-11.
From the off, this book did not sit right with me. The art team changes lose so much of the books identity with flatter work. Paneling and layout may as well just be storyboards. The plot moves to 3 issue serials, the first of which is just plain messy. Characters behave nothing like themselves, despite Warren Ellis continuing to be the writer.
#4, 5, 6 we have a brief return to form. The original creative team is back, new characters are introduced, it feels like that same world as V1.
but then, oof.
The last serial I've forgotten already despite reading it days ago. Between #10 - #11, the major final plot beats happen in a different comic (W.I.L.DCats, but not just that, a crossover special between W.I.L.DCats and Aliens) where StormWatch aren't even background players. They're mostly dealt with off-panel.
And so, Stormwatch ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. There's not much story for the final issue. There was no threads to resolve, despite the events of the missing story from this collection.
There's not much to say about the final issue itself, there's very little story, a few pages of a storyline that should have been the plot of Volume 2, and a quick teaser for The Authority.
What is interesting is the "MailWatch" page, which is just a page of admissions from Ellis including:
- He had a structure for #37-50, but after the relaunch wanted to quit after #3
- I remember when finishing issue #4 I wonder why the creative team reverted, well it seems they also didn't care much for the new art of #1-3.
- Even with the gang back together, he was bored of StormWatch and wanted a new book.
So the whole reason V2 felt like spinning plates was because they were. What a disappointment!
Still, I read this whole thing for The Authority. The characters who weren't totally flattened in V2 make the jump too. Hopefully the energy is back there.
Stormwatch V2 I'd give 2 stars, and only because #4-6 were so good. The rest I would honestly recommend skipping.
So meet in the middle, this collection gets 3 stars.
June 16, 2025
So good, so enjoyable, so much classic Ellis here, and so much of what defined Wildstorm merging with DC... but that ending (I'll save that for after the spoiler)...
I had read most of volume 2 of Stormwatch (except for the last two issues) in separate TPBs years ago, and had read the first few issues of volume 1 when they first came out, but this was my first experienced with the end of volume 1.
This book is a great read, and a great value as a compendium (especially if you can find it for around $30-35, which is not uncommon).
It has A TON of the Warren Ellis story elements and stylistic elements that then rear up in Planetary, so if you like one, you're almost guaranteed to like the other, and feel like they are just two tellings of the same concepts (not repetitive, but they have a lot more in common than I think a lot of people tend to point out when discussing them separately).
Even with a large cast of characters, many of who do questionable things, we end up caring about their fates.
It's a fun ride, and I highly recommend it.
Up until the end, meaning the last two issues, and the one issue that isn't included, whichis a crossover with Aliens that is only summarized.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
The second to last issue starts dealing with some repercussions of the storyline that led up to it, and then spends about half of its time setting up some alien tech on an asteroid... which turns out to be "the" Aliens, a crossover that is not included and is only summarized.
In that crossover, four of the main characters, characters that have likely become your favorites of the whole 60ish issue run, characters that have been around, in some cases, since the start, are killed off.
Gone.
The issue is not included, so, essentially, after all this time, 4 main characters, including my personal favorite, are killed off panel, off screen.
That's it. Gone.
Green Lantern killed characters in that book's Aliens crossover, but it was written as an Elseworlds.
This is IN continuity. The core of the cast is killed, just for a gimmick crossover.
Then we have the final issue. Brief, brief funeral for the four.
Then Bendix is killed. Quickly. Just maybe two pages of story. The main villain of the run, or 20ish issues, and he's been there since the start of the whole series, is just quickly killed off.
No satisfaction, no payoff to what had been building for many, many issues.
Stormwatch is shut down, and three of the surviving characters go off to start the Authority.
The whole things reads like a quick killing of every longterm character (almost) and every longterm storyline, just to close things off and allow the Authority to happen, and it feels like a big middle finger to the readers.
Extremely disappointed by the ending.
So why the high rating for the book? Because everything before that ending is just SO DARN GOOD!
I had read most of volume 2 of Stormwatch (except for the last two issues) in separate TPBs years ago, and had read the first few issues of volume 1 when they first came out, but this was my first experienced with the end of volume 1.
This book is a great read, and a great value as a compendium (especially if you can find it for around $30-35, which is not uncommon).
