Wowza, this was a solid storyline. Andy Diggle wove a complicated plot of deception and betrayal that involved almost every character in this series flipping their loyalties around. I don't want to give away who turns on whom, but Diggle did a fantastic job keeping folks in-character. For example, I had been pretty upset that almost-good guy Paladin was so easily falling into the Dark Reign state of mind, but in issue 136 we see that he was better at talking the bad guy game than he was living it. There are tons of scenes like his in the two issues as people live up or down to expectations. Norman Osborn comes across as a totally brutal, evil guy here. He is taking such pleasure in having Bullseye beat on Nick Fury. He also wants Headsman to cut off Songbird's head so he can have it mounted on his wall. I can believe he is evil enough to do that!The other nice thing about the close of this arc is that we've got a new set of players going forward. It looks like there will be two teams of Thunderbolts going at each other, with a Black Widow heading up each team. That's a strong idea. I also love the tough spot Ant-Man is in. The guy is actually pulling his weight and now he finds himself more in the middle than ever before. It is a great set-up for Jeff Parker to take over. And between her portrayal in this title and the Ultimate Alliance 2 video game, Songbird is becoming one of my favorite characters.
Miguel Sepulveda's work on issue 135 is as strong as ever. He does a great job with Mr. X's battle with Black Widow and Songbird. Pop Mhan's does a great job keeping everything looking consistent in issue 136. His stuff can look way to anime for me, but he really kept the tone of the art in line with the rest of Diggle's run.
Excellent
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