Wednesday Number Ones 4/18/07
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 Legion Of Super Heroes In The 31st Century #1, DMZ #18, Transformers Spotlight Target 2006 #1, World War III Part One A Call To Arms, and Nightwing Annual #2.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
World War III Part One A Call To Arms
Writer: Keith Champagne
Artist: Pat Olliffe
Company: DC Comics
Well here it is, the opening salvo of the bloodiest, most action oriented summer blockbuster that DC Comics has to offer is finally upon us. Yes, it seems as if these big events have become commonplace these days, as they hit every week now, but instead of cringing away from this one I say relish the mayhem…For everything about it is good. I personally have been enjoying 52 (save for the few really bad moments), and this continuation of the Black Adam is the baddest muther on the block storyline reads exceptionally well despite some pages where there’s just too much happening all at once. Not a huge drawback and it’s almost instantly forgiven by the added bits and pieces of information that reveal what happened to some characters pre-One Year Later. Needless to say, I’ve been suckered. The art for this one might not be my cup of tea but it’s competent enough and certainly conveys the action and gore well. All in all, not a bad start to what is by far one of DC’s best “Big Event” books.
Dave Farabee Read and Thought:
The Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #1
Writer: J. Torres
Artist: Chynna Clugston
Company: DC Comics
Wow, that title’s a bit of a mouthful for a comic aimed at kids! And, alas, the issue’s a handful too. Each incarnation of the Legion has been somewhat intimidating for the size of their ensemble casts, but my experience has been that they usually open with the three Legion founders and ease the reader in slowly. And this one does spotlight a trio of Legionnaires as we see how Superboy was brought to the future to join them, but also bounces around between other members talking to the “camera” ala The Office. That just seemed a bit frenzied to me, too mile-a-minute before any of the personalities had had a chance to establish themselves. Even the captions tagged with icons to let the reader know who’s talking seemed like information overload. Is it a fair representation of the cartoon? Couldn’t say, haven’t seen. Still, despite the scattershot nature, the humor’s pretty sharp and there’s a bit of action, so kids might dig it. Certainly Chynna Clugston’s art has style and energy to spare, but ultimately this is one more Legion reboot that leaves me cold.
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
DMZ #18
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Riccardo Burchielli & Nathan Fox
Company: DC Comics/Vertigo
“Friendly Fire” is a new arc for DMZ, the series about a new American civil war set in an all-too-plausible near future New York, and it’s off to a pretty impressive start. Freelance journalist and lead character Matty Roth is covering the military tribunal of the “Day 204 Massacre” and by the end of this issue, as Roth has interviewed one of the rattled soldiers responsible for the massacre a few years back, the reader has a picture of what happened. Wood condemns the nature of war without condemning the soldiers fighting in it, correctly pointing blame at the policy makers, and the flashbacks to the early days of the war feels like both Vietnam and Iraq in equal measure, while never feeling heavy-handed. Burchielli is always impressive, and new addition Nathan Fox, who handles the flashback and thus most of the issue, has an impressive style that calls to mind a cross between Cameron Stewart and Paul Pope. There are also amazing colors by Jeromy Cox, particularly on the stark gray during the events of the Day 204 Massacre itself. DMZ is one of my favorite comics, and this issue is a great example of why.
Transformers: Target 2006 #1
Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Jeff Anderson
Company: IDW Publishing
Warning, Transformers hardcore fans… I am about to blaspheme against your god Furman. Because this book, clearly something originally done around 1986, was pretty bad. It is possible that, had I viewed this as a kid, I would have been all about the story, which features badass future Deception Galvatron traveling back in time to hand the Autobots a smackdown and Optimus Prime and other Autobots mysteriously imploding, but reading it now, in 2007, it just looks kinda dated and dorky. It’s clear that, if you were reading this in context of the ’80s series, this would be pretty important shit. Insurrection by the Autobots against the Decepticons on Cybertron, time-traveling future villains, big shake-ups in the hero line-up, it’s important stuff, but the corny dialogue, average art with washed out color and lack of any context from previous issues makes it a bit of a slog for anyone but the Transformers fanatic.
D3 (David Martindale) Read and Thought:
Nightwing Annual #2
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Artist: Joe Bennett
Company: DC Comics
Not a bad little standalone story. The book deals with the off again, on again relationship between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, as well as their growth from teen sidekicks to being heroes in their own right. The effects of the most recent crisis and the missing year (before One Year Later) are the vehicle through which the story is told, and it works well. There are some pretty awkward, funny moments and even some genuinely touching moments. Bennett’s art is also quite nice. His use of facial expressions and body language make him a great choice for this story as it is mostly a story of characterization. His sense of motion is also pretty impressive in some of Nightwing’s training sequences. If you’re a Nightwing fan, a definite recommendation. If not, it’s still a pretty decent read.
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Is the new issue of DMZ a good jumping on point? Or am I better off going with the trades? Read the first arc but for some reason didn’t continue buying it. Just re-read it though and would like to jump back on board.
