Doctor Spektor #1
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Neil Edwards
Colors by Jordan Boyd
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Edits by Nate Cosby of Cosby & Sons Productions
Covers by Christian Ward, Francesco Francavilla, Phil Hester, Jae Lee, and Ken Haeser
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: May 28, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Doctor Spektor #1 is a whole lotta crazy. I mean a WHOLE LOT of crazy. Now, was it crazy good or crazy bad? Let’s take a look.

Going into this, I have to admit, I’ve never read a Doctor Spektor comic before in my life. But, I heard Mark Waid was writing it, so I wanted to at least check it out. Lemme tell you, I’m really glad I did. You don’t have to know anything about the character to enjoy this comic. In fact, I think if you followed the character before, that might hurt your enjoyment of this book. Waid gives us a Doctor Spektor that’s basically a reality TV star, but unlike the reality shows on TV now, this one’s actually a REAL reality show. If that makes sense. On camera, he’s a strong, fearless master of the occult, but behind closed doors, he’s a hot mess. I won’t go into any spoilers, but this is a REALLY interesting character, and if you removed all the monster fighting, I would still read this book, as Waid makes him an incredibly interesting and compelling character.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Vol. 1
Created by Wally Wood and Len Brown
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by Andrea Di Vito
Colors by Rom Fajardo
Letters by Shawn Lee and Chris Mowry
Cover by Jerry Ordway and David Baron
IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Cover Price: $17.99

Welcome to the superhero team with the most improbable acronym in comic history. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Vol. 1 is a reimaging of the original 1960s comic of the same name by Wally Wood and Len Brown.

I’m not sure if Andrea Di Vito just erased the word balloons of the classic issues or exactly captured the look and feel of the original ’60s run. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents gives every impression, from the frame set-ups to the campy coloring of the team uniforms, that it is a painstakingly crafted throwback.

Invincible Universe #6
Written by Phil Hester
Art by Todd Nauck
Colored by Gabe Eltaeb
Lettered by Rus Wooton
Cover by Todd Nauck and Gabe Eltaeb
Image Comics
Release Date: September 4, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99

Invincible Universe #6 starts with people in the control room of GDA Headquarters in Washington D.C. watching the big screen. There’s a man covered in blood screaming the end of the United Nations. General Cho, after slaughtering many people in the U.N. headquarters, swats off the attacking squad by breaking all of Monster Girl’s bones in a blur, then he disappears.

The story, starting out loud, slowly reveals all the details as to how the event was even able to happen. Through this, we see how Cecil, Director of the Global Defense Agency, comes to a conclusion that will change how they operate and how they interact with the world in issues to come. The artwork is just as awesome, strong and bold, and fits it well.

The Bionic Man #20
Written by Aaron Gilespie
Art by Rey Villegas
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Special Thanks to Phil Hester
Covers by Mike Mayhew & Ed Tadeo
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: May 15, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #20 picks up right where the last issue left off. We’ve got Steve halfway around the world, trying to stop the launch of a missile that could do some irreparable damage.

Aaron Gilespie is really hitting his groove on this title. He’s constantly gotten better and better at writing this book. In the past, his plots have been less than spectacular, but now they’re actually really interesting and entertaining. Combine that with some great dialogue for Steve Austin and you’ve got a very enjoyable comic. This issue in particular, might be his best yet. His portrayal of Steve is really well done, with all the classic hallmark humor, and intensity that Lee Majors brought to the role almost 40 years ago. Well done Mr. Gilespie!

The Bionic Man #18
Written by Aaron Gillespie
Pencils by Rey Villegas
Colosr by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Mike Mayhew & Ed Tadeo
Special Thanks to Phil Hester
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: March 20, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #18 is another in a string of fun issues. One thing that I love is that this book doesn’t take itself seriously at all. Yes, it’s an action comic. Yes, it’s a super hero comic. But, it’s played tongue and cheek, and at the end of the day is really entertaining.

Aaron Gillespie turns in an actually quite thrilling script for this second part of the “Desert Deathtrap” storyline. Steve goes undercover, WAY undercover, in Jardan to take out an evil dictator. Gillespie goes a GREAT job when it comes to writing the spy game, and you’ll find yourself lost in the story really quick. Another one of the strengths in this issue is that it doesn’t read in 5 minutes. It’s a nice, meaty story with lots of detail and twists and turns. My only complaint would be that it’s a little lighter than I’d like in the bionics department. I mean, c’mon, he IS called the Bionic Man. If I wanted a straight-up spy book, I’d read something else. But, it doesn’t take anything away from the book, as I mentioned earlier, it’s really a quite fun and really enjoyable.