Rob G’s Top Ten Number #1’s

The following list is my picks for the best first issues, based on comics that have been released during by tenure as a hobbyist, i.e the past twenty years. They are from series that were or are ongoing series, not minis. The only factor in choosing these books was simple: Greatness.

1. Y The Last Man

Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Unmatched storytelling and utterly masterful writing. So many plot threads perfectly bundled up in perhaps the best example of non-linear storytelling.

2. Four Eyes

Joe Kelly and Max Fiumara

An incredibly unique story, told perfectly with outstanding art. Whips you up and takes you to a place that is both familiar and fantastic.

3. Preacher

Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon

Like Y The Last Man, an expertly crafted story, with brilliant pacing and perfect dialogue. Plus, insanely novel concepts and characters.

4. The Walking Dead

Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore

A regular paged issue that seems like a novella. Haunting, engaging, fun and most importantly, Rick is a character you want to travel with.

5. Batman and Robin

Grant Morrison and Frank Quietley

Morrison and Quietly. Usually that says it all, but this was something unexpected with its new take on the dynamic duo, creating a new mythos rather than perfecting an old one– like they do in All Star Superman.

6. Planetary

Warren Ellis and John Cassady

Mind-bending and genre-jarring. Ellis scoops you up while Cassaday blows you away. For Sci-Fi, there is Firefly for TV and Planetary for Comics.

7. All Star Superman

Grant Morrison and Frank Quietley

Everything Superman should be  in both character  and appearance. Also, perhaps the best colored comic in the past 15 years.

8. The Ultimates

Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch

The Avengers you want and a team of characters that make sense. Story hits you as the art wows.

9. Ultimate Spider-Man

Brian Bendis and Mark Bagely

The best Spider-Man ever. Period. Perhaps the most endearing comic character ever created. Instant love.

10. The Unwritten/Invincible

Mike Carey and Peter Gross/Robert Kirkman and Corey Walker

Both these issues set up addicting stories and characters. Like the other comics in this list, greatness was evident from the get-go.

Be sure to weigh-in in the comment section!

Crossed #2 – Review

By Garth Ennis (story), Jacen Burrows (art), Juanmar (colors)

The Story: The pack of survivors plan their next move. With most of the North American populace infected and migrating south for new victims the logical choice is to move northward, perhaps towards Alaska. But as the group prepares to make its move an enormous error is made and another member falls victim to the Crossed.

What’s Good? The survival instincts and rationale displayed by these survivors is very grounded in reality. Their plans are sound and the mistakes made (and the paid consequences) are unnerving, causing genuine frustration to the reader (in a good way).  The passage of time that’s been given (about a year on the run now), provides a more interesting picture of things as well.

The Bad? I still don’t care about any of these survivors. There’s just not enough pages or time devoted to them or their personalities. In my mind, they’re all fodder who may die at any moment. Too much time is spent discussing logistics and the nature of the Crossed, which I honestly don’t mind, but because of this we’re given no time to relate to the characters.

The biggest problem I have with this issue, however, is the insane amount of disgusting masturbatory references on display. I can see this happening on occasion, but it’s so over-the-top and so frequent that it comes off as being gratuitous just for gratuitous’ sake. It’s not shocking, just stupid.

Conclusion: The story progression is overpowered by a lot of unneeded sexual and masturbatory scenes. Skip this one.

Crossed #1 – Review

By Garth Ennis (Writer), Jacen Burrows (Art), and Juanmar (Colors)

The Story: The “crossed” are primal, psychotic humans with a taste for nothing but sex and extreme violence. Their numbers are growing as a band of survivors try to keep it together long enough to stay alive for another day. Simply put, the story is pretty much what The Walking Dead would probably be like if it was helmed by Garth Ennis instead of Robert Kirkman.

