1st issue Challenge

comicm · Post by **comicm** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:50 pm

My final rankings for the number 1s

(5/5)
All-Star Western
OMAC
Batgirl
Resurrection Man
Batwoman
Blue Beetle
Animal Man
Wonder Woman
Supergirl
Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E.

(4/5)
Catwoman
Nightwing
Green Lantern
Green Lantern New Guardians
Red Hood and the Outlaws
Detective Comics
Batman
Birds of Prey
Men of War
Suicide Squad
Superboy
I, Vampire
Flash
Aquaman
Stormwatch
Green Lantern Corps
Batman The Dark Knight
Swamp Thing
Voodoo
Action Comics
Red Lanterns
Fury of Firestorm
DC Comics Presents: Deadman
Demon Knights
Justice League International
Mister Terrific
Savage Hawkman
Blackhawks
Justice League Dark
Grifter
Justice League
Hawk and Dove
Batwing
Teen Titans

(3/5)
Captain Atom
Green Arrow
Batman and Robin
Deathstroke
Static Shock
Superman
Legion of Super-heroes
Legion Lost

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:05 pm

The Test - I'm a little bias as Rahsan is my boy but I friggin loved this Pilot issue. I'm going to vote for it as many times as I can and I hope there is more to come.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:46 pm

Frank Castle wrote:The Test - I'm a little bias as Rahsan is my boy but I friggin loved this Pilot issue. I'm going to vote for it as many times as I can and I hope there is more to come.

While I like Rahsan's art, and Josh's setup, I didn't like this as a Pilot Season book.

It was all set-up and tease. It's bad enough when I get that in a book that is part one of a 4 or 6 part story arc. It's unacceptable to me in a Pilot Season book where I have no guarantee that I'll ever see #2.

Heck, Genius won a few years ago & I still have not seen issue #2 (that one did a much better job of telling me a complete story fragment in the 1st issue, though).

While I'd love to see more, The Test absolutely did not stand on it's own, so I'd have to give it a 3/5 as a "Pilot" issue.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:23 pm

I have decided to skip Top Cow's Pilot Season going forward. If it is good and becomes a series several years later, then I will read it.

Shade #1 - This was great book and perhaps James Robinson's best work in years. If you were a fan of the Starman series this is a must-buy. That said, I don't think it would be difficult for new readers to understand what is going on. And it does take place in the new 52. Also, Cully Hammer's art was gorgeous.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 5:20 pm

HassanT wrote: Shade #1 - This was great book and perhaps James Robinson's best work in years. If you were a fan of the Starman series this is a must-buy. That said, I don't think it would be difficult for new readers to understand what is going on. And it does take place in the new 52. Also, Cully Hammer's art was gorgeous.

Interesting. I had a bit of a different opinion on this one.

I'm going to be VERY interested in how #2 starts up because we have YET ANOTHER DC #1 where the main character is ending up on the wrong end of a sword at the end of #1 and if it's something that's just explained away in a few pages in #2 I won't be pleased. I took #3 off my October order from after reading this.

I also don't think this was a particularly riveting intro to the character for people who didn't read Robinson's Starman. It had a LOT of oblique references to stuff that happened in previous series. Didn't seem new-reader friendly to me at all.

I'd like to hear someone chime in who has never read Starman/Shade stuff before and who read this and let us know what they think of this as a #1.

comicm · Post by **comicm** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:29 pm

I thought Shade #1 was one of the best and an perfect 5/5 but I had read all of the Starman issues. I don't think it was necessarily new reader friendly but for me it was perfect.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:49 pm

comicm wrote:I thought Shade #1 was one of the best and an perfect 5/5 but I had read all of the Starman issues. I don't think it was necessarily new reader friendly but for me it was perfect.

I could not give it a 5/5 as a #1 issue. Too much stuff that was referred to from elsewhere & not told in the issue. It was also heavy on characterization of people a new reader would have zero context on.

I guess I don't like a #1 where there is so much baggage needed to fully enjoy the story, this was GREAT for DC/Starman fans. As someone who read ALL of the previous Starman, I liked it a lot. However, as a #1 in the "new 52" era it fell short. This would be much higher rated by me if it was issue #94 of Starman or something like that.

I also have reservations on the series based perhaps unfairly on the similarity of the ending to Static #1 & Batwing #1. Based on what I know of the Shade's powers, I'm guessing he's going to shrug off the ending of #1 and be "all better". Not a problem for people who are in the know, but a real problem on setting up a false shock ending for new readers who may see the resolution as a deus ex machina. Again, speaking to an inaccessibility to new readers.

