Thunderboltsbegins a brand new volume under the team of Jim Zub and Jon Malin.
Ever since showing up in the late 90s,Thunderboltshas always been one of my favorite series.
Its rarely had a bad creative run and its had some very interesting directions.
As a fan of redemption stories, I cant praise the Busiek and Nicieza stuff enough.
the fight club storyline and the Red Hulk era).
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It lasted sixteen issues, stretched across the Dark Reign Marvel era.
At first glance I thought it was a fun time-killer in a status quo that would never stick.
Over time I realized it was actually a brilliant counterpart toThunderbolts.
They merely trip on their way towards redemption.
During the Dark Reign scenario, Daken had an ongoing, Moonstone took over Ms.
Marvels ongoing, and Venom, Ares, and Bullseye each had their own minis.
Dark Avengersis a different story.
But in the end,not really.
DAKEN
Im going to talk about each character from least important to most.
Daken is the ultimate paradox.
Hes the angry, rebellious son of the man who defined being angry and rebellious.
It makes sense that hes so forgettable here.
The real Wolverine stood out on every team because he was unique.
He was the savage killer always looking for a fight.
Being on a team with guys like Ares, Bullseye, and Venom puts Daken at a disadvantage.
Hes already on a team of Wolverines, so whats the point?
He was an X-Man because he believed in Xaviers teachings and philosophy.
He was an Avenger because he believed in heroism and what Captain America represents.
He led X-Force because he believed in going to extremes to protect innocent mutants from the wicked.
Daken believes in nothing.
He does nothing but occasionally remind us that he exists.
VENOM
Venom the teams Spider-Man barely does any more than Daken.
When he isnt being a hulking cannibal, Venom plays the part of the comic relief.
From taking meds to sedate the alien symbiote, Mac Gargan comes off as extra emotional and sensitive.
When they take down Man-Thing, Venom proceeds to mope about how heartbreaking it is.
Unlike Daken, Venom actually cares about stuff.
Nothing comes of it because even with forced emotions, Venom lacks conviction to be anything more.
NOH-VARR
Noh-Varr/Marvel Boy/Captain Marvel is basically the teams counterpart to Jolt from Thunderbolts.
Hes the hero who joins the team without realizing for a while that theyre actually bad guys.
Hearing that offhand remark is Noh-Varrs final appearance in the book.
The next issues cover shows him escaping while being chased by Venom, but it never happens.
Hes simply gone and nobody knows what happened to him.
On one hand, its great that Noh-Varr chose not to be associated with these people.
On the other hand, he did nothing but run and hide.
He didnt oppose them in any way.
He didnt give a shot to help their enemies in any way.
He simply chickened out and allowed them to continue.
Moonstone, branding herself as Ms. Marvel during this series, is a really fascinating character.
Shes a self-serving master manipulator who lacks megalomaniacal goals.
Sure, shes interested in great power, but doesnt care for the great responsibility that comes with it.
She doesnt want to rule the world because its simply too much work.
In essence, shes about worming her way into comfort, no matter the situation.
She makes the best of being a prisoner with benefits by trying to appeal to Osborn.
She stops respecting him after that and instead starts hitting on Bullseye.
Part of her actions are to openly rebel against Osborn.
Shes acting out as a big middle finger.
He sees their potential and wants them to be honorable brothers in arms.
It might not entirely be his fault.
In his eyes, Osborns questionable morality doesnt seem all that different from that of Tony Stark.
Ares eventually does realize somethings rotten, but its far too late.
As the brand new Hawkeye, Bullseye stands out and shows promise.
As I said earlier, lets ignore his actions in his miniseries or in Daredevils book.
InDark Avengers, Bullseye grabs us with his charisma and becomes genuinely likeable.
Early on, Ares addresses the team, but Bullseye especially.
You Avengers, you listen to me!
Up until now, it mattered not what kind of men you were…
But now the gods have chosen you, and you, and you to lead.
From this moment on, if you choose to act as a child…thatis what you will be!
And I will spank you like a child!
But act as men, as noble men, and that is what you will be treated as.
Not feeling that Bullseye takes his words seriously, he backhands him across the face.
What you were then did it make you a whole man?
You take this chance.
You be the man youve always dreamed of being.
What we see of Bullseye is that of someone we can easily root for.
He sees through everyone and tells it like it is.
He doesnt seem like the psychotic lunatic from Ellis and GagesThunderbolts.
One of the most important scenes in the book is in the fifteenth issue.
Then things take a horrible turn as he reveals his true self.
He starts badmouthing her out of disgusted honesty.
Hes constantly smiling, but now he looks purely evil.
He basks in his vileness as he strangles Lindy to death and gets off on it.
Bullseye can never be anything more.
He doesnt want it.
His reward is ultimately being punched into oblivion by Luke Cage.
NORMAN OSBORN AND THE SENTRY
Norman Osborn and the Sentry are equally as important because theyre linked.
When one falls, so does the other.
Then theCivil Warregistration era begins and he starts acting like more of a confused mess.
He ends up falling by the wayside and Norman Osborn picks up the pieces.
The thing is, Osborn is believable in trying to help the poor guy.
Osborn during this time is interesting because of how he relates to the moral grayness of Marvels heroes.
A pragmatist who gets hung up on spite.
Yeah, hes harsh in his ways, but he gets results!
Conceivably, a clear-minded Norman Osborn can do a lot of good for the world.
Thats why Victoria Hand stays with him and tries to steer him in the right direction.
Its why his kinship with the Sentry early on feels almost heartwarming.
Theyre in this together.
If Osborn can save the Sentry, then he can save himself.
Its just that Osborn cant do it.
There are a lot of reasons.
Sentry is killed in the lamest way and the heroes decide to be pals again.
In the final scene, Osborn no longer with anything to lose, speaks from the heart.
Although callous, he was still intending to save the world and keep it safe in his own way.
He just got tangled up with his Goblin persona, which he simply couldnt escape.
As for Victoria Hand?
Well, she was at least recognized for trying to make something out of this.
So at least somebody was able to life their head high after this mess.