What’s Good: For what amounts to little more than a variation on the zombie genre at this point, Crossed still manages to come across as unique thanks to the extreme nature of those humans that have become “crossed.” Drawn in brutal, disturbing detail by Jacen Burrows, trust me when I say that you have never seen zombies behave quite like they do in this series debut. A single issue in and it’s readily apparent that this book aims to shock while also providing some heavy handed commentary on our cultural obsession with sex and violence.

What’s Not So Good: This book is completely devoid of the subtlety and human drama that compelling characters are born from (read The Walking Dead for that). I couldn’t name a single character in Crossed, but you better believe I could describe, in detail, the more outrageous things that happen. That’s why it’s really hard to tell where things will be going once the story actually advances beyond trying to survive. It can probably amount to more than just a string of graphic language and artwork, but it needs to happen sooner than later.

Conclusion: Crossed #1 does just enough to keep me around for a bit longer, but it is really nothing more than a comic version of an unrated gore flick. Fun if you can handle it, but far from being an essential read.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

I’ll readily admit that I’m reading this book just to see how far Ennis will push the moral envelope. This book is the highlight reel of the most disgusting parts of Garth Ennis’ magnum opus, Preacher. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to stomach Ennis’ sadistic side. Those in that camp feel right at home. If you’ve read The Boys or Preacher the graphic content shouldn’t surprise you (that much). If your only exposure to Ennis is Dan Dare, well, prepare to have your eyes raped.

Robert Kirkman fans: This is Walking Dead: Extreme Edition.

And I love it!

Grade: A-

– J. Montes

Crossed #0 – Capsule Review

By Garth Ennis (writer), Jacen Burrows (art), Greg Waller (colors)

Other than Wolfskin, I haven’t read any other books from Avatar Press. But priced at only $1.00, I had to give Garth Ennis’ Crossed a try. Now, if you know who Garth Ennis is you shouldn’t be surprised when your senses are assaulted with a morbid amount of violence and strange happenings. Having read Ennis’ offerings on Preacher, The Boys, and The Punisher, I thought I’d be prepared with what was to come my way. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, this book is just wrong.

Maybe I was too softened by making my last Ennis reading the one of Dan Dare – a book that’s sophisticated, perfectly scripted, and oddly tame (when compared to the usual Ennis fare).  Either way, the visuals here are nightmarish and the story will make your hands weak. I’m not sure if I’ll be back for another issue, but if I do come back it’s only because I’m a glutton for punishment (or my curiosity will get the best of me). If you’re thinking of giving Crossed a try, consider yourself warned. I know a dollar comic is awfully enticing, but do tread lightly. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes

Scalped #15 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors)

With two trades of Scalped already out in stores, there’s no excuse (unless you’re broke) to not be reading this series. It’s really as good as everyone says! Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera are in full stride with issue #15. And that the cover? Brilliant use of negative space and design (the image used for this review is *not* the actual cover).

The “Dead Mothers” story continues as Bad Horse takes Shelton under his wing, teaching him how to use firearms, taking him camping, and just doing a lot of bonding that a father and son might do. Though Bad Horse isn’t exactly the best role model for this boy, it’s great to see him keeping the Shelton out of trouble. The kid’s completely like-able, and I hope Aaron doesn’t kill him off later down the line.

Meanwhile, despite the urging of the people around him, Red Crow is vigilant and determined to find the killer behind Bad Horse’s mother. As awful as Red Crow is as a man, his sense of honor to his former friend is honorable, even admirable. It’s also sad, because Red Crow seems to care more about Bad Horse’s mother than Bad Horse, himself! However, the people Red Crow can’t seem to stop are the Mongols. Mr. Brass, interrogates one of the accessories in the death of Shelton’s mother and while he does get results on Diesel’s whereabouts, the horror that’s inflicted on the man literally made me squirm.

Much like Officer Bad Horse, the ending of this issue left me completely speechless. Aaron’s pacing is spot-on perfect and R.M. Guera again proves that he’s one of the best artists in the industry. Scalped #15 is a hell of a good read. Easily one of the best issues of the series so far. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #14 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Jason Aaron wastes no time getting to the nitty gritty of this issue. We learn right from the beginning how Bad Horse’s mother died. He plays it cool, but there’s one panel where we actually see him show a hint of sadness. I like how R.M. Guera sneaks that panel in, barely giving us a glimpse of how he feels deep down inside.

