The band remains the same but the song title changes as we move from “Thunderbolts” to “Dark Avengers.” But what does that mean? Is nothing ever going to be the same? Has “AvX” fallout begun? Is it just a marketing gimmick? Is up now down? Let’s figure it out.
Written by Jeff Parker
Illustrated by Declan ShalveyDARK SCARLET WITCH. DARK SPIDER-MAN. TRICKSHOT. RAGNAROK. …LUKE CAGE?!
Name changes! What are they good for? Absolutely nothing!
Ok. That’s not true. That’s really not true at all. I was just trying to be clever.
Before we get into the meat of the issue, let’s talk about the name change a bit: a few months ago, Bendis brought back Norman Osborn and HAMMER, and with it he formed the New Dark Avengers. They were big, they were bold and they were all bad, created from a group of misfit villains with no real place to go who were in the mood for a smash or two. After they had their butts handed to them, there was assumedly no place for them to go but super prison. That’s a bit of a waste, eh? To develop that entire team as part of a franchise and then do nothing with them beyond a singular story?
Now let’s look at Thunderbolts. In the 175 issues it has existed, Jeff Parker has had one of the finest runs with the character to date, even challenging original series writer Kurt Busiek for best run (Parker and Busiek now have similarly lengthy runs on the title). He has handled the team with varying casts through different company-wide events and thematic crossovers, numerous historical eras and all of it has held up. The book has almost always been in flux, both with its cast and their purpose, and yet with Parker at the helm it has never not been a wildly enjoyable ride.
So, the Thunderbolts are lost in time. The Dark Avengers need a home. The Avengers is the third biggest selling film of all time and an insanely recognizable brand. Why not mix it all up a bit? It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, and it sure won’t be the last. Who better to do it than Jeff Parker? The Thunderbolts will be back. Of course they will. (Maybe they’ll meet up with the Exiles on their way home, even!) But in the meantime, the Dark Avengers want a home, and god damn it, they’re getting one!
This brings us to the latest issue. Returning to the present and once again bringing Luke Cage to the center stage, the Dark Avengers are released from whatever cell was holding them to replace the Thunderbolts as they meander about time. The gang is reunited this issue to show off what they can do, and the book is very much a “show of force” issue. Sure, the Avengers are punching X-Men over in that eponymous event book, but this issue presents a different kind of throwdown. Cage, Mach-V and Songbird throwdown with the Dark Avengers, and while muscles are flexed and energy beams are shot the message is clear: this, right here, everything you’re seeing in this issue? This is what you’re in for now, and you better be excited.
It should be no great surprise to anyone that Parker handles the transition like a pro (or, one might even say “like a boss”). The book doesn’t miss a single story beat: the missing Thunderbolts are addressed, the question of why the Dark Avengers moved from Point A to Point B is discussed and where it fits into the general theme of Parker’s run is certainly an obvious point. Those who read “Thunderbolts” #144 might find it somewhat similar to that issue; it’s a New Reader Friendly introduction to a decade old title with a “brand new” cast of characters, and doggone it if that last page isn’t a clincher to make you want to read more. It’s somewhat back to basics from the odyssey the book has been on recently, but it’s not dumbed down in any way, shape or form.
And Declan Shalvey! Oh, boys and girls, this book would be a fantastic read even if you took out all the dialogue. Shalvey’s art on the book has always been great, but Shalvey does surprisingly more with the characters than Deodato did when he introduced them in “New Avengers.” The Dark Avengers here look better than they ever have, and with a great eye for blocking and expression Shalvey nails every panel with a sense of vibrant urgency. It only helps that Shalvey and color artist Frank Martin Jr make a fantastic duo, with Martin really giving the book a visceral color scheme (especially in the opening sequence) that does wonders for Shalvey’s shading and sense of tone.
It may ostensibly be a marketing gimmick, but it’s just as good as it ever was. It doesn’t really matter what they call this book anymore. The next issue could be called “My Little Pony” to try and get that crowd to read this book and it wouldn’t matter. As long as Parker is at the helm and working with fantastic artists like Shalvey, you should be reading this title no matter what. It is absolutely one of Marvel’s finest current titles.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
