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 Ant: Unleashed #1, Bat Lash #1 of 6, Battlestar Galactica Origins #1, Darkness #1, Elephantmen War Toys #1, Engineer #1, Highlander Way O/t Sword, Hybrid Bastards #1 of 3, Misericordia #1, Ultimate Iron Man 2 #1, and Wormwood One Shot.

Nick Budd Read and Thought:

Bat Lash #1
Writer: Peter Brandvold & Sergio Aragones
Artist: John Severin
Company: DC Comics

I’ve been in the mood for a Western story lately, and honestly with Bat Lash, I got exactly what I was looking for and then some. Brandvold is not a writer that I’m familiar with, though he has written a list as long as my arm of western themed novels that people seem to like. Here, paired with Groo writer and artist Sergio Aragones, the story that comes to pass, one that deals with all the major themes one would hope as we see, still manages to seem fresh instead of something that’s been regurgitated ad nauseum. The one thing that was nice to see was that even though the conflict between the main character, Bartholomew Lash, and the bad guy, Brubaker, is fairly serious, there are some brighter and actually humorous moments spread throughout that give you a better understanding of the characters and what makes them tick. That said, nothing really comes close to being as awesome as John Severin’s artwork. He has a very realistic style that conveys the world of Bat Lash extremely well. To be honest though, his entire repertoire, everything that he does, is strong, especially his storytelling which is both effortless and gorgeous. Really though, Severin’s pencils work so well in service of the story that you get instinctively caught up in everything and crave more when you get to the end. Buy it.

Ultimate Iron Man II #1
Writer: Orson Scott Card
Artist: Pasqual Ferry
Company: Marvel Comics

I know that I read the first Ultimate Iron Man miniseries that popped up awhile back, but for the life of me, the only thing that stuck with me was that it was a fairly good, very sci-fi take on Iron Man. Being as the story is basically a reinvention of the Iron Man character, that was fine. This first issue of the second volume seems to pretty much follow in the same vein. The sci-fi angle is still prominent, which makes perfect sense coming from Orson Scott Card, but this go around the characters seem much stronger and the action that comes about as Tony Stark and James Rhodes infiltrate a terrorist camp is well paced and intense. This might be because of the phenomenal art put forth by Pasqual Ferry and colorist Dean White. Ferry proved that he was a man who could easily produce a fantastic action oriented book when he worked on the Adam Strange mini, but with Ultimate Iron Man he seems to have refined his style slightly and White’s delectable colors enhance it even more. There’s a photo-realism to it, no doubt, but he falls into that same category of say Michael Lark or Tony Harris, as his work doesn’t have that static-ness that is occasionally off-putting to some. Overall, the story falters a little towards the end as it dips into some clichéd territory that we’ve seen before but this was a solid first issue that was surprising. I’ll certainly be back for the second issue.

Dave Farabee Read and Thought:

Ant: Unleashed #1
Writer: Mario Gully
Artist: Marco Turini
Company: Big City Comics

That is…wow, that’s pretty street. For those who don’t know, Ant’s a sort of cult superheroine with insect powers, Playboy curves, and several relaunches to her name. This latest interpretation is distinctly R-rated, and I’ll give it this: it’s approachable in its grunginess. You won’t need to’ve read any back issues to get that Hannah’s a hot Latina (it’s commented on constantly) who’s struggling to climb out of a shitty, impoverished life. She nut-kicks ogling guys, chats with her prostitute roommate while she’s in flagrante delicto, and eventually finds herself in a classic “payback time” scenario that triggers a return to her superhero persona. The weirdest thing about the book is that it’s at least trying to generate some empathy for its cast, but Ant is also just one step from being a T&A wank book, with the lead character being constantly drawn in pin-up style. That said, I think the artist’s got a fair amount of talent percolating. More than the story warrants, I’m afraid.

Misericordia #1 of 11
Writer/Artist: Rebekah Cynthia Brem
Company: Archaia Studios

Hmmm. Interesting book. Has the auteur feel of Euro sci-fi (think Moebius) with visuals somewhere between Vaughn Bode and a lavishly illustrated children’s book. But while I was very taken with the art, especially the bold color choices, the nearly wordless sci-fi story didn’t do much for me. It’s interesting as a sort of fever-dream, though. Follows a young woman living in a futuristic, subterranean environment as she’s assigned a job to the strange surface world of mannequin-like robots. I’d be hard-pressed to tell you specifics, but I do think Misericordia might find resonance with fans of Euro sci-fi or its stylish visuals.

Dan Grendell Read and Thought:

The Engineer #1 of 4
Writers: Brian Churilla and Jeremy Shepherd
Artist: Brian Churilla
Company: Archaia Studios Press

The reluctant hero, out to save the universe, forced to work begrudgingly with companions whose methods he does not approve of- this is a fine base for a sci-fi story, and Churilla and Shepherd do a decent job of setting it up here. The Engineer travels across the universe, gathering pieces of the Konstrukt, which is the macguffin that can stop the destructive force of the Lahar. He is accompanied by three female spirits who like to nag at him and crash moons into planets. This is all very well, but what the writers fail to do is actually engage the reader. It all reads fairly blandly, like a grumpy old man harrumphing his way through his day. Brian Churilla’s art, somewhat reminiscent of Eric Powell, is attractive but unfortunately not in service of much.

Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse one shot
Creator: Ben Templesmith
Company: IDW

I’m a big fan of Ben Templesmith’s Wormwood. I think his stories about the zombie-riding magical maggot are his best work, really, so it’s no surprise that I loved this one-shot. In this issue, we find out why the Four Horsemen never destroyed the world- seems they got distracted by hookers, cocaine, and video games. When their supply runs low, though, they get a bit cranky, and it’s Wormwood to the rescue. There are some delightfully harsh scenes here, with Templesmith taking the piss out of the Pope, emo kids, and himself, and it made for a side-splitting read. Brilliant work, with Templesmith’s trademark creepy art style.

Randy Lander Read and Thought:

Battlestar Galactica Origins #1
Writer: Kevin Fahey
Artists: Jonathan Lau & Insight Studios
Company: Dynamite Entertainment

Given the long delay before we see season four, and the recent airing of Battlestar Galactica: Razor, I’m about as interested as I’ll ever be in a comic book series offering a little bit more insight into Galactica. And I still found Origins #1 to be a bit of a mess. The creative team is in a tough spot, unable to really flesh out the past or future of the show, and putting together an origin story of Gaius Baltar that tells us nothing we don’t already know doesn’t really help their cause. The moment-to-moment writing is kind of dull, so the story has to reveal on non-existent plot twists to keep reader interest, and there’s nothing new or interesting revealed here about his childhood, his rise to prominence or the Cylon infiltration that he was an unwitting part of. Lau’s artwork is solid enough at a glance, but his characters aren’t really distinct enough, and the weak likenesses and sloppy choice of camera angles and close-ups makes for weak storytelling. A disappointment, for the true Battlestar Galactica diehards only… you’re probably better off re-watching your DVDs.

The Darkness #1
Writer: Phil Hester
Artist: Michael Broussard
Company: Image/Top Cow

I hate The Darkness, but I love Phil Hester’s writing. As you might expect, the average result is that I’m mildly interested, but not much more, in the latest Darkness relaunch. Hester has some interesting twists on the character, including a clever little drug scheme and a change of locale, but I confess that even with the impressive world myth level background of The Darkness (going back to God creating the world) and a slightly more horror-tinged approach, I just don’t have much interest in a hitman with darkness powers. However, this is the best version of The Darkness I’ve ever read, and if you’re a fan of the character, you’re in for a huge treat. The artwork by Broussard has drawn accolades elsewhere, and while it’s not my particular favorite style, I will say that he’s got a pretty good take on the Top Cow house style, perfect for longtime fans of the imprint who dig on work from Silvestri, Finch and Turner. In short: Not my cup of tea, but I’m not the target audience, either.

Hybrid Bastards #1 of 3
Writer: Tom Pinchuk
Artist: Kate Glasheen
Company: Archaia Studios Press

To call this book surreal is to undersell it by a wide margin. The bizarre premise of Zeus having sex with inanimate objects due to a spell from Hera and her cousin Hypnos, resulting in the hybrid bastards of the title, is probably only the third weirdest thing about this book. Glasheen’s art, painted work that is a strange hybrid in and of itself, like a cross between Keith Giffen, Bill Sienkiewicz and Dave Crosland, results in perfectly absurd creations that blend inanimate objects with godly DNA, and Pinchuk gives them dialogue that wouldn’t seem out of line on an Adult Swim cartoon. The whole thing is a bit messy, narratively speaking, but it’s so original, both in concept and in terms of Glasheen’s unusual and beautiful color palette, that I find myself intrigued despite not having a completely clear idea what the hell happened in the first issue. If you’re looking for the bold, weird and different, Hybrid Bastards is very much all three.

David Martindale Read and Thought:

Highlander: Way of the Sword #1
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist: Carlos Rafael
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

The first thing that jumped out at me was the great looking cover art, and I was pleased to find that the interiors looked just as good. Rafael’s work reminds me quite a bit of J.G. Jones, with strong perspective, anatomy, and storytelling. The writing seems solid enough, but it really doesn’t offer anything new or interesting. Way of the Sword reads like every other incarnation of the Highlander license. Both the dialogue and the plot stick to the same formula that carried the multiple films and the television series. Overall, it’s a solid to above average offering that those with a Highlander hankering are sure to enjoy, but if you’re not in a particularly Highlandery mood, it may merely come off as just another sword-wielding action-hero book.

Elephantmen: War Toys #1 of 3
Writer: Richard Starkings
Artist: Moritat
Publisher: Image Comics

It’s like World War I… with giant animal-human hybrid soldiers.. in the future… after a deadly plague… Ok, it’s really not that much like World War I, but you would swear that it is after reading War Toys. Starkings fills us in on how the Elephantmen were first unleashed on the world in this tale of European trench warfare. As the Elephantmen property has done so many times before, War Toys uses near-human characters to show us what it is to truly be human. Despite being a futuristic tale, the black and white art helps suggest a tone to the reader that is meant to remind him of the extraordinary carnage and loss of The War to End All Wars. Moritat does a great job of not only action and stroytelling, but he nails the most important aspect of the story. He lets us into the hearts and minds of the characters through their eyes and faces. I’m expecting the miniseries to a great war story and an even better examination of the human condition. Extremely highly recommended. Go buy two copies, and special order the trade.