Film Review : "The Thunderbolts*"

This might be the best Marvel Movie since the last Gaurdians of the Galaxy, but I am not going to call it the New Avengers since it literally has nothing to do with the New Avengers from the comics, in fact Sentry is the only charater from that team unless we are going to count Bucky's Cap. This could have been a good transition into the Dark Avengers but everyone might be a misfit but they do not need rehabbing like the Thunderbolts, eventually turned to rehab for villains to become heroes in the comic, so comic acuray is out the window, at this point, this should be a given, so we are going to talk about what worked. 

Sentry is one of my favorite comic characters, so he is the focus of this review.  Granted, Pugh's Yelena is the film's focal point, but her heroic arc does not focus on a big bad as much as it focuses on her shared trauma. They rearranged Sentry's origin story rather than abolish it totally. He is still a mental ill junkie, he just does not break into the lab to steal the drug but signs up for a study Close enough. The trailers for the movie are deceptive, as they waste little time introducing "Bob".  The writing is not perfect in fact, it is a little clunky, and he is handled like Thor in the first Thor movie, depowered, because it seems to hard to write for powerful people if you are going by the examples we have seen thus far. But the big payoff is when they do have their throwdown with him, which does not shy away from showing how powerful he is.

The rest of the team finds the Red Guardian as the predictable comic relief,  Ghost is still not really fleshed out, and feels different from how they appeared in Ant-Man  & Wasp. Bucky and John Walker are at varied places on the static spectrum. I think bringing in Songbird, while they were at the Vault, might have worked better than Ghost or any of the original members. But what plays in their favor is that the movie does not drag; something is always happening, not a big action film, some fighting, but not loaded with it, yet it was well paced.  The interesting change was how the VoidFre was handled; he was almost like  Freddie Krueger if you replace sleep with the trauma of your past. When the Void is embodied as Sentry, it's not the movie's most well-written moment, but they get away from the tropes that often make all Marvel movies feel the same, This is what makes the movie stand apart from the other films, however if you go into this without watching "Black Widow" and "Falcon and Winter Soldier" than you might be a little lost unless you read a lot of comics. 

Marvel Fall of 2018

Ok trying to not go as long without weighing in on what's going on with Marvel, and by that I don't mean Thanos snapping, I mean what really matters the comics. I'll start with my favorite character and go from there. With Banner is back with his own series. Cho Hulk is relegated to the pages of Champions, and at this point almost feels like he is filling the gap for Doc Sampson. If I was writing for Hulk, Sampson is the first character I would bring back. Also what ever happened with Skaar Any ways lets look at what goes down here. This was the first comic I considered buying a physical copy of. Most of you should know the Hulk is my favorite comic book character and I have been reading him for 35 years. They get credit for reaching back into the Hulk's history to pull more obscure characters from. I am also excited at the real Defenders having a comeback, not this Luke Cage Netflix shit. Namor, the Surfer and Strange. Speaking of Dr. Strange is he one the same planet Black Panther is? Aside from the dwarf in his comics both books are on this Star Wars like kick that feels awkward in both cases, more so with Black Panther as it feels like something I have already seen in Captain America, at least with Dr. Strange magic makes it more interesting.

Spider-man seems like he is getting fucked up again. Bringing this other Peter Parker in is a mistake, Why is he fighting Sentinels ? Spider-geddon will hopefully kill off all the other Spider-people, I am good with just Jessica Drew, Silk, Peter and Miles. With Miles it's only because with the animated movie he is going anywhere. On the street level I am having a hard time caring about anyone else. Old Man Logan is currently occupying the best Daredevil story line that Matt Murdock is not in. Which works cus all the color coordinate X books dont have room for him. Red might be the best of the bunch. Not that the story-line is anything to really applaud for or make me want to read more , but it is more focused than the others. While we are on unfocused the Avengers vs Celestials thing is reading like Justice League. It also proves that Ghost Rider is out of place. I like that Alpha Flight are popping up all over the place , but they just need their own book. It's also sad that the first issue of West Coast Avengers was as bad as it was, Gwenpool alone could ruin a book, so when Hawkeye is the best you have go there is trouble , the book is too much about jokes, if Tigra shrinks down and joins the team to replace Gwenpool their might be hope.

Sentry got my hopes up in the first issue but devolves into what is dreams in another reality and what is real, they throw a fight with Iron-Man on the cover of the third issue and Iron Man is not even in the book. This supporting cast of other Sentries that are not real is getting too much focus, Why did Misty Knight get sent in to law down the law to Reynolds who could kill her with a sneeze did not make much sense either. Last but not least in fake covers is the lingering build to bring back the Fantastic Four. That first issue was a tease. Hopefully this won't get too drawn out. I think Dr. Doom has become more convoluted, when if you go back to the first Secret Wars series he is the premiere villain as he should be. Just cause they cant get him right in the movies is not an excuse to screw him up now. So there is some hope they can get things right by the end of the year, at this point things are too close to call. Thor is once again a mess , the art might have worked for Weirdworld , but not the book is hard to read. 

Finally!!

Well before I go any further I have to express my excitement at the fact ...SENTRY IS BACK!!! o.k as a horseman of Apocalypse and since his return is taking place in the pages of Uncanny Avengers this will lead to a rematch between Sentry and the man who put him down...Thor. This will of course be a fight that I am conflicted over since I like both characters , if I think back to Seige, I was rooting for Thor and  will prolly always root for Thor over Sentry, just like I would want the Hulk to beat either of them should those tussles ensue ...which if this bleeds over into Avengers it very well could.

I do think he should keep this black and blue looking tron suit that he's wearing , I like it better than the yellow one , though he has that blue Arch Angel looking face that I could do without and the pale white hair is an improvement in the  characters look. Hopefully there will be some positive fan response and this can be a permanent thing rather than just a few issues. We have seen other characters like Wolverine , the Hulk and Angel all go back to their normal selves after a stint with Apocalypse, but since his current horsemen have been brought back from the dead then does that mean they go back to being dead?

So who are the other three? They are choices designed to target specific avengers for sure , and good choices one in particular would make me a little excited for the next issue but is eclipsed by Sentry for sure and that's Daken. The other two are Banshee and the Grim Reaper who just died an issue or so ago, when Rogue killed him.

oh and other comics came out as well,   new avengers or  the Illuminati Avengers, has the Wakanda and Atlantis war building, I think Atlantis will take them.

The Hulk was alright, Daredevil's guest appearance was not annoying and the build here is that Baron Zemo is going to be a big bad, not really much the Hulk should worry about.  Superior Spider-man was pretty decent , the amped up Scorpion and Vulture loose on the raft as the Spider-slayer is hunting him or J,J Jameson.    

Cable and the X-force, the Uncanny Avengers showed up for Cable there was a brief fight , Thor schools Colossus in a big way and the Avengers get Cable, pretty satisfying and a fun read. The art in that book is pretty good, not up to the level of new avengers which was the best marvel art.

Then there was Age of Ultron 10, Marvel got butt hurt that it leaked after being poly-bagged, but truth be told I would have been pissed if I had paid to read that piece of trash, it's not the first time Bendis has wasted my time, they used up the space time continuum, so this gives them a loop hole for all sorts of multi-universe abuse, they go into the Ultimate verse and show galactus show up. Thor knocking Ultron's head off was the best of it all , but overall the whole ten issues has been a waste.