Bought/Thought: The 4/20 Edition!

[Phaedrus45]

I finally read the last four issues of Thunderbolts. I love how Parker keeps switching things up. He's not content just sticking with one team; but, his version is constantly evolving. I'm not sure Satana fits quite in with this group...and, I'm a bit worried that the reserve-Thunderbolts will take attention away from the main team (they almost need a separate mini); but, I'm excited by what I'm seeing. I'm loving the humor, too.

BTW, I also read the "From The Vault" T-bolts story that came out last week. It's cool that Marvel is showing stuff that never got released; but, unlike the last selection with Doctor Strange, this one isn't worth picking up. It was meant to be a filler story way back when the first volume of Thunderbolts came out...so, when there might be a delay with the regular writer and artist, they could just toss that one out. It shows. Skip it!

I'm also trying to get through the 7 back issues of X-Factor I have built up. I think I have two left...and, it's been tough at times. I think this book has outlasted its welcome. I hate to say it, but Peter David has messed with the cast too much; and, I'm getting absolutely zero enjoyment out of it. (Heck, Monet is relegated to sunbathing most of the time. These characters are now characterless!)

 

[Dread]

I finally read the last four issues of Thunderbolts. I love how Parker keeps switching things up. He's not content just sticking with one team; but, his version is constantly evolving. I'm not sure Satana fits quite in with this group...and, I'm a bit worried that the reserve-Thunderbolts will take attention away from the main team (they almost need a separate mini); but, I'm excited by what I'm seeing. I'm loving the humor, too.

I am fairly certain Jeff Parker is deliberately setting up some of his "beta team" to replace characters that are being yanked from him for FEAR ITSELF. One of "the Worthy" is Juggernaut, who is a regular character in T-Bolts; he'll be off limits to whatever Parker wanted to do with him for at least 6 months, and possibly longer depending on if Gillen has plans for him on UXM later. Man-Thing will also be off limits for a 3 issue FEAR ITSELF mini series being handled by a former Vertigo editor (and as the current EIC is a former Vertigo editor, guess who his chum is). Thus, Parker will have 2 of his Thunderbolts team off limits to him for several months, and he'll either need to continue without them or replace them in the short term. Mr. Hyde seems to clearly be the pick to replace Juggernaut as the team's muscle. Satana will likely fill in for Man-Thing.

The only member of the T-Bolts team that Parker has kept long term from the previous writer(s) has been Ghost (as Moonstone was on the Dark Avengers). But given Fraction on IIM, it may be a matter of time before Parker loses him, too. THUNDERBOLTS has hung tough but it is a C-List, bottom of the Top 80 selling comic; it's the red headed stepchild for any writer up the chain. Marvel wouldn't admit that, but Marvel lies about as often as most other companies. You think if Fraction or Gillen or Bendis or whatever want one of Parker's characters, he'll have a say? Especially after Marvel invested so much into AGENTS OF ATLAS and it (sadly) didn't catch on? Thus, I see the "beta" team as Parker lining his ducks in a row for replacement members.

And to be honest, I think Shocker could be very interesting. I imagine Parker will take the thankless task of explaining how Centurious survived an incineration death scene to be revived in NEW AVENGERS #2. That was the issue that showed that Bendis cared too little about mainstream Marvel to research about which characters were dead and what their powers were, and that no editor in Marvel cared enough to correct him. Bendis, ever the selfless hero, blamed it all on David Finch and his readers. The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe website has a theory that for that issue Bendis picked though an issue of one of the old 1980's handbooks and demanded all the characters from that particular issue, regardless if they were dead or not. Jeff Parker may choose the task of cleaning up Bendis' continuity messes, and not being appreciated for it. This is why people flee to DC, kids.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I absolutely HATE the idea of Mr. Hyde being on the team. He'd be as bad as Crossbones, imo. I do think Shocker has some potential, though.

 

[Dread]

I absolutely HATE the idea of Mr. Hyde being on the team. He'd be as bad as Crossbones, imo. I do think Shocker has some potential, though.

I agree on Mr. Hyde. While I imagine that whatever nanobots that can be utilized to control him were served to Zabo in the serum drink, he is an unstable lunatic who can't be redeemed and will ultimately go bad like Crossbones. Plus, considering his actions during the Avengers Under Siege storyline, I cannot imagine Steve Rogers would be thrilled to have Hyde there.

(For those unaware, AVENGERS UNDER SIEGE was a story from the 80's or 90's in which Baron Zemo led one of the most powerful rosters of the Masters Of Evil into Avengers Mansion, occupied it, captured several Avengers there including Capt. America, and proceeded to wreck destruction and torment them until they could be rescued by a cavalry led by Wasp, who Zemo stupidly allowed to escape. This included Mr. Hyde personally pummeling a helpless Edwin Jarvis nearly to death in front of Cap while he was bound and could only watch. Hyde also helped the Wrecking Crew and others beat Hercules into a coma, if memory serves.)

It seems every Thunderbolts roster has to have that one "obvious psycho" there who isn't trying to reform and is just biding their time before turning on them. It is a bit stupid, but it's drama. Still, I'll be irritated if Rogers finds out about it and doesn't at least have a talk with Walker about it.

Shocker, on the other hand, makes more sense. Given that he originally made his vibro-shock units from prison scraps and always is able to upgrade his supplies despite no end of arrests, I always imagined him as a poor man's Techno - someone able to make complicated gadgets out of simple materials, MacGuyver style. Also, as noted, Shocker is not a killer or someone who spends a lot of time on revenge fetishes - he's really just after money. He certainly makes more sense for such a program than a mad scientist (Centurious) or a professional hit-man (Bullseye, Boomerang, Crossbones, although Boomerang is the most sane of those three).