Maybe I'm over-analyzing it. But still, I'm only hearing "I loved it" from pre-existing Robinson/Starman fans.

I want to hear from someone who has never read a single Starman/Shade comic before.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:52 pm

HassanT wrote: Shade #1 - This was great book and perhaps James Robinson's best work in years.

I will have to agree with the truth of the above statement.

However, Robinson's work in the past few years has set a VERY low bar to be exceeded.

comicm · Post by **comicm** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:16 pm

BobBretall wrote:
comicm wrote:I thought Shade #1 was one of the best and an perfect 5/5 but I had read all of the Starman issues. I don't think it was necessarily new reader friendly but for me it was perfect.
I could not give it a 5/5 as a #1 issue. Too much stuff that was referred to from elsewhere & not told in the issue. It was also heavy on characterization of people a new reader would have zero context on.

I guess I don't like a #1 where there is so much baggage needed to fully enjoy the story, this was GREAT for DC/Starman fans. As someone who read ALL of the previous Starman, I liked it a lot. However, as a #1 in the "new 52" era it fell short. This would be much higher rated by me if it was issue #94 of Starman or something like that.

I also have reservations on the series based perhaps unfairly on the similarity of the ending to Static #1 & Batwing #1. Based on what I know of the Shade's powers, I'm guessing he's going to shrug off the ending of #1 and be "all better". Not a problem for people who are in the know, but a real problem on setting up a false shock ending for new readers who may see the resolution as a deus ex machina. Again, speaking to an inaccessibility to new readers.

Maybe I'm over-analyzing it. But still, I'm only hearing "I loved it" from pre-existing Robinson/Starman fans.

I want to hear from someone who has never read a single Starman/Shade comic before.

When I rate a comic I don't rate it for how others think about it or how I think it performs for a new reader. I rate it based on my history and enjoyment out of the comic. Being a 1st issue I can see why someone might not like this but I thought it was great. DC does seem to have a lot of violence and limbs being lopped off and I can see that bothering people as well. This title just felt right for me and it fit like an favorite old jacket that I pulled out of the closet. Why don't you ask someone in line next time you are at the shop.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:26 pm

comicm wrote: When I rate a comic I don't rate it for how others think about it or how I think it performs for a new reader. I rate it based on my history and enjoyment out of the comic.

Fair enough. I know I'm inconsistent in rating comics, I don't always give my own personal experience, but how I think that a book should be based on other external influences.

Personally, I was LOVING Shade #1 until the ending, which pretty much made me groan and ruined the issue for me. Upon thinking about it in more detail I came upon the "it's not really a good #1 issue" line of thought.

comicm wrote: Why don't you ask someone in line next time you are at the shop.

Come to think of it, I didn't see anyone in line on Weds buying a copy of The Shade.

Danscomics · Post by **Danscomics** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:19 am

BobBretall wrote: I want to hear from someone who has never read a single Starman/Shade comic before.

I can give you the opinion you are looking for, I have never read a single issue of Starman/Shade. For me this was a middle of the road book. I felt like I was missing back story while reading it. I'm not even really sure what his power is, since he only really seemed to use it once in the entire issue and it was just sort of a flailing attempt. So I have no idea how they might bring him back from being torn apart. I'm on the fence as to whether I'm going to give this a second issue.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:30 am

Thanks, Dan!

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:41 pm

Orchid #1 (Dark Horse) - Art is quirky, but I like it, works for the subject matter. I like the post-apocalyptic take we're seeing here, it's a bit different from others I've seen, I want to see where Morello is going with this story, I'll give it another couple of issues. Well worth the $1 cover price.

comicm · Post by **comicm** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:49 am

The Last of the Greats #1 - Perfectly good story but it was not for me. Also I really did not like the art for some reason. I will not be continuing with this series. 3/5

Grimm Fairy Tales The Library #1-2 - I was not planning on getting this but rather enjoyed the story with young Sela filled with dinosaurs, flying monkies, minotaurs and much much more. Add this one to my pull list. 4/5

spid · Post by **spid** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:02 am

BobBretall wrote:Orchid #1 (Dark Horse) - Art is quirky, but I like it, works for the subject matter. I like the post-apocalyptic take we're seeing here, it's a bit different from others I've seen, I want to see where Morello is going with this story, I'll give it another couple of issues. Well worth the $1 cover price.

I can't say I disagree with anything you said, but at the end of the book I felt down. The unrelenting oppression just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I might pick this up in trade, but I am not sure I am monthly dose of this kind of world.