It has A TON of the Warren Ellis story elements and stylistic elements that then rear up in Planetary, so if you like one, you're almost guaranteed to like the other, and feel like they are just two tellings of the same concepts (not repetitive, but they have a lot more in common than I think a lot of people tend to point out when discussing them separately).
Even with a large cast of characters, many of who do questionable things, we end up caring about their fates.
It's a fun ride, and I highly recommend it.
Up until the end, meaning the last two issues, and the one issue that isn't included, whichis a crossover with Aliens that is only summarized.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
The second to last issue starts dealing with some repercussions of the storyline that led up to it, and then spends about half of its time setting up some alien tech on an asteroid... which turns out to be "the" Aliens, a crossover that is not included and is only summarized.
In that crossover, four of the main characters, characters that have likely become your favorites of the whole 60ish issue run, characters that have been around, in some cases, since the start, are killed off.
Gone.
The issue is not included, so, essentially, after all this time, 4 main characters, including my personal favorite, are killed off panel, off screen.
That's it. Gone.
Green Lantern killed characters in that book's Aliens crossover, but it was written as an Elseworlds.
This is IN continuity. The core of the cast is killed, just for a gimmick crossover.
Then we have the final issue. Brief, brief funeral for the four.
Then Bendix is killed. Quickly. Just maybe two pages of story. The main villain of the run, or 20ish issues, and he's been there since the start of the whole series, is just quickly killed off.
No satisfaction, no payoff to what had been building for many, many issues.
Stormwatch is shut down, and three of the surviving characters go off to start the Authority.
The whole things reads like a quick killing of every longterm character (almost) and every longterm storyline, just to close things off and allow the Authority to happen, and it feels like a big middle finger to the readers.
Extremely disappointed by the ending.
So why the high rating for the book? Because everything before that ending is just SO DARN GOOD!
February 2, 2025
I'm not sure whether or not I read these comics when they were first published. I certainly read the Authority, the epoch-defining late 90s comic book super group that made Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch stars. What this volume documents is the weird transition that birthed the Authority, both in fictional, and publishing terms.
There's something so gloriously 1990s about the idea of Stormwatch. It's very post Cold-War. It's supposed to be a United Nations super hero military organization that polices the world. It's a bonkers concept, not super well thought out, and it's killed off in the most reductive way possible by the end of the volume. Stormwatch was an expansion of comic book superstar Jim Lee's corner of the Image universe. Image remains an independent comic book company renowned for developing great IP and some very good art. But back in the early to mid-1990s it was a bit of a shitshow, focused more on things that looked cool than on things that made sense.
The nice thing is that the stakes were pretty low. Image didn't have decades worth of intellectual property they were trying to turn into PG movies (yet) or characters that were sacrosanct. In the late 1990s, first and second wave British Invasion writers like Alan Moore and Warren Ellis got to try a lot of fun stuff. That's fundamentally what this volume is about. Warren Ellis ripping through a weird, not very well thought out super hero universe and doing what he wanted with it. You can see his influence grow, as the focus shifts from spandex heroes and Japanese robots to smoking weirdos in suits. The villains get darker and weirder as well.
And Warren Ellis has one fundamental idea that he plays with in multiple ways. OK, if these beings have all this absurd power, why would they be content to just take orders from the UN or the President or something. Wouldn't they just take over? How would that go? This approach came to its full fruition in the pages of The Authority, with the help of the cinematic artistic stylings of Bryan Hitch. It's a lot of fun to watch that Ellis-Hitch partnership get started in this volume. Still good stuff a quarter century later.
There's something so gloriously 1990s about the idea of Stormwatch. It's very post Cold-War. It's supposed to be a United Nations super hero military organization that polices the world. It's a bonkers concept, not super well thought out, and it's killed off in the most reductive way possible by the end of the volume. Stormwatch was an expansion of comic book superstar Jim Lee's corner of the Image universe. Image remains an independent comic book company renowned for developing great IP and some very good art. But back in the early to mid-1990s it was a bit of a shitshow, focused more on things that looked cool than on things that made sense.
