The Thunderbolts have contained the massive Raft breakout, but there's one big, unstoppable threat on the horizon: the Juggernaut on magical steroids.
The Good
There's this very acid-trip dream sequence in the middle of this book that blew my mind away. The Thunderbolts creative team shifted the art style ever so slightly to this cubism/tribal/modern-art fusion while they were inside the mind of the Juggernaut. This sequence is totally up to interpretation, but having representations of the Serpent, Ghost, Satana and Cyttorak as different symbols was just genius. This sequence made this issue for me, and I'd recommend the book on that alone. It's a great example of comics using the pictures (not just the writing) to their advantage.
I enjoy the writer's ability to continue on story lines without forcing them down our throats. I mean, it doesn't take much to remind us that the Shocker and others are trying to stage a breakout: one page is all it needed. That way, when the time does come, it won't be out of the blue. It will happen naturally and logically.
I like the fact that Man-Thing was sent away from the T-Bolts team. He kind of became a one-trick pony, and from what I understand, he's to become a big deal in the resolution of Fear Itself.
Juggernaut looked like a freakin' badass in this issue, and I'm glad to see that he wasn't really watered down. Like I mentioned in my Uncanny X-men 540 review, he's quickly becoming the only hammer-bearer I care about. Seeing that inner turmoil (again, which was brilliantly presented) really made me consider the threat he poses, and his potential for redemption. I'm curious to see the fallout of the final page.
The Bad
Moonstone getting relied on for her sex appeal just seems like a big step back for the character; I mean, it's been so long since "sleeps with everyone on the team" Moonstone that I kind of forgot she existed. You'd think that calming the Juggernaut down would have a lot more contingency plans than "Flirt with him!"
The Verdict
After a couple issues of uncertainty, both this issue and the last have cemented Thunderbolts on my pull list. I legitimately had a fun time reading through the mind-probing sequence, and would recommend it wholly. Seeing all these characters interact with each other while remaining individuals is great: too many team books just smoosh them all together.
Most importantly, T-Bolts has managed to make me care more about this crossover than any of the other tie-ins, perhaps with the exception of Invincible Iron Man. Speaking as someone who has self-diagnosed "crossover burnout," that makes this book worth your time.
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