"Coup d'Etat" was a 2004 comic book crossover storyline published by American imprint WildStorm Comics.
Publication history The story ran across 4 issues, each featuring one of the major titles in the Wildstorm Universe at that time: Sleeper, Stormwatch: Team Achilles, Wildcats 3.0 and The Authority. Each issue of the overarching storyline, which Jim Lee described as a "stand alone 4 part mini-series event", is a one-shot focusing on one of the four different groups and created by their respective writers and artists.Jim Lee: Coup D'Etat and an Internet Event, Newsarama, December 19, 2003
There was also an "Afterword" issue including a preview to the second volume of Sleeper and a preview to the second volume of Wetworks, which was launched in mid-2006 by creator Whilce Portacio and writer Mike Carey.
Plot In Coup d'Etat, Tao places a device in the hands of the U.S. Government that allows them to enter the Bleed, where it exploded, damaging a vessel of an alien race and starting an interdimensional war. The crossover had important consequences for the Wildstorm Universe with the Authority taking control over the U.S. Government and Stormwatch: Team Achilles being forced underground.
For Stormwatch: Team Achilles and Wildcats 3.0, most of these consequences could not be explored as both series were cancelled shortly afterwards. The Authority taking control of the U.S. Government led into the events of The Authority: Revolution.
Reception Both the "Sleeper" and "Afterword" issues sold out, despite what DC described as "generous overprints"."Coup D'etat - Sleeper" and "Afterword" sold out at DC (press release), Comic Book Resources, March 23, 2004
Collected editions The story was collected into a trade paperback:
Coup d'Etat (collects "Sleeper", "Stormwatch: Team Achilles", "Wildcats 3.0" and "The Authority" in that order, 112 pages, November 2004, )
See also List of Wildstorm titles Wildstorm: Armageddon, another Wildstorm series where each issue was from a different Wildstorm title
Notes
References
External links Review of "Afterword" , Comics Bulletin