Time for another annual, this one featuring Thunderbolts. Just like the recent Avengers Annual, this annual is done by a completely different team than normal. In this case, Ben Acker and Ben Blacker (does anyone notice anything conspicuous about these names?). What do they have in store for us? Is it good?
Thunderbolts Annual #1 (Marvel Comics)
Dr. Strange has gone cuckoo and it’s up to the Thunderbolts to take him down before the situation gets any worse. However, do they have what it takes to kill the Sorcerer Supreme?
They may if they can complete all of their special fetch-quests!
As with the aforementioned Avengers annual, this is a simple done in one story that plays up the humor and puts the characters in silly (though this time it is actually serious) situations. In that regard, Thunderbolts Annual #1 is highly enjoyable for people simply looking to read something fun that involves these Thunderbolts characters/team. It’s actually not too far off from what the title has been like under Charles Soule if you want more of the same; people who want something more serious, this may not fit your bill.
Benjamin A. Blacker and Ben Acker’s writing is pretty good for this humorous one-shot tale. Characters are enjoyable to watch even if they are all morally questionable, the story is easy to follow and paced well, the dialogue is fun and the ending is just absolutely great. On the negative side, most of the action and the actual fight against Dr. Strange is kind of shoved into the very end and even then, the fight itself is rather anti-climactic. It’s good regardless though.
Has Deadpool been waiting for this day?
Matteo Lolli is on art duty and he does a good job overall. His characters look great and very expressive, which often adds to some of the humor based entirely how the characters react to certain situations. Lolli constructs some good layouts, impressive looking action scenes, detailed locations with some amusing background gags and creative looking images. Compared to some of the previous artists on the book, Matteo Lolli is easily the best artist to have worked on the book so far, even if it is just this one single issue.
9.0
- A simple, but fun one-shot
- Very funny
- Great artwork by Mateo Lolli
- Not for people who want something serious
- Ending is a bit rushed
Is It Good?
Thunderbolts Annual #1 was a special treat. The book was a blast with a great sense of humor, memorable characters, and a serious but still goofy story. While this tone may not appeal for everyone with a cast of characters who are usually very serious and dark (besides Deadpool usually), this was undeniably a fun and a great read. Definitely worth a look this week if you want some Thunderbolts action.
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