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 Adventures Of Spawn #1, Ultimate Civil War: Spider-Ham #1, Ms Marvel Special #1, Pieces For Mom A Tale Of The Undead #1, Ms. Marvel Special, Usagi Yojimbo #100, Teen Titans #43, and Wonderlost #1.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Teen Titans #43 (DC Comics): I will start out by saying that I was looking forward to this one. Geoff Johns is a writer who has a knack for telling good stories. It’s sad to say though that Teen Titans seems to have lost a bit of its zip lately, offering up a mixed bag of characters and plots that don’t always work or make sense. With this jumping on point, things are taken to another level with the introduction of a second Titans team, a harsher, more evil Titans run by none other than Slade Wilson, whose goal is the utter destruction of the Titans. The idea is a sound one, even enjoyable to some degree, but ultimately most everything that’s presented chalks up to nothing more than a weak outing that’s barely held together by meh art and mediocre action. Skip it.
The Adventures of Spawn Director’s Cut (Image Comics): Okay…Spawn-light? Kiddy Spawn? Spawn X? Yep, the answer to all of these questions are yes, this has all happened. You are not dreaming. This 48 page extravaganza is a re-imagining of the Spawn franchise, turning it into what one might expect from a Saturday morning kid’s cartoon. Gone the way side are the demon Malebolgia, Violator and any aspect of the deal that Al Simmons cut that made him become Spawn. Nope, now he received his powers from a magic stone and fights alongside the Redeemer and a robot Spawn from the future, comically dubbed Omega Spawn. It’s all corny to the Nth degree, and even though the art is decent and fits the tone that the creators were going for, everything about the book sort of feels like a science experiment gone awry. It seems creepy to make Spawn into a kids book and the one page “Destiny Decided” comic on the last page that has Al Simmons choose tasty Necro Wafers over his wife is just disturbing. Save the six bucks and re-read the first few issues of the original run that we all have. They’re better, believe me.
Dan Grendell Read and Thought:
Wonderlost #1 (Image Comics): A walk back through writer C.B. Cebulski’s teenage memories, Wonderlost is sometimes endearing, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but never boring. From helping a friend deal with grief to early infidelity to doing whipits, Cebulski lays out his stories in engaging fashion, ably aided by several talented artists. Though each story is done in a different style, each style fits perfectly and it all works well together. A fine addition to autobiographical comics, the six tales in this issue leave me curious to know more.
Usagi Yojimbo #100 (Dark Horse Comics): First, let me just say that this is not a standard issue of Usagi. If you are thinking of trying out the series (and you really should), the next issue is a good starting place. This issue is instead a tribute to Stan Sakai and his rabbit samurai in the form of a roast, featuring work by such notables as Sergio Aragones, Guy Davis, Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Matt Wagner, Andi Watson, and a number of other creators. It’s a fun read, and seeing the artwork by the various guest artists is pretty cool, but it’s certainly skippable.
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
Ms. Marvel Special (Marvel Comics): Well, that wasn’t really very special. Echoing some of the bad ideas about Wanda rewriting reality, throwing in hackneyed cosmic superhero cliches and presenting a story with no real dramatic consequences or tension, this would have made a mediocre issue of the regular Ms. Marvel book from regular writer Brian Reed. Why it was decided to give it a one-shot nomenclature and make it a special, I have no idea… it’s about as run of the mill as you get.
Pieces for Mom (Image Comics): Steve Niles impressed me with 30 Days of Night, but since then I’ve found a lot of his stories, well… kind of average. Usually solid, but never anything that jumped out at me and justified his rep as the horror writer in comics. Pieces For Mom, however, is a pretty damn good done-in-one zombie story, which is saying something given how burned out I’m getting on the overdone zombie horror subgenre. Niles shows us a story of one family that tried to get through the apocalypse from the point of view of the young son, and along with artist Andrew Ritchie he really plays up the most horrible thing about living in a zombie apocalypse: getting used to it. There’s a mean little twist at the end that is almost, almost too jokey for the dark tone the series has maintained, but this is a good little horror short story with nice art. I was expecting solid at best, I got possibly the best zombie story in comics this side of The Walking Dead.
D3 (David Martindale) Read and Thought:
Ultimate Civil War: Spider-Ham #1 (Marvel Comics): At no point in this comedy book did I smirk, snort, giggle, guffaw, snicker, smile, grin, cackle, chuckle, or laugh in any way. It just isn’t funny. It’s not even so bad that you want to laugh at it; it’s just bad. Using the most predictable, schticky jokes possible, the book just goes on a repetitive spree primarily featuring popular Marvel characters Spider-Hamerized in a series of single splash pages. The tone even felt bitter and contemptuous at times. Bitter and contemptuous schtick just ain’t funny.
