Magnus: Robot Fighter #8
Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Cory Smith & Felipe Cunha
Colors by Mauricio Wallace
Letters by Marshall Dillion
Covers by Gabriel Hardman and Cory Smith
Magnus Logo Design by Rian Hughes
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 19, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Magnus: Robot Fighter #8 is a pretty important issue. Now, I do have a confession to make: I haven’t been following the title for a few months, so I was skeptical as to the level of enjoyment that I would get out of this issue. Would I be able to jump right back into the title and not be lost? Would I still care? The answer to both those questions, is a great big YES!

Magnus Robot Fighter #1
Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Cory Smith
Colors by Mauricio Wallace
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Covers by Gabriel Hardman, Joe Bennett, Scott Wegener, Tom Fowler, and Ken Haeser
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: March 12, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Magnus Robot Fighter #1 is one of those comics where you don’t really know what’s going on. At about the halfway point, you’re bashed in the head with a totally different book, and luckily, both are amazing!!

Fred Van Lente sets up an awesome world, establishes a fantastic atmosphere, and the introductions in the book flow nicely and are very natural. Then, he punches us in the face and throws us all for a HUGE loop. But, it’s all done in a good, solid, entertaining way. This is like reading a summer big budget science fiction movie, which is exactly what this book needs. I only casually followed this book in the past, and while I found it interesting, previous series never really “grabbed” me. But this issue and series is a WHOLE different ball game.

Legend of the Shadow Clan #4
Written by David Wohl and Brad Foxhoven
Illustrated by Cory Smith
Colored by John Starr
Lettered by Josh Reed
Covers by Cory Smith and John Starr
Aspen Comics
Release Date: May 8, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Holy ninja throwing star! Legend of the Shadow Clan #4 is exactly how a penultimate issue for a story-arc should resemble. Aspen Comics truly has a gem with this urban ninja story written by David Wohl and Brad Foxhoven with art from Cory Smith.

The fourth issue begins right where the third’s cliffhanger left off: teenage wonder-child, Morgan Himura is attacked by a group of heavily armed ninja assassins at a dance club in Chelsea, Manhattan. Able to fend them off with some kick-butt, innate action moves””with a little help from the mysterious twin sisters””she soon meets up with her brother, Braydon and their secretive grandfather who are also on the run from ninjas. Meanwhile, during his investigation of the disappearance of a friend, their younger brother, Pogo, uses his expert hacking skills and makes a startling discovery that will place his siblings and grandfather in immediate jeopardy. Questions are answered and more emerge as the Himura children fight for their lives while their parents are in the custody of the very man responsible for the attacks: Koji Tokurei.