Thunderbolts #22 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Artist), Israel Silva (Colorist)

The Story: Who knew that Hell would be so violent toward those that tries to challenge and overthrow their ruler?

The Review: There are times when, even if one might really like character exploration, big concepts or huge surprises, a person crave for action. With super hero comics being definitely known for delivering on said conflicts and fisticuffs, it’s nice to see that you can sometime count on a genre to deliver on a specific desire.

It is exactly what this conclusion to this arc brings to the table, with plenty of demon-bashing and violent tendencies being shown on the page. However, while a certain aspect might be satisfying, does Charles Soule deliver on other important aspects as well?

It’s a fine enough job, although it certainly isn’t perfect by any means. What work, though, is the continued combination of violence, dysfunctional character and humor that makes the scenes flow very naturally together for the most part. The normalization of violence and the setting in which the team is currently in makes for a strangely effective story, with the focus on action only enhancing the general allure.

What’s also quite good is the way Soule plays around with the character, with him having quite a lot of fun with characters like Ghost Rider, Red Leader, Red Hulk, Punisher and Deadpool. Playing with their quirks, desires and their speech pattern, the humor, action and chaos is accentuated by their reactions, with some moments being satisfying for fans.

Not all characters gets the same amount of work, though, with Elektra and Venom being a bit left on the side. Having few lines and few incidences on the plot, their inclusion seems more like a necessity of the concept rather than a natural and integral part of this present arc. They are present, but certainly not that important.

Still, despite it all, the aforementioned action takes a bit of precedence on the plot, which allows for cool moments and a display of some of the more brutal inclinations. However, the action doesn’t remove the importance of the plot, with the fight for Hell being still a focal point to the evolution of the team in many ways. Mephisto’s machinations, the deal they made and how they want to remove Mercy from their grasp is still dealt with in a manner that is generally entertaining and satisfying.

Thunderbolts #21 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Artist), Israel Silva, James Campbell, Thomas Mason (Colorists)

The Story: The team tries to find a way out of hell as the Punisher tags along with Elektra for a job.

The Review: It must be hard, yet ecstatic to be Charles Soule right now. While his workload keeps on getting bigger, his general popularity is on the rise as well, with a creator-owned comic as well as several DC and Marvel titles under his belt. Getting a lot of appreciation from many fans, there seems to be little that the writer cannot do, tackling supernatural, humor, cosmic and many other subgenres rather well. Not all of his titles are equal in terms of quality, but 2013 was a year which made him a well-known quantity as far as many were concerned.

One title which did get better, yet not as much as other titles under his reins, was Thunderbolts, the team of killers with popular characters like Deadpool, Punisher and Red Hulk. While the title did get a lot more focus and got a much needed amount of levity and humor despite its rather grim concept, it never went as well as the handle Soule has on titles like Swamp Thing or Red Lanterns. However, any writer can improve with each issue, even if it is by just a little bit.

This issue, as far as it goes, is an enhancement over the previous one, decidedly going for stark contrasts in term of ideas, going for delightful black humor and a certain amount of nonchalance through what could very well be a horrific story. Much of the comedy here pass in the way the characters interact, with the sense of normalcy of Ghost Rider, through the jokes of Deadpool to the constant curiosity of Venom.

The way this unseemly team bickers and try to adapt to such a harsh environment makes for a rather amusing tale, with Soule earning points for his characterization of Johnny Blaze, a man who has resigned to his fate a long time ago, one who decided not to give a crap anymore and not take more than he needs to. The rest of the team is also certainly entertaining as well, with many traits that are well used, such as the tough attitude of Red Hulk or the always planning Red Leader. Much of every character here, from Mephisto to the team in hell are simply fun to read, with their inability to actually work as a team being one of the better aspect of this book.

The use of the larger events of the Marvel universe is also rather good too, as fans of obscure continuity should definitely be pleased. The pact that Red Hulk made with Mephisto, who the actual ruler of hell is and what Johnny Blaze has been up to is something that is definitely pleasing for fans of the Marvel universe at large.

Thunderbolts #20 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Artist), Isreal Silva (Colorist)

The Story: Getting set in a new base, the Thunderbolts decide they need to deal with Mercy. Cue in everyone’s favourite biker from hell.

The Review: Thunderbolts is a book that I should love. It’s written with a good dose of action and humor, I really like most of the characters from its cast and I do believe there is a potential with its general premise. Better yet, it’s written by Charles Soule, the man who write one of the only few DC title I still follow, Swamp Thing. However, there have been a few problems, the art being the most preeminent one. Plagued by artists that don’t always fit the tone of the book, the book was weighted down by some of its aspects.

Thankfully, the addition of a new character and a new artist can certainly bring some energy and some fun to the book. However, is it enough to give this title the jolt it needs?

Unfortunately, while these additions may prove to be essential, there is an ill sense of timing as this issue doesn’t accomplish much in terms of development or in sheer fun. While there are some notable interactions and some progression in terms of character arc given to readers, there’s just not that much going on in this issue.

Soule does try to balance things out with humor, playing with the general lack of cohesion of the Thunderbolts unit and their disparate personalities, yet all the one-liners and the general silliness cannot deviate the attention of readers from the lack of progress made in several plots and subplots. There are things occurring here, mind you, some that are important, like the fact that the team try to find a solution to the ongoing problem that is Mercy, yet there isn’t much else truly going on.

Thunderbolts Annual #1 – Review

by Ben Acker, Ben Blacker (Writers), Matteo Lolli (Artist), James Campbell (Colorist)

The Story: It seems that Dr. Strange has gone insane, making people happy whether they want to or not thanks to his spells. Thankfully, the Thunderbolts are here to kill the mood…

The Review: There always comes a time when a reader has to weight down on what’s more important as far as personal experiences go. Does consistency holds a bit more value than pure entertainment? It may seem like a silly question, yet with so many retcons or with some concepts being handled in hazardous ways, it can be somewhat problematic if someone knows he should enjoy something, yet cannot for things that may seem minor at best.

In a way, this annual feels a lot like that for me. The premise is absurdly fun, with some very entertaining scenes and choices put down by the creative team, yet they do so in a lot of ways without any regard to previous stories or to the detriment of previously established elements. Is the story worth the disregard to continuity or is the lack of consistency with previous books something that hold this annual back?

This issue simply cannot be reprimanded for lack of trying, though, as both Acker and Blacker inserts quite a lot in terms of ideas, both old and news. With scenes like Venom and Punisher going to Asgard, Elektra and Deadpool going to visit Bloodstone Manor as they want to collect magical artifacts, there is plenty of opportunity for shenanigans that wouldn’t always be connected with those characters in the first place.

Thunderbolts #19 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Story: Road trips are apparently perfect opportunities if you plan to kill your teammates. At least, Red Leader seem to think so.

The Review: In team books, it’s usually expected that sooner or later an issue will focus on a specific member of the cast. Either a member of the team, one of the antagonists or even an important secondary character may end up getting a chance to be in the spotlight. Usually done before in the first issue of an arc or between two, those kind of issues always present the chance to see how a specific character perceive certain events and how his personality may be in comparison to others. In such a book like Thunderbolts, with a cast full of unsavory characters, the chance to put a shine on these troubled mind could very well end up being a pretty neat thing.

In a way, Charles Soule manage to surprise readers as well as take a big chance as he focus this one on Red Leader, pushing forth Samuel Sterns forth in order to clarify his thinking process and just how he sees this present team. With this character usually seen as a huge presence in many iterations of Hulk, does Soule actually delivers a nice rendition of the character as well as a pleasant issue with this one?

Thunderbolts #17 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Story: The Punisher and his team fight the mob in their bunker, Red Hulk tries to fight the invaders and Deadpool finally gets his pizza.

The Review: I rather like Charles Soule right now. Discovering him as he took over Swamp Thing at DC, he has been in some more books in the previous months and now seems to be doing some work for Marvel as well, with this title as well as She-Hulk coming in February. With a knack for taking over books and giving them either a new direction or focusing on the stronger elements of the core concept, Soule is rapidly becoming a writer on the rise in terms of visibility.

Thunderbolts is one of the book that has received a bit of his skill, to good effect as the mix of rather dark humor to the sensibilities of hard killers makes for a rather enjoyable book. Tying in to Infinity, Soule tries to incorporate those stone-cold killers to the larger Marvel universe, yet does he succeed in making them interesting and his tale good enough for readers to care?

He starts with the right footing as the first thing he seems to be doing well is creating a nice balance between plot and humor, advancing the story without putting too much emphasis on the horror of what the characters are doing. The pacing in itself in terms of development is good, with each scene getting to the point and delivering something worthwhile for readers, like how outgunned the mob is against Venom, Punisher and Elektra or when Deadpool finally get the pizza slice he wanted in the first place. There is enough going on in this issue that it doesn’t feel decompressed in the slightest, giving a central conflict with many smaller problems on the side for the characters to resolve in the issue. In terms of storytelling, it’s good.

Thunderbolts #16 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Story: Red Hulk and Red Leader tries to fight off the alien invasion as the rest of the team continues their work against the Paguros.

The Review: It’s always a bit disappointing to keep hoping for ameliorations in some specific areas only to find others lacking as a result. While the Daniel Way run had its share of problems, it seems that Soule has its own, which are completely different from the previous writer. It’s one step forward, two backwards as they say as Thunderbolts soldiers on with its cast of killers.

Where it did improve and it keeps on improving would be the handle on the killers themselves, as Soule really do seem to get how they work and how their interactions could very well be entertaining. Everyone gets a bit of panel time in this issue, with most of the cast receiving close to equal spotlight, which is commendable enough. From Venom being the somewhat idealistic, Deadpool’s shenanigans about searching for a slice of pizza and Red Leader being mysterious and threatened by a member of the Black order, close to everyone do make their presence known in this issue in ways that count. I say close, as Elektra seems to have nothing much to say or do except participate in the action, with little else to give for readers and fan of hers.

There is also quite enough space given to the villains, with the alien goons and the Paguros contributing quite well with the issue. Those characters do permit for Soule to throw in some concepts which are solid enough, like what exactly happens to the criminals, gangsters and unsavory elements when a big threat arrive in New York? How do the Paguros actually get themselves protected in times of dire need? All those concepts really do bring a new vision on the underworld of the Marvel universe, as they do make sense considering the high number of costumed vigilantes in New York alone.

Thunderbolts #15 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo, Terry Pallot (Artists), Guru eFX(Colorist)

The Story: The Thunderbolts reach New York and do their best to help Frank Castle with his mission. As they do so, Thanos and his army invade Earth.

The Review: Charles Soule is not a lucky writer. Not only does he take on a book that the core idea was not one of his own, but he does so right when a huge event comic is on the verge of releasing. As a writer, he has to play with dynamics previously established by someone else, but he needs to tie-in some plot elements from a story that is not his own. Decidedly, it’s not a recipe for contentment or success.

Such is why seeing him succeed in most parts is actually quite surprising as not only Soule play with the dynamics and the characters quite well, but he also seems not to rush in with the Infinity plot points. There is a certain balance with a lot of the characters on this team that not every book is able to maintain, which is commendable of Charles Soule skills as a writer.

What he seems to be really getting is most of these characters and their psychology, with Red Hulk being restless when he’s out of the action, Punisher being solely driven by his mission, Elektra with her subtle manners and so forth. Soule gets bonus points for Deadpool though, as he is a character that a lot of writers simply write in a comedic tone and nothing else. He has a certain balance with his personality, his humor and just the way the character is that he doesn’t become the buffoon he can be written as. The scene in the subway is a true testament to this vision of his, which forebodes good things with Soule at the helm for this character.