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 Dark Reign Young Avengers #1, Final Crisis Aftermath Escape #1, Fusion #1, Lockjaw And The Pet Avengers #1, Unknown #1, Unthinkable #1, and Unwritten #1.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Dark Reign Young Avengers #1 of 5Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Mark Brooks
Company: Marvel Comics
Sort of middle of the road on this one. I like the Young Avengers quite a bit and I think Paul Cornell, writer of the current Captain Britain & the MI13, is one heck of a talent who can spin a story like few can. The story he concocts here though, an introduction to a new team on the street trying to be heroes (and failing quite badly), is a little shaky. Some of the characters strike up an interest, his new Enchantress and her backstory to name one, but there's not a lot of forward momentum to really sink your teeth into. Maybe, when things pick up it'll become something more. As it is, it's a wait and see first issue, which isn't exactly great for these minis.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #1 of 6Writer: Ivan Brandon
Artist: Marco Rudi
Company: DC Comics
Okay, what the hell was that? Yeah, it's not every comic that you get that kind of reaction, but Escape certainly is one of them. Ivan Brandon, writer of Image's new viking comic Viking, puts together a semi-coherent story about Nemesis being captured and tortured in an almost alternate type dimension/prison. He has a few companions, namely Cameron Chase and maybe, possibly Amanda Waller. That said, trying to put the pieces together here coupled with the muddled, very choppy art provided by Rudi doesn't exactly equal a captivating outing. That's 2 and 0 for the Final Crisis Aftermath books. At this point you have to wonder why this line was created.
Fusion #1 of 3Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Tyler Kirkham
Company: Marvel Comics / Top Cow
A perfectly readable issue, if not a bit on the boring side. Abnett & Lanning step away for a moment from the cosmic space battles to do this crossover, and though my knowledge of the Top Cow Universe isn't as vast as some things, I never found the story of the Thunderbolts hunting down a Ripclaw-esque villain confusing. Still, things feel dated in a way, what with the old rosters of the Thunderbolts and the Mighty Avengers are used and a few characters who are dead are back amongst the living once again. Kirkham's art is okay. It's got the vibe of a Top Cow book, but there's a nice attention to detail too that gives a pleasing feel to it as well. Overall, check it out if a crossover between these characters tickles your fancy.
Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1Writer: Chris Eliopoulos
Artists: Ig Guara & Colleen Coover
Company: Marvel Comics
Totally awesome. Sure, it's a light hearted adventure book, one that stars anthropomorphic heroes...But it has THROG! That right there means you have to buy at least two copies per person. Really though, this story about Lockjaw taking it upon himself to retrieve the Infinity Gems and gathering his own team of worthy heroic animals to do it just screams of originality and humor, which for Chris Eliopoulos, makes perfect sense. The art from Guara is great too, as he nails the great sense of excitement and has an uncanny ability to register distinct emotion on each of the character. But the origin of Throg, drawn by Colleen Coover (who does the backups in X-Men First Class) pretty much steals the show. Her cartooning is so smart and eye catching that it just pops off of the page. For a book that I wasn't expecting anything from, this was a definite standout.
The Unknown #1Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Minck Oosterveer
Company: BOOM! Studios
There must be multiple Mark Waids running around, as it seems as they he has a relative plethora of books coming out at the same time. This one, tackling the notion of the greatest detective in the world (played by one Catherine Allingham), is something we've seen Waid do before. And though Unknown is good and all, I don't think it ever rises to the same heights as his Ruse did. That said, this first about Allingham trying to find out the mystery of what happens to us after we die does what it's supposed to. It introduces the characters, gives each of them a reason for doing what they do, and provides an engaging entry point to the story. Oosterveer's art on the other hand has blown me away. There are some similarities with people like Tom Mandrake and Gabriel Rodriguez, as he has a real handle on light and shadow. There's also just a nice flow to his panels. As things go, there are a few bumps in the road with this one, but there's enough of a draw for me to come back for a second issue.
Unthinkable #1Writer: Mark Sable
Artist: Julian Totino Tedesco
Company: BOOM! Studios
It's not everyday you can call a comic book a truly chilling experience, but Unthinkable is about as close as they come. The basic concept involves the government, after 9/11, forming a Think Tank and recruiting people from all over to come up with worst possible scenarios that can't be planned for. The hook is that after a few years, these so called "unthinkable" events start happening. Mark Sable really crafts a brilliant script, creating some great characters to wrap your head around and a really palpable sense of mystery and malice. Tedesco does a bang up job too. Style wise, he reminds me a lot of Kristian Donaldson (who oddly enough did one of the covers for the book), as they have the same ability to make the things they want on the page pop. Tedesco also has a great feel on how to make a talking heads issue feel real and non-boring. That's a rare talent. I can't wait to see what happens next.
The Unwritten #1Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Peter Gross
Company: Vertigo
Probably the best first issue that writer Mike (Lucifer) Carey has had in awhile. The story, which has the same sort of idea that Fables has played with, a take on the, "What if fictional characters actually lived," is very strong. The spin that gets put on it is also very catchy. The story itself, while a little hard to describe, spotlights a man named Tommy Taylor, the Z-list celebrity son of a famous author who disappeared years ago who used Tommy as the basis for his bestselling novel series. But things are starting to happen in Tommy's life that can't be explained and a mystery looms on the horizon. Another strong point for the book is Peter Gross' art. He's a tad experimental with panel structure, but that adds to the originality of the product and the overall eye appeal. As his style goes, he's very detailed and has a great handle on providing a very realistic setting. All in all, a great start. And for a buck...There's no reason not to pick this one up.
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