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 Countdown Search For Ray Palmer Wildstorm #1, Drafted #1, JLA Wedding Special #1, Parade with Fireworks #1 of 2, Potters Field #1 of 3, Suicide Squad #1 of 8, Thirteen Steps #1 of 5, Transformers Best Of UK Dinobots #1, Wonder Girl #1 of 6, X-Men Emperor Vulcan #1 of 4, and Zombie Proof #1 of 4.

Nick Budd Read and Thought:

Countdown: The Search for Ray Palmer #1
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Angel Unzueta
Company: DC Comics

Another in a slew of Countdown tie-in titles to hit the shelves comes out, and again The Search for Ray Palmer is another one that easily falls into the adequate but utterly boring category that many of the others have. Ron Marz crafts a story that takes a team of two heroes, Jason Todd and Bob the Monitor, and has them hopping around the 52 universes that now make up the DCU. Not a bad idea, really, as this first issue sees what could have been an interesting group of people visit the characters of the Wildstorm Universe. There are some clever moments here and there, especially a nice moment that pits Ion against Midnighter, but beyond that what hurts it the most is that in order to really know what the heck is going on, it helps if you’re already reading Countdown. If you’re not reading it and enjoying it, there isn’t really a need for you to pick this one up.

Thirteen Steps #1
Writers: Phil Hester & Chuck Satterlee
Artist: Kevin Mellon
Company: Desperado

A novel and fun concept executed with varying degrees of success. Phil Hester, one of the most underrated writers around, gives us Thirteen Steps, an oddball of a story that blends the human drama genre with the bizarreness of a world where monsters of all kinds are real. It’s a good mix for the story and the main character named Justin, a young baseball player who just so happens to also be a werewolf, is one that feels fleshed out and three dimensional. The interactions that he has with his mother and his Succubus ex-girlfriend are top-notch and the inner conflict that he’s dealing with, one that isn’t quite what you’d expect it to be, is extremely well crafted. Mellon’s art however is a mixed bag. His anatomy, dynamic action scenes and character designs are all good but occasionally his backgrounds are basically non-existent and it feels as if the character is just floating on the page. Overall, Thirteen Steps is a book that has a lot going for it and people who are looking for something different, or you’re just a monster fan, should check this one out.

Suicide Squad: From the Ashes #1
Writer: John Ostrander
Artist: Javier Pina
Company: DC Comics

If I had to recommend only one book this week, Suicide Squad would most certainly be the one I’d pick. If you’ve read any of the original run then you already know the basics of the book and the past stories that are referenced to. If you haven’t though, well, it doesn’t matter as John Ostrander, through cleverly crafted storytelling, gives you the essential nuts and bolts of the story and makes it so anyone could pick this up and enjoy it without being confused. There’s action galore here, as is there a nice espionage riff as the Squad infiltrates a Russian Prison in the hopes of saving one of their own. The big draw for me though would have to be the great usage of B and C list characters, especially the original Captain Boomerang and Deadshot. Ostrander uses them all well and gives them each a real persona that is not just played out in the interactions with the other members but through their actions as well. Suicide Squad is a brutal, grin inducing joyride of a book that sports some of the Javier Pina’s best work to date. He’s always been good on Manhunter but here with Robin Riggs inking his stuff, it looks fantastic. All in all, a must read book.

Dan Grendell Read and Thought:

Justice League of America Wedding Special #1
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artists: Mike McKone and Andy Lanning
Company: DC Comics

Don’t be fooled by the title- this is really McDuffie’s first issue of the ongoing Justice League title. Aside from some brief glimpses at Dinah and Ollie’s bachelor(ette) parties, it has nothing to do with the wedding, and everything to do with the reformation of the Injustice League and their first assault on the team. There are some off points here, like McDuffie calling Black Canary Diana Lance instead of Dinah, and Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl getting punked, and I’m also a bit curious why so many villains are eager to jump into another big coalition led by Luthor so soon after the Secret Society. That said, the Injustice Society is a classic JLA threat, McDuffie has the characters down, there’s a good mix of action and character bits, and McKone’s art looks great. Looks like I’ll be reading JLA again.

Transformers Best of UK: The Dinobots #1
Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Barry Kitson
Company: IDW

This is some classic Transformers work from the mid-80’s kicking off an arc that gave the Dinobots more depth and really made them characters. This issue collects a pair of stories focusing on Swoop and his discovery by a mad genius at Roxxon Oil, and the story reveals a weakness in Swoop that leads to a hunt for all of the Dinobots. This is a good example of why Transformers comics fans have been hyping Simon Furman for years, and it’s also an excellent look at early Barry Kitson art- much rougher than his current work, but still recognizable. Definitely worth checking out for Transformers fans.