Bad Horse meets with the kid whose mother was killed last issue. The kid possesses all the qualities and traits Bad Horse had at his age. Determined not to let the kid go down the wrong path, he does his best to console him. Bad Horse also confronts FBI Agent Nitz who finally confesses that Diesel’s an undercover agent. The fact remains that Diesel is a murderer, but Nitz says to let it go and to only deal with Red Crow.

There’s a lot of frustration in the air, and it’s not just affecting Bad Horse. Each character portrayed in this issue is doing some kind of grieving and it all ends with (at last) the appearance of a character we’ve been waiting a long time for. This book is back to full steam and I’m loving every minute of it. (Grade: A-)

– J.Montes

Scalped #13 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Scalped #13 begins a new story arc, “Dead Mothers”. After four issues of side stories and stuff I consider “filler” material, the main story gets back on track!

This issue starts off in all the right ways. We get three beautiful pages (by R.M. Guera) of Red Crow agonizing over Gina’s corpse. It’s poignant scene that resonates. Bad Horse and the cops bust a meth house and find a strangled mother while they’re cleaning up. This kind of bust is so routine to the officers that they’ve developed a lot of apathy for victims – the children. When it’s revealed who the murderer may be, it seems all too convenient and predictable (at least to the reader), but Bad Horse doesn’t know what we know and rushes off to take the person down.

Jason Aaron weaves two tales here that parallel. When they both finally intersect it becomes tragic and extremely powerful. I thought the first three pages were gut wrenching, but the last three are by far, more moving. R.M. Guera is a masterful storyteller and Jason Aaron is incredibly lucky to have his talent along side. This is easily the most emotional issue of Scalped yet – and the best. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #12 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), John Paul Leon (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Issue #12 brings Bad Horse back into the story line. He’s plagued with reoccurring dreams of his death. Each time, he dies by Red Crow’s hand and it’s beginning to overcome him. We also learn why he’s working for the FBI – he’s trying to earn back his freedom. But at what will be the ultimate cost of his freedom? His mother tries to give him the answers in a series of prophesying dreams, but it just doesn’t make sense to him.

John Paul Leon does the art chores for this issue, and while his artwork is no where as striking as that of R.M. Guera, he keeps the tone consistent. It’s great to see Bad Horse back after such a long hiatus, but the story continues to chug along.

We get a lot of foreshadowing, yes, but it’s also safe to assume that everything his mom says is easily going to happen anyway. I guess the Bad Horse is too dumb not to figure out the obvious and needs it spelled out to him. Great dialogue as usual by Jason Aaron, but this issue felt like unneeded filler. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #6-11 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors)

Issues #6-11 deliver the grand opening of the Lakota casino. Things aren’t going very smoothly for the opening and Red Crow’s forced to deal with some Asian gangsters who send one of their own to deal with his protester problems. However, he never shows up, leaving me to believe he’ll be around for the next story arc. Meanwhile, the mysterious Catcher enters Bad Horse and Red Crow’s lives and turns things upside down for each one of them.

Catcher’s an interesting character. You’d think a book like this would have a crazy medicine man in it, and he sort of fits the type, but there’s a lot more modern mysticism about him. He’s rugged, weathered, and defeated by alcohol. But he’s still very much a man of the old ways. He sees the strangest things and it’s intriguing when we finally get to see out of his eyes. It’s not a big reveal when we find out who he is. In fact, I had my suspicions since issue #5. It’s also revealed to Bad Horse that there’s another FBI agent on the reservation. It’s quite obvious who it is, but it’s never told to Bad Horse who the person is.

