Wednesday Number Ones 2/20/08
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 Jenna Jamesons Shadow Hunter #1, Locke & Key #1, Perhapanauts Annual #1, Willow Creek #0, and Zorro #1.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Locke & Key #1
Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
Company: IDW Publishing
First and foremost, Locke & Key delivers a unique one two punch composed of great, very developed characters and interesting story, something that doesn’t happen too often with first issues. Joe Hill, who happens to be Stephen King’s son (something that I wasn’t even aware of) delivers a poignant and gruesome story, one that gives the reader a glimpse at the lives of three children, all survivors of an enormous ordeal in their lives, and how they are dealing with said tragedy. At times, what’s happening is a tad low-key but the way the story builds is quite striking, and the payoff at the end of the story and the inventive way that the supernatural elements that are used are introduced is extremely well done. As for the art, unlike most IDW books that feature muddy color choices and meh art, Rodriguez does a phenomenal job. His work is expressive, enjoyable and feels spot on for the tone of the book. All in all, a great first issue.
Dave Farabee Read and Thought:
Willow Creek #0
Writers: Denny Williams & Christian Beranek
Artists: Josh Medors
Company: Zenescope Entertainment
There’s not much to go on in this 5-page preview (plus pin-ups, plus a random other preview), but what’s there isn’t so hot. The premise is that the local Bigfoot legends in the town of Willow Creek hide the presence of another monster altogether, and that seems fine enough. In practice, though, the excerpt is clumsily-written and, even in the short space of five pages, hard to follow. The art’s from the increasingly popular Ben Templesmith knock-off school (rapidly displacing the Mike Mignola school) and I’d sum up the whole package as “30 Days of Night wannabe.” Given that I was never much impressed with 30 Days of Night to begin with…
Dan Grendell Read and Thought:
Perhapanauts Annual #1
Writer: Todd Dezago
Artist: Craig Rousseau
Company: Image Comics
This is a cool supernatural team book, with a pacifist bigfoot, a chupacabras, a ghost and a telepath taking on monsters that slip through to Earth from other dimensions. There are some definite parallels to BPRD, but it feels like it’s own thing, with a more gung-ho, fun vibe. This issue, the team works with another team of monster fighters to take on the Jersey Devil in an epic battle that even goes to Hell for a short time. Dezago does a good job of ramping up the tension and spotlighting each character’s abilities, but the end is anti-climactic. Rousseau’s art is a bit cartoony but fits the book well, and he does a good job conveying the thoughts of each character in their faces as well as pacing the action to make it easy to follow. This was my first introduction to Perhapanauts, but it was good enough to make me want to seek out more.
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
Zorro #1
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Francesco Francavilla
Company: Dynamite Entertainment
It’s got a strong creative pedigree and a character who has stood the test of time, but Dynamite’s first issue of Zorro is probably best described as underwhelming. Wagner’s approach here is strikingly similar to the approach taken on Dynamite’s Lone Ranger, which is to say it’s extremely decompressed, de-emphasizing the larger-than-life heroics in favor of a minutia-filled look at the early life of its hero. It seems like Wagner is trying to build up the legend by never showing Zorro on panel for more than a glimpse, but the result is that there’s little to no action and the whole thing feels, well… kinda boring. Francavilla’s art, colored from pencils by Adriana Lucas, has the same attractive but somewhat blurry and indistinct look as Dynamite’s Lone Ranger as well. Basically, it’s an okay outing, but given the impressive creative team, I was hoping for something a little more exciting.
David Martindale Read and Thought:
Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter
Story: Jenna Jameson and Christina Z
Artist: Mukesh Singh
Publisher: Virgin Comics
The book has a very Top Cow sort of “angels versus demons” type of feel to its concept and evokes very metal imagery. It also sports a porn actress’ name in both the title and the credits. Believe it or not, that isn’t the weird part. The really weird part is that it’s actually decent. The plotting is a bit scattershot with concepts and expository dialogue coming out of left field to push the moderately nonsensical story forward. Fortunately, most of the nonsensical elements revolve around a mystery that could make total sense once we learn more. Also, it’s done in a fun, gore-tastic way that reminds me a bit of Heavy Metal. Now, the writing might be little more than passable, but the art is genuinely beautiful. There’s hints of the sexuality that Greg Land brings to his work without the static feel. There’s some of Tony Harris’ style and a bit of James Jean, as well. If you’re looking for an over the top story of good and evil, with beautiful art that just happens to be dripping with sexuality, pick it up. Actually pick it up either way; three bucks is worth it for the art alone.
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Wait you guys didn’t like the lone ranger comic?…I thought it was pretty damn good.
