{"id":32748,"date":"2025-05-01T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T08:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=32748"},"modified":"2025-05-01T07:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T07:20:21","slug":"thunderbolts-epic-collection-volume-1-justice-like-lightning-1997-1998","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/05\/01\/thunderbolts-epic-collection-volume-1-justice-like-lightning-1997-1998\/","title":{"rendered":"Thunderbolts Epic Collection volume 1: Justice, Like Lightning (1997-1998)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nBy Kurt Busiek<\/strong>, Roger Stern<\/strong>, Peter David<\/strong>, John Ostrander<\/strong>, Mark Bagley<\/strong>, Mark Deodato Jr.<\/strong>, Sal Buscema<\/strong>, Steve Epting<\/strong>, Jeff Johnson<\/strong>, Pasqual Ferry<\/strong>, Bob McLeod<\/strong>, Tom Grummett<\/strong>, Ron Randall<\/strong>, Gene Colan<\/strong>, Darick Robertson<\/strong>, George P\u00e9rez<\/strong>, Chris Marrinan<\/strong>, Ron Frenz<\/strong> & various (MARVEL)
\nISBN: 978-1-3029-5205-1 (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times. <\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to be a busy year for comics-based movies, so let\u2019s properly start the ball rolling with some context and a look at a Thunderbolts team definitely not coming anywhere close to a cinema near you soon…<\/em><\/p>\n

At the end of 1996, Marvel\u2019s Onslaught<\/em> publishing event removed the Fantastic Four<\/strong>, Captain America<\/strong>, Iron Man<\/strong> and the Avengers <\/strong>from the Marvel Universe and its long-established shared continuity. The House of Ideas ceded creative control to Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee for a year and at first the iconoclastic Image style comics got all the attention. However, a new title created to fill the gap in the \u201cold\u201d universe proved to be the true star sensation of the period. Thunderbolts<\/strong> was initially promoted as a replacement team book: brand new, untried heroes pitching in because the beloved big guns were dead and gone. Chronologically, they debuted in Incredible Hulk<\/strong> # 449 (cover-dated January 1997), a standard exhibition of \u201cheroes-stomp-monster\u201d, but the seemingly mediocre tale is perhaps excusable in retrospect…<\/p>\n

With judicious teaser guest-shots abounding, Thunderbolts <\/strong>#1 premiered with an April cover-date and was an instant mega-hit, with a second print and rapid-reprint collection of the first two issues also selling out in days. This classy compendium gathers all those early appearances of the neophyte team between from January 1997 to March 1998: introductory teaser tale in Incredible Hulk <\/strong>#449 and parts of 450; Thunderbolts<\/strong> #1-12, Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings #-1<\/strong> special, Annual \u201897<\/strong>, plus their portion of Tales of the Marvel Universe<\/strong>, Spider-Man Team-Up Featuring… <\/strong>#7 and Heroes for Hire<\/strong> #7. Sadly although the stories are still immensely enjoyable this book simply won\u2019t be able to recapture the furore the series caused in its early periodical days, because Thunderbolts was a sneakily high-concept series with a big twist: one which – almost unprecedentedly for comics – didn\u2019t get spilled before the carefully calculated \u201cbig reveal\u201d.<\/p>\n

Here the action starts with issue #1 (cover-dated April 1997) and \u2018Justice… Like Lightning\u2019<\/em> as Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley & Vince Russell introduce a new superhero team to a world which has lost its champions. The mysterious Thunderbolts begin to clear New York\u2019s devastated, post-Onslaught streets of resurgent supervillains and thugs making the most of the hero-free environment. Amongst their triumphs is the resounding defeat of scavenger gang The Rat Pack<\/em>, but although the looters are routed and rounded up, their leader escapes with his real prize: homeless children…<\/p>\n

Golden Age Captain America<\/strong> tribute\/knock off Citizen V<\/em> leads these valiant newcomers – size-shifting Atlas<\/em>, super-armoured Mach-1<\/em>, beam-throwing amazon Meteorite<\/em>, sonic siren Songbird<\/em> and human toybox Techno<\/em> – and the terrified, traumatised citizenry instantly take them to their hearts. But these heroes share a huge secret: they\u2019re all supervillains from the sinister Masters of Evil<\/em> in disguise, and Citizen V – or Baron Helmut Zemo<\/em> as he truly prefers – has major Machiavellian long-term plans…
\n\"\"
\nWhen unsuspecting readers got to the end of that first story the reaction was instantaneous shock and jubilation.<\/p>\n

