Wednesday Number Ones is a weekly feature here at Comic Pants. We take the books that are premiering a first issue from that week and give a quick opinion on them. From time to time we may also include more than issue number ones in this feature. If a noteworthy one-shot or the first issue of a new story arc is released, we may talk about it in this feature.
This week we will cover Wildcats #1, Bit Torment #1, Tabula Rasa, The Damned #1, Omega Men #1 of 6, Son of Satan #1 of 5, John Woo’s Seven Brothers #1, Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures #1, The Authority #1, Hellgate London #0, Highlander #1, Amazing Spider-Girl #1, and Sandman #1 Special Edition.
Dave Farabee Read and Thought:
Amazing Spider-Girl #1 (Marvel Comics): I have to admit it: I can see the appeal of the little all-ages book that could, Spider-Girl. As an adult, I like that it projects an upbeat future for Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and their teenage daughter, May, the star of the book. If I were a kid, I think I’d like discovering a book that seems like the closest thing Marvel’s currently producing to Stan Lee’s original, teenaged Spider-Man stories. Downsides: Ron Frenz’s art is a little blah in the style department and Tom DeFalco’s script a little corny at times. Still, the spirit is there and I like that the book emphasizes values and fun over snark and gloomy angst. Worth a look for old-schoolers, and definitely for their kids.
Sandman #1 Special Edition (DC Comics/Vertigo): If you’d never read Sandman, the most acclaimed comic of the 90s, DC’s making it easy this week with a reprint of the original, double-sized first 1st issue for a mere 50¢. It follows a group of occultists who try to summon no less than the personification of death in 1916, only to accidentally summon the personification of dreams, Morpheus. Strange things follow - sometimes moving, sometimes quite dark - initially very much inspired by the tone (and peripheral DC Universe trappings) of Alan Moore’s horror-tinged Swamp Thing run. Sam Keith’s art lacks the subtlety the series calls for in this first issue, and even the writing is just warming up, but it IS damn good comics. Recolored, too, by the way, as a teaser for the upcoming hardcover (from which several extras are previewed). Forget about the hype and just try it.
David Martindale Read and Thought:
Wildcats #1 (Wildstorm): This first issue is a bit confusing for somebody who has never read Wildcats before, and Jim Lee’s art doesn’t really help out much in the storytelling department. On the other hand, it does have the trademarked Grant Morrison wierdness vibe, and I’m definitely onboard for the second issue just to see Morrison’s take on this universe changing event, “World Storm.” If you can afford two Wildstorm relaunch books, pick it up. Otherwise, just grab The Authority.
Bit Torment #1 (Antarctic Press): The story and dialogue feel exceptionally artificial and forced. Quite a few of the plot turns seem to have occurred for no other reason than the writer needed them to occur. Nothing flows off of the page naturally including the art. Brian Denham’s work is structurally sound and even looks pretty on occasion, but the characters may as well be maniquins with the amount of personality they are drawn with. There is also no real sense of flow or motion to the art. For $3.99, you can find something else more entertaining.
Tabula Rasa (Image Comics): An old Rabbi and Simon, a dead cop turned undead golem, hunt down and exact their vengeance on the antisemetic gangsters and dirty cops that killed Simon. Sound a bit nonsensical? Well, it is. Very little is really explained; the reader is just expected to accept what happens without any explanation of why it happens. The art isn’t too terribly great either. At $4.99, definitely a skippable book.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures #1 (Marvel): Adaptations are a rough breed, and more often than not fail to bring anything of note that hasn’t already been done. Anita Blake, a novel series that spans over ten books and is something that I’ve actually enjoyed over the years, happens to be one of those adaptations. It holds true to the original story, nailing the dark and erotic feel that it had. It even goes out of its way to mention and depict most every main character, which I have to admit was kind of cool to see. Still, while both of these are good things to get right, the sub-standard art by Brett Booth and a story that lends much better to the novel form beg the question, what exactly is the point in producing this?
The Authority #1 (Wildstorm): After a few of the other Wildstorm re-launches, I was afraid that none of them would interest me, even my own personal favorite, The Authority. This didn’t turn out to be the case, thankfully. And whether it’s because of the distinct Morrison oddness, the solid mystery yarn or the fact that no super heroes even appear in the issue (an oddity all on its own), I can’t quite tell. It’s possibly all three things that make it fun but amidst all of this enjoyment, one can not pull their eyes from Gene Ha’s gorgeous interiors. An absolutely fantastic read and a great opening issue.
