Sunday 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 Blackest Night Batman #1, Dominic Fortune #1, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1, Ultimate Comics Avengers #1, G-Man Cape Crisis #1, Red Herring #1and Adventure Comics #1.

Nick Budd Read and Thought:

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: David Lafuente
Company: Marvel Comics

Billed as a new number one, this comic is really Ultimate Spider Man # whatever in disguise. It's a direct continuation of the last series, and while it does sport some striking and gorgeous art by David Lafuente, it's not the best comic "first" issue that it could have been. Why? Well, the one thing it doesn't do is make it that easy for new readers to just pick it up and understand everything. Sure there's a recap on page one, but it doesn't cover everything and doesn't explain some of the smaller things that have happened to the young Peter Parker and friends. There are also a few of the Bendis tics in the writing, that while sometimes can be masked by great ideas and great execution, were prominent in this one and hard to ignore. Really, take a glance for the art alone. Lafuente knocks it out of the park.

Red Herring #1
Writer: David Tischman
Artist: Philip Bond
Company: Wildstorm

A bit on the predictable side of things, but not in a bad way, if that makes any sense. David Tischman, of Bite Club fame, puts his own spin on conspiracy theories and the people who facilitate said plots, and for the most part, he hits the nail right on the head of entertaining. The characters all feel genuine and real, but the thing that really makes it different is the effortless pace of the story. It's not a slam bang, here's a big action or gun fight scene to start things off. Nope, instead he lets the characters do the talking and it really engages the reader. Also, having Philip (Invisibles) Bond on art makes the visuals all purdy. His style is perfect, as he makes the mundane miraculously interesting. All in all, one of the best first issues from Wildstorm in a long while.

Dominic Fortune #1
Writer/Artist: Howard Chaykin
Company: Marvel Comics

Truth be told, my knowledge of Dominic Fortune amounts to the bits and pieces of his bio from the old Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe that I remember. And as I haven't looked at his page since I was a kid, I have to admit that there wasn't much left bouncing around in my noggin. But having Howard Chaykin writing and drawing something always peaks my interest, so I was looking forward to it. And what I found was a opener that bordered merely on the okay side of things. It wasn't without a few bright points of raucous laughter and brutal violence though, as you might expect. There's also some nice history thrown into this Marvel Max labeled story that offers up political intrigue, action, and copious amounts of boobage and blood. The art however is what makes the book for me. Not since his work on the Guy Gardner book a few years ago has Chaykin been this on. The story flows so easily from panel to panel and there is true distinction and creativity in everything that the eye can see. If you're a Chaykin fan, this is a must read.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #1
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Carlos Pacheco
Company: Marvel Comics

Again, right along with Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, this one is not quite the greatest entry issue for new readers. There are a lot of threads from Ultimatum that this books picks up on, and if a person hasn't read that, they might feel a little confused. The one thing that this book has that its companion book was lacking though is: ACTION. And that is with a capital A too. If there is one thing that Millar can do, and do very well, it's write action like nobodies business. Seeing Hawkeye and Captain America take on a helicopter of A.I.M. agents is popcorn entertainment done right, and the spin that he has put on the whole Red Skull story, for the Ultimate Universe, is intriguing. Pacheco's work here is some of his best. There's a real sense of kinetic energy crackling from his action and the details, everything from the skylines to the unique way that he lays out the punches on the page, make for a comic that's worth reading.

Blackest Night Batman #1
Writer: Peter Tomasi
Artist: Adrian Syaf
Company: DC Comics

It's true that Peter Tomasi is a very hit and miss writer. He's done both great and mundane things with his run on Green Lantern Corps and Nightwing. That said, he was most certainly on with this issue. Not only does he do the character of Deadman real justice here, giving him some cool body hopping and general great character bits while seamlessly tying him into the ongoing story of Blackest Night, he also gives a real sense of character to Damian. And sure, Morrison has coined the whiny bastard child riff, but here we see some actual emotion bleed into being, almost as if the stuff he's dealing with here is effecting him (and it should). Adrian Syaf, of The Dresden Files adaptations, handles the art with his own definitive style. What action there is works and even though there are a few moments where the backgrounds get lost or a bit hazy, for the most part everything looks nice and is easily identifiable. All in all, if every Blackest Night tie-in is handled with the same degree of success as this, then we're in for some great reading.

G-Man Cape Crisis #1
Writer/Artist: Chris Giarrusso
Company: Image Comics

Chris Giarrusso and G-Man strike again! Best known for his work on the Mini Marvels backups and collections, Giarrusso knows a thing or two about what makes an all ages comic book tick. The antics of G-Man strike that happy medium of being adorably awesome and laugh out loud hilarious. This time out, the kids of G-Man's school are out to steal his super powered cape, and though it's a relatively simple setup, the delivery of the story and the situations the characters find themselves in make it something much more than that. Also, it would be an egregious error not to mention the art of this book. Giarrusso's animated style is so vibrant and appealing. It's fresh in a way that few books are. Overall, if you're looking for some solid entertainment or are searching for that next book to give to your kids, you won't go wrong with G-Man

.

Adventure Comics #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Francis Manapul
Company: DC Comics

Are you a Legion fan? If you are, chances are you'll probably enjoy this book. Same goes if you're a fan of Conner Kent, this era's Superboy. If you aren't a fan of either of those things, I still would recommend giving this one a shot. Why? Because it feels as if Johns has captured the essence of the classic comic book (something that seems to be disappearing), put his own unique character centric spin on it, and printed it for the masses. Seeing Superboy reinsert himself into his previous life is brilliantly accomplished without being confusing and there are simply enjoyable moments spread throughout the entire issue, even in the three Legion backups that appear. All of the artists perform their jobs nicely as well, with Manapul handling the bulk of the issue. His rough style gives things a nice presence and he may in fact draw one of the best versions of Krypto that I've ever seen.