Comic of the Day 5/5: "Thunderbolts" #104

With its "Civil War" story line coming to a close, "Thunderbolts" seems to finally have found its footing. It ties in smoothly into the main "Civil War" comic, providing readers with valuable background information of "Operation: Justice Like Lightning". But is it fair to credit writer Fabian Nicieza, or is the "Civil War" story line just too strong and full of potential? 

It's probably a mix between both, as he still does an impressive job in the dialogue and characterization department. Helmut Zemo is thoroughly well written, while Hank Pym and Reed Richards make for some exciting scenes as antagonists. Tom Grummett's art, however, still doesn't manage to convince. His insistence on big, crowded panels for fights remains confusing and highly antiquated, especially when he shows here that he has far more talent drawing tighter, more reduced scenes.

All in all a good issue that is far away now from the disaster that was the first two.

6/10

Comic of the Day 3/5: "Thunderbolts" #103

Most surprisingly, Thunderbolts #103 is actually a half-decent comic. After the disaster that was the first two issues, Fabian Nicieza is finally able to appropriately integrate the Thunderbolts cause into the larger "Civil War" story arc, including some enjoyable references to Spider-Man's unmasking.

The dialogue between Helmut Zemo and Iron Man stands out especially here, as Nicieza shows an understanding of how to build up these tense and well-paced verbal skirmishes between the two. Unfortunately, Tom Grummett's  generic tag team fight scenes still can't convince, as he relies too heavily on large, confusing panels. Nicieza's jokes also more often than not miss their target, while Songbird's naive and dull depiction feels painfully sexist at times.

Thunderbolts #103 is mostly entertaining, which is mainly due to it finally embracing the "Civil War" story arc. But it's still too flawed to make it an entirely enjoyable affair.


6/10

Comic of the Day 16/4: "Thunderbolts" #102

All right, so Thunderbolts has traded incomprehensibility for really bad writing. But hey, I take that any day of the week. 

The story (three groups fighting and plotting for some mystical powers, you know the drill) is even somewhat interesting, even though complicated by the fact that half of the characters are wearing exactly the same cheap costume. Comics have come a long way stylistically since then, and we should all be very, very grateful for it. 

And then there are Fabian Nicieza's monologues and dialogues. Coming straight from the Big Old Comic Phrasebook, you'll find such gems as

A man bends, and you can get what you want...but if a man breaks--that gets you what you need.

and

Because that's when you've beaten your toughest challenger...That's when you've beaten yourself...

What does all that even mean!? Empty, self-important word shells that are nothing more than filler material. Also, the depiction of Joystick's relationship to her father feels hugely distorted throughout the comic. At times full of passion and empathy, and then suddenly she couldn't feel less.

Awkwardly, Thunderbolts #102 is a huge improvement compared to #101, and that says more about the quality of the latter than it does about the former. But keep improving like this and we might have a half-decent comic when I review #105.

Comic of the Day 5/4: "Thunderbolts" #101

This one is the first Thunderbolts comic I've ever read, without knowing much about the series in general, and having close to no clue what anyone of them is talking about in any given scene. Hence, I have to admit I don't feel in the most comfortable position to review this properly. 

But then, don't they say that every comic you pick could potentially be your first one, offering enough insight and background to make it an enjoyable read? So then, does that hold true for Thunderbolts #101, letting me jump right into the action?

The answer is simple: no. Although the comic offers sufficient exposition at the beginning, I hardly ever had the feeling to know what's going. Too much seems to depend on whether you've read earlier issues and are familiar with the characters. I do not say this is a bad thing in general, as I can see seasoned Thunderbolts readers enjoying this issue.

And, consequently, this also makes it rather difficult to answer another important question positively. Is the comic fun? The Thunderbolts seem oddly dated in 2016, with group dynamics and an art style that simply don't hold up with today's comic standards. 

So, will I read another issue. Strangely, yes. I have four more comics in the Civil War volume, so eventually I'll see if things get more coherent over time, letting me enjoy the comic at least a bit.