Miss Fury #3
Written by Rob Williams
Art by Jack Herbert
Colors by Ivan Nunes
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Covers by Joe Benitez, Paul Renaud, Billy Tan and Wagner Reis
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: June 5, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Miss Fury #3 is the latest chapter in Dynamite’s latest Pulp Hero revival and one of the MOST confusing comics that I’ve ever read in recent memory. And, I’m loving every minute of it.

I hope writer Rob Williams has a scorecard for this book at home, because I’ve long since tossed mine out. No, I’m not stupid, but you have to agree when you’re reading a comic book about a time traveling hero who blinks and goes from 70 years in the past to 70 years in the future, you’d tend to get a little confused too. Not to mention cyborg Nazis who’re hiding in disguise are political figures in 2013 and trying to start World War II. That’s right, 2. It is this kind of “lets throw everything at the reader just for fun” action that I absolutely LOVE and here, Rob Williams totally makes it work for this book and the universe that it’s set in. To say that there’s a lot going on would be the understatement of the year. To say it’s pretty darn entertaining? Right on the money.

The Shadow #12
Written by Victor Gischler
Art by Giovanni Timpano
Color by Ivan Nunes
Letters by Rob Steen
Covers by Alex Ross, Sean Chen, Tim Bradstreet and Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: April 24, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The Shadow #12 is yet another great entry in Dynamite Entertainment‘s pulp hero dynasty. What this company has done with near 100 year old heroes and mystery men is simply amazing. It also doesn’t hurt that they have a fantastic creative team for this book, either.

Victor Gischler goes above and beyond this issue. First off, his dialogue between LaMont Cranston and Magot Lane is straight out of a 1930’s movie. Cranston is high and aloof and Lane is the hopelessly in love girlfriend that’s trying to get him to spend at least ONE uninterupted dinner. From there, Gischler takes The Shadow right into “super hero” mode, which is fantastic. The Shadow’s inner monologues are fun, but sort of creepy. You’re still not sure exactly WHAT kind of hero that he is, and that’s really entertaining for the reader.

Miss Fury #1
Written by Rob Williams
Illustrated by Jack Herbert
Colored by Ivan Nunes
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross, J. Scott Campbell, Paul Renaud & Will Conrad
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: April 3, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Dynamite Entertainment continues its string of hit comics featuring pulp heroes with Miss Fury #1! Can it measure up to their other genre titles? Let’s take a look.

Wow. Rob Williams knows how to confuse AND entertain you in this book. On one page, even. I have to say, I REALLY enjoyed this book. It’s unlike anything that Dynamite is publishing today. Yes, it is part of Dynamite’s Pulp Heroes line, but that’s where the similarities to the rest of the line ends. This issue is literally all over the place, and it couldn’t be more enjoyable. I was shocked at how Miss Fury #1 was written: cliffhangers, mysteries, good old fashioned super heroics, fun, it’s really got it all. Not only do you get a fantastic adventure that finishing with a great cliffhanger ending, Williams also manages to sneak in a FULL and COMPLETE origin story into the issue about halfway through.

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.

Damsels #1
Story by Leah Moore and John Reppion
Illustrated by Aneke
Letters by Simon Bowland
Colors by Ivan Nunes
Covers by J. Scott Campbell and John Chen
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 13, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Damsels is not your grandma’s renaissance faire, unless of course she happens to have endless reserves of energy, then perhaps it is. Our popular culture seems to be tiring of the impending apocalypse or equivalent and looking to the simpler days of yore, that never was, for stories. Not to worry, zombies still have lots of brains to eat and our own modern minds can’t seem to make a fairy tale without that sense of great fear and trepidation intrinsic to the plot. Think Grimm, Once Upon a Time or in the comic world Fables or Fairest where they take cute folk tales from our youth and weird those up so adults will care about them.

I like this escapist concept and there are endless paths for a narrative to go when your main characters are not Instagraming what they had for lunch from their iPads. Damsels answers that challenge of making a new series with a popular premise stand out by bringing lots of cinematic style action and chaos into the mix. Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Snow White and Rapunzel may never be the same again.