Loading ...
Wow all in all sounds like fairly mediocre week for number ones, though have to admit that as someone who was always eminently bored by all things Spawn, even by the Gaiman stuff, I can’t help feeling that this new take sounds like it might be fun.
31 Jan 2007 at 7:50 am
QuoteYou know, I didn’t think I’d ever hear someone say that I should read the first few issues of Spawn instead of something else.
Anyway, I’m ready to jump into Usagi Yojimbo - if this issue isn’t a great starting point, which volume would you recommend?
31 Jan 2007 at 9:13 am
QuoteWhat is sad is that they cannot even do this like it should be. I know this is nit-picky, but I read a few of these as a kid and the Spider-Ham world was not just Pigs. Ducktor Strange was one of the funniest creations to back up Peter Porker. It shows that they just put stuff out without even looking back at the old stuff to try and be connective. This is aimed at us old timers that read the series, so at least plug nostalgia into it.
Sheesh, No wonder I seem to be making mine DC. If DC did Captain Carrot, then you can bet the various animals would be represented. Hmm, Infinite Carrots……One Yak Later……oh I miss the punny books.
31 Jan 2007 at 9:38 am
QuoteAdventures of Spawn? I’ll wait for the sanitized ‘Adventures of Preacher’.
31 Jan 2007 at 10:01 am
QuoteHeh. Y’know, if they put out an issue of that, I’d *have* to take a look. How can you not?
Btw, I disagree with Dan to some degree on Usagi. He’s right that it’s probably not a great jumping-on point for new readers, but as a longtime reader of the series, I found it to be a whole lot of fun. The Sergio Aragones sequence and Guy Davis sequence were the two standouts, but Rick Geary also did a great job and I loved the Jamie Rich/Andi Watson sequence. Oh, and Sakai does a terrific job of “hosting” his own roast, with a couple really funny gags as well. Longtime Usagi fans should definitely pick it up.
As for where to jump on if you don’t regularly read the book, literally any other issue will probably be plenty accessible. If you’re looking for a good trade, I seem to remember that Dark Horse’s Volume 10 is a particularly good one, with lots of single-issue stories of varying tones and nature.
Oh, and DrC… Nick is certainly not speaking for all of us on that Spawn recommendation.
I might not recommend Adventures of Spawn, but I can’t think of much that would make me go back and reread those old Spawn issues.
31 Jan 2007 at 10:47 am
QuoteHey, those first few issues weren’t so bad
**ducks**
31 Jan 2007 at 12:41 pm
QuoteMarvel spoofing Civil war seems so wrong “First were gonna make money making the Marvel universe as fun as shitting glass then were gonna make money making fun of it
31 Jan 2007 at 12:57 pm
QuoteYou sir have posted comment #3000 on the site. Congratulations, and here’s your prize.
31 Jan 2007 at 1:07 pm
QuoteCivil War cries out for more of a TOP TEN funny treatment. I loved that whole series but nothing encapsulated the feel of Marvel/DC “crisis” storylines better than the rat infestation in the one cop’s mom’s apartment. That little reoccuring subplot couldn’t be any more needle-sharp and funny as all get out.
31 Jan 2007 at 1:13 pm
Quotethanks for the prize you gotta give Marvel credit I HATE CIVIL WAR with a deep passion so somebody loves It CANT see anybody feeling hatered of infinte crisis wich struck me as silly enough to be almost cute
31 Jan 2007 at 1:49 pm
QuoteBut I want a Dahler Mendi ‘Go You’ prize, too!
31 Jan 2007 at 2:41 pm
QuoteI haven’t bought the Spider-Ham issue yet, but I can’t help smile at “Hambit” and “Deviled Ham.”
31 Jan 2007 at 3:09 pm
QuoteDon’t we all my friend… don’t we all.
31 Jan 2007 at 3:27 pm
QuoteDefinitely gonna have to pick up Wonderlost (yes Randy, that means I’m going to the store!), and even though Cebulski hasn’t really me impressed me too much, this seems right up my alley.
Pieces for Mom caught my attention, but for some strange reason I dunno why…I don’t normally like zombie stuff (blasphemy around these parts, to be sure), and, come to think of it, Walking Dead is the only zombie stuff I really enjoyed, along with maybe Marvel Zombies. Inexplicably I wanna pick up Pieces for Mom…maybe it’s just the strange title, I dunno.
