Wednesday Number Ones 6/25/08
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 Conan the Cimmerian #1, Fire and Brimstone #1, Madame Xanadu #1, No Hero #0, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1, Superman #677, Vix #1 of 3, and What If? A Mike Wieringo Tribute.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Superman #677
Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Renato Guedes
Company: DC Comics
It’s been said before that the hardest superhero to write is hands down, Superman. The person who said that isn’t wrong. Out of everyone, he may in fact be the most iconic character, the über-hero that fights for truth, justice and apple pie. Selling that idea isn’t easy, but James Robinson starts things off nicely. While it might not be the grand slam that the first issue of Starman was, Robinson seems to have a handle on what makes Superman tick and conveys it quite well on the page, especially during a quiet conversation with Hal Jordan. One of the other notable things that occurs in the issue, besides the start of a new storyline that involves the reemergence of a character that we haven’t seen in awhile, is the expansion of the Science Police. I haven’t been paying close attention to the Superman books lately, so I don’t know if that’s been a large part of recent continuity lately or not, but the addition of it gives the book another voice for the reader to latch onto. Seeing Metropolis and its inhabitants, Superman included, through the eyes of what is essentially a military-like squad is interesting. As for the art, there’s something about it that bugs me. Guedes’ pencils are strong and detailed, but the colors of several of the scenes seem too vibrant at times, and tend to distract from the action and story. Overall though, a solid start. It’s been awhile that I’ve paid attention to the Superman books but I’m definitely intrigued.
No Hero #0
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Juan Jose Ryp
Company: Avatar Press
Same old Ellis, different day. As much as I like Warren Ellis, and believe me I do like a lot of what he’s done in the world of comics, he seems to be stuck in a rut, repeating the same themes that he’s already explored countless times over. With what is basically the teaser trailer for the new series No Hero, the story that Ellis puts forth just doesn’t do anything new and exciting. There’s a fractured and turbulent world, much like our own, that’s looked after over the years by a revolving team of fractured and pill-popping superheroes called the Levelers. And really, that’s about it. Juan Jose Ryp, the same guy who teamed with Ellis to do Black Summer, handles the art in fine fashion. It’s not the best but I do like the intricate backgrounds that he provides. Really though, there’s no hook here to grab hold of. If you’re an Ellis fan and have enjoyed most of his stuff, you might want to check this one out (especially with the $1.00 price tag). If you’re not, it’s safe to avoid.
Dave Farabee Read and Thought:
Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1
Writer: Chris Yost
Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa
Company: Marvel Comics
Pretty decent, just a little confusing. Here’s the problem: two teams, both filled with kids, both featuring a Skrull member, and the Runaways don’t even have the courtesy to wear costumes (usually a good thing, but it still adds to the confusion). Given the minimal exposition and introductions, this is definitely not a new-reader-friendly tie-in to Secret Invasion if you’re not already familiar with the teams in question. Luckily, the story itself is straightforward: Skrulls invade New York, each team reacts accordingly. There’s the usual banter, twists and turns related to their Skrull members, possible betrayals and a decent sense that this invasion is some serious business. Factor in the excellent art of Takeshi Miyazawa, one of the best artists for drawing young characters, and you’ve got a good, readable tie-in. If you know who these characters are.
Vix #1 of 3
Writer: Rantz A. Hosely
Artist: Matthew Humphries
Company: Image Comics
I’m not sure if Vix is specifically shooting for younger readers (the ads for Bomb Queen in the back certainly muddy the waters), but as a younger readers superhero story it’s pretty solid. Actually, it’s not that superhero-y - almost more of an American take on the Japanese “magical girl” genre (Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura) with its story of a girl in junior high trying to figure out how to powers (flight, maybe more) that she just receives out of nowhere. There’s a subplot brewing where shadowy forces are watching her progress, but the bulk of the book is her trying to hide her powers from her family and hanging out with a best friend who knows her secret. The character intros are a little awkward, so I never felt I got a good feel for who everyone is, but overall it’s pretty cute, and the animation-style art by Matthew Humphries is exceptional. Mild warning: slightly groan-worthy dialogue throughout.
Dan Grendell Read and Thought:
Fire and Brimstone #1
Creator: Richard Moore
Company: Antarctic Comics
I’ve enjoyed several of Richard Moore’s earlier works, particularly Far West and the excellent Boneyard. Moore combines a good sense of humor with some fun action and a strong dose of sex appeal, and his art is strong, with exaggerated features and clean lines. This time out he’s telling the story of an angel and a demoness who let some demons loose on the world long ago and spend all their time tracking them down. The pair come off as a couple of hard luck cases, not really competent, and half the fun is in how they manage. The odd couple buddy comedy isn’t exactly anything new, but Moore does a decent job with it, and it looks great in full color. Overall, this was fun, but I dunno if it’s worth four bucks.
