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Thunderbolts #102
Book Released: 10 May 2006
Review posted: 12 May 2006
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Tom Grummett
Publisher: Marvel Comics
4.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Adam White
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I have wanted to review Thunderbolts for some time, but didn’t feel the time was right until now. See,
I’ve been a T-bolts fan since day one, back when they were introduced in Incredible Hulk and other random series
before debuting in their own title in the aftermath of that Onslaught debacle. I loved the whole idea behind the
series and, as the characters grew, I grew to care about the people associated with the Thunderbolts more than any others in
the Marvel Universe. I even enjoyed the title when it was turned into the whole “fight club” thing, despite it
having nothing to do with the namesake of the book. However, I felt somewhat let down by the Avengers/Thunderbolts
miniseries, as it was too convoluted and had too many characters and ideas floating around to be an entertaining read. Nor
was I enthused with New Thunderbolts in the beginning, as once again there was simply too many things going on with
seemingly little to no explanation. I dropped the series for the first time (giving up my uninterrupted run of the team’s
appearances), but came back to it recently when it reverted to its original title with #100 (of nostalgia, guilty I am). I
then acquired the whole run of the series and read it all at once, and that’s how I got pulled back in.
Fabian Nicieza crafts one heck of a “big picture” storyline, so big that it is sometimes difficult to read
one issue at a time. While that is a detriment to some standing fans and anathema to new readers, it does still pay off to those
who buy the issues, let them keep, and then read storylines all in one sitting. Thunderbolts is an addictive series,
one that has characters that transcend the creative teams and keep you wanting to see what they do next.
Thunderbolts is an addictive series, one that has characters that transcend the creative
teams and keep you wanting to see what they do next.
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Nicieza has his ups and downs with the series (I will not forgive what happened to Genis for no reason in #100), but always
keeps it interesting and packed with intrigue and deception on every level. Thunderbolts #102 stands as an example of
the series at its best, though, with Nicieza revealing history about Joystick for the first time and deepening her character
to the point that she could be a major player, which is the true strength of the series: taking throwaway villains and
turning them into fascinating characters with multi-faceted lives and personalities. Nicieza has worked similar wonders on
Radioactive Man and Speed Demon, and he continues to develop already rich characters like Melissa Gold and Abe Jenkins (the
fact that I think of everyone by their real names first is a testament to the strength of these characters). Nicieza takes
risks and changes things so rapidly that he never keeps the status quo, mainly because Thunderbolts never has a status
quo, and that’s why I like it so much.
Another thing that initially threw me on the series was Tom Grummett’s art; it’s not that I disliked it, I
just felt somewhat ambivalent towards it. Sometimes I would like Grummett’s work, other times not, yet he has always
been a consistent and timely artist that sticks with the series and I give him serious credit for that. However, I have gained
a new appreciation for his work recently, and #102 let Grummett show what he’s got and explore Joystick’s
emotions and physical abilities to their fullest. So I’m now of a mind that Grummett has always had the ability but
not always the opportunity to showcase it, and when he gets the chance to focus on the characters instead of multiple
interweaving storylines his talents really shine through. I am now a converted Tom Grummett fan, and I love what he does for
Thunderbolts and hope he does get more time to explore individual characters as the series moves along.
As you can tell, Thunderbolts leaves me with mixed emotions — some ecstatic and some shell-shocked —
and upon reflection I think that’s why I love this series; you get taken for a ride and you’re never sure where
it will lead you, but you always run the full gamut of emotions getting there.
Thunderbolts takes you for a ride and you’re never sure where it will lead you, but
you always run the full gamut of emotions getting there.
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And when I objectively think about most of my complaints of the series it really boils down to the fact that things always
change in Thunderbolts and nothing is sacred, and that is true to life. Thunderbolts stands out as a unique
series built on a unique idea, and what makes it work are the characters’s quests for redemption in the face of their
own shortcomings and the unappreciative disregard of the world-at-large. Nicieza and Grummett have a handle on these characters
and put them through the wringer issue after issue, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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