Wonder Girl #1 (of 6)
Writer: J. Torres
Artiss: Sanford Greene and Nathan Massengill
Company: DC Comics

So, during Amazon’s Attack, for reasons which make absolutely no sense to me because that whole mini-series made little sense, Wonder Girl sided with the Amazons and helped crash Air Force One. Now, guess what? Americans hate her. There’s a surprise. In other words, there’s a lot of anger and angst in this book. Regardless, Cassie has decided to clean up the many monsters left behind by the Amazons as a sort of penance. That’s where the action comes in. I have two issues with this book. The first is that we are being set up to feel sorry for Cassie as she goes through her redemption cycle, through the use of dumb angry mobs and mouthy soldiers. Well, guess what? She did something really stupid, and people have a right to be angry. Making them look stupid for it just cheapens any redemption she may achieve. Second, I actually like Greene’s cartoony style, but it feels like a very bad fit for an angry book like this. It just seems out of place. I think you can safely give this a pass.

Randy Lander Read and Thought:

Drafted #1
Writer: Mark Powers
Artist: Chris Lie
Company: Devil’s Due

I was impressed by the preview issue of Drafted, which offered up a big event movie style opener, taking advantage of the unlimited special effects and casting budget of comics to show a worldwide event that would lead in to the actual story, about aliens “drafting” humanity into their war. Unfortunately, the first issue of Drafted is much the same, spending most of the issue on build-up, and by the time we’ve gotten to the actual premise, the issue is nearly over. This is important foundation work in terms of introducing characters, but it really feels like we should be further into the story at the end of a $3.50 first issue, at least as far as the information revealed in the solicitations. Along the same “good, but not perfect” lines is Lie’s artwork, which is impressively packed with background detail, but lacking in terms of effective expressions for his characters. The world feels fully realized, the people less so. There’s a lot of potential in Drafted, and I suspect that a few issues down the line, it’ll be realized, but the first issue is weaker than I would have liked.

Parade (with Fireworks) #1
Writer/Artist: Mike Cavallaro
Company: Image Comics

I’d read a little bit of this story on the webcomics collective Act-I-Vate, and I loved the art but had trouble connecting with the story in small chunks. Collected into a print comic, however, I find Parade (with Fireworks) to be a fascinating tale of pre-WWII Italy, based around factions and allegiances that would become even more heated as the war drew nearer. While Parade is in some ways a historical tale, though, based on stories Cavellaro heard from his elders, it’s also a smaller story of family and the events that shaped this part of their lives. It’s gorgeously rendered, too, with strong colors and an artistic style that calls to mind classic painters as well as cartoonists like Seth and Herge, and the “old country” feel of the story is immediately established by the art style. In fact, my only real complaint is that the two-issue format seems a mistake, and this probably should have been a self-contained graphic novel instead. But I say that knowing I’ll be back to see what happens in part two.

Potter’s Field #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Paul Azaceta
Company: Boom! Studios

Mark Waid has a reputation as a writer of “fun” comics. Potter’s Field is not “fun” comics. Which is not to say it isn’t good, in fact it’s an excellent crime book with a terrific premise, a stomach turning crime at the center of its first plot and some great characters to boot. The central premise finds a mystery figure, like a modern-day Shadow with a network of operatives and an almost supernatural anonymity, tracking down the forgotten dead in unmarked graves and closing out their stories with smart detective work. Waid’s trademark of sharp characterization and breezy dialogue works surprisingly well with the dark subject matter, and Azaceta and colorist Nick Filardi do an amazing job of setting the mood, calling to mind Michael Lark’s work on Gotham Central and Eduardo Risso’s on 100 Bullets in terms of lighting and staging. I’ve liked a lot of Boom!’s output up to this point, but Potter’s Field may be their best book yet, and this has all the addictive potential and thought-provoking storytelling of the best kind of TV drama, done by guys who know how to use the comics medium to its best effect.

D3 (David Martindale) Read and Thought:

X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1 of 5
Writer: Christopher Yost
Artist: Paco Diaz
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Vulcan, the third Summers Brother, is a pretty empty character. Not only that, but his origin damages established characters. His mere existence is detrimental. Within those editorial constraints, Yost and Diaz tell a pretty decent story. Yost manages, in a single issue, to do what very few writers have ever been able to do; He makes Havok, Polaris, and Rachel Grey interesting characters that the reader cares about. Not only that, but he brings in action, adventure, mystery, and comedy. His use of Ch’od for comic relief gave me more than one laugh out loud moment with best moment being the “led into battle with a song” line. Yost does in this book what he did best alongside Kyle on New X-Men. He writes fun, interesting characters and puts them in perilous situations were they can be heroes. Diaz does an above average job on art with flashes of the spectacular. His posed team shot and two page splash look great. An above average read for superhero fans but a great read for X-Geeks like me that have been hungering for decent X-Men stories

Zombie Proof #1
Writer: J.C. Vaughn
Artist: Vincent Spencer
Publisher: Moonstone

Billy Bob is a locksmith, a garage door man, and he’ll come over to zombie proof your home. He may be the small town joke, but he’s also that small town’s best hope against the zombie-pocalypse. it sounds like a fun concept, and on one or two occasions, it is. Unfortunately, most of the book just feels flat. There is never any real sense of danger or suspense, and the vast majority of the characters speak in the same voice. The art is muddled and lacking in expression. Both the writing and the art show potential and promise but fail to deliver on this outing. It’s skippable.