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 #2
Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Corey Smith
Colors by Mauricio Wallace
Letters by Marshall Dillion
Covers by Gabriel Hardman, Jonathon Case, Emanuela Lupacchino, Stephen Sevogia, and Ken Haeser
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: April 9, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

In my opinion, Magnus Robot Fighter #2 wasn’t as awesome as the first issue, making it just plain awesome instead of SUPER awesome.

Writer Fred Van Lente uses this issue mostly for world building purposes. Previously, we met Will Magnus, got to know him a little bit, and then he was whisked away to a whole different world where his job was to fight robots. In this issue, we find out more about that world, how it works, what the rules are, and why Magnus is deemed a pretty big threat by this society. In keeping with the spirit of the first issue, Van Lente includes TONS of action and some great bits of story, all the while slipping in bits and pieces of how this world functions, what the class sects are, and some general basic knowledge of what this world is about. All of these things, woven into a really smooth flowing story.

Green Hornet: Legacy #34
Written by Jai Nitz
Art by Jethro Morales
Colors by Alexandre Starling
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Cover by Stephen Sadowski
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: April 10, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Green Hornet: Legacy #34 is the first issue of the title previously known as Green Hornet. And I have to say, adding the word “legacy” to the title was a great move by Dynamite. First, it distinguishes itself from the Green Hornet title by Mark Waid. Secondly, it deserves the title, as this is the story of the modern day Britt Reid carrying on the legacy that was started almost a hundred years ago.

Jai Nitz takes this book in a new direction, focusing on the modern day Britt Reid and his Kato and their quest to bring order back to Central City. When we join this issue, Britt has been in a coma for the last several week and while he has, Clutch has become the Green Hornet in his absence, although a VERY different kind of Green Hornet than Britt was. This is just a really fun super hero book, with all the trimmings. It’s got costumed bad guys, a city going down in flames, and a terrific last page cliffhanger.

The Bionic Man vs. The Bionic Woman #1
Written by Keith Champagne
Art by Jose Luis
Colors by Inlight Studio
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Covers by Sean Chen, Adrian Syaf, Jonathan Lau, and Jack Herbert
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: January 16, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

WHY are you reading this review instead of reading The Bionic Man vs The Bionic Woman #1? Seriously. You might just be thinking “Oh, who cares about another crossover?” Really? Because THIS crossover makes SENSE! That’s why you should care!

I will say this right now: Keith Champagne should be made the regular writer of The Bionic Man monthly series as soon as bionically possible! Good Lord, this issue is incredible! This takes place before the current Bionic Woman series, and is a REALLY great take on both characters. There’s a lot going on, but not too much that you can’t follow or you get confused by too many characters. In fact, that’s one of the book’s strengths, Champagne doesn’t introduce a dozen new characters into the mix, he uses the main characters, their supporting casts, and a villain. Let’s be honest, that’s all you need. There’s some terrific stuff in this issue, including the classic Oscar having to talk Steve into going on the mission debriefing. And treadmill running. The book starts off really intensely, slows down in the middle to develop the story, then revs right back up again at the end to leave you hanging with a breathtaking cliffhanger. Nicely done!

Green Hornet #28
Written by Jai Nitz
Art by Jethro Morales
Colors by Kristy Swan
Letters by Marshall Dillion
Covers by Phil Hester & Stephen Sadowski
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 12, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Green Hornet #28 debuts a brand new creative team for the title. I don’t expect them to prove themselves their first time out, but I have to admit, they made a pretty good showing in their first issue on this title.

Writer Jai Nitz is all over the place…but, that’s a good thing. There’s PLENTY of action and mystery going on during the issue, as well as some nice comedic touches. There’s a lot of set up here, which is to be expected, and I think the grand scheme that he’s got planned is going to take awhile to roll out, which is fine as long as he keeps up the pacing that he’s got going this issue. If not, I’m afraid it could drag. BUT, I saw more bad than good here, and I see a lot of potential for Nitz’s writing.