Avengers: The Initiative #26 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Now that the great Dark Reign shakeup has finally finished, it’ll be interesting to see what Christos N. Gage has in store for the Initiative.

The Story: Tigra, Gauntlet, and some of the New Warriors desperately try to escape one of Norman Osborn’s Initiative teams. When they do, Tigra has a plan to gain some measure of revenge of one person that has wronged her in the past. Meanwhile, Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. officially opens and Taskmaster and The Hood go to work, making sure things are in order. The Hood explains the current situation to some recruits, Taskmaster explains the Penance situation to Trauma, and Trauma tries to get…anything out of Penance.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Writer Christos N. Gage clearly has a lot to tackle in the first true Dark Reign Initiative book. It’s loaded with characters, slightly cluttered, and seems to jump all over the place at times. But you know what? Gage handles the challenge extremely well. The storytelling is fairly tight, the character work is effective (especially the stuff with Trauma and the final scene with Tigra), and Gage will constantly remind readers why they pick up a book like Avengers: The Initiative in the first place; to dive into the giant sandbox that is the Marvel Universe. While it’s still early, the Initiative and Dark Reign look to fit together quite well. I wonder if Gage will be able to make the most of it?

As for the visuals, Rafa Sandoval’s artwork gets the job done in the ways that matter. Characters look distinct, expressions are appropriate, and the action looks decent enough. Note that I said “decent enough,” because the action is probably the weak point of Avengers: The Initiative #26. It seems to lack any sort of comfortable flow and gets overwhelmed by all the characters taking part in the action. Also, what’s with Tigra having giant paws for hands? Is that supposed to be like that? I’m not too familiar with the character so if you know if Sandoval’s take on her is actually how it’s supposed to be, leave me a comment.

Conclusion: Not all that it could be, but certainly good enough, Avengers: The Initiative #26 is a worthy chapter of a series that keeps on moving forward at a nice pace.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Thunderbolts #127- Review

By Andy Diggle (Writer), Roberto De La Torre (Artist), and Frank Martin & Giovanni Kosoki (Colorists)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: While I had my qualms with the last issue of Thunderbolts, it did a nice job of establishing both the new creative team and the method by which they would “clean house” in order to usher in the new status quo. I look forward to seeing how the transitional period plays out. And of course, how the new Thunderbolts team will be put together.

The Story: With Swordsman missing, Radioactive Man en route to China, and Penance confined to a high security mental facility, Songbird seems to be all of options as she is hunted through Thunderbolts Mountain by the remaining team members. As expected, Moonstone, Bullseye, and Venom make for quite the team as they try to take down Songbird for Norman Osborn. An action-packed book all around, Andy Diggle’s restructuring of the Thunderbolts continues to prepare the series for a star turn as part of Dark Reign.

What’s Good: Thunderbolts #127 is a marked improvement over the last issue in almost every way. The reason being because it delivers the chaos surrounding the team in a much more focused and satisfying manner. A lot of the credit for that has to go to Andy Diggle for the way he handles the interaction between the characters. He clearly understands the appeal of the team and some of the venomous dialogue stands up well next to some of the best character moments from Warren Ellis’ fantastic run. The rest of the credit goes to the art team’s handling of the kinetic, well-choreographed action sequences throughout the book. Roberto De La Torre’s pencils, while a bit rough at times, do a great job of capturing Songbird’s desperation and the destruction caused by the hunt.

What’s Not So Good: Considering that the series is in something of a transitional period, Diggle does little to really move things forward all that much. In other words, the issue is all about dismantling some of the old without any real time spent on constructing the new. That aspect of the story really doesn’t change my opinion of the overall quality of the book too much, but it does leave me feeling as though it is a tiny bit lacking.

Conclusion: Some books struggle through transitional periods, but Thunderbolts clearly is not one of them. The action is intense, the dialogue is a blast to read, and Marvel’s least heroic team continues to be a source of great, edgy entertainment. Thunderbolts #127 is well worth checking out for a good time, especially if you are interested in seeing how the groundwork for Dark Reign is being laid out.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Thunderbolts #126 – Review

By Andy Diggle (Writer), Robert De La Torre (Art), and Frank Martin (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The Thunderbolts: Secret Invasion arc, while definitely (and surprisingly) entertaining, put the series in a perfect spot for a new creative team to take the ball and run with it. Now the question is whether Andy Diggle and Robert De La Torre can capture the same manic energy that made the Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato Jr. run such a success. I have high hopes.

The Story: While Norman Osborne plays politics and soaks up some post-Secret Invasion praise in Washington, the rest of the team tries to sort out what the future holds in store. To say much more would really ruin the issue, as most of it consists of short segments that go a long way towards establishing the new status quo that Andy Diggle will be working from. However, I will say that it looks as though the team is in for one hell of a shakeup.