Anachronistically, the aforementioned Hulk teaser tale (cover-dated January 1997, but on sale at the end of 1996) appears next, as Peter David, Mike Deodato Jr. & Tom Wegrzyn pit a neophyte super-team against the Jade Juggernaut in \u2018Introducing the Thunderbolts!\u2019<\/em>: the opening step of their campaign to win the hearts and minds of the World. That clash spilled over into the next issue and the pertinent section is also included here, promptly followed by Tales of the Marvel Universe <\/strong>tale \u2018The Dawn of a New Age of Heroes!\u2019<\/em> as the team continue doing good deeds for bad reasons, readily winning the approval of cynical New Yorkers.<\/p>\n

Thunderbolts<\/strong> #2 (May 1997 by Busiek, Bagley & Russell) offers \u2018Deceiving Appearances\u2019<\/em> as they garner official recognition and their first tangible reward. After defeating The Mad Thinker<\/em> at an FF\/Avengers memorial service and rescuing \u201corphan\u201d Franklin Richards<\/em>, the Mayor hands over the FF\u2019s Baxter Building HQ for the T-Bolts\u2019 new base of operations…<\/p>\n

Busiek, Sal Buscema & Dick Giordano\u2019s Spider-Man Team-Up Featuring… <\/strong>#7 yarn \u2018Old Scores\u2019<\/em> sees them even fool the spider-senses of everybody\u2019s favourite wallcrawler whilst clearing him of a fiendish frame-up and taking down the super-scientific Enclave<\/em>. However the first cracks in the plan begin to appear as Mach-1 and Songbird (AKA The Beetle<\/em> and Screaming Mimi<\/em>) begin falling for each other and dare to dream of a better life, even as Atlas\/ Goliath<\/em> starts to enjoy the delights and rewards of actually doing good deeds.<\/p>\n

… And whilst Techno (The Fixer<\/em>) is content to follow orders for the moment, Meteorite – or Moonstone<\/em> – is laying plans to further her own personal agenda…<\/p>\n

Thunderbolts<\/strong> #3 finds the team facing \u2018Too Many Masters\u2019<\/em> (Bagley & Russell art) as dissension creeps into the ranks. The action comes from rounding up old allies and potential rivals Klaw<\/em>, Flying Tiger<\/em>, Cyclone<\/em>, Man-Killer<\/em> and Tiger-Shark<\/em>, who were arrogant enough to trade on the un-earned reputation as new Masters of Evil.<\/p>\n

One of the abducted kids in Thunderbolts<\/strong> #1 resurfaces in #4\u2019s \u2018A Shock to the System\u2019<\/em>. Hallie Takahama<\/em> was taken by the Rat Pack, and her new owner has since subjected her to assorted procedures which resulted in her gaining superpowers. Her subsequent escape leads to her joining the Thunderbolts as they invade Dr. Doom<\/strong>\u2019s apparently vacant castle to save the other captives from the monstrous creations and scientific depredations of rogue geneticist Arnim Zola<\/em>. However, the highly publicised victory forces Citizen V to grudgingly accept the utterly oblivious and innocent Hallie onto the team as trainee recruit Jolt<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Thunderbolts Annual 1997<\/strong> follows: a massive revelatory jam session written by Busiek with art from Bagley, Bob McLeod, Tom Grummett, Ron Randall, Gene Colan, Darick Robertson, George P\u00e9rez, Chris Marrinan, Al Milgrom, Will Blyberg, Scott Koblish, Jim Sanders, Tom Palmer, Bruce Patterson, Karl Kesel & Andrew Pepoy, which could only be called \u2018The Origin of the Thunderbolts!\u2019 <\/em>In brief instalments Jolt asks \u2018Awkward Questions\u2019<\/em> of V and Zemo offers a tissue of lies regarding the member\u2019s individual origins…<\/p>\n

