Thunderbolts #133

Andy Diggle delivers another entertaining issue of Thunderbolts. This issue is mostly character building, but Diggle has assembled such a motley crew that I really enjoyed the quiet time we spend with them this issue. Black Widow II is acting a whole lot like Black Widow I, revealing that she's actually working with Nick Fury to spy on Osborn's Thunderbolts. The Ghost is aware of this, and actually willing to help since his eventual goal is to take out Osborn himself. Ant-Man feels way over his head, having faked much of his SHIELD file, and now he realizes there is a good chance he's going to end up dead or doing truly irredeemable things. When he tries to bring these concerns to Paladin, Paladin is more amused than anything else. Paladin is along for the money and doesn't really offer much support to Ant-Man, laughing and acting fairly cold towards his buddy. I always liked Paladin but he's really a lot more unlikable than he used to be. In any case, the swerve with Black Widow is obviously the big deal here, and it certainly ties the title into Dark Reign more closely. Songbird makes her return too, as she decides she's not going to live on the run and that she's going after Osborn afterall. She's a great character and I hope she teams up with Doc Samson for some sweet justice.

Miguel Sepulveda does a nice job with the cast. Paladin's helmet looks more like what I remember, giving him a more classic look. I do sort of miss the old design for the Ghost, and I'm curious to see his take on the Headsman, as he seems to be the character with the mostly variability in how cool he looks.

Good