After issue #9 things slow down. We get to learn more of Lakota culture and how awful life can be on a reservation. It’s depressing, to say the least. Issue #11, the final part of the Casino Boogie story line goes out with a whimper, bringing us back full circle to Gina’s demise. We get some answers, but there’s still a lot of outstanding questions looming. I wanted more from this story and felt kind of let down with the lack of resolution with Diesel. It’s also been rough having Bad Horse absent for three consecutive issues. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes

Scalped #4-5 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Lee Loughridge (colors)

Scalped continues strong with its second story arc, “Hoka Hey”. It’s a two issue story that carries a lot of flashbacks. These flashbacks, however, give excellent perspective on the supporting cast. These character moments that show just how complicated things are in Red Crow’s shoes. While he is, for all intents, still villainous, we get to see a few skeletons that shaped him into what he is now. He’s an opportunist, sure, but he also thinks he’s doing the right thing in his own mind.

Then there’s Bad Horse’s mother. She was never a perfect mother and she’s seen as a thorn in the side of progress on the reservation. There’s a scene in issue #4 illustrated by R.M. Guera where there’s few words used. It’s a beautiful montage of flashbacks and emotions, and you just can’t help but feel empathy for her. We also get to see some of Bad Horse’s past. His life outside the reservation made him a better man – a man driven to succeed at any cost. Meanwhile, Carol’s true colors come out and Bad Horse takes things into his own hands. The ending of issue #5 is ominous. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Scalped #1-3 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Lee Loughridge (colors)

Scalped #1-3 contains the first story arc of the series. The arc follows an undercover FBI agent named Bad Horse as he returns to his Indian Reservation in Nebraska. Like many reservations, this one is overrun with poverty, lawlessness, and full of drugs and alcohol. Bad Horse is considered an outcast with a less than reputable family name. He starts trouble with the locals and nearly gets himself killed before being spared by the “tribal leader”, Red Crow – a man full of corruption. Red Crow takes a liking to Bad Horse’s attitude. He makes Bad Horse a cop and uses him to to do his bidding. But some higher-ups in town don’t like Bad Horse’s attitude or reputation. That’s when things get crazy.

R.M. Guera’s art reminds me of Frank Miller in a way. It’s messy, very dark, and distinct all at the same time. The colors by Lee Loughridge are very bland and washed out. I’m not sure if he’s trying to capture the spirit of desolation in the midwest, but it sure instills that essence.

This book is hardcore, probably the most hardcover Vertigo book I’ve read since Garth Ennis’ Preacher. It’s full of testosterone, politics, sex, and things you probably see on an episode of Cops. There’s a lot of tension in this book and there’s usually something that hits the fan in each issue. If you can find these back issues at your local comic store, do not hesitate to pick them up. You can also pick up the first trade paperback, “Indian Country” which collects issues #1-5 for $9.99. Consider me on for the ride. If you’re interested giving this book a read, issue #1 is available as a free download from DC Comics. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Dan Dare #3 – Review

By: Garth Ennis (Writer), Gary Erskine (Pencils)

When you think of Garth Ennis you probably think of sick, twisted, ultra-violent tales from Preacher and The Punisher. Well, unknowingly to a lot of you, he’s one hell of a science fiction writer as well. Dan Dare is based off an old British comic book character, and if you like books like FEAR Agent, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well. It’s not as chaotic and fun as that book, but it offers a good dose of science fiction.

Dan Dare #3 builds on the momentum established from the previous issues giving us an all out military battle on an alien planet while also giving us answers to the alien invaders’ motives. In a touching scene, Dan Dare carries an orphan child, explaining the complete history between his race, humans, and the alien invaders. The whole scene really works without dumbing down things for the reader. The dialogue and personalities (right down to the scared marines who want to go home), feel genuine and real.

I really can’t recommend this book enough. The pacing is perfect, the story is not decompressed, and Gary Erskine’s art is excellent. If you’re curious to see a different side of Garth Ennis or if you’ve ever wondered if he could write a different genre, this book is a must read. (Grade: A)

-J. Montes