Beginning with V\u2019s ostensible intentions in \u2018The Search Begins\u2019<\/em>, gaining \u2018Technical Support\u2019<\/em> from Fixer, examining Songbird\u2019s past in \u00a0\u2018Screams of Anguish\u2019<\/em>, obscuring the Beetle\u2019s \u2018Shell-Shocked!\u2019<\/em> transformation and revealing how \u2018Onslaught\u2019<\/em> brought them all together, the fabrications continue as \u2018To Defy a Kosmos\u2019<\/em> discloses to everyone but Jolt how ionic colossus Goliath was snatched from incarceration in another dimension before \u2018Showdown at the Vault\u2019<\/em> brought Moonstone into the mix with untrustworthy and dangerous men she had previously betrayed…<\/p>\n

The revelatory events also includes the Annual\u2019s Thunderbolts Fact File<\/em> text feature.<\/p>\n

Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings #-1<\/strong> (July 1997) was part of a company-wide event detailing the lives of heroes and villains before they started their costumed careers. Illustrated by Steve Epting & Bob Wiacek, \u2018Distant Rumblings!\u2019<\/em>, examines key events in the lives of two Baron Zemos<\/em>, mercenary Erik<\/em> (Atlas) Josten<\/em>, corrupt psychiatrist Karla<\/em> (Moonstone) Sofen<\/em>, trailer-trash kid and future Songbird Melissa Gold<\/em>, frustrated engineer Abner Jenkins<\/em> AKA Beetle and gadgeteering psychopath P. Norbert Ebersol<\/em>, who parleyed a clash with an amnesiac Sub-Mariner<\/strong> into a thrilling life as Hydra\u2019s prime technician and Fixer…<\/p>\n

Back in the now, Thunderbolts<\/strong> #5 delivers more \u2018Growing Pains\u2019<\/em> as the team take a personal day as civvies in Manhattan, only to be targeted and attacked by Baron Strucker of Hydra<\/em>, employing one of Kang the Conqueror<\/em>\u2019s Growing Man<\/em> AI automatons…
\n\"\"
\nBy this stage the grand plan was truly unravelling and in #6 \u2018Unstable Elements\u2019<\/em> sees Citizen V\/Zemo incensed that his team still don\u2019t have the security clearances the Avengers and FF used to enjoy. Unable to further his plans without them, he tidies up details, seeking to quash a budding romance between Atlas and their Mayor\u2019s Liaison\/former cop Dallas Riordan<\/em> whilst \u201csuggesting\u201d Meteorite might arrange an accident for increasing prying, questioning and just plain annoying Jolt…<\/p>\n

Opportunity arises and tensions escalate when a sentient and malign periodic table of elemental beings attack New York. Requesting help, the Mayor\u2019s office is refused and rebuffed by Citizen V before his own minions reject him and rush off to save lives beside the city\u2019s remaining superheroes such as Daredevil<\/strong>, Power Man & Iron Fist<\/strong>, Darkhawk <\/strong>and the New Warriors<\/strong>. \u2018The Revolt Within\u2019<\/em> (Busiek & Roger Stern, limned by Jeff Johnson, Will Blyberg, Eric Cannon, Larry Mahlstadt, Greg Adams & Keith Williams) signals the beginning of the end as the rebel Thunderbolts are quickly captured by the \u201cElements of Doom\u201d and Zemo refuses to save them, leaving \u2018Songbird: Alone!\u2019<\/em> to save the day in #8 (Busiek, Stern, Bagley & Russell). Although Zemo manages to finagle his way back into the \u2019Bolts\u2019 good books, he has what he wants: access to all the world\u2019s secrets after SHIELD chief G.W. Bridge<\/em> grants him top security clearance…<\/p>\n

