Pryde & Wisdom

Pryde & Wisdom #1-3

by Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis’ run on Excalibur occasionally turned into a Pryde and Wisdom team-up book, so it’s fitting that this mini ran during his final days on the series. The story has Kitty Pryde and Pete Wisdom searching for a mutant serial killer who’s targeting ministers and priests. They’re brought into the case by Mr. Jardine, one of Wisdom’s friends who’s worried about his daughter, a photojournalist who is also investigating the case. The duo gets into contact with the Mystery School, the police department that investigates unusual deaths. The victims’ bodies have strange markings, which Wisdom believes only his family could identify. Throughout the story, men in black try to kill Pryde and Wisdom, providing the standard action sequences. Ellis leaves a lot of room in the story for the lead characters to interact, playing up the “good girl/bad boy” relationship while moving the plot along and throwing in some action. The characters have enough personality to make this work, and Terry Dodson delivers his usual high-quality artwork.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, X Men, Superheroes

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Warren 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.

Reviews

[Lars-håkan Persson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why does everyone seem to ignore that Kitty is only 15 years old here, and during the whole part of Excalibur where Pete Wisdom is one of the characters. Warren Ellis must have know this which makes it so sick. The Wisdom character even acknowledges in Excalibur that he's at least 10 years older than her and still he pursues a relationship. How could Marvels editors allow this at the time? Especially as she wasn't allowed to have a relationship with Rachel which was the intention from Chris Claremont who created both characters (Kitty & Rachel) and the Excalibur comic. Warren Ellis should never have been allowed to write a Marvel comic. Especially not one with underaged characters.

[Lady Entropy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear god, this was such a self-insert "I want to date Kitty Pryde" book. Seriously. It'd get a two-star but for the presence of the amazing Constance Johnanson who is the best version of John Constantine ever, and I'd pay to actually read about her.

Marvel, bring Constance back!

It's amazing how a single character managed that only appeared in a couple of panels managed to be more interesting than either Pryde or Wisdom.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mystery is intriguing but the villains views and motive aren’t explored at all. There isn’t anything new added to the Kitty Pryde/Pete Wisdom relationship either. Had lots of potential but instead feels completely unnecessary.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breezy and fun read. All of the main players that worked on this (Warren Ellis, Terry Dodson, and Aaron Lopresti) are all in their earlier days of writing and artistry, and you can definitely see the potential in all of them, which we know now they all eventually achieved.

[Naty Escucha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this series for the second time now and I really like it. I don't know if it is the best, well, it is certainly not the best series of comics that Marvel has, but I quite enjoyed it and also Kitty Pryde is my favourite female character of all time, so yeah.