Hellgate London #0 (Dark Horse): Comics based on games are rarely good. Heck, they very rarely ever topple the so-so mark but Dark Horse, a company known for its licensed products, throws a suprise my way. Hellgate London inches past that echelon of horrid game related books, only scathed by being a bit disjointed and formulaic at times. And though the whole Hell invades Earth bit has been done a hundred or so times, Steve Pugh’s art makes it a bit more interesting. His demon designs and the non-static photo-realistic work he does are quite nice. I might actually even be interested in playing the PC game that it’s introducing. Surprising, indeed.
Highlander #1 (Dynamite Entertainment): There can be only one! It’s a sentiment that I could get behind, mostly because there is really only one Highlander item that’s any good, and that’s the original movie. In this first issue of Highlander, all I found was a pedestrian story by Michael Avon Oeming & Brandon Jerwa and some passable art. Even the sword fights, a main-stay of the Highlander universe, were ho-hum. The highlight for me was the Tony Harris cover, which is not exactly the one thing you’d want a person to be excited about. If you’re a fan, it’s possible that you’ll enjoy it. If you aren’t, I’d skip it.
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
The Damned #1 (Oni Press): A perfect concept, combining soul-trafficking demons with the vivid look and feel of prohibition-era crime, results in a book that reads like a cross between Hellblazer and The Untouchables. The Damned is a good noir mystery with beautiful artwork by Brian Hurtt, and it’s also another of Oni’s double-sized (at regular price) first issues, along the lines of Wasteland. For more info, check out my full review.
Omega Men #1 of 6 (DC Comics): Playing off the new DC space established by Adam Strange, Rann/Thanagar War and Green Lantern Corps, Andersen Gabrych serves up a fast-paced, character-packed intro to this new tale of the Omega Men. Gabrych unfortunately skimps on the intros to these obscure characters, but along with artist Henry Flint, who brings a gritty, vibrant style reminiscent of Keith Giffen’s Legion work, he does stuff the book to bursting with great action sequences and neat details about DC Universe space. An intriguing opener, recommended for fans of Diggle’s Adam Strange mini in particular.
Hellstorm: Son of Satan #1 of 5 (Marvel/MAX): Another novelist comes to Marvel, and tells an interesting if mildly pretentious tale of the Son of Satan tracking down demons and an Egyptian goddess in New Orleans. There are some solid action sequences, some nice grossout horror moments by Russ Braun and Klaus Janson and an interesting supernatural mystery vibe, along with a laid back but oddly engaging take on the lead character. If the approaching Halloween has given you a jones for supernatural mystery, you could definitely do worse than Hellstorm.
John Woo’s Seven Brothers #1 (Virgin Comics): Garth Ennis departs from his current style for a more thoughtful, at times dream-like story. The art by Jeevan Kang is like a blend of Sean Phillips and Kent Williams, and like all of the Virgin Comics, Seven Brothers is a visual treat. The story features a little too much gobbledigook posing as exposition, and the whole thing with the pimps and hos is just embarassing, but it is also littered with interesting characters and clever moments, notably the Rachel’s unusual combat in the alley. I liked it for the most part, even if I found myself skimming over some of the weak sections. Worth a look, if only to see Ennis stretching his writing muscles beyond over-the-top violence and adolescent humor a little bit.
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I’m looking forward to picking up the 2 Wildstorm reboots, even though I know I’ll probably lose interest in Morrison’s writing after 4 or 5 issues, loads of good ideas that sound better than the actual execution of them.
Seven Brothers looks interesting too, Garth Ennis is always worth a look even if he can’t hit the standards of Preacher as regularly these days…
18 Oct 2006 at 6:37 am
QuoteI see that both Nick and David preferred Authority to Wildcats. For me, Wildcats was easily the best of the Wildstorm books thus far, capturing some of the spirit of Joe Casey’s run with Morrison putting his own spin on a massively rich android superhero and throwing in a few familiar villain faces as well. That was my pleasant surprise of the week.