20 Feb 2008 at 5:02 pm
QuoteHey, don’t lump us all in with Randy. I haven’t read Lone Ranger, but I actually really liked Zorro. It took this first issue to explain his origin and give me a real solid feel for the character instead of jumping right into swashbucklery assuming I knew what he was about. Now I know what drives him, and I actually care why he carves ‘Z’s in people- hell, I’ll cheer as he does it. Unlike Randy, I was never bored at all.
20 Feb 2008 at 5:14 pm
QuoteGreat. I wasn’t planning to go to the store today but I have GOT to get Locke & key.
20 Feb 2008 at 5:24 pm
QuoteA Matt Wagner comic gets a lukewarm review while the porn star comic gets a nod. What kind of bizarro universe have I fallen into? The other Panteon members may want to give Randy the Skrull test.
20 Feb 2008 at 5:48 pm
QuoteNow is this version of Zorro more Banderas or George Hamilton. If it isn’t the latter, I don’t want to read it!
20 Feb 2008 at 8:03 pm
QuoteRE: Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter
I think I’ll pass on this and wait for Janine Lindemulder’s comic book series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janine_Lindemulder
20 Feb 2008 at 11:16 pm
Quotetempted by Zorro but then the same people made the Lone ranger waayy to complex
20 Feb 2008 at 11:45 pm
QuoteI liked the first couple issues, but I worried that it was kind of a slow burn that wasn’t going anywhere. After reading through the trade, that’s kind of what I felt like I got.
To paraphrase Dan from upthread, don’t lump us all in with D3. I didn’t read Jenna Jameson’s comic, but from previous experience with Virgin Comics, I’m pretty sure I would have liked it less than Zorro.
Btw, the Skrull test still has some nasty side-effects we’ve been trying to work out. We have yet to actually find a Skrull, but the shallow graveyard in the parking lot out back is really filling up.
21 Feb 2008 at 1:46 am
QuoteD3 must have been too ashamed to take credit for the Jenna Jameson review then, because I don’t see his name above the review.
21 Feb 2008 at 5:46 am
QuoteI read Shadow Hunter. I have no idea what that was about. But the art. SWEET FANCY LINDEMULDER. The art is amazing.
TIM
21 Feb 2008 at 8:28 am
QuoteI ended up pretty much in Randy’s camp on Zorro, much as I might’ve wished for Wagner to rock the house. I think maybe the idea of expanding Zorro’s origin isn’t a great one. I think his power is his proto-Batman simplicity, and what I’m interested in is clever stories that take place once he’s already established. Some of the new elements struck me as hokey, particularly the recasting of his mother as a former tribal warrior, whose shaman sends the young Diego on a spirit quest where his horse is magically summoned and he bonds with a fox as his spirit animal. Zorro’s hardly a realistic story, but I don’t think it needed the addition of mysticism.
Ultimately I found it a passable read, maybe even above average here and there, but ultimately disappointing because I think a Zorro book could really stand to wow the reader with some swashbuckling in its first outing. But, alas, no buckles were swashed, the action being more along the lines of Flass’s story from Batman: Year One where all the action is remembered
21 Feb 2008 at 10:42 am
QuoteHa, no it looks like we just accidentally deleted the credit! Believe me, D3’s utterly shameless and will stand behind even the freakiest of opinions (of which championing the art on Jenna’s book doesn’t rate very high; it really is pretty impressive).
(off to correct it)
21 Feb 2008 at 10:49 am
QuoteYes, but how would reaction have been to J. Jonah Jameson’s Shadow Hunter? That issue #0 cover would have been twice as creepy.
21 Feb 2008 at 11:07 am
QuoteI should’ve known that someone who drives a dinosaur van wouldn’t balk at pimpin’ a porn star comic.
21 Feb 2008 at 12:09 pm
QuoteThe Lone Ranger #1 was one of the worst comics I’ve read in the past five years- not because of any fault in craft or incompetence, just that the writer and artist chose the simplest, easiest, most cliche way of making their points.
21 Feb 2008 at 4:09 pm
QuoteJust wondering what your thoughts on the new The Spirit writers, Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier’s first issue?
21 Feb 2008 at 11:24 pm
QuoteRandy said:
“but from previous experience with Virgin Comics, I’m pretty sure I would have liked it less than Zorro.”
Judging from this, I guess you’re not too impressed with the Virgin line. Myself, I was initially skeptic to the Indian myth stories, and in spite of beautiful art, found them boring.
But I came across the new series “The 99″ #0 and WoW! That’s a different story. I am now actively seeking the first issues - but of course, in a “big two”-dominated market, they are nearly impossible to find. This series, drawn by John McCrea, is going places - if it can be found …
What did you think?
22 Feb 2008 at 3:21 pm
QuoteSorry - my mistake - I mixed up 2 similar publishers, one; Virgin (Indian based), and the publisher of The 99; Tashkeel (Arabian). Again, sorry for the mixup.
23 Feb 2008 at 10:25 am
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