And that’s a shame about Spider-ham. I was hoping I could at least chuckle or two out of it.
It’s somewhat ironic, Dan G., that you say Usagi 100 is skippable - I picked up #99 and loved it based on your Ongoing of the Year award. Still, I think I’ll get it, because that’s a nice lineup of talent there.
31 Jan 2007 at 4:10 pm
Quotedon’t worry unless Terror inc counts I dont like zomibes at all!
whereas if Marvel wanted a Terror inc series from me (plese oh god plese the first two full scripts are done.
31 Jan 2007 at 4:55 pm
QuoteIt’s somewhat ironic, Dan G., that you say Usagi 100 is skippable - I picked up #99 and loved it based on your Ongoing of the Year award. Still, I think I’ll get it, because that’s a nice lineup of talent there.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. By skippable I don’t mean it’s at all bad. Rather, I mean if you skipped it, you wouldn’t miss anything in the adventures of Usagi. It was good goofy fun, for sure.
31 Jan 2007 at 5:46 pm
QuoteWell, it’s not as if I thought that any incarnation of Spawn was GOOD. I mean, I bought it, read it and have yet to get rid of the first ten issues. Why do I hang on to them? I guess there’s a little 90’s mini-Nick in my brain somewhere that won’t let them go. He’s also the reason why I have the first ten issues of Jim Lee’s Wildcats and the other team book, Youngblood.
But the idea I was going for on the recommendation was that if someone was holding a gun to my head and made me choose which version to read, I’d read the old series. Yes, while reading it, there will be pain…That’s unavoidable, but with this animated series version, your brain actually melts.
31 Jan 2007 at 6:46 pm
QuoteI think Batman/spwan was studpiest comic I ever read before daniel way showed up
31 Jan 2007 at 8:51 pm
QuoteThat same homonculus is living in my brain as well. It’s been a few years, but every now and then I take down the first couple of issues of Spawn, or Spider-Man, or even the totally awesome crossover between Spider-Man and X-Force (remember? It was sideways). Worse, I was a huge Guardians of the Galaxy fan at the time, leading me to have at least five “first issues” of Shadowhawk that I have yet to part with.
01 Feb 2007 at 7:21 am
QuoteAre you talking Spawn/Batman, with Miller and McFarlane, or Batman/Spawn with the ugliest Klaus Janson artwork ever printed? I remember buying the latter because of the association with Dark Knight and giving it away to a friend about 10 minutes later. Man, did both those books suck.
01 Feb 2007 at 7:24 am
QuoteYou have a Mini-Nick living in your brain?
01 Feb 2007 at 10:57 am
QuoteYay!
I wasn’t expecting it to be very good at all, but it had a nice horror vibe, some clever moments and solid art. I don’t know that you have to have any particular fondness for the zombie genre to enjoy it, it’s just a solidly-done piece of craft all around.
01 Feb 2007 at 10:59 am
QuoteOnly 2987 more posts and you can win the #6000 poster award!
01 Feb 2007 at 11:00 am
QuoteI would have said “Mini-Dan,” but that would have confused the issue even further.
01 Feb 2007 at 1:04 pm
Quotetalking about the Miller one I don’t even remember the art just Batman’s two word vocabulary stupid punk
01 Feb 2007 at 2:57 pm
QuoteShadowhawk wasn’t all ’90’s crap. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to read my brother’s ‘darker’ comics at that age, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t steal them away for a night. Looking back at them now, the AIDS plot was a pretty different twist, and certainly different than most other Image titles of the time.
01 Feb 2007 at 4:21 pm
QuoteWhat was kind of awkward about Shadowhawk and the AIDS storyline was that Paul, as indicated by the story and the script as a gay man who was going to either of a victim of rape of or had consensual sex with someone HIV positive (and he had gotten the disease as some sort of revenge plan by gangsters), and there was a supporting character who was clearly intended to be his lover who he had inadverdently transmitted the virus to, who dies early on of Kaposi’s Sarcoma in the series.
Apparently, an activist friend of Valentino’s begged him not to go that route, not indulge in a stereotype, to do another gay man with AIDS, despite the fact that before he revealed Paul was Shadowhawk, he’d pretty blatantly put up some signs. So when it was revealed how Paul got the disease, it was shown two thugs break into his office, knock him out, and shoot him up with HIV infected blood, thus causing his life to fall apart and leave the District Attorney’s office. It just seemed like such a weird plan to get a guy out of the way, it stuck out like a sore thumb, and I remember Valentino got criticism for going this route.