Madame Xanadu #1
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Amy Reeder Hadley
Company: Vertigo/DC Comics
This just blew me away. First of all, Hadley is a brilliant artistic find. Sure, there’s a manga-esque look to her work, but I could care less- it’s beautiful, delicately rendered, smartly laid out, and quite detailed. Next, this look back at Madame Xanadu back during Arthurian times, when she was Nimue, Merlin’s lover, is expertly written by Wagner. Little touches, like Nimue’s helpful, joyful sprites and her sister’s asskissing ugly ones bring the book to life, and he clearly did his research. Merlin’s involvement with Etrigan is quietly addressed, Arthurian legend is referenced, and when Nimue tosses runes to see the future, she uses the Elder Futhark, and Hadley shows the correct runes. Wagner and Hadley make a great team, and already this book has a mythic air to it; I’ll be following it for quite some time if it stays this good.
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
Conan the Cimmerian #0
Writer: Tim Truman
Artist: Tomas Giorello
Company: Dark Horse Comics
It has been almost five years since the last Conan #0, which heralded the arrival of the character at Dark Horse and a renaissance of Conan interest in general. With Kurt Busiek having moved on, it was time for a relaunch, for the new creative team of Tim Truman and Tomas Giorello to stake out their claim as strongly as Busiek and Nord staked theirs in 2003, and in that, Conan the Cimmerian #0 is a success. Based on what reads like a poem more than a short story by Robert E. Howard, Truman and Giorello provide an impressive mood-setting piece with all the basics of a good Conan piece: Lush background visuals, flowery yet testosterone-filled prose, plenty of beheadings and martial badassery and glimpses of the danger and magic that fill Conan’s world. It’s a good transition from the previous Conan stories, but it also serves as a great primer for newcomers, and at the intro price of a dollar, it’s a pretty good bargain as well.
What If? A Mike Wieringo Tribute
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artists: Mike Wieringo, Art Adams, Paul Renaud, Stuart Immonen, Cully Hamner, Alan Davis, Casey Jones, David Williams, Sanford Greene, Humberto Ramos, Skottie Young, Mike Allred, Barry Kitson, Karl Kesel & Nathan Massengill
Company: Marvel Comics/HERO Initiative
The ’90s Fantastic Four of Hulk, Ghost Rider, Wolverine and Spider-Man has a weird staying power, and I confess I’m not immune to its charms. So I probably would have given this a read even if it weren’t the last project to feature the late Mike Wieringo’s artwork. As several of his friends note in the sincere afterwords that close out this tribute book, it’s a somewhat strange book to serve as a final project, and it’s not really a “life’s work” or “great unfinished legendary project” or anything like that. What it is, though, is fun, optimistic, often very funny superhero storytelling, and that’s definitely the kind of tribute that Wieringo deserves. The impressive art line-up winds up looking a lot like the style established in the first seven pages by Wieringo, thanks to some strong ink work by Karl Kesel, with the exception of Skottie Young, rocking a Bill Sienkiewicz-type style that is perfect for the four pages of story beats he’s given. The book looks great, and Parker’s story is a lot of fun, playing up some of the inherent goofiness of the mis-matched replacement FF but also playing it straight enough to be respectful to the concepts and the characters.
Loading ...
While, I wasn’t expecting an outstanding comic, as said Superman is hard to write but it’s good enough, I’ll pick up Robinson’s Superman. Nice to see James Robinson is off to a good start but then again wasn’t Geoff John’s Action Comics got the same praise here, now it’s hardly mentioned.
Also, good to see Madame Xanadu is off to a great start. Hopefully this and House of Mystery will stay for a while. Now who said Vertigo is having trouble producing great comics these day? Seriously, I’m really asking, since there was mentioned that the imprint was in terrible state or was I imagining that?
Anyway, will buy the comics I mentioned and also, No Hero #0 (yeah, I’m an Ellis fan), Conan the Cimmerian #0 and What If? A Mike Wieringo Tribute.
25 Jun 2008 at 4:47 pm
QuoteThe worry is more that it wasn’t selling in huge numbers, I think… which is still a concern. They don’t seem to have a gangbusters must-read like Fables, Y The Last Man, Preacher… something that garners near-universal, loud critical acclaim. DMZ is the obvious exception, although I don’t know if it’s quite as roundly beloved as Y and Fables were/are.
The specific complaints from the Panteon, or at least some of us, was that Vertigo hasn’t served up a kickass first issue that demanded the reader come back for #2 in a while. They all seem to be more of a slow burn, which is asking for patience from a proven to be impatient fanbase at large. House of Mystery was definitely that kind of slow burn, although I wound up getting into it a lot more with the second issue and I’m pretty sure I’ll wind up liking it a lot, but I’m not sure how many people are willing to wait it out like that.
Madame Xanadu, I’m honestly kind of meh on. I love the art, I’m a huge Matt Wagner fan, but fairie and Arthurian myth and magic generally isn’t my thing, and I was kind of bored by the first issue.
25 Jun 2008 at 5:17 pm
QuoteGads, another Runaways/Young Avengers. I hated the last x-over they did. It didn’t do justice to either group of characters (where both on their own were some fresh takes on superheroes that was and still is greatly needed). This sounds like the same treatment here. I will still no doubt get it because I, like Charlie Brown kicking the football held by Lucy, hopes that this time she won’t pull it away at the last minute…knowing full well she probably will. Gah!
So is Conan #0 close to the original books as Busiek’s tried to do? I wasn’t as deep into the lore but a friend of mine was and said Busiek basically would pick up where an original Conan story left off or give background info on a bit from the originals. It was a way to tell an original Conan piece while still hewing close to what made the classic books so fun. Any take on that?
I didn’t keep up with the trades, good as they were…did they get rid of the boy emperor reading Conan histories as a mechanism to tell different Conan tales from different points in his life? It was a nice through line to the stories.
25 Jun 2008 at 7:38 pm
QuoteToo early to judge, but this one is based directly on a piece of writing done by Howard. I haven’t read enough of the original Conan to judge whether or not it’s the same level of adaptation while filling in the gaps that made Busiek’s run so memorable, but my sense is that it is very much running in that same vein.
Again, too early to call for the series, but this one doesn’t use the boy emperor and his vizier. Instead, it opens at Howard’s desk, and then closes at his desk, in a pretty nifty little visual metaphor.
25 Jun 2008 at 9:54 pm
QuoteAs much as I love to laugh my ass off when DC comics gets bad reviews, but when it’s happens to a Vertigo title, I’m one sad person. I haven’t read Madame Xanadu #1 yet but hope I side more with Dan here since I like Wagner’s writing, the art looks nice, don’t know much about the character but is the Madame suppose to look like teenager?
Since Randy does not like it, so is that mean all the others won’t like it as well? Seeing as Randy is “The Decider”
Oh, Superman got a decent review? Well, wait two or three issues, it will be forgotten like Geoff Johns’ Action Comics.
I noticed Don MacPherson gave Final Crisis #2 gave a 9 out 10 on his site. Did any of the Pants band felt the same way as Don? Or Don got his “I love Morrison” glasses on?
26 Jun 2008 at 12:36 am
QuoteDan Didio must be fired!!!, apart from possessing a particularly obnoxious user ID, your DC-bashing posts are becoming tiresome and detract from my overall enjoyment of these reviews.
In only one post, you’ve managed to take swipes at DC comics in general, Geoff John’s excellent Action Comics in particular, and the esteemed Misters Lander and McPherson.
Perhaps you should look to some other site for your personal entertainment.
26 Jun 2008 at 5:32 am
QuoteI forgot to mention Morrison.
26 Jun 2008 at 5:34 am
QuoteI don’t even know what that means.
Davey Boy’s not wrong that you’re coming off a bit obnoxiously and Newsarama message board poster here. Your hatred of DC seems to border (on the wrong side) of the irrational, and it makes any criticisms you have seem petty and pointless. Worse, it blunts any substantive criticism of DC by others, as they can point to folks who take an extreme line like “Dan Didio Must Be Fired!” and say “Well, that’s just a crazy fringe element.”
It’s up to you, but you might consider posting under an actual name (even if it’s not a real one) and offering more to the discussion each week than “Boy, DC sure does suck!” Balance, man. We’re not short on the DC disappointment here at Comic Pants, but we point out what they get right, and we’ve got positive words for other comics as well.
OK, sermon over. Just… think about toning it down, OK?
I actually thought Final Crisis #2 was better than Secret Invasion has been so far, but then, I’m kind of hating Secret Invasion. If I still gave number grades, I’d probably put it more in a 5-6 range. But Don’s a bigger DCU fan than I am in general, and I think it’s fair to say that someone who is digging the DC Universe might get a bigger kick out of Final Crisis than your average fan.
26 Jun 2008 at 11:41 am
Quotefor me final crissis is somthing I care about the end resualt of so little it’s fun to watch how they get there. Just re-read one last night and here’s some non review number thoughts
1. Libra= fun
2. Meteon parphrases the bible twice while bathed in Silver light (ie he looks as much like the silver surfer as dc can get away with) Surfer+metron=some kind of crazy hyper Kirby+ Quoting both new and old Teasment=metextal stament “Kirby is GOD?
3 what kind of swear word is “TARZOW!”? I think if I WAS a bigger DC fan i’d get somthing out of that.
4 Needs more Batman
5 poor human flame man two comics 54 freaking years apart and STILL no last name kinda sucks now even Wolverine has a last name
6 WAIT you MEAN the pre Galieo chruch WAS right? Earth is the center of universe Of course they would wonder as I do what the univese is doing inside a giant blender? Mark my words at somebody’s going to make a pan dimensional smoothie
26 Jun 2008 at 1:47 pm
QuoteRandy The Decider. Is that sorta like Ronan The Accuser? Sounds sorta like a cheeky Celestial or sumthin’… Sheesh…
Forgotten by who? Action’s gotten attention actually because of the start of the Brainiac storyline I thought… And well it should. I been enjoying Johns and Gary Frank’s run quite a bit. And I personally am in it for the long haul on Robinson’s run on Supes. I imagine I’m not the only one who will be either. Ever heard of a little series called “Starman”.
Not that it would matter to anyone but me, but for some reason I have the sudden urge to mention that my real name actually is Floyd. I’ve been known to answer to “Pink…” and “Pretty Boy…” on occasion as well. But the Barber’s my fave.
26 Jun 2008 at 10:43 pm
QuoteRobert Lewis McCarthy at your service actully it’s not “Lewis” it’s french speling that I always forget
26 Jun 2008 at 11:00 pm
QuoteIt always seems goofy to me when the Runaways team with the Young Avengers. The Runaways just make them look like conformist tools with their costumes and names. I think that the Runaways would be too cool and post-modern to hang out with people who base themselves on the heroes who are starting Civil Wars.
27 Jun 2008 at 2:08 am
QuoteOh, it’s a joke, cause you know you influence a lot of people (including myself) into reading this and that comic. Before someone mentioned, no, I don’t consider you as George Bush, since that’s what he calls himself, didn’t realize that when I typed it in the first time.
27 Jun 2008 at 5:35 am
QuoteI missed Xanadu on the racks.. I’ll have to grab that next week. I read the preview in.. musta been an “House of Mystery” issue.. and I dug it. I didn’t really get a story hook, but the art was enough for me to keep looking. So I’ll grab #1.
How about a list of favorite #1s? Is BKV the best First Issue writer in American comics?
I thot No Hero #0 was interesting enough. It strikes me as similiar in tone to recent Ellis stuff.. tho I’ve only been reading #1s (or #0s) of his Avatar stuff as I wait for trade on those books. But I sorta trust him to execute well and perhaps subvert expectations in some manner.
I re-read Final Crisis #1 after that recent Morrison interview.. and it read better from this new perspective. And I think that lead to some enjoyment of FC #2. I should probably stop grabbing the singles though. Maybe I could really enjoy it as one story some year next time in a soft cover.
I would love to read more Superman. All-Star is too rare a treat. I would have to read up on what’s been going on in his books.. I know there were delays and crap and I don’t know how he’s been affected by crossovers and stuff. Meh. Almost seems like work!
27 Jun 2008 at 8:31 am
QuoteI like the idea of “The Cheeky Celestial.” Sounds like it could be a good show on the Marvel Universe Travel Channel.
Ah, OK. Yeah, comparing me to GW Bush would definitely irritate me, I didn’t take it that way for *sure*, but the clarification is appreciated.
I mean, we have in common that we both love Texas so much that we pretend to be from here, even though in fact we’re both East Coasters in terms of where we were raised… but I never started any major wars or sold out my country to corporate and governmental corruption.
I’m afraid I’ve got to agree with, uh, “Jennette” on this one. Robinson sort of peaked on Starman, and even there, there were some pacing/self-indulgent writing issues. But Starman was *so* good that he gets new chance upon new chance from me, and I suspect from many others.
I was actually kind of underwhelmed by his first issue of Superman, but I’m starting to think that nobody is going to be able to write a Superman ongoing that I like, because nobody seems to be able to pull that trick off for me.
Yeah, I had quite the “what the hell?” reaction to that as well. Johns does have an unfortunate interest in mutilation and death in his comics, which has blunted my interest in his work, but it’s nowhere near the self-aggrandizing, “look how clever I am” over-the-top sex and violence of Millar. I think a lot of it comes from how they present themselves, fair or not. Johns gives off the aura of a quiet, solid professional with a love for the characters. Millar gives off the aura of a guy who would light himself on fire if it would get him on the evening news.
