Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #4
Written by Steve Darnall & Alex Ross
Illustrated by Jonathan Lau
Colors by Vinicius Andrade
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Stephen Segovia
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: December 12, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #4 is one fantastic comic book! It’s got a very old school vibe, yet it’s set in modern times, making it one of the few properties that can actually work in modern day. Dynamite has done other pulp heroes and wisely left them in their original time frame, but the creative team proves that Peter Cannon can be updated for current times with great success.

Steve Darnall and Alex Ross bring you an action-packed, well thought out, fun, and entertaining comic to us this month. There is SO much going on in this book, it’s crazy. You’ve got about six different mysteries and subplots running at the same time, yet it’s never confusing or misleading. This issue in particular is a lot of build up to what’s coming, yet the writers are able to weave some great action seamlessly into the story without going out of their way and making it awkward. The character of Peter Cannon is SO interesting, I dare say he’s one of the most entertaining characters in comics today. He’s a modern day guru with deep, dark hidden secrets and he’s also headed towards a war that he probably won’t win. Yet, the character is never bogged down in needless self pity; he’s a true hero and there’s a lot of those missing in comics today.

Masks #1
Written by Chris Roberson
Painted by Alex Ross
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Alex Ross, Jae Lee, Francesco Francavilla & Ardian Syaf
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 28, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Masks #1 is not just another mega crossover. It’s the BEST kind of crossover. One that’s natural and organic and one that makes sense. It’s not just another “let’s throw all our characters into one big fight” book. It’s a top of the line, great comic.

Dynamite could NOT have chosen a better person to write this, that comic scribe Chris Roberson. He works MAGIC in this book. As I stated before, everything flows naturally, and nothing is forced. The book takes place in the golden age of the pulp heroes, with everyone in their prime. Again, everything is natural and flows beautifully. The Green Hornet & Kato follow a big time criminal to New York City where they meet up with The Shadow. I don’t want to give too much away, but other characters follow and are introduced. Also, what I loved about this book is the villains. They’re perfect pulp villains. There’s no all powerful bad guy who holds the city hostage, it’s a natural enemy for the heroes of that time. This is some really solid writing, and I can’t wait for future issues.

Bionic Man #14
Written by Phil Hester & Aaron Gillespie
Pencils by Ed Tadeo
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Ed Tadeo
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 21, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #14 features Steve Austin and Bigfoot. Do I really need to say anything else?

Phil Hester and Aaron Gillespie are REALLY turning things up a notch. For the first time, I’m getting the feeling that Steve Austin has a REAL personality and has a unique voice and character. And that voice and character is AWESOME!!! This issue is jam packed with goodness. You’ve got Steve Austin TEAMING UP with Bigfoot to take on a secret organization that builds robot Bigfoots. Yes, it’s as awesome as it sounds. The only thing that bothered me is Steve’s relationship with OSI and Oscar Goldman. Several characters state that Austin no longer works for OSI, yet he keeps going back there for repairs, missions, and other various things. But, that’s just a tiny glitch in what is a fantastic story.

Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #7
Plot & Script by Eric Trautmann
Plot & Art Direction by Alex Ross
Art by Daniel Indro
Colors by Slamet Mujiono
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 7, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #7 is, quite literally, a tour de force. And I don’t even know what that means. But whatever it means, I’m sure it can be used to describe this issue. It’s by far the best of the series to date, and that’s saying something. Now, if Dynamite could only figure out how to get this book out on time…

Writers Eric Trautmann and Alex Ross have a love of these characters that almost rivals…. me. I can’t tell which of the two is the bigger fan of Flash Gordon. There’s some FANTASTIC Easters eggs thrown into this book from previous incarnations of Flash Gordon, ranging from the 1980 live action movie (look at that cover!) to the 1979-1980 cartoon series by Filmation. This is the epic conclusion of the first storyline, and it’s not without its shocks and surprises. I have to admit, the story plays a little too close to the feature film for my tastes; I wish it would’ve been a little more original, but it’s still a great ending to an awesome first arc. Just about every single loose end is tied up, and what’s left open will have your imagination running wild the moment you close the back cover.

The Shadow #7
Written by Victor Gischler
Art by Jack Herbert
Colors by Ivan Nunes
Letters by Rob Steen
Covers by Alex Ross, Darwyn Cooke, John Cassaday & Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 7, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Shadow #7 is a full-out 180-degree turn from the previous six issues, written by Garth Ennis. I know what you’re thinking…but trust me, this is a VERY VERY GOOD THING. Bringing in a brand new writer is always tough, but Dynamite Entertainment certainly picked a fantastic person to take the job.

Brand new author Victor Gischler explodes onto this title with a really solid issue. It’s one that clearly and totally sets up a whole new attitude for The Shadow. Instead of starting off with a giant, sprawling, epic, multi-part story, Gischler offers up an action packed one-shot that delves into the mind and heart of LaMont Cranston, and, as a result, The Shadow. He takes The Shadow back to his roots in Nepal where he was trained and studied under a mysterious group of Monks and where he learned how to cloud men’s minds and see what evil lurks within them. It’s a tale of self discovery and self awareness, and it’s a very entertaining read. Gischler packs more characterization into one issue than a lot of writers do in an entire six-issue story arc.