In the mid to late 1990s, Kurt Busiek reigned supreme at Marvel Comics. His Thunderbolts was a fascinating and fun new super-hero series, and his first couple of years on Avengers with George Perez was a real delight, a return to traditional comics storytelling that maintained a modern sensibility. Fabian Nicieza did a good job of following in Busiek's footsteps on Thunderbolts, and it's nice to see the two writers who guided the team of villains-turned-heroes return to the group here. Still, the Thunderbolts property is hindered by the same factor that got in Nicieza's way a fair bit when he was writing the regular title, and that's accessibility. On top of that, the plotting here is surprisingly transparent, casting the former villains back in their old roles far too quickly.
While the Avengers have their hands busy with super-villains back home in America, the Thunderbolts have taken a more worldly approach to fighting evil. Led by Baron Zemo, they cripple the illegal nuclear program of a small European nation and are hailed as heroes by neighboring countries, including Russia. Back in the States, Hawkeye beams with pride over his former team's accomplishments while Captain America -- Zemo's onetime arch-nemesis -- watches with concern, unconvinced his enemy has truly changed his ways. Little does he know that Zemo has a plan underway to make the world a better place, a project aimed at eliminating crime and oppression on an unimaginable scale.
The best thing this limited series has going for it is Barry Kitson's wonderfully detailed artwork. Gary Erskine is a rather unusual choice for an inker on this conventional super-hero story, but he brings an added edge and intensity to Kitson's pencils. I love some of the T-Bolts redesigned looks -- Zemo's in particular -- and the penciller juggles the wide array of colorful characters adeptly. It's a shame Kitson won't be sticking around the entirety of the series.
The plot here is surprisingly paper thin, though it's not at all unlikely that the writers are throwing a little bit of misdirection the readers' way. Still, their characterization of Zemo, the Fixer and Moonstone is still rather villainous, and they lack a greater depth that was injected into them in the T-Bolts series. Furthermore, the script makes reference to key events in the T-Bolts' history, but there's really not enough explanation for new readers (or forgetful ones, for that matter).
Despite those concerns, Busiek and Nicieza seem to be crafting a fun and colorful super-hero tale here, and as a onetime T-Bolts reader, I'm pleased to see some loose plot threads being tended to here. New, younger readers may be confused, but they'll also be dazzled by the wide array of colorful figures crowding these pages.
