Markley’s Fevered Brain: What? More #1s?

Wayne Markley

Wayne Markley


by Wayne Markley

I would be the first to argue that the never ending flow of number one titles coming from Marvel and DC are not beneficial to the comic market as it gives the reader a stopping point when the publishers ends a title and restarts over with new number one. Alas, Marvel and DC still chug out new number ones almost every week, sometimes starting a book over with a new version of the lead character, such as Marvel has done with Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, etc. or as DC has done, just restart all the titles over with issue number one. With this criticism put aside, a number of these new number ones have been very good reading, at times, even better than some of the established books they were replacing. Whether or not I will feel this way in six months will have to be seen, but based on these first issues I really enjoyed some of them. I am going to stick to Marvel and DC this blog, as there are also tons of number ones coming from a number of other publishers every week in addition to the big two, but I will save reviewing them at a later date.

Super Sons #1

Super Sons #1


Super Sons is written by Peter Tomasi and drawn by Jorge Jimenez. This new series was set up in Superman (Rebirth) #10 and #11 where Superman and Jon join Batman and Damian at the Batcave and boys will be boys. I thought that two part story was fantastic and this first issue picks up right where that story left off. Once again Superboy and Robin join forces to solve crimes and help the world and at the same time act like young teen boys filled with hormones and poor judgement. I thought that the interaction between the two characters was pitch perfect and the situations they get themselves into are classic teen romp and logical given the characters and their heritage. Of course there are also scenes focusing on their home lives with Superman and Batman. The art by Jimenez is a bit on the cartoony side but it works perfectly for the tone of this book. While I have enjoyed a number of the DC Rebirth tiles, this one by far is my favorite so far.

The Unstoppable Wasp #1

The Unstoppable Wasp #1


The Unstoppable Wasp did not do a lot for me with the first issue, but number two really won me over. It is written by Jeremy Whitley with great art by Elsa Charretier. This issue finds the new Wasp deciding to start her own group of heroes who are all young and smart like herself. Her first recruit is Moon Girl. One of the reasons I really liked this issue was the mix of humor, particularly Nadia’s never ending enthusiasm and partially because the circumstances the Wasp and Moon Girl find themselves in. Plus the bits where Jarvis (the butler) is trying to keep up with these two girls are great. If the book maintains the flavor and style of this second issue this series can easily become the next hit among both male and females and young and old readers. A thoroughly enjoyable read that I would highly recommend.

Batwoman Rebirth #1

Batwoman Rebirth #1


Batwoman is the newest of the Rebirth titles with Batwoman Rebirth just being released. It spins out of the ongoing Batman team led by Batwoman from the pages of Detective Comics. It is written by Marguerett Bennett and James Tynion IV with art by the always wonderful Steve Epting. This first issue is a set up for the first major story arc where Batwoman may not be who we all thought she was, as well as an origin issue. This takes large parts of the story from the last Batwoman series and the story is sort of typical, but the Epting art does raise the bar quite bit. I enjoyed this first issue but I have reservations. The first is how long will Epting maintain a monthly book? Secondly, will the story develop beyond the shock on the last page and, if this twist holds, how does it pair with the story in Detective? I will check out the future issues to see where it is going, but I was not blown away.

Kingpin #1 Ben Torres cover

Kingpin #1 Ben Torres cover


Kingpin is part of a series of books with the masthead Running with the Devil (along with Bullseye and more to come) and that is because all of these books tie into the Daredevil universe in some fashion. Kingpin is written by Matthew Rosenberg and drawn by Ben Torres. While reading this book I thought a lot of the Daredevil Netflix series as the Kingpin is portrayed as a more sympathetic character here than in the past. He claims to be reformed from his criminal past, but there are obvious clues that this is not true (well maybe). The basic story is the Kingpin wants to hire Sarah Dewey, a struggling journalist, to write his biography. I find the premise of the story to be intriguing and there are obvious signs that all is not as it seems. The Kingpin is a gentleman throughout the story, even though he is very violent at times (such as in the gym). The art by Torres is similar to the art of Bullseye, in that both artists have a very cinematic style of telling a story and have echoes of Eduardo Risso in their line work. In both cases the art works perfectly for the stories they are telling.

Bullseye #1

Bullseye #1


Bullseye is the second tiles spun out of the Daredevil mythos. Bullseye has been around the Marvel Universe for years, and has always been cast as a cold-blooded killer for hire with a slight edge to him. It is not really humorous, but there is more than just blood and guts (such as in titles like The Punisher). The first issue of this new miniseries is very good but it is extremely violent but does have its moments of humor. It is for mature readers due to the graphic violence. That being said, I would recommend this book. It is written by Ed Brisson, who is no stranger to crime as he has written a number of crime comics (and other genres) for Image, BOOM! and others. His collaborator is artist Guillermo Sanna who has a very nice clean style of art with very detailed backgrounds (where a lot of the humor takes place). This first issue is all set up for the larger storyline but it is a fascinating read that takes time as it is very wordy. I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, more due to the character, as I traditionally really like Brisson’s writing but the character of Bullseye always struck me as limited. Overall I thought this first issue was a great read and it left me wanting more. While Bulleye is in no way a “good guy” in this series, he is not really a villain also. Well worth checking out.

Doctor Strange Monsters Unleashed #1

Doctor Strange Monsters Unleashed #1


A quick side diversion to Monsters Unleashed. This is a current Marvel miniseries and soon to be ongoing series filled with an inhuman teen and a bunch of monsters. I have not been overly impressed so far but there have been number spin off from this event. All of these spin-offs are one shots and have been mostly just a giant fight filling up 22 pages. The one exception, and thus why I wanted to point it out, is the Doctor Strange Monsters Unleashed #1. It is written by Chip Zdarsky and has great art by Julian Lopez and Scott Hanna. It is a tale of Dr. Strange teaming up with Googam, son of Goom. It is a great mix of action and humor that really stood out to me. It was just a beautiful book to look at with a fast paced and very entertaining story. Also, Frank D’Armata deserves a shout out for his beautiful coloring. If you read nothing else in this event, check out this book.

Newsprints

Newsprints


Newsprints is a new full graphic novel by Ru Xu from Scholastic. This book, like most of the Scholastic imprint, is designed for younger readers, but I must say this wonderful read is for anyone. Xu has a wonderful way of storytelling that is a hybrid of animation with a touch of manga along with her own distinct style. The lead character is a Newsie, a person who sells newspapers in the street, and her new friends Jack and Crow plus an odd mix of charming and whimsical characters. The story moves at a very quick pace and has such a charm to it you do not want it to end. While the backdrop is poverty and war, the lead characters are so warm and charming that you almost forget the negative world they live in. I found this book to be pitch perfect on every level which is even more amazing as it is Xu’s first printed work. I am pretty sure she has done online material prior to this though. This is a perfect read for teens or adults, or to read together. It is also a blueprint for a film version, if Newsprints ever makes it to the big screen. And it should, it is that good. Highly recommended.

This wraps it up for this time. It is a mixed bag of good to great new releases from Marvel and DC. I doubt that the Marvel titles will last that long given their recent history of starting and stopping titles so quickly. But maybe I will be wrong and these titles will find an audience. I do hope Super Sons succeeds as I just loved this book. Everything I have written here is my opinion as does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of Westfield Comics or their employees. I welcome your feedback, both good and bad, and suggestions. I can be reached on Facebook at Wayne Markley or e-mailed at MFBWAY@AOL.COM. Please let me know what you think, or what books I may have overlooked. As always…

Thank you.

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