18 Oct 2006 at 9:39 am
QuoteI’ll pass on Wildcats given Lee’s less than astounding output of late. I’ll definitely check out Authority for the Ha artwork. I’d love to buy the Damned but I’d be very surprised if my comics shop picked this one up. I wish I’d found this on Previews earlier so I could put it in the radar of the shop owner.
18 Oct 2006 at 9:58 am
QuoteFor what it’s worth, Kevin, you can probably still ask your shop owner to order The Damned for you, as it should be available for reorder.
18 Oct 2006 at 10:38 am
QuoteI’m with you Randy I just read Wildcats and Authority and I much preferred Wildcats, it was just full of wonderful Grant Morrison weirdness, solid characterization, and just plain fun I thought. I’m not normally a big fan of Jim Lee’s artwork and while I’m still no fan, I have to admit it worked for me this time, besides they are his characters so I can’t begrudge him being on the book.
I found Authority to be a rather bland read, liked the art though, I’ll keep reading because I’m a Grant Morison fanboy but I thought the first issue was rather slow, very decompressed and with no real payoff.
18 Oct 2006 at 11:18 am
QuoteYou know, I’m no fan of decompression either (as I’ve noted with Astonishing X-Men), but with Authority, I just didn’t care. I got sucked in and found a very intriguing mystery with a definite Morrison wierdness to it. That’s what I wanted, that what I got, and I loved that there weren’t any super heroes in it. Why? Because it’s a clever way to open a big, splashy team book.
Now, will my resolve go away after waiting two months (I’m 99% sure that this is a bi-monthly series) for the next issue? It might but right now, I love it and really want to know what happens with the story.
As for Wildcats, I did enjoy it, and that makes two Wildstorm books that are worth reading! I was a fan of the book when Jim Lee first started it and there were some really cool ideas proposed in this first issue. Still, during that awesome action bit with Grifter, when he says that he’s the best at what he does…I have to say that I winced slightly. Not a bad start though and I’ll definitely keep reading it.
Other books of note: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (HC), Union Jack (really good action/comedy!), Batman and the Mad Monk and Runaways. Needless to say, it was a rather good week for comics.
18 Oct 2006 at 12:03 pm
QuoteJust finished reading Union Jack two and it was a blast! So far it’s my favorite read of the week and everything else is gonna be hard pressed to beat it.
I also just read Hellsorm #1 and enjoyed it, I used to like Son of Satan when I was a kid, way back in the seventies, never got on with the darker “Hellstorm” version of the 90’s, though. I did like this one though, I think it was like Randy said, good action, nice horror vibe and interesting idea like the whole New Orleans take.
18 Oct 2006 at 12:30 pm
QuoteI think The Authority was a bit too slow for me; a bit odd as well, since decompression isn’t usually Grant Morrison’s thing. The art wasn’t bad, though some of the “unfocused” panels were kind of off-putting for some reason.
As for Wildcats, I liked it quite a bit. Sure, it wasn’t the most accessible first issue, and like The Authority, it felt more like a prologue. Despite that, there are a lot of cool ideas in there, and Morrison’s got a good grasp of the characters. Jim Lee’s art was very good (Helspont and Majestic were both treats), and the little Wolverine homage Morrison put in one of the Grifter scenes was fun. There was a lot of energy in the issue, which I think was lacking in The Authority.
I was going to check out Seven Brothers, but I was a bit worried about overspending. Funny, since I didn’t end up spending as much as I thought I would.
By the way, anyone pick up Civil Wardrobe #1?
18 Oct 2006 at 4:43 pm
QuoteEr, “out of focus,” rather than “unfocused.”
“I got sucked in and found a very intriguing mystery with a definite Morrison wierdness to it. That’s what I wanted, that what I got, and I loved that there weren’t any super heroes in it. Why? Because it’s a clever way to open a big, splashy team book.”
Heh, missed this before. That’s a good way to look at it, Nick: I guess for me, I haven’t read a lot of Authority stuff, but based on the comics’ reputation, I was expecting something… bigger.
18 Oct 2006 at 11:08 pm
QuoteThe Authority was highly enjoyable, but doesn’t really tell me whether I’m going to like the series or not. It was a good change of pace from the in-your-face foul-mouthed kick-assery of the excellent Ellis/Millar stuff. And while I think the world of Hitch and Quietly, I appreciate Ha’s softer approach to the art.
