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 Batman #687, Beta Ray Bill Godhunter #1 of 3, Buck Rogers #1, Red Robin #1, Resurrection Vol 2 #1, Toy Story Mysterious Stranger #1 and Veil #1.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Batman #687Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Ed Benes
Company: DC Comics
While not necessarily a first issue, this one spins out of the end of Battle for the Cowl and adds a few more tidbits of info that we weren't privy to just yet. Other than that, Winick provides a serviceable enough story that gives readers a glimpse into Dick Grayson's headspace (though he does a sloppy job of it for the most part and doesn't reach the heights of Tomasi has done in the past) and the beginning of a fight with Scarecrow. It's rather bland, truthfully. The same can be said for Benes' art. He has an interesting rendition of Scarecrow but there's a clunky-ness to things and not everything reads well from panel to panel. Overall, not exactly the winner of a first issue for Winick and Co.
Beta Ray Bill Godhunter #1 of 3Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Kano
Company: Marvel Comics
Badass Beta Ray Bill gets pissed after his entire world is destroyed! But who's he pissed at? That would be Galactus, and yes, he swears to destroy him. Honestly, that sounds a little stupid but writer Kieron Gillen, the man behind the oddly fascinating Phonogram, sells the hell out of it and makes the idea pretty damn cool. There a lot of nice moments here, but it's just nice to see a writer other than Simonson get Bill and all of the things that come with him. The other half of the book, the art provided by Kano, is just as good. Kano's work on the Immortal Iron Fist and back in the day, Gotham Central, is great but here he gets to draw some great cosmic stuff and has a great handle on the larger than life feel that something like that should have. A fantastic first issue. Thor fans should definitely check it out.
Buck Rogers #1Writer: Scott Beatty
Artist: Carlos Rafael
Company: Dynamite Entertainment
A pretty fair first issue. Scott Beatty, who's done a whole mess of things for DC, takes a stab at the Sci-Fi genre and comes away with a straightforward story that introduces our fair hero Buck Rogers, a Hal Jordan-like analogue that is a top class pilot who somehow gets waylaid on another world. Plus he fights Cybeargs, which you know, is pretty cool in any dimension. The art by Rafael is very clear and to the point. He has a nice handle for getting across character emotion and the intricacies of planes, automobiles and weaponry. His backgrounds are a tad formula though. I hope with subsequent issues, that changes because there's a lot of potential here.
Red Robin #1Writer: Chris Yost
Artist: Ramon Bachs
Company: DC Comics
Behind Morrison's Batman and Robin, Red Robin was the other comic to spin out of the Bat-Craziness of late that I was most looking forward to. Why? Because Tim Drake is a character that has a lot of appeal and when he's done right, the story is very memorable. Dixon has done some great ones. Does Yost? This first issue is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some fun stuff in it, some cool action moments, but there's a whininess to his Tim that I could do without. That said, I like the notion that he hasn't given up on Bruce and is actively looking for him. That's the book's core notion and if it continues to be, it should be good. Bachs' art however is a bit uneven. He makes the Red Robin costume appealing, but there's a lumpiness to his work (and not the good kind that Quitely puts into his work) that gets in the way of many of his panels having the dynamic appeal that they need to. All things said and done, a better than average start.
Resurrection Vol 2 #1Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Justin Greenwood
Company: Oni Press
The story of a post alien invasion world, with it's character centric tales and intrigue returns, this time in full color. That's the good with this issue. The bad however is that if you read the first series of Resurrection, much of what happens in this one are things that you've already seen. And that's really because Guggenheim doesn't want to alienate new readers, which is fine. Still, the opening scene that depicts President Clinton doing a series of live broadcasts upon learning of the alien existence is pretty awesome. Greenwood's art is nice looking too. He captures the starkness of the environment and gives all of the characters distinct looks so you don't get them jumbled up or confused with one another. This is a good start and is definitely worth checking out. If you dig it though, go back and check out the trade that was released a month or so ago. It's worth it.
Toy Story Mysterious Stranger #1 of 4Writer: Dan Jolley
Artist: Chris Moreno
Company: BOOM! Studios
While I still think that Toy Story is Pixar's best movie, this one never really gets off the ground. Moreno's art is quite gorgeous. He's able to get across each character clearly and he simply has a easy on the eyes approach to the property, much like actual animation of the movies. The story though is where the book falters. Jolley, best known for his work on the kids book series Warriors, seems like a great choice for the material, but the fire and energy that normally gets associated with the property is absent during this tale of a new toy entering the picture. Jolley does have the characters voices down well though, so there is that. All in all, unless your a die hard fan of the movie (or your kid really really likes Toy Story) this is one that's fairly safe to skip.
The Veil #1Writer: El Torres
Artist: Gabriel Hernandez
Company: IDW Publishing
This was one of those out of nowhere, extremely bizarre but utterly innovative and intriguing comics. Veil, which seems to take things like Sixth Sense and the crime noir genre and smooshes them together, chronicles the life and times of Chris Luna, a girl who talks and works for ghosts. That's only part of the story though, as much of this issue is about her return to her hometown in Maine. Torres really nails Maine and somehow even phonetically gets across their actual speech pattern, something that I'd never thought I'd see in a comic. There's some general creepiness to this one, which is multiplied by the Templesmith inspired style of artwork. Hernandez, who's done the various Locke and Key minis, really steps up and gives us a glimpse at another side to his artistic ability. The way he draws his ghosts, very ethereal and spooky, is pretty awesome. All around, a treat of a read.
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