The nice thing is that the stakes were pretty low. Image didn't have decades worth of intellectual property they were trying to turn into PG movies (yet) or characters that were sacrosanct. In the late 1990s, first and second wave British Invasion writers like Alan Moore and Warren Ellis got to try a lot of fun stuff. That's fundamentally what this volume is about. Warren Ellis ripping through a weird, not very well thought out super hero universe and doing what he wanted with it. You can see his influence grow, as the focus shifts from spandex heroes and Japanese robots to smoking weirdos in suits. The villains get darker and weirder as well.
And Warren Ellis has one fundamental idea that he plays with in multiple ways. OK, if these beings have all this absurd power, why would they be content to just take orders from the UN or the President or something. Wouldn't they just take over? How would that go? This approach came to its full fruition in the pages of The Authority, with the help of the cinematic artistic stylings of Bryan Hitch. It's a lot of fun to watch that Ellis-Hitch partnership get started in this volume. Still good stuff a quarter century later.
February 6, 2026
While I found this compendium to be entertaining overall, it very clearly reads as two separate volumes collected into one, and that distinction shapes my thoughts on it.
The first half focuses primarily on standalone, single-issue stories. Each issue typically highlights a specific villain and emphasizes one aspect of StormWatch’s operations. This structure works well at first, but it culminates in a brief three-issue arc involving a group of superpowered antagonists and the Weatherman’s turn to villainy. I enjoyed this portion of the book, though several conflicts are resolved far too quickly and often in ways that feel sudden or unearned. The art is solid throughout and very much reflects its 1990s style and sensibilities.
The second half shifts direction and leans more heavily into longer story arcs. With Jackson King now serving as the Weatherman, the narrative explores StormWatch as an organization, particularly its public image and its relationships with other nations. This section introduces new superpowered beings created by both the U.S. government and Bendix, including Apollo and the Midnighter. This arc was easily my favorite part of the entire compendium, as it allowed for stronger character development and deeper emotional connection.
Unfortunately, the latter portion of this second volume felt far more uneven. While still entertaining, it focuses on a parallel dimension and an alternate version of StormWatch and its Weatherman, which felt abrupt and disconnected from the team dynamics that had just been established. The story then ends rather suddenly. The final two issues come across more as exposition explaining why StormWatch is ending rather than actually showing those developments on the page.
Overall, I liked the concepts and many of the ideas presented, but the book is extremely dialogue-heavy and relies too much on exposition. Important story beats are often told rather than shown, which becomes frustrating. I’m ultimately on the fence about recommending this compendium. It has its moments and is occasionally fun, but it also has significant structural and storytelling issues.
Grade: C
The first half focuses primarily on standalone, single-issue stories. Each issue typically highlights a specific villain and emphasizes one aspect of StormWatch’s operations. This structure works well at first, but it culminates in a brief three-issue arc involving a group of superpowered antagonists and the Weatherman’s turn to villainy. I enjoyed this portion of the book, though several conflicts are resolved far too quickly and often in ways that feel sudden or unearned. The art is solid throughout and very much reflects its 1990s style and sensibilities.
The second half shifts direction and leans more heavily into longer story arcs. With Jackson King now serving as the Weatherman, the narrative explores StormWatch as an organization, particularly its public image and its relationships with other nations. This section introduces new superpowered beings created by both the U.S. government and Bendix, including Apollo and the Midnighter. This arc was easily my favorite part of the entire compendium, as it allowed for stronger character development and deeper emotional connection.
Unfortunately, the latter portion of this second volume felt far more uneven. While still entertaining, it focuses on a parallel dimension and an alternate version of StormWatch and its Weatherman, which felt abrupt and disconnected from the team dynamics that had just been established. The story then ends rather suddenly. The final two issues come across more as exposition explaining why StormWatch is ending rather than actually showing those developments on the page.
Overall, I liked the concepts and many of the ideas presented, but the book is extremely dialogue-heavy and relies too much on exposition. Important story beats are often told rather than shown, which becomes frustrating. I’m ultimately on the fence about recommending this compendium. It has its moments and is occasionally fun, but it also has significant structural and storytelling issues.
Grade: C
October 15, 2025
*4.5/5 stars.
January 5, 2026
Really great stuff and nice to see characters other than The Authority operating in the Wildstorm Universe. A bit samey-samey after a while but that’s the drawback of almost any omnibus edition.
January 11, 2026
My favorite character was only in 3 of the 20ish issues, but still an enjoyable read overall. 3.5
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews