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 Cars Rookie #1 of 4, Dead Romeo #1, Destroyer #1, Flash Rebirth #1 of 5, Marvel Assistant Size Spectacular #1, Prototype #1 of 6, and Seaguy The Slaves Of Mickey Eye #1 of 3.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Cars Rookie #1 of 4
Writer: Alan Porter
Artist: Albert Carreres
Company: Boom! Studios
Decent stuff. Personally, I've always, and I know that I'm probably in the minority here, found Cars to be the least exciting Pixar animation. The voice casting was fantastic, but for some reason, anthropomorphic automobiles are only mildly entertaining compared to cool fishies and living toys. That said, writer Alan Porter does a fine job of lining this story about Lightning Mcqueen's rookie year up with the movie. He also captures the many character voices, and in general, offers up some fun all ages entertainment. Carreres, on the art side of things, provides a style that fits in close with the movie's, and even though I sometimes felt the colors were gaudy or off, having a book where there's nothing but cars to draw isn't easy and he pulls it off very well.
Seaguy The Slaves of Mickey Eye #1 of 3
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Cameron Stewart
Company: Vertigo
I think if you were a fan of the original series, enjoy an unfiltered version of Morrison and liked the craziness that presented itself in various different forms, then Slaves of Mickey Eye is something you MUST pick up. This issue basically drops you back into Seaguy's world, re-introducing various characters and some of the larger concepts that were at play with the first one and then expands on them to an even greater degree. I have to say, Morrison does some great work. The names he gives things, everything from Xoo milk to the Cyclosaurus, have a very "fun" and endearing quality to them. Cameron Stewart, best known for his work on Catwoman, has always been a fantastic artist. With Seaguy, he's changed his style a little bit and honestly, it's better than it's ever been. He breathes life to Morrison's insanity, and does a fine job with it.
Flash Rebirth #1 of 5
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver
Company: DC Comics
Well...This isn't quite what I was expecting. Nor is it what I was hoping for. With Geoff Johns back on Flash, there was a great sense of possibility in the air. This is the guy that reinvigorated Green Lantern with such strength that it rivals everything else that DC puts out. Flash Rebirth however, doesn't stack up. The story itself, a mish-mash affair of the DCU celebrating Barry Allen's return feels a little stunted and boring. There are things happening, some okay incidents, but the dialogue overall sounds tinny and the notion of a grim and gritty Flash holds absolutely no appeal whatsoever. Flash should be an adrenaline laced adventure book, not mopey book that has some guy running really fast. Van Sciver's art looks nice though, and his renditions of the characters definitely carry that classic feel and he does have a good sense for the energy that Flash should have. Overall though, this is a pretty disappointing start.
Destroyer #1
Writer: Robert Kirman
Artist: Cory Walker
Company: Marvel Comics
I wasn't aware of this, but apparently this was something that's been in the can for awhile now and Marvel is finally getting around to publishing it. That said, this book, which basically takes the concept of a dying hero who wants to leave the world a better place, is okay. It almost feels like Kirkman writing in the same vein as Ennis, what with the bucket after bucket of blood and the constant curse words being flung around. The odd thing is, Kirkman doesn't sell the concept as well as I think Ennis could. There's some cool backstory used to ground the character though, so there's that. The gem of the title is the art. Cory Walker, who launched the Invincible title, provides some stunning visuals here. It crystal clear and has that slick quality that makes it look all purdy. Decent stuff, but you really have to be in the right mood for it.
Dead Romeo #1
Writer: Jesse Blaze Snider
Artist: Ryan Benjamin
Company: DC Comics
You know, when you think about it, there aren't that many vampire comic books. Sure there are some, but you can probably count them on a single hand. Good ones are even tougher to find. And even though the concept behind Dead Romeo, which is the best rock band in the world returns as vampires, is fun and original, the execution is a bit spotty. Writer Snider does an okay job overall, but his characters sometimes blend together too much and don't feel as though they have as much individuality as you'd like or need to care about what's going on. Also, the love angle, one of the bigger aspects of the title, feels shaky. Benjamin, who most recently worked on Batman and the Outsiders turns in some nice looking stuff. He makes the bloodshed visceral and gripping, which for a book like this, is exactly what you want.
Prototype #1 of 6
Writers: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Darick Robertson
Company: DC Comics
This was an odd one. It's better than most video game tie-ins, so there's that. What's odder still is having Darick Robertson on the art. He's a talent that you wouldn't expect to be paired with something like this, and while it is odd, he does some stellar stuff here. The story, which sees the backstory of two NY homicide detectives and their antics as they go head to head against a serial killer with unnatural abilities, is decent enough. The action is fun and like I said before, the art is definitely the eye-catcher here. Robertson's work is such a fun thing to watch, especially the Vietnam era stuff in this one. It's harsh and makes the darker parts of your brain giddy with excitement, what with all of the the blood and body parts flying.
Marvel Assistant Size Spectacular #1
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Company: Marvel Comics
While I wasn't expecting much else from this anthology book, and really I figured it was just going to be cheesy fluff, this turned out to be one fairly awesome. Basically, it's a collection of one shot stories, starring C or Z list characters whose style range from energetic cuteness to grim and gritty and back again. This time out we get: D-Man, American Eagle and the Mini Marvels version of Hawkeye. The talent they got for this, which ranges from Jason Aaron to Chris Giarrusso to impressive artists and writers that I've not even heard of before. I was especially pleased by the Harvey Pekar-ish take on D-Man. The style was unexpected, memorable and rather effective in its depiction of a war and how a hero strives to be like Captain America. All in all, a really cool outing. Can't wait for more.
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