Once the series went into that bizarre six issue team up arc, the work got more hamfisted and far less gritty, petering out two issues earlier than planned.
01 Feb 2007 at 4:53 pm
QuoteThat part of the story didn’t actually bother me at the time - I remember (after two or three reads) thinking that it was a comment on the fact that, at the time, you could destroy someone’s reputation by giving them AIDS, as it would imply that he or she was gay or a drug user. This is what I get for overthinking early 90s Image comics. Well, that and an aneurysm from Tribe. You’re right that the writing was better on Shadowhawk than in the other Image comics of the time, but Valentino’s art didn’t lend itself to the advanced coloring techniques that really made the Image books of the time pop, and it did peter out pretty quickly. The new series wasn’t all bad, even if it was a going over well-trodden territory.
02 Feb 2007 at 10:39 am
QuoteAnyone else read Ennis’ “Chronicles of Wormwood”? That was much better than I expected. Kinda fun having low expectations met and surpassed. I don’t know that I’ll continue on singles, because Avatar can’t meet a schedule. But I’m marking it down in my “comics.txt” file as “watch for trade”.
Ennis is so strange. I mean, “The Boys”.. really? Really gonna have fun for ~50 issues pissing on capes? Really? I guess some people liked it, it’s numbers were increasing. But.. really?* I recently re-read the issue of “Preacher”, it’s so good. So rich and full.. inspirational (comon! he’s gonna be a cowboy! go america!).
“Wormwood” I figured for some really goofy stuff. Something a little disgustipated. But instead you get people saying the shit we all think (i’m projecting, so sue me) about the fanatical Right.. but said better, like a Sorkin rant. Throw in a likely story about fathers, sons and free will, I’m game.
*I know there was a recent thread on The Boys, sorry for rehash.
03 Feb 2007 at 12:10 pm
QuotePicked up Wonderlost, Pieces for Mom, and Usagi today (at the shop!). Usagi was a lot of fun, Wonderlost was hit or miss (but I’d buy it again), and Pieces for Mom was pretty good. Kinda makes me wanna look into some of Niles’ more acclaimed stuff….if only IDW’s trades weren’t so overpriced…
And Chronicles of Wormwood is definitely on my “keep an eye out for trade” list…good to hear the first issue wasn’t so bad.
03 Feb 2007 at 7:15 pm
QuoteWell, you make a good case for “Wormwood,” even though I generally avoid Avatar like the plague. However, there are exceptions… Ellis’ Apparat from Avatar is some of my favorite stuff he’s written.
But being mean to the fanatical Right, fathers and sons and free will, this all sounds like stuff up my alley and stuff that Ennis has handled well, so I might have to keep an eye out for that trade as well.
03 Feb 2007 at 7:45 pm
QuoteKiel, while I enjoyed Pieces for Mom, I’m not generally what you call a huge Niles fan. 30 Days of Night is about the only thing I’d recommend as much as Pieces for Mom, and as I’m not a huge fan of Templesmith’s art, it’s not enough of a recommendation to overcome IDW’s trade prices.
That said, if you’re in a horror mood and don’t mind doing some buying on Ebay or used books, find Uzumaki from Viz. Three volumes of the best horror I’ve read in comics.
03 Feb 2007 at 7:46 pm
QuoteUzumaki has been on my list for a long time. I think it was an AICN review. Of course it was out of print when those @$$holes reviewed it. I try and remember to look for it at the one MN con i go to. eBay.. I never think of things like that..
04 Feb 2007 at 1:49 am
Quoteuzimkaki is some good manga. Mind you not as good as Monster
05 Feb 2007 at 4:47 pm
QuoteMonster is one of the few manga I follow regularly. It was my first manga, and I think it would be a good starting book for those who might be skeptical about manga, or just wanna try it out. It takes place in JGermany, the plot isn’t too hyper, and the art is more subdued than, say, One Piece.
05 Feb 2007 at 9:08 pm
QuoteI dunno, Rob. Monster is damn fine manga, but I’ve read all six volumes available so far, and stacking it up against Uzumaki, I’d say Uzumaki is a creepier, more effective read.
05 Feb 2007 at 11:58 pm
QuoteI’m glad I read this before buying that Spider-Ham issue. I had been looking forward to it because I enjoy fun books. But leave it to JMS to suck all the fun out of Spider-Ham.
06 Feb 2007 at 5:51 pm
Quote