Already sure to be one of the best runs on this title.
There's much more to Zemo's reappearance than meets the eye, and the secrets behind that will test the characters of this new Thunderbolts line-up just before they have to deal with some runaway Asgardian trolls.
The Good
The twist on the twist ending that closed out the last issue is nothing short of brilliant. Not only is it suspenseful and surprising, it also actually addresses a lot of issues raised about the volatility of this line-up and it reveals a lot about them in the best way -- through their actions. I especially enjoyed Ghost's cold, unfazed reaction to the break out plot and Juggernaut's rather amusing predicament following his escape. And I was so glad to see USAgent return after his maiming at the hands of Nuke -- and in such a startling, but totally fitting way. Parker has such a handle on these characters, I'd almost describe it as a mastery. And I am seriously digging Walker's style here - - it reminds me of Charlie Adlard's work in the best way. Not only does it strike the right mix of cartoonishness and superheroic dynamism, but it actually gets rather badass during the fight with the trolls. There's just serious character in the lines.
The Bad
As much as this line-up being a motley crew makes their team dynamic so interesting, I still can't shake Man-Thing's inclusion as being a little too far removed from the corner of the Marvel universe that these characters are supposed to be walking around in.
The Verdict - 4.5/5
I've been following Thunderbolts since the very beginning, through all its reinventions and I'm sure this is going to be regarded as one of the signature runs. Parker and Walker are picking this book up and making it their own, while still honoring what's come immediately before in Siege as well as the title. This is one of stand-out comics this week. You really should pick it up. I can't wait to see what happens next and what dark twists these two have in store for us.
You know, I don't really like to be the kind of guy that shows up at a comic store as soon as it opens on Wednesday, but when I get there less than an hour after opening and books like this are already sold out (as was the case today), I'm pretty much left without a choice, aren't I?
I am loving this book, It's got some hold overs from the originals, some of the newer 'Bolt and a few wild cards in the mix(still waiting until Man-Thing melts somebody) Jeff Parker is going places with this
" thank god they depowerd Juggernaut....5 bucks says the fanboys call it pis "
Some fans have called it PIS, even though the idea of Juggernaut getting depowered because either A) The Enigma Force hates Cyttorak and everything he stands for (and vice-versa) and decided to scramble the link connecting Cain Marko to Cyttorak before leaving Cain's body just to piss Cyttorak off or B) Cyttorak is pissed at Cain for using the powers of Captain Universe for the greater good and not using it to wreak havoc upon the Earth and decided to cut him off from 50-75% (that's just a rough estimate, very rough mind you) of his total accumulated power and might are perfectly logical. I mean The Enigma Force is all about saving lives whereas Cyttorak is all about destroying them, its only natural that the two extradimensional entities harbor a mutual hatred for one another and would do anything to screw the other over, even if its just for fun.
This book has to be the most consistent comic of all time I have been reading it since issue 1 over a decade ago and even when it was rarely bad it was still good compared to most books.
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