I read some stuff:
Thunderbolts: Faith in Monsters (collects Thunderbolts #110-115 and Civil War: Choosing Sides #1)
Thunderbolts: Caged Angels (collects Thunderbolts #116-121)
"I'm also told you're quite toyetic."
"What?"
"Toyetic. It's a word the media people use. It means your image and abilities easily suggest toys based on you."
Over the course of its decade-and-a-half run of almost 200 issues, Thunderbolts underwent several re-tools. One constant remained; these were former villains seeking redemption. This volume seeks to remove the redemption part of that. In the aftermath of Civil War, Baron Zemo is thought dead, so the Thunderbolts are placed under the command of Norman Osborn and re-staffed with some big name villains like Bullseye and Venom alongside regular members like Songbird and Radioactive Man (not that one). Theyre professional Hero Hunters, when theyre not trying to screw over each other. In Faith in Monsters they tackle C and D-list heroes like Jack Flag and the Steel Spider in knock-down, drag out brawls, while Caged Angels sees the team being manipulated by a grouping of unregistered psychics.
Warren Ellis eschews the usual they fight, but then they get along structure of superhero team books by actively writing against it. These characters hate each other, and most of them hate themselves even more. Even characters outside the team, like Doc Samson who appears in the second book, imagines himself destroying Osborn and Moonstone after learning of their activities. Teeth-clenched teamwork is the order of the day, despite repeated attempts at sabotaging the missions by just about everybody. Its a miracle they win any fights at all. Ellis is on point in these stories, tearing apart merchandise-driven marketing, the media wars of the day (Fix News: Giving You Your Opinion!) and pop psychology in equal measure.
Mike Deodato is the artist for the whole run, and this is some of his best work. His style channels the best of the widescreen comics mentality of the 2000s, with some spectacular fight scenes. He almost doesnt skimp on the gore, rest assured, this comics not for the faint of heart. There are two scenes, one involving a grappling hook gun and another involving an arsenal of scalpels, thatll make you wince. The colouring from Rain Bereto is moody and dark, almost claustrophobic, giving us a window into the twisted minds of our protagonists.
The whole runs available as a Complete Collection, and if you want some Dark Age thrills without the Dork Age chills, its highly recommended.
8.5/10
Suicide Squad (1987) #1-15
These eight people will put their lives on the line for our country. One of them wont be coming home.
Managed by one of comics greatest anti-heroes, Amanda The Wall Waller, Suicide Squad is the story of a secret division of Task Force X, charged with enlisting captured supervillains to do the deadliest and dirtiest of jobs. Succeed, and they get time off their sentences. Fail, and they lose an arm, or worse.
Going back to older comics can be an issue for me after reading a bunch of new stuff, but with this book, you acclimatise fairly quickly. A cast of minor villains are the stars, ranging from assassins with a death wish (Deadshot) to people with murderous multiple personalities (Enchantress) to Proud Warrior Race Guys (Bronze Tiger) to near-irredeemable perverts (Captain Boomerang). This series is steeped in 80s pop and comics culture, with several missions against the dastardly Russians and a clash with the BWAH-HA-HA Justice League International being two of the main arcs.
John Ostrander is probably one of the most underrated creators in comics, and he manages to juggle an enormous cast that changes practically every issue (mostly due to a fairly high mortality rate) along with support staff, the Wall and her assistants and even guest star heroes like Batman (blue suit hype!) that could easily swamp the book. The issue where Batman infiltrates Belle Reve is easily my favourite, ending with a standoff between the Dark Knight and the Wall (UP AGAINST THE WALL, FREAK!) that has to be read to be believed, and naturally leads to a showdown between the Squad and the JLI. Karl McDonnell is on art and his work is solid throughout, letting the characters each get their moments during the big scenes and giving them all some unique expressions and body language.
Its easy to see why this is a cult classic. DC needs to get off their asses and start collecting this in print again.
9/10
Future Installments:
2000 AD: Age of the Wolf (and Nikolai Dante, I forgot to read it, next week for sure)
Journey Into Mystery: Stronger than Monsters
Ms. Marvel: No Normal