Anyway, Johns is probably one of the best writers DC has right now, maybe even their great shining hope. Look at his string of hits, from Action Comics (the most buzzed about Superman title of the last five or six years, at least) to Justice Society (which is consistently #2 or #3 seller to whatever rotating event book or rarely published book DC has in the Top 10) to Sinestro Corps War (maybe the most buzzed book DC had last year) to his involvement in 52… Johns is pretty much money in the bank for DC. And even though I’m not always wild about the dark overtones in some of his work (Superboy decapitating and mutilating ain’t my idea of fun), his solid superhero fundamentals, neat ideas and clear love of the characters will always earn my respect.
I dunno, I think that might be a bit of a stretch. She was there for a while, and while she was running things during the Byrne Superman/Miller Batman era, she was also guiding the ship during Knightfall, Death of Superman, etc., right?
Anyway, the name doesn’t really offend me, but I will say that around these parts, we mostly just use, well, names. I certainly give more weight to someone’s opinions when I have a better “feel” that there’s a person behind them, which happens when there’s a real name, or even just a real first name, or even a real-sounding first name, attached to it.
27 Jun 2008 at 9:20 am
QuoteSo this Conan the Cim replaces the Conan that started with Busiek a few years back? I didn’t realize that. This Truman/Giorello team is the third team on that book, right? Someone else finished off the Conan started by Busiek.
I’ve read the first trade of the Busiek stories. I really, really liked them. I liked how they felt like a 22 page story with thick lines of continuity leading to the next 22 page story. I guess I liked the “& Other Stories” aspect of those trades. Did it continue like this? Did Busiek get an ending to his run or does it just continue seemlessly with the next team and now with this team and new #0?
27 Jun 2008 at 1:30 pm
QuoteActually, Truman took over writing immediately after Busiek… Giorello may have been the artist, I’m not sure. They didn’t relaunch the book immediately, but waited until #50 had come out, at which point they did this relaunch.
So it’s more like creative team 2.5, and it might just be the second one, I can’t remember if Giorello joined right away.
I also dug that feeling from Busiek’s stories, which became a *little* bit more arc-oriented after the first dozen or so, but always retained that sort of “window into Conan’s adventures” style. He didn’t complete his run, he handed it off to Truman, and it is basically a continuation of his run. But Cimmerian #0 feels like a fresh start, although technically it’s more of a refreshing of what has already gone before.
27 Jun 2008 at 2:18 pm
QuoteI wasn’t aware that Robinson had done much of anything in between Starman and Superman. Maybe that’s a good thing. I was taking a break from Batman during OYL and hadn’t picked it up for awhile until Morrisons run started. I thought I read in an interview somewhere that Robinson had been taking a break from comics in general for awhile. Oh well… from what you guys said, it don’t sound like I missed out on much.
I have a very similar thing going on with Daredevil. Wasn’t impressed with Smith/Quesada’s. Wasn’t impressed with Bendis’s. I gave it a another try when Brubaker took over. Love nearly everything Brubaker’s done. Wasn’t impressed. The clincher was the new one with the reunited Gotham Central team. I figured this HAD to be good. Well undeniably it’s expertly crafted. But… Matt’s still brooding/crying over his girl and still taking on “impossible” court cases with the whole “primetime TV courtroom drama feel”. Do DD stories really have to have those two things to be DD?. If so I guess I just don’t care for DD as a character. I absolutely loved him during the MIller AND Nocenti years. Like a girlfriend whose quirks start to just grate on you after awhile, I guess it’s possible to “fall out of love” with characters.
LOL! I bet he’d make a great reality show contestant.
I’ll see if I can take some of the work out of it for you. Definitely go for trades. Both Johns/Donner’s story and Busiek’s “Camelot Falls” were littered with fill-ins and delays. But they are both worthy of reading IMO. The Donner story isn’t as bad as the delays made it seem to be and “Camelot Falls” has some great Carlos Pacheco art. Neither one requires more than a basic knowledge of Superman characters and neither one is cross-over connected. The Johns/Frank Action Legion stuff is good too. Not sure if that’s been collected yet. Hope that helps.
27 Jun 2008 at 10:32 pm
QuoteSuperman is such a great character it’s REALLY hard to write a horble story and so powerful ya can’t do great
28 Jun 2008 at 1:09 pm
QuoteThanks for the information! I just got a haircut, otherwise I’d ask for that too.
03 Jul 2008 at 7:31 am
Quote