Ghost #1
Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Art by Phil Noto
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Covers by Phil Noto & Alex Ross
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: October 24, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

Kelly Sue DeConnick is, needless to say, a fantastic writer. I just don’t know if Ghost was right for her. You’d think it would be a no-brainer. A woman who’s great at writing strong female leads should be the perfect fit, right? Unfortunately, she doesn’t quite hit the mark with this issue.

First off, for a first issue, it’s not really a great jumping on point. It feels like you’re coming in during the middle of a story. Beyond that, the dialogue is entertaining and the characters are fun. I just wish it was more of an introduction than it is.

Bionic Man #13
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: September 26, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #13 continues the story that everyone’s been waiting for. Bigfoot. The creative team has taken a lot of liberties with this one, and it really pays off. They blindside you with more surprises than you can handle. And hey, it’s Bigfoot.

Writers Phil Hester and Aaron Gillespie really hit their marks this issue. It’s the second chapter in the Bigfoot storyline and it shows NO signs of slowing down. There’s some great twists and turns that you’ll never see coming, as well as a healthy mix of mystery, action, and surprises. In fact, the last couple of pages are quite shocking, and it’ll have you counting the days until the next issue. After the end of Kevin Smith’s adapted screenplay in this title, I was very afraid that the title would flounder around looking for its own identity, but thanks to Phil Hester, it has flown seamlessly into a fantastic title that I want to read every month, no exceptions. And, this going beyond my love for the franchise, this is a very entertaining comic, that excels because it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Look at the title and you know what you’re getting into, the writers know that and give you exactly what you want.

The Shadow #5
Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Aaron Campbell
Colors by Carlos Lopez
Letters by Rob Steen
Covers by Alex Ross, Howard Chaykin, John Cassaday & Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 19, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Shadow #5 is the penultimate chapter in the first arc of this title, and for me, it’s gone a little downhill since the begining. What started off really strong has kind of petered out a little. Bottom line, the story arc is a little messy and the book suffers for it.

Yes, Garth Ennis is a legend in the comic book business. But, even superstars can slip up now and then. I LOVED the first few issues of this title, it was everything that I wanted it to be. You had The Shadow fighting crime in 1930s New York City. You had ALL the trademark Shadow standards, and it was entertaining beyond reason. Then, Ennis decided to take The Shadow OUT of his element and into a globetrotting adventure ala Indiana Jones, and, it just didn’t work as well as the first few issues. What you’ve got now is a very confusing story, that really isn’t a SHADOW story. You could plop any pulp character in there and it would work just as well, and that’s a shame.

The Bionic Man #12
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: August 22, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

When reading The Bionic Man #12, pretty much two words came to mind. HOLY. SHIT. Now, I doubt if BOTH those words will make the final edit of this review, and to my editor, I apologize for them, but honestly, reading the whole issue, that is what I was thinking.

There are certain fights that you will always remember. The parking lot fight in They Live. The opening fight in Casino Royale. The News Team gang fight in Anchorman. Rocky vs. Drago in Rocky IV. The runway fight scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and now, Col. Steve Austin vs. Bigfoot. What we get from writers Phil Hester and Aaron Gillespie in this issue is basically a love letter/homage to those fights and from now on, The Bionic Man #12 will be known in years to come as “the one where he fights Bigfoot.” While I won’t go into spoilers, what starts off as another kind of story entirely turns into one of the best comic book fights that I HAVE EVER READ EVER. TWICE during the book I actually cringed, and that hasn’t happened since I was like 12.

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1
Written by Steve Darnall & Alex Ross
Art by Jonathan Lau
Colors by Vinicius Andrade
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Jae Lee & Ardian Syaf
Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt Ashcan
Foreword by Mark Waid
Written & Illustrated by Pete Morisi
Colored by Mike Kelleher
Pete’s Dragon
Written by Steve Darnall
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 5, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1 is probably one, if not THE MOST, original super hero story that you’ll read this year. Hands down, bar none. It’s a great change of pace from the “normal” super hero genre books that are being published right now. In short, pretty sure you’re gonna enjoy this one.

Where the heck has writer Steve Darnall been? I read a LOT of comics, ladies and gentlemen, but I haven’t seen his name in a looooooong time. And that’s a shame. In fact, after an exhausting internet search, I can’t find anything credited to him since 1999. Again, really a shame. I absolutely LOVED this book and so will you. It’s quite different from a lot of first issues, there’s no book length long origin, no “I shall be called THUNDERBOLT” moment, but there are panels and inner monologue that give us small clips and snippets of an origin, and the rest pretty much takes care of itself.