What’s Good: I really like the position of the team in this issue. Each character is given time to shine (Norman Osborn in particular) and, for the most part, prove why he or she was placed on the Thunderbolts in the first place. Writer Andy Diggle clearly understands the dark, conflicting nature of team and uses it to great effect. As such, the issue is almost as unpredictable as the team, itself and that, readers, is a good thing.

What’s Not So Good: My biggest complaint is that a few of the characterizations just feel a bit off. The Radioactive Man segment is slightly confusing and I feel that Songbird comes across as a bit too vulnerable. Also, the artwork seems to be in need of an extra layer of polish. Everything looks nice enough, but there is an inconsistency to the work in regards to the level of detail used in each panel.

Conclusion: The new creative team is off to a good, yet slightly flawed start. That said, I am really looking forward to where they’re planning to take the Thunderbolts in the near future. If you have been waiting for a chance to check out Marvel’s team of anti-heroes, now’s the time to jump aboard. It looks like this is going to be a crazy ride!

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

I largely agree with what Kyle’s saying here.  As Thunderbolts picks up a new creative team, this is the perfect spot for new readers to check out what is easily Marvel’s most mean-spirited and vicious team to date.  I was disappointed to learn that Warren Ellis was leaving the title, but having enjoyed his work on The Losers and Green Arrow: Year One, I remained optimistic when I read that Andy Diggle would take over.  I’m pleased to say that he does not disappoint.  I was not as bothered by Diggle’s characterizations of Radioactive Man and Songbird, feeling that the focus of the issue was to introduce the cast to readers who would not have been familiar with Ellis’ take on them.

Also, I loved Robert De La Torre’s art;  although I would agree that the quality of his inks seemed inconsistent.  Like Kyle, I’m excited to see where Diggle and De La Torre go from here.  I felt this was a solid start from a worthy creative team, and would strongly encourage any undecided Thunderbolts readers to pick up this issue and give it a try!

Grade: B

-Tony Rakittke

Thunderbolts #121 – Review

Warren Ellis,(Writer) Mike Deodato Jr.,(Art) and Rain Beredo (Colorist)

I read this issue with both delight and a bit of sadness knowing that the Thunderbolts are turned over to a new creative team next month. The Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato run has been one hell of a ride, so I expected some big things from their final issue. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help but feel let down as everything had a bit of a rushed feel to it. That said, this is still one of the best books to come out during what has been an extremely solid month.

The conclusion of the Caged Angels arc is, as expected, centered around the chaos that has gripped Thunderbolts Mountain for the last few months. The bulk of the issue is all about action. Moonstone confronts Doc Samson and Robbie “Penance” Baldwin while Norman Osborne, still running around as the Green Goblin, goes toe to toe with Songbird. Oddly enough, Swordsman, Radioactive Man, and Venom are nowhere to be found during all of this. Also, a certain team member is back on his feet and ready for some target practice. This all would have been excellent if there was one more issue to deal with the aftermath, but instead it leads to a tidy conclusion that comes about a bit too easily.

I really enjoyed what was here, but there is no escaping the feeling that things were rushed to a conclusion so the book could get on with its (almost) obligatory Secret Invasion tie-in. Also, while I understand why some of the team was missing from this final issue due to injuries and whatnot, it would have been welcome to have at least seen them at some point.

As expected, Warren Ellis is in fine form. The banter and taunting throughout the book is incredibly entertaining and hilariously dark. Ellis makes sure to give each character (the ones that are used anyway), a chance to shine. Also, while I am disappointed the book feels so rushed, the way Ellis reigns in the chaos is clever, amusing, and a great example of how to use a character. High marks all around, I just wish Ellis had another issue to work with.

I have loved Mike Deodato’s work on this series, but the rushed feel of the story carries over into the artwork. The action scenes are suitably brutal and the powers on display look impressive, but it seems as though some aspects of the art are missing a layer of polish. The level of detail I’ve come to expect isn’t there at times and, while it doesn’t hurt my overall enjoyment of his work, is noticeable. Also, I can’t help but mention that for some reason Robbie Baldwin looks exactly like a bald Ed Norton this issue – which is odd considering he hasn’t looked that way until now.

Thunderbolts #121 is a good read that is a disappointment only when considering the great things that have come before it. The story and artwork feels rushed and the absence of half the roster is a bit annoying. Don’t let that deter you though – this is still one of the best books on the shelf this week. Warren Ellis’ run has been a must read for those who’re into the darker side of the Marvel Universe. If you missed out, be sure to pick up the trades. So long Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato Jr., the Thunderbolts won’t be the same without you. (Grade B+)

-Kyle Posluszny