Thunderbolts #56

Posted: Friday, September 28
By: Jason Cornwell

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artists: Patrick Zircher (p), Al Vey (i)

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Plot:
As the assembled Redeemers find themselves confronted by Graviton, we see the first move made by Citizen V (aka. Baron Zemo) is to get the heck out of Dodge. We also see that in the first page both Jolt & Charcoal fall victim to Graviton's new found control over his abilities, as they both are seemingly killed outright. As another member of the group earns a one-way trip into Earth's upper orbit, where they begin to asphyxiate due to a lack of oxygen, we see one of the Redeemers is able to launch an effective attack upon Graviton. However, this attack is soon extinguished, as yet another Redeemer is seemingly killed. As Techno comes to the conclusion that if one can't beat them, you join them, we see him join Moonstone at Graviton's side. We then see the last member of the Redeemers is easily done away with by Graviton, and with the Redeemers no more, Graviton turns his attention to his most ambitious plan yet.

Comments:
Say good-bye to the Redeemers! When this group first appeared & can't say I was overly impressed, and be it the lack of characterization they received, or just the simple fact that they never struck me as all that interesting in the first place, I can't say I ever entirely cared much for the team. However, I will say that I did not expect them to be served up as cannon fodder for the new, improved Graviton, as the Redeemers are utterly decimated in this issue, with three of its members suffering deaths that convinced me they won't be coming back from the dead. This issue acts as a wonderful teaser to the return of the Thunderbolts next month, as Graviton barely bats an eye when ripping apart the Redeemers, and the Thunderbolts aren't packing any more power than the Redeemers, though they do have a better working knowledge of strategy & teamwork thanks to Hawkeye. In any event, this was a nice shocking display of a truly dangerous villain in action.

While the deaths are the big deal of this issue, it's the reaction of the "heroes" who survived their encounter with Graviton that interested me. In particular, I enjoyed the quick decision by Baron Zemo to turn tail & run right at the outset of the conflict, leaving his "team" to face Graviton alone. I mean when all the chips are down, he is still a villain, and if nothing else villains should be able to know when to cut their losses, given super-heroes make a steady practice of foiling their master-plans. This is the same reason why every good super-villain base has a handy escape tube, and why every good villain knows to endanger innocent bystanders before fleeing into the night. It's also interesting to note that Techno had the same plan, but quickly reversed his thinking when he realized he stood to gain more by sticking around, and offering his services to Graviton. It's nice to see the idea that these two characters are villains at heart hasn't been neglected.

Patrick Zircher turns in one of his best efforts ever, as he's asked to deliver a battle where we have heroes falling left & right, while the villain attacking them has himself a power that is somewhat difficult to render visually. I mean, I think part of the problem with Graviton's power is that it's not really a visual one. I mean with villains like the Juggernaut, Magento & Doctor Doom, it's fairly easy for an artist to show them cutting loose, and Patrick Zircher deserves kudos for not relying upon the one visually exciting display that is normally delivered when Graviton is on the warpath, which is to show a hero being crushed into the ground. This issue Graviton projects power, with the manner in which he deals with the Beetle being one of the more shocking sequences I've seen in quite some time. Other scenes like Graviton's visit to the Sun, and the return of Atlas are also visually striking images.

Final Word:
I've always felt that Graviton had the potential to be one of the true heavyweights of the Marvel Universe, and this issue is a perfect example of why I feel this way. This issue acts as a fine display of just how powerful Graviton can be when in the hands of a writer who is willing to sacrifice his cast. The Redeemers are no more when this issue ends, and I must confess in a day when surprises are rarely kept under wraps, this issue caught me napping with its willingness to wipe the slate clean. The return of the Thunderbolts next month is given a great buildup in this issue, as we are shown what they are being bought back together to face, and their chances of surviving this encounter don't look all that great.