A brief diversion follows in Heroes for Hire<\/strong> #7 (January 1998 by John Ostrander, Pasqual Ferry & Jaime Mendoza) as the troubled team stumble into an ongoing clash between Luke Cage<\/strong>, Iron Fist<\/strong>, Black Knight<\/strong> and Ant-Man<\/strong>, The Eternals<\/strong> and assorted monstrous Deviant<\/em>s, before \u2018The Thunderbolts Take Over!\u2019<\/em>, uniting with the HFH squad to save the shrinking man\u2019s daughter Cassie Lang<\/em> from a Super-Adaptoid<\/em>. In Thunderbolts<\/strong> #9 (Busiek, Bagley & Russell) the Black Widow<\/strong> comes calling with advice and \u2018Life Lessons\u2019<\/em> for Songbird and Mach-1, delivered as an untold tale of \u201cCap\u2019s Kookie Quartet\u201d – Captain America<\/strong>, Hawkeye<\/strong>, Quicksilver<\/strong> and the Scarlet<\/strong> Witch<\/strong> – and related via a flashback crafted by Stern, Ron Frenz, Blyberg & Milgrom, before the main event commences…
\n\"\"
\nAfter more than a year away, company publishing event Heroes Reborn\/Heroes Return<\/em> restored the martyrs believed killed by Onslaught to the Marvel Universe. That happy miracle sparked a new beginning for The FF and Avengers\u2019 stars and titles and began in an extended epic covering Thunderbolts<\/strong> #10-12: scripted as ever by Busiek and illustrated by Bagley, Russell, Scott Hanna, Larry Mahlstadt & Greg Adams.<\/p>\n

It opens with \u2018Heroes Reward\u2019<\/em> as whilst the Thunderbolts are being officially honoured, their greatest enemies – real superheroes – start reappearing. When G.W. Bridge raids the press briefing, having divined that Citizen V is wanted criminal Helmut Zemo, suddenly the aspiring (semi) reformed squad are fugitives all over again, hunted by every real hero in town…<\/p>\n

Fleeing into space and occupying an abandoned AIM space station, the Thunderbolts finally learn what Zemo\u2019s been after all along in \u2018The High Ground\u2019<\/em> and face a shattering decision to go along or pursue new redeemed lives. However, as the former allies deliberate, prevaricate, and inevitably clash, the choice becomes even harder as the base is invaded by an army of extremely angry Superheroes, including Avengers, Fantastic Four and every recent ally they so callously fooled…<\/p>\n

It all concludes in \u2018Endgame\u2019<\/em>, but not the way anyone anticipates, especially once Zemo mind controls and enslaves all the incoming champions before turning them on his outraged dupes. The conclusion is spectacular and rewarding but only promises more and better to come…
\n\"\"
\nBonus features here include a full gallery of covers and variants – including second printings and the many collected editions the series spawned in its first year – by Bagley & Russell, Deodato Jr., Carlos Pacheco & Scott Koblish, Steve Lightle, Sott Hanna, original art, a golden Age ad for the original Citizen V, promotional pieces, retailer solicitation art, text essays and introductions from earlier editions as well as 12 pages of Bagley\u2019s character designs tracing the metamorphosis from second-string villains into first rung heroes, and even faux ads. Also included are articles from in-house promotional magazine Marvel Vision<\/strong> #13, 14, 18, 19 & 27 providing context and behind the scenes insights for fans who just couldn\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n

This is a solid superhero romp that managed to briefly revitalise a lot of jaded old fan-boys, but more importantly this remains a strong set of tales that still pushes all the buttons it\u2019s meant to nearly 3 decades after all the hoopla has faded. Well worth a moment of your time and a bit of your hard-earned cash. Be warned though, if you\u2019re reading this because of the new movie, these ARE NOT Your Thunderbolts<\/strong>…
\n\u00a9 2023 MARVEL.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern, Peter David, John Ostrander, Mark Bagley, Mark Deodato Jr., Sal Buscema, Steve Epting, Jeff Johnson, Pasqual Ferry, Bob McLeod, Tom Grummett, Ron Randall, Gene Colan, Darick Robertson, George P\u00e9rez, Chris Marrinan, Ron Frenz & various (MARVEL) ISBN: 978-1-3029-5205-1 (TPB\/Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Thunderbolts Epic Collection volume 1: Justice, Like Lightning (1997-1998)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[222,94,281,165,237,74,85,54,247,98,120,79,387,234,213,219,107,39,155,100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ant-man","category-avengers","category-black-knight","category-black-panther","category-black-widow","category-captain-america","category-daredevil","category-fantastic-four","category-hawkeye","category-hulk","category-iron-man","category-marvel-superheroes","category-new-warriors","category-nova-graphic-novels","category-iron-fist","category-s-h-i-e-l-d","category-science-fiction","category-spider-man","category-sub-mariner","category-thor"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8wc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32748"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32755,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32748\/revisions\/32755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}