Thunder Agents Classics Volume Five!

I've very much enjoyed reading these vintage stories as IDW has continued the reprints despite the failure o the new material to find a footing. Wally Wood's influence is still evident but his role is beginning to diminish in these stories as the series continues to its inevitable end. This features the first of the THUNDER titles without a Wood-esque cover, but rather a clearly Gil Kane effort (see below).

Dynamo continues to have problems with his powers, specifically his belt. Seems he's always getting captured and NoMan in particular gets weary of having to turn the belt on for him. So in an attempt to improve the belt the powers at THUNDER give it the ability to respond to a word. If Dynamo's similarity to Captain Marvel (now Shazam) wasn't already strong it is made more so when he has only to say "Excelsior" to gain his strength and invulnerability. I can't help but think that there's a nod to Stan "The Man" as well. Later he goes to a distant planet to fight mysterious aliens on their home turf. Dan Adkins is taking a stronger hand in the work at this point. Len Brown's love life is mostly a disaster as always. 

 Andor shows up in a Wally Wood story and his outsider outlook is strengthened by his change to a hippie of sorts, albeit a hippie with powers. Lighting continues to have problems with his own powers and ends up the volume in suspended animation when his body rebels. Raven gets a makeover and thanks to Gil Kane takes part in a wild action-packed adventure that changes his direction. NoMan plows ahead losing bodies by the dozens but still stopping SPIDER, the new gangsters on the scene. 

With the cancellation of UNDERSEA Agent we get a story from that series stuck in to help pad out an issue. It's good and all but out of place in tone and art. 

Here are the issues in this volume.  Issue twelve's cover was apparently based on a Larry Ivie design. Ivie being a person who seems to take a bit too much credit for his contributions to the Agents, though he was present. 

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