Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Mike Deodato
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 10th 2007

Sometimes you open a book, or a comic or start to watch a TV show and know that this is a moment: that something special is happening and that you are going to be a part of it. I remember that feeling from reading the first issue of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, and without taking this too far I think Ellis and Deodato’s opening issue of Thunderbolts is in the same league.

The premise of the series is that mid-Civil War, the Thunderbolts have been re-formed with some fairly hefty villains in their ranks (and in command of them). The second-rate bad guys like Radioactive Man and Swordsman have been supplemented by A-list villains like Venom, Bullseye and well, that would be telling. The main action is told through a variety of dramatic ‘lenses’, both direct and indirect using, for example, faux media coverage of the Thunderbolts to provide context and commentary on the views of the US Establishment (in the story). The use of a TV advert for Thunderbolts toys with Captain America as the masked villain is a particularly good piece of role reversal that works because advertising really can be so totally unsubtle.

Ellis and Deodato have worked together before on The Mighty Thor but it is fair to say that both of them have honed their craft considerably since those early days. Ellis uses a combination of plot advancing, yet natural sounding, dialogue and insightful character moments to set up what looks like one hell of a story. Deodato supports this with some excellent artwork, mixing close ups and long shots in a very effective cinematic style. The opening sequence (featuring a conversation with Bullseye) uses a tight framing of Bullseye’s face very effectively. Deodato’s art is perfect for the book marrying as it does the classic, clean lines of an Alan Davis or a Brian Bolland with the use of light and shadow of early Frank Miller. In terms of framing, there is a hint of 90’s style Jim Lee in the mix, particularly in the Jack Flag sequence where he dons his mask and looks for all the world like Wild.C.A.T.S. Grifter. But rather than making the book look dated, Deodato succeeds in imbuing it with a timeless sense of quality (The review copy is in black and white which perhaps adds to this classic look, one can only hope that the colouring does not detract from it).

In DV8 Ellis wrote about the dark underbelly of teenage superhero teams, but in that book they were as much the victims as their opponents. Here the bad guys (so far) seem pretty straightforwardly villainous, although it is fair to say that the rank and file have not had much ‘air time’. Instead the story concentrates on the team’s leadership, which though sanctioned by the government, appears to be unremittingly evil in its intent. If the book were simply about bad guys, it would be difficult to find a character to root for; so several pages are devoted to introducing Jack Flag (an old Captain America sidekick), presumably as the Thunderbolts’ first victim. His story gives a human aspect to the book that would otherwise be lacking.
In terms of pacing, the issue concentrates on establishing the situation and the characters and there is no action per se. None the less there is plenty of drama and no feeling of frustration as a reader that makes you want to shout ‘get on with it’ at the pages.

Given his previous comments about the super-hero genre it is in some ways surprising that Warren Ellis has chosen to pick up an ongoing comic book in the main Marvel universe. On that basis he obviously has something he wants to say. I’m listening and I suggest you do too. So, with fantastic art, great writing and an interesting premise I feel pretty certain this book is set to make headlines. Is it the next Watchmen? Perhaps not, but I expect this to be a classic run and, as Moore did with Swamp Thing, my guess is that it will promote what many people would have regarded as a second rate book into the big league.

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