THUNDERBOLTS #100 REVIEW

[Jason Grasso]

<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=9581" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/tbv2-100t.jpg" align=left alt=" Thunderbolts #100" hspace=10></a> Reviewer: Jason Grasso, Desperad07@aol.com
Story Title: The War at Home

“Complex, contradictory and of vast conceit.”

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciler: Tom Grummett
Inker: Gary Erskine
Color Art: SotoColor’s J. Brown
Letterer: RS & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
Production: Brad Johansen
Assistant Editors: Lazer and Sitterson
Associate Editor: Andy Schmidt
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (http://www.marvel.com)

Thunderbolts has never been an easy comic book to figure out. In fact, part of its charm to some is the complexity of all the interwoven subplots and main arcs. That you can't just look at the nice pictures, skim over the word bubbles and get a rather pedestrian conclusion to predictable events. Unfortunately the opposite of that be a comic that even when read twice can still be confusing. Issue #100 is a dance between extremes. It looks to resolve a number of ongoing plot points in one grand swoop but tends to madden at times. In short, it's a milestone issue that perfectly captures the spirit of the Thunderbolts.

The issue picks up right where the last one left off. The Thunderbolts are reeling from Moonstone’s gravimetric pulse and have been transported to a strange alien place by unconscious Photon. Baron Zemo of course is responsible for sending them away in order to test their strength and allegiances, and possibly to save the universe. The team learns from the Swordsman, Andreas Von Strucker, that Zemo believes Photon to be a cosmic threat to the universe. As Radioactive Man best sums Zemo up: “Complex, contradictory and of vast conceit.”

Thus begins the complex battle between Zemo and Photon. One a hero with the power to destroy the universe and the other a villain trying to save the universe. This also results in skirmishes between members of both teams. The most visually appealing is that between Man-Killer and Atlas. Man-Killer has obtained Pym Particles and is able to increase her size and knock Atlas down for the count. That is until he awakens and increases his size ten-fold and in a personal highlight, steps on her like an ant. The most emotional of the battles is between former lovers Songbird and Mach IV, made more interesting when the ending revelation is made.

The darker side of Zemo’s grey is revealed (through Blackout) when he utilizes The Smuggler (trapped inside of the Darkforce dimension) to blackmail Atlas in protecting him from the Thunderbolts while Zemo finishes off Photon. Zemo also utilizes the Darkforce dimension in conjunction with the gemstone’s powers and presumably Photon’s own cosmic powers to eventually defeat him. Make no mistake, though he touts himself as trying to help the universe, nothing about Zemo’s victory comes across as heroic, given the sympathy you feel for the loss of Photon.

I presume the next few issues will focus on whittling down the two different teams into one cohesive interesting unit (while we also learn the answer to Radioactive Man’s question). If I had a vote, I'd beg to have Joystick be one of the characters that never shows up again. The new Thunderbolts for the most part just don’t have the same charm as the previous teams. Sample this quote from Joystick: “Asockpuppetsayswhat?” Seriously? I couldn’t believe this came from the pen of the same genius providing dialogue for Deadpool.

And it seems a bit weird that Zemo, who continues to gain even more power, now with control over the alien gemstones, seems content with manipulating the Thunderbolts. With this power, he could do so much and yet he's resigned to manipulating characters like Man-Killer and Joystick? Nicieza concocts epic storylines but sometimes it seems he's hindered by the constraints of operating stories within just this one title. Even when the Avengers cross over, it never seems to have any long lasting affect in their comic or to the rest of the Marvel Universe. Wouldn’t the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers, or anyone else for that matter taken notice of such a powerful cosmic battle happening in their own backyards?

Grummet and Erskine are the true stars of this title right now. Their art is just outstanding in this issue. From the detail on the beautiful cover to the very end of the issue, their art is sharp and grandiose. (And check out the spread where the teams finally meet.) With such a massive cast of characters, it’s easy for the smaller shots of characters to be vague and given little detail, but the art team makes sure that even a character that takes up an inch by inch section of a panel is properly illustrated and inked. Grummet is easily the title’s best artist since Mark Bagley reigned supreme.

