In Marvel Comics‘ Thunderbolts #1, written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly with art by Geraldo Borges, Bucky assembles a team to kill the Red Skull.
We reviewed the book on the Stack podcast. But in the interest of highlighting more about the title, here’s a summary of the conversation with our thoughts. And if you prefer the longer audio version, that’s below as well!
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Thunderbolts #1 Review:
After the events of the recent Captain America run, Bucky Barnes is now The Revolution and is using his power and information to track down high-danger targets and kill them. Starting with The Red Skull.
Getting immediately into spoilers, host Alex Zalben lauded the book for paying off on the premise of the first issue. “I was worried this was going to be a very typical, ‘we’re gonna kill the Red Skull’ and then it drags on for six issues,” Zalben said. “Folks, they got him.”
Justin Tyler noted that’s what he liked about this debut issue, that the team is really going for it. He also was surprised to see all these “heroes” that “straight-up murder… That was… bracing.”
Continuing, Tyler said, “I do like the art. I do like the vibe of this comic. Very aggressive, though.”
Zalben compared this book to Lanzing and Kelly’s run on Outsiders at DC, which is similarly taking “some big swings with what they do in a superhero universe.” He also noted that on both books, the team seems to be using the titular team name liberally: Outsiders is not what you would think of as an Outsiders book; Thunderbolts is not what you would think about as a Thunderbolts book, other than assembling the team from the upcoming movie.
“It’s bending the Thunderbolts comic concept quite a bit,” Tyler said. “But they do a good job of getting us on board… They’re great storytellers.”
Tyler also liked the last page reveal which he called “appropriately scary.”
Thunderbolts #1 Official Synopsis:
A REVOLUTION IS COMING! Bucky Barnes, the Revolution, just inherited a mountain of covert intel, and he has one objective: justice. Like lightning. He’s going after the establishment, the people no one else is willing or able to take down, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win. Teaming with the mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, Bucky assembles a team of black-ops heavy hitters to pursue high-profile targets like the Red Skull, Kingpin and even Doctor Doom himself. No one is safe from the Thunderbolts!
