Bela Lugosi’s Tales of the Grave #4
Written by Mark Finn, Lowell Isaac, Ed Polgardy, Michael Leal and Kerry Gammill
Art by John Lucas, Bill Sienkiewicz, Lowell Isaac, Rob Brown, Nik Poliwko and Kerry Gammill
Edited by Kerry Gammill
Covers by Alex Tuis and Carlos Valenzuela
Monsterverse
Release Date: August 21, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The fourth installment of Bela Lugosi’s Tales of the Grave contains five horror stories that are straight out of the late night tv horror shows. Campy and fun, the horror is the standard mix of cautionary tales and revenge. It also contains a poster gallery from Bela Lugosi’s Invisible Ghost, a classic movie from 1941.

A couple of the stories, “The Evil Eye” and “The Monster” deal with children being bullied. Hopeless and alone both stories have someone befriend the lonely outcast. When that friendship is taken away, they snap. The stories are fun and the consequences gruesome. Both have art styles that fit the story, though “The Monster” is definitely the more twisted, in both art and story, of the two.

The Bionic Man #11
Written by Phil Hester
Art by Ed Tadeo
Inks by John Lucas
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Jonathan Lau
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: July 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Bionic Man #11 is the TRUE test of this series. The adaptation of Kevin Smith’s movie is over. The origin is done. From here on out, it’s brand new adventures and status quo for Steve Austin and friends. So, does the book still hold up?

First off, I can answer the above question with two words. Phil. Hester. It’s PHIL HESTER!!! OF COURSE it’s still going to be good!! I was very interested to see what would happen when Hester was allowed to create his own stories on this title – the result. Action, charm, heart, and one darn entertaining comic book. Some of the best comics that were ever written were HUMAN stories, they just happened to star a person that had a magic lasso, a magic ring, or could swing from building to building on a webline. This is exactly what we have here – a great story starring a man who’s part machine. After 10 issues of Steve Austin ripping other cyborgs limb from limb, stopping airplanes with his bare hands, and other feats of bionic proportions, it’s nice to see him with his family, and see how Steve Austin the MAN deals with the problems that they’re facing. A well thought out, heart-warming story and a refreshing change of pace from the last ten issues.

Kirby Genesis: Silver Star #6
Written by Jai Nitz
Art by Johnny Desjardins
Colors by Vinicius Andrade
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Alex Ross
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: June 27, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

In Kirby Genesis: Silver Star #6 there’s a LOT going on. Unfortunately, I didn’t like much of it, to be honest. While it was a good effort, I found myself SO lost in this comic, that I almost gave up reading it. But for you, dear readers, I stuck with it.

Writer Jai Nitz had me SO confused with this issue I don’t know where to start. This comic is ALL over the map, it seems there’s more than a handful of Silver Stars and a number of his villains (who are also all the same person), that I really had a problem knowing just who was who and who I should be routing for. There’s also a little girl, that I THINK turns into a love interest in the end, but I honestly don’t know. I’m afraid this comic falls victim to some VERY confusing storytelling. A narrative or re-cap paragraph would’ve helped immensely here.

Hoax Hunters #1
Written by Michael Moreci & Steve Seeley
Art by Axel Medellin
Inks by John Lucas
Cover by Tim Seeley
Image Comics
Release Date: July 4, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

You all now me, whenever it come to horror I run screaming the other way. Basically, I’ve been described as Scooby-Doo on two legs with less hair. So, I went into Hoax Hunters #1 with cautious optimism. I REALLY liked issue #0, and thought, why not? If it gets gory, I can always stop reading it.

Writers Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley have got something REALLY unique here. The basic premise is, a bunch of people investigate strange and odd occurrences, all the while filming it for their reality show, appropriately titled “Hoax Hunters.” What I loved about this book is the character dynamics. You have the gang trying to figure out just what the hell the mystery is in a small town, and why everything’s dying, but at the same time you get what’s going on in their real lives. Look out, Moreci and Seeley! I can already picture someone swiping your premise. The reality show BEHIND the reality show is a great, fresh new concept, and it’s going to be great to see how this plays out. They give us TWO stories every issue – one of the Hoax Hunters trying to find out what’s really going on, and one where the reader is trying to find out what’s really going on with the Hoax Hunters themselves. All combined, this makes for a very entertaining, engrossing comic that you’re not going to want to put down!

Fear Agent, Vol. 6: Out of Step
Story by Rick Remender
Pencils by Mike Hawthorne and Tony Moore
Inks by John Lucas
Colors by Lee Loughridge
Letters by Rus Wooton
Covers by Tony Moore
Trade Cover by Jerome Opena and Matt Wilson
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 18, 2012
Cover Price: $16.99

Rick Remender‘s redneck space opera Fear Agent has drawn to a close, all that’s left to do now is read the obituary, close the casket, toss the flowers into the grave and call it a day.

Remender (X-Force, Punisher) has been teaming with an array of comic book talents, most notably artist Terry Moore (Walking Dead) since 2007 on this colorful ode to rocketships and ray guns. Heath Huston, formally from Ennis, Texas, is now roaming the galaxies seeking adventure, excitement, and a handle of whiskey…

[Minor spoilers begin] at least on the surface. What he’s actually searching for is a place in the universe. He’s the last of the Fear Agents, a battalion that unsuccessfully fought an alien occupation of Earth that wiped out most of the population, including much of his family. [Minor spoilers end]