The prologue at the end keeps the tradition of shock revelations alive for the Thunderbolts. We learn that Songbird has been part of Zemo's ruse all along. And the revelation of a romance comes out of left field (though I guess not for those who’ve seen #101’s cover). While I find it to be particularly bizarre, it's a great new undercurrent to add to the title. How will Abe react when this is finally revealed? And how will the team be able to trust Songbird? When Songbird kisses Zemo, does she even remember how he looked a few years ago? Songbird's character went from a very unstable sympathetic character to a strong, leading future Avenger. This now adds another shade to the character. And given her past instability, it’s in keeping with the true nature of Melissa Gold.

Zemo on the other hand remains a mystery. Nicieza had no other option then to turn him into a grey-area character. In the first 75 issues of Thunderbolts, Zemo went through so many ridiculous incarnations and reincarnations that he’s lost all dramatic tension as an overt villain. In the past, this comic book was great at dramatic conclusions to story arcs but then shot itself in the foot with the repeated outlandish returns of characters like Fixer and Zemo. With Zemo back in the forefront of this title, let's see what his true intentions are and where he will take the team. I, for one, am glad to see many of the threads from New Thunderbolts resolved (particularly the often-convoluted cosmic storylines), but who knows what waits around the corner for the team and the title. One thing for sure, it's never boring.

ART:
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STORY:
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OVERALL:
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‘Buy this issue online now from X-WORLD and save!’ (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=18656)

[RingoStarr]

another great issue, Fabian. Though I really hope this isn't the end of Genis. He had difficulty finding his place in the Thunderbolts, but he is a great character, and I hope to see him again.

[BritishSeaPower]

Great issue, I thought. I loved the bonus material that made it worth $4. I have to say that I loved Fabian's work for a long time.

Though I do have one question: Where is the bonus material from? Thunderbolts 1 & 2 or am I not even close?

[Jason Grasso]

The first bonus is from the first Thunderbolts annual. The second bonus is from a anthology one-shot called Tales of the Marvel Universe that came out shortly before the first Thunderbolts series started and in tandem with their appearance in an issue of the Incredible Hulk, was meant to promote the team while also planting some seeds for the big first issue shock.

[MrGreen]

Must heavily disagree with the review of the writing in this issue. I thought it was great and am probably one of the few readers here that will not miss Genis at all. I feel that the writing in this issue surpassed the art. And I had thought that Smuggler would not return with Blackout instead beign the Darkforce guy but I was happily surprised. All of this and I'm a big Baron Zemo fan, though I have no idea when he and Songbird had time to have a romance.
Writing: 4/5
Art: 3.5/5
Cover: 4/5 (but why was Speed Demon on the cover?)
Overall: 4.5/5

[Corey Brotherson]

Good review, Jason. The whole issue was a tad too much for me, and I usually love convoluted plots. From here on I may just switch to trades (is Marvel TPB-ing the series?) as I feel much of the whole story arc would have been a lot easier to digest that way.

I'm happy that the themes of redemption, loyalty and what defines heroism are still very strong within the series, though. Really came out in this issue, helped by the reprints at the back. Nicieza is still one of my favourite writers (I still maintain that as consistant and excellent Young Avengers and Runaways are, Nicieza and Bagley's New Warriors V1 still trumps them as 'young adult' themed books), so I'm more than willing to keep reading the book... it just seems a little too plot heavy for me to work as well as it should for a monthly.

[AdamWarlock]

Great Review and Great Book!
I'm sad at the loss of Genis... He'll be back.
Wasn't Zemo's face scarred horribly the last time we saw it?
While Zemo pretends to be a hero his blackmail of Atlas proves he's still the villian.
And Moonstone is still out. As is Black out.

[BritishSeaPower]

Thanks a lot Jason. I don't wholly agree with the review, but I do see his point.

[Mike Sangregorio]

As Mr. Nicieza has been known to frequent these reviews personally, I am going to address this to him:

For the most part I think Jason nailed the pros and cons of this issue, though I wouldn't have given such high praise to Grummett. I can see how the comparisons to Bagley stand up, but there is still a clear lack of storytelling ability in this art. Once again longtime Thunderbolt fans are left with the task of sorting everything out on their own, which would be quite an enjoyable experience if it were possible to give a damn about any of the characters we are now being presented with.