Still, I’m sure it will read better in trade. I generally dislike decompression, but there’s no question that good creative teams can make it work. It sort of reminded me of the the first issue of Ultimates vol 1 — engaging, but sort of off-topic.
19 Oct 2006 at 2:20 am
QuoteRandy -
I checked out Hellstorm and enjoyed it, even though I wasn’t too thrilled with the portrayal of the title character. I’m not terribly well-versed in his background, but the way they’ve revamped him makes him seem like every other grizzled supernatural detective - and not half as fun as Constantine. He’s unshaven, shaggy-haired, world-weary, and a little blase about everything. If it weren’t for Joe Quesada’s nicotine free mandate, he would have been a chain smoker. However, it seems like there truly is evil beneath the ‘anti-hero facade’. I thought *that* was compelling.
The elements he blended for the story was a nice twist, too — demonology, New Orleans, and Egyptian deities. That, for me, set it apart from your run of the mill ‘too cool for school loser vs terrible evil’.
19 Oct 2006 at 7:53 am
QuoteJason, you’re right. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why I liked but didn’t love Hellstorm, and it is the familiarity of the protagonist that probably struck me. But the story elements and the artwork won me over. As for truly evil, it depends on which interpretation they’re using.
The original Son of Satan in Defenders was one of these heroes with a dark past, struggling against his dark lineage, not unlike Raven in Teen Titans. The Warren Ellis revamp was gloriously evil and manipulative. I’d prefer a take somewhere in the middle, which seems to be where this writer is going. I am amused by the notion of Hellstorm at an origins anonymous meeting:
“Hi, my name is Bruce, I got hit by my own gamma bomb and turned into a monster.”
“HI, BRUCE!”
“Hi, my name is Peter, I got bitten by a radioactive spider.”
“HI, PETER.”
“Hi, my name is Daimon and I’m the son of the devil.”
Silence
“Oh, screw you guys.”
Silence, rustling
“Uh, um… OK. Hi, my name is Frank, and I got injected with mongoose blood.”
“WHAT, SERIOUSLY?”
Thanks, folks, I’ll be here all week. Try the veal!
19 Oct 2006 at 2:17 pm
QuoteI have nothing to truly contribute except to say that I really like the monster wallpaper. Especially the bits that involve cops.
Love,
Chip!
19 Oct 2006 at 6:17 pm
QuoteThat’s Chip Zdarsky, who does MONSTER COPS. If you aren’t reading it, you should be.
20 Oct 2006 at 5:33 am
QuoteWhen did Ellis write Hellstrom? Was this late 90’s? If it’s the run I’m thinking of, I might have to go back and check that out, since I’m sure it’s somewhere in my garage…
My personal favorite take on this guy is the Ultimate version. Too funny.
20 Oct 2006 at 2:34 pm
QuoteFirst thing, they should split up Hellstrom and Hellcat. That’s a pointless pairing. She’s a surfer chick and he’s an exorcist. He should be a lonely character. Talk about being disillusioned by your parents.
“I walked in on my parents having sex.”
“I walked in on my father tempting Jesus during his 40 days and 40 nights in the desert.”
20 Oct 2006 at 5:51 pm
QuoteCan you imagine being Hellstrom as a teenager?
“Sing with me, son: drove-a-tank-held-a-general’s-rank…hello-glad-to-meetcha-hope-you-guessed-my-na–”
“Please, Dad. Not again. This is so lame!”
20 Oct 2006 at 6:21 pm
QuoteIt was indeed the late ’90s that Ellis wrote Hellstorm. Briefly, I think. He offed Hellcat, turned Daimon Hellstrom into somebody really evil, and then the book ended like seven or eight issues in.
Buzz, arguing with Hellstrom about a bad childhood would be kinda difficult, wouldn’t it?
“My dad used to hit me.”
“Yeah, well, my dad ruled over a realm of fiery torment.”
20 Oct 2006 at 10:03 pm
Quoteyou know I liked ellis’s take the best it always seemed like such a REEEACH for the son of Satan to be a good guy. especally becuse there was no oh I don’t know maybe “cristen solder?”
02 Nov 2006 at 4:07 pm
Quote