18 Apr 2007 at 1:22 pm
QuoteBLASPHEMER! YOU’RE DEAD TO ME, LANDER! DEAD!
Ahem.
I find it odd that they’re reprinting this when you can still get the whole story from Titan Books, and more importantly, at the proper sizing. I liked Target 2006 though I will admit some of the stories they have collected are REALLY bad. If they reprint the Space Pirates or Legacy of Unicron or Time Wars stuff, you might want to check those out.
That Nightwing Annual was very good, but kind of depressing, too.
18 Apr 2007 at 1:34 pm
QuoteI actually really recommend the trades, and volume 2 is better than volume 1… but if you’re wanting a sampler to see if it’s to your taste, this issue is definitely a good, accessible jumping on point.
18 Apr 2007 at 2:22 pm
QuoteI never liked Galvatron.
18 Apr 2007 at 2:31 pm
QuoteBLASPHEMER! YOU’RE DEAD TO ME, AGEN! DEAD!
18 Apr 2007 at 4:05 pm
QuoteBLASPHEMER! YOU’RE DEAD TO ME, COYLE! DEAD!
18 Apr 2007 at 5:46 pm
QuoteSweet! I’m the only one left.
18 Apr 2007 at 7:05 pm
QuoteGod, those DMZ covers are great.
18 Apr 2007 at 8:41 pm
QuoteThe Megatron toy was a gun dude. Way cooler than a purple cannon. Just saying.
I love the caption to this picture at wikipedia: Galvatron is buried in ice. I don’t think Megatron would allow that to happen.
18 Apr 2007 at 8:42 pm
QuoteAlso, you look really silly popping a cap in someone’s ass with a purple cannon. On the other hand, with a robotic transforming Walther P38 pistol, you look totally badass.
Fun Megatron Fact:
He can … sub-dimensionally link [his] cannon to a black hole, generating even more powerful antimatter blasts (capable of destroying a small planetary body).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
19 Apr 2007 at 12:59 am
QuoteMaybe it’s me, but the fact that Dick lost his virginity to Kory I would file under the subject heading “Too Much Information.”
19 Apr 2007 at 6:33 am
QuoteWhile I really liked the Nightwing Annual, there were a couple of moments that actually had me thinking, “I miss the need for CCA approval that would have gotten that line rewritten.” It all seemed like conversation these two people would have– but in the midst of remembering the Batgirl-and-Robin stories from old Batman Family books of my youth, there were some moments that were pretty jarring, ‘virginity’ not the worst of them.
19 Apr 2007 at 6:41 am
QuoteWould WWIII make any sense at all to me seeing as I haven’t been follwoing DC for the past year or so?
19 Apr 2007 at 9:25 am
Quote“World War III” is a misleading title. The issues were basically a superhero fight that spilled over to multiple locations with very little political intrigue. A better title would have been “Black Adam vs. the World!” I still enjoyed the mini and it was nice to read a complete “Event” in one day!
19 Apr 2007 at 12:04 pm
QuoteAlso, isn’t this technically World War IV if not more? I seem to recall a much better story in JLA a couple of years ago with the same name?
19 Apr 2007 at 2:59 pm
QuoteChristian, Grant Morrison wrote a World War III storyline in JLA. He talked about it on Fanboy Radio #382. I haven’t read that.. but you’re remembering correctly. Morrison thot it might actually be WW V or so.
Some of you are retailers, right? How do you like 4 parts in one day?
19 Apr 2007 at 5:54 pm
QuoteYou know what I’d like to see? WORLD WAR MEGATRON. Beat THAT!
20 Apr 2007 at 11:15 am
QuoteThe Annual’s a definite recommendation if you’re a Babs fan as well, IMO.
20 Apr 2007 at 2:25 pm
QuoteTim Agen wrote:
I actually didn’t have any particular problem with it… it seems to me that a more logical plan would have been to release World War III across four weeks, after 52 ended, to bridge to Countdown, but I think (as Dave Farabee guessed) that they wanted to provide a more definitive ending, rather than having folks feel like they *had* to pick up Countdown after 52 and feeling cheated out of their promised ending for the weekly series.
What’s kind of weird is that people were picking and choosing. I had any number of people pick up only part three, only part two, only part four, etc. I haven’t read them (just not much interest), but I wonder if they made any sense as one shots.
21 Apr 2007 at 12:18 pm
QuoteI think it’s more a matter of the WWIII series would’ve felt like old news by next week since the ending has already been revealed in 52, so DC pretty much had to put it all out in one week.
The WWIII series barely made sense together, so I doubt reading them as one-shots would make things much worse. Anyone who read the 52 issue would already have a general understanding of the flow of the fight. There’s only minimal plot flow through the individual WWIII issues, the biggest of which involves the Martian Manhunter realizing that he’s a Manhunter from Mars. Well, no doy.
22 Apr 2007 at 8:43 am
QuoteI’d just like to thank you for a bit of olde tyme slang nostalgia. Still a classic!
24 Apr 2007 at 1:57 am
QuoteI’m bringing “no doy” back. Catch the wave.
24 Apr 2007 at 4:52 pm
Quote