Joystick, R-Man and the rest of the little-band-of-heroes-that-could still lack, I believe, the proper motivation and actual character development that so perfectly fueled the beginnings of this series. I've said it before but, please stop trying so hard to force these plot points (ie Photon might destroy the world or something and that whole Swordsman affair) on an audience that (I hope) hungers for actual storylines, not rehashed Mark Gruenwald tales.

Maybe it is the nature of the Thunderbolts, as a well-conceived franchise, to warrant shock endings on a regular basis. "They're the Masters of Evil?" and "Is that Hawkeye wearing the Blacknight's armor?" rank as some as my favorite scenes ever, but really...Melissa and Zemo? Why not just have him put a collar around Songbird's neck and lead her around like a puppy?

This woman evolved into a strong independent leader who bowed to the whim of no man and now she's dating an ex-Nazi burn victim because he says he has reformed. Having recently dropped Cable and Deadpool, I can now add T-Bolts to the list of books that will go by the wayside. One last thing, if Warren Ellis ever leaves Marvel, please stay far, far away from my dear, sweet Nextwave.

[FabianNicieza]

>> I can see how the comparisons to Bagley stand up, but there is still a clear lack of storytelling ability in this art. Once again longtime Thunderbolt fans are left with the task of sorting everything out on their own, which would be quite an enjoyable experience if it were possible to give a damn about any of the characters we are now being presented with.<<

We can agree to disagree regarding Tom's storytelling, but trust me, from a writer who has worked with a LOT of artists on a LOT of team books, most of which were a LOT easier to handle then T-Bolts, Tom is a terrific storyteller.
We're working plot-first, so I don't handle most of the script until I get his pencils and that's when you can REALLY tell if the storytelling is there, based on how hard it is to flow your dialogue. Working off Tom's pages is always a pleasure.


>>I've said it before but, please stop trying so hard to force these plot points (ie Photon might destroy the world or something and that whole Swordsman affair) on an audience that (I hope) hungers for actual storylines, not rehashed Mark Gruenwald tales. <<

Well, some of those plot points might be forced, a'la much of the stuff that happened with Genis, based on the mistaken decision to include him in the book, combined with Marvel's evolving plans for the Captain Marvel trademark necessitating I jump through a few more hoops than I would have planned for.
Now let's be honest, I'll jump through plenty of hoops without any help, but in this case, a couple of them were on fire. :-)

I disagree about Swordsman. I don't think that was forced, but rather a plan for a slow-burn introduction to a character who is VERY T-Bolts-worthy. I think we'll need to see what comes next for him before we can judge the merits of his story.

>>Maybe it is the nature of the Thunderbolts, as a well-conceived franchise, to warrant shock endings on a regular basis. "They're the Masters of Evil?" and "Is that Hawkeye wearing the Blacknight's armor?" rank as some as my favorite scenes ever, but really...Melissa and Zemo? Why not just have him put a collar around Songbird's neck and lead her around like a puppy?

This woman evolved into a strong independent leader who bowed to the whim of no man and now she's dating an ex-Nazi burn victim because he says he has reformed. <<


I think one aspect of having surprise endings or unexpected status quo shifts is that many readers tend to jump the gun and pre-judge the idea based solely on the surprise. I think if you read #101, you will want to rethink much of what you wrote above...

>>Having recently dropped Cable and Deadpool, I can now add T-Bolts to the list of books that will go by the wayside. One last thing, if Warren Ellis ever leaves Marvel, please stay far, far away from my dear, sweet Nextwave.

Oh, I guess you won't be reading #101 then. :-) Hope you continue enjoying your dear, sweet Nextwave. Warren has kids he needs to feed, too...

-- Fabian

[Jason Grasso]

I think Melissa's bout with strong independence was very short lasting compared to how many years she was manipulated and controlled/led by others. As creepy as it felt to me, when i thought about it...it does make sense in the grand scheme of things. And not for nothing, it's an incomplete picture right now anyway.

Fabian, I have no interest in Nextwave, but if you move over to it, i'll follow.

