Some Thoughts On First Pages
I have this theory that you can identify a great comic from its first page, or first two pages really since frankly that’s how most of us end up reading these things, in physical. The first page is an opportunity to not only draw the reader into the narrative of a comic but to make a thesis statement about the broader comic. First impressions have a lasting impact in the mind, the best comics creators know this and use the prime real estate of the first page (or two) to hook the audience right off the bat. I’d like to go over a few examples to illustrate what I mean, starting with New X-Men by Grant Morrison.
New X-Men #1 By Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
I’m vaguely aware that Patrick (H) Willems talked about this page and how excellent it is in his video One X-Cellent Scene - It's Time For X-Men to Evolve, I haven’t seen the video but I would feel remiss not to mention it since Willems no doubt discussed this brilliant page with more insight then I will provide. That being said I will still try and give my thoughts on what makes this page so instantly iconic and what it says more broadly about Morrison’s New X-Men.
New X-Men was my second X-Men comic, after reading Joss Weadon and John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men, and let me tell you that the second I saw this first page I knew I was in for something special. First off Quitely’s art is just spectacular, the composition is one thing but my god is it just a beautiful page overall. There’s just something about this page, something indescribable for me, something that just makes me want to frame it and hang it up on my wall. In one page Morrison and Quitely give glimpses into the characters of Wolverine and Cyclops (alongside the new character of Ugly John). Morrison and Quitely also show off their bold new vision for the X-Men in this page. The sentinel being a symbol of the teams past, while Wolverine and Cyclops’s new costumes are a symbol of this all new all different take on the X-Men. It's forward looking while also being firmly rooted in the franchise's history.
Immortal Hulk #1 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett
Immortal Hulk #1’s first two pages are simple but say magnitudes, the real thing it conveys is theme. The narration spells it out plainly “There are two people in every mirror. There’s the one you can see. And then there’s the other one. The one you don’t want to." This is the entirety of Immortal Hulk summed up in just two pages. The idea of duality, man and monster, Keter and Thaumiel, Banner and Hulk. Throughout the series this concept of the opposite reflection is brought up again and again, it’s the very essence of Immortal Hulk. This first page is also an excellent example of set up and pay off, the very first page of this comic has a man looking into his own reflection, likewise to reinforce the theme the comic ends with Banner looking into a mirror and looking back at him is the Hulk.
House of X #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz
Let’s end with another X-Men comic, the franchise redefining House of X #1 by Johnthan Hickman and Pepe Larraz. House Of X #1 opens on a panel of these cocoon-like eggs, then a wide shot of the eggs as far as the eye can see, all the while a silhouette of a man stands in the foreground. Then we cut to a hand emerging from an egg and then to people crawling out of them towards the man. On the next page we get a glimpse of one of the people, a man with red energy coming out of his eyes having his chin lifted up by the mysterious man. The next panel is a shot of the people reaching up to the man, a boldly redesigned professor X, finally the last panel cuts to a close up of his face where he proudly proclaims the iconic line “To me, my X-Men.”
The first time I saw this page I had that same feeling I had with New X-Men #1, I knew I was in for something special. House of X and Powers of X radically redefined the X-Men and it all started here with these first two pages. Larraz’s art is spectacular and breathes life into this bold new world for the X-franchise, it’s simple yet profound. It invites so many questions, what are these eggs? Where are we? What is different with Professor X? And many, many more all within the confines of two pages. The icing on the cake is the invoking of that iconic line “To me, my X-Men.”. This page has become iconic and has been mimicked throughout the Krakoa era many times. It’s truly something special.
I could list many, many more examples of great first pages but I hope by now you get the general idea. First pages offer a unique opportunity for comic book creators to introduce us to their worlds, characters, and themes all within those first two pages. I should clarify that this isn’t a requirement for a great comic, plenty of amazing comics have forgettable first pages but by god is it effective when the stars align and creators craft a memorable first page (or two).
