Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Mike Deodato, Jr.; Rain Bareto; RS; & Comcraft’s Albert Deschesne
Cover Art by Marko Djurdjevic
SUMMARY:
Entitled “Faith in Monsters, Part 1,” Marvel Comics released this Civil War tie-in issue for March 2007. Relishing his covert power grab, psychotic Norman Osborn forcibly recruits Bullseye into a new Thunderbolts squad. Osborn later finds a recuperated Dr. Karla “Moonstone” Sofen far more agreeable once she is offered this team’s field command. Heralded by the news media, the new Thunderbolts are considered kid-friendly celebrities for capturing unregistered super-fugitives on SHIELD’s most-wanted list. At present, the otherwise incarcerated members are: Mac Gargan’s Venom; Radioactive Man; Swordsman; Penance (ex-Speedball); and a demoted Songbird.
In a demoralized Cleveland neighborhood, Jack “Jack Flag” Harrison restlessly lays low with his worried girlfriend, Lucy. His masked defense of a woman cornered by a gang of local thugs is all it takes for the Thunderbolts to sets their sights on Captain America’s outnumbered ex-disciple.
REVIEW:
From start to finish, this issue’s art squad deliver high-caliber visuals. Case in point: implied likenesses of Tommy Lee Jones and an amalgam of a Basic Instinct Sharon Stone & probably a corrupted 80’s Meg Ryan help convey Norman Osborn and Karla Sofen. Suffice to say, it makes ideal casting. The cast cover image is also well-played.
In term of the dark storyline, Warren Ellis’ nefarious Suicide Squad-style approach clicks, particularly in the unsettling Bullseye-Osborn interaction. Ellis offers some insight into Bullseye’s cold-blooded persona, particularly a quick flashback to a memorable Russian roulette scene from Daredevil.
From a different yet equally effective angle, the writer’s use of psychology also applies to the Osborn-Sofen meeting of self-involved, sinister minds. While the fugitive Jack Flag scenes are predictably clichéd, they are still solid in this context. The only time Ellis goes over-the-top is a brief Thunderbolts action figure toy ad – despite being a nifty parody, it adds nothing to the story. Frankly, it undercuts the plausibility of these Thunderbolts as instant heroes, no matter the Civil War propaganda perpetuated on a brainwashed public.
One other element Ellis should have addressed is a succinct reminder why exactly SHIELD, let alone the U.S. government, is daring to place its trust in known slimeball Norman Osborn. This dark Thunderbolts reboot certainly has intriguing possibilities, but Issue # 110 risks pushing perhaps too much too fast.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Series editor Molly Lazer provides a brief message, including a few visual glimpses of Issue # 111, including the cover image of Gargan’s Venom vs. Jack Flag.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
