T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2

   There are comics I pick up just out of nostalgia, and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is one of them.

   I loved the original series back in the '60s - the stories were over the top and a heck of a lot of fun.

   For years the title floated in comic book limbo as the question of who actually owned the rights was settled. Presumably that's all been sorted out, as DC tried its hand a few years ago (unsuccessfully), and now IDW is taking a crack at it - also, so far, unsuccessfully.

   This series is somewhat more successful than DC's version, if just because they've returned to the basic concept - T.H.U.N.D.E.R. is an organization dedicated to protecting the world from powerful terrorist groups, such as the one headed up by the mysterious Iron Maiden. 

   The reason the title doesn't work is - well, the good guys are all doofuses (or jerks). Dynamo (Len Brown) was never the brightest bulb, but here's he's just a lunkhead, thrown into a desperate effort to stop Iron Maiden from taking over a secret installation. 

   But the area is crawling with T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, making the whole thing look like a training exercise. And after two full issues, we only get to the big confrontation at the end of this issue - and nothing is really resolved. 

   I applaud the efforts to include some humor in this series, but the whole thing just feels lackadaisical, with no sense of urgency. This series should have hit the ground running and built from there - instead, it's still advancing at a snail's pace. 

   Maybe the next revival will get it right.

Grade: C+

-------------------

THUNDER Agents #1

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comic was one of my favorites in its original incarnation in the 1960s, so every subsequent attempt (and there have been many) has to be measured against the original.

And boy, the reboot attempts have been all over the park. Some were quite good, with artist like George Perez and Dave Cockrum. Others have been less inspiring.

The problem is how to handle the team - should they be brought up to date, left in the '60s or used in a timeless sense?

Which brings us to this issue. Happily, writer Phil Hester seems to be moving toward a classic approach, but sets the comic in a modern era. The team is facing an attack by the beautiful but deadly Iron Maiden, but must gather its forces for the fight.

That leads us to an origin story of sorts for Dynamo, the powerhouse who tends to lead the attack. But the origin should probably have been put off for a while - we spend too much time learning about his mixed bag background, and not enough on heroics.

In fact, the entire issue is handed over to the whole "recruit the team" trope, instead of just diving into the story.

The art by Andrea Di Vito is solid superhero fare - strong, with good character designs, But backgrounds are almost nonexistent.

So the latest in a long line of reboots of the original, beloved series is OK, but it doesn't feel like the creative team has really "cut loose" yet. This comic has a long way to go to match the pure fun of the original.

Grade: B-

---------------

The Classics - Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1

I'm not sure why the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents didn't succeed when it first appeared in the '60s. It had great artwork (spearheaded by Wally Wood), fun stories, loads of action - I loved the series.

I suspect the 25-cent price tag was the deciding factor, but for whatever reason, the line folded after four years. A revival was attempted in 1983 by JC Comics, but it wrapped after just a few issues.

No doubt one of the reasons the series struggled was because of the legal wrangling over who (if anyone) owned the rights to the characters.

In 1984, Deluxe Comics decided the series was in public domain and released a new T.H.U.N.D.E.R. title. It was a short run - five issues, I think - and then another lawsuit determined that the rights to the characters belonged to John Carbonaro, and Deluxe shut down.

But what a run it was! Editor David Singer assembled some of the industry's top talent, and their enthusiasm and love for the characters shines through.

Among the creators involved were: George Perez, Dave Cockrum, Keith Giffen and Steve Englehart, with pinups by Steve Ditko, Jerry Ordway, Stan Drake and Leonard Starr.

The stories included the Raven, the android NoMan, Lightning, Menthor and (of course) Dynamo.

It was outstanding work all around - it's just a shame it couldn't last. Of all the attempts at bringing back this series, this one did the best job of recapturing the energy of the original series.

Which is not intended as a slam against the modern comic - it's moving the story in a different direction. But there's a good reason why this series was titled "Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents" - and while he might not approve the legal standing, I have to think he would have enjoyed the top-notch work printed on those pages.

Grade: A

------------------

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #3

Three issues in and this series continues its slow reveal.

This issue focuses on one of my favorite T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, the blue-skinned android named NoMAN.

As originally conceived, he was a hero who couldn't be killed. If something damaged or destroyed his android body, his mind was shifted into a "spare" body. That made him the perfect agent to tackle any dangerous assignment.

Add to it his iconic look - blue skin, eyes always in shadow - and his invisibility cloak, and he was a formidable force.

This issue takes us back and forth from the modern-day attempts to bring NoMAN back into action for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. to glimpses of his history with the organization.

There's a lot going on here that we don't know about - and an especially dirty trick by writer Nick Spencer to bring NoMAN back - but it's another clever issue with a great twist at the end.

The art is split by era and by artist, with Cafu handling the modern-day events and the legendary Howard Chaykin handling the flashbacks, and turning in incredible work as always.

I'm not sure how most fans of the original series will feel about this book - it's very different in style and substance. But if you know that going in, I suspect you'll enjoy this series - it's smart, sneaky and full of surprises.

Grade: A-

-------------------

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1

DC's track record for reviving heroes who started out at different comics companies has been pretty shaky.

Over the years, DC has acquired (or published stories featuring) heroes from Quality Comics, Fawcett, Charlton, Archie, Milestone and now Tower Comics. There have been some great characters involved and a few minor successes along the way - Plastic Man, Freedom Fighters, Captain Marvel, Blue Beetle, the Shield and Static, for example - but no huge success stories.

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents are the latest to make their return, and while it's too early to call it a big success, DC is certainly giving it a good shot.

They've hired one of the industry's most in-demand writers - Nick Spencer, whose comic Morning Glories is getting lots of attention (and positive reviews here as well).

The art is by someone named Cafu with inks by Bit (honest!). I'm not familiar with their work, but the art here is solid, with a good balance between action scenes and real-world discussions that illuminate the dark world of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, their opponents in the organization known as Spider, and lots of other mysteries.

This series is a far cry from the original incarnation of the group in the 1960s. While it had hints of a dark edge (the suit that gave Lightning his super-speed was also shortening his life span), it was mostly loaded with straightforward, hoo-hah action sequences that were lots of fun and way over the top.

This version is much more real-world with a dark edge - and there's apparently a connection to the characters in those original stories.

We barely meet the heroes this time around, but so far, I like this series. It's an interesting take on the concept and a fresh start for the team. I'm all for it!

Grade: A-

-----------------