Review by Ian Keogh
So far Thunderbolts by Jim Zub has been a frustrating experience. Good ideas are accompanied by pointless fill-ins not concentrating enough on the core cast, and Jon Malin’s art has been below the expected standards of 21st century superhero comics, not coping well with basics. Still there was a good cliffhanger ending to There Is No High Road.
Artistically No Going Back starts well with Sean Izaakse’s solidity covering all bases from characterisation to action. After that, though, apart from a brief guest slot from Thunderbolts co-creator Mark Bagley, it’s Malin all the way. He’s improving for regular series work very gradually polishing the rough edges, but while the storytelling’s better, the grasp of anatomy remains woeful.
The constant parade of poorly constructed people distracts from greater consistency on Zub’s part. Most Thunderbolts fans would prefer Songbird back on the team, and that’s one box ticked. Another is Zemo turning up, his obsession with again recruiting his former charges rekindled. He’s also now using Kobik’s abilities for something other than party tricks, yet not falling into the temptation of having her solve all the Thunderbolt’s problems at a stroke. There is a good piece of wish fulfilment toward the end, though, as we see how a life might have played out with some foreknowledge.
Unfortunately, that just proves the lead-in to Secret Empire, which just characterises the two volumes. Winter Soldier does have some time in the spotlight, but pretty well everyone else is second fiddle to assorted guest stars, only rarely seen