[Chris Day]

I originally posted my reactions to this issue in the "New" Thunderbolts thread, but I'm going to quote them here as well because unlike some people posting here, I thought that this issue was really quite brilliant, certainly better than many other comics I've read lately... I can't understand why after reading something this awesome that people would drop the title... it must be new readers having trouble with the complexity and continuity...

the one thing I didn't say before though was that I would have preferred that the Thunderbolts #0 (Wizard special) would have been a better choice for the suplementary material than the tales of the marvel universe special (which was reprinted along with this annual in the Thunderbolts: Justice, like Lightning TPB...)
the Wizard #0 special hasn't been reprinted and are also very difficult to come by (I luckily found a copy recently though...)


I finally got Thunderbolts #100 and I have to say that I thought it was brilliant! and i don't know what some of you guys are complaining about...

This issue was very complex, and cleared up several plot threads... and had good writing and script (Even Joystick's "A sockpuppet says what?" thing... I didn't see that as out of character for her... even if it was a strange thing to say...)

the status-quo is changing again... good, it makes this title constantly going in new and ever more interresting directions...

the art, both pencils and colours, is brilliant... I hope it never changes! (heck, I would buy it for the art alone, but I love the stories and characters just as much)

Genis has not died. and I wish people would stop saying that... trust Fabian to come up with a complex but decent way to eliminate a fairly major character in the Marvel Universe without killing him... even though like many others here I'm sad to see Genis go... I'm not disappointed in the way it was done.

there have been plans at Marvel to get a new Captain Marvel anyway, maybe Genis had to be taken out of the picture and Fabian was forced to do this by Editorial (I have no idea about this, but if this is in any way true, then I'm glad that it was done with respect to the various characters involved in this story) ... maybe Fabian decided to get rid of Genis himself and came up with this way of doing it... The cast of Thunderbolts is huge anyway...

the bonus material with that first Thunderbolts annual was perfect for further exploring Atlas's big decision in issue 100... I knew that Eric's former loyalty to Zemo would come back to haunt him, I'm really impressed with the way it was done, even if Zemo using Conrad Josten (the Smuggler) as blackmail was somewhat expected....

further development between Atlas and Man-Killer/Amazon (which name is she now using???) was also entertaining...

Joystick attacking nighthawk... Brilliant!!!

the "cosmic" element of this story was well balanced with the huge amount of character development and manipulations and such...

Songbird's choices...??? ... I'm not at all sure about Melissa anymore, she once had a defined future to be an Avenger and to be with Genis... that once possible future has well and truly gone, and so I'm slightly confused and slightly intrigued as to what the future will hold for Songbird...

the only things I didn't like about issue 100 was the extensive use of Marvel Universe "sciencey" concepts (pyp particles, temporal sciences, future timelines, the darkforce dimension, darkforce matter, Radioactive Man's radiation control, Zemo's altering of Genis's powers, gravity manipulations from the moonstones, Embryonic cocoons, the microverse, portals between time and space, and weird "photonics", it was a bit too much for a single issue IMO, but I still enjoyed it immensely)... the other thing was the use of the words "Epilogue" and "Prologue"... that initially made it quite confusing... but it's all better now though...

I hope that the resolving conversations between the two teams (before the "funeral") will be seen next issue... that is, to what end Zemo has been manipulating the Thunderbolts ???

I'm wondering when exactly it was that Zemo told Songbird the truth about Genis... it would have to be some time after he re-appeared as Photon... and what information did Zemo give the CSA???

above all else though, Helmut Zemo is undoubtebly the best/most interresting villain Marvel Comics has right now...

[Mike Sangregorio]

I can't understand why after reading something this awesome that people would drop the title... it must be new readers having trouble with the complexity and continuity...

Seeing as how I have been reading Thunderbolts continuously since #1, along with any and all supplementary limited series and one-shots, including the out of place "Fightbolts" bit, I doubt that “complexity” or “continuity” is really an issue in my deciding to drop the book.

[Chris Day]

well I don't see any drop in quality of the book. The art is the best it has ever been IMHO, and the complex stories and complex characters are what make me enjoy the title so much...

whatever your reasons for dropping the title, I know that I personally wouldn't even consider dropping it right now...

Thunderbolts is easily in my top 5 favourite titles right now, along with Justice, Cable & Deadpool, Fables, and Astonishing X-men

[stupidstufftosay]

Jason, I think you're 100% on int his review. I love this book and feel bad that it's never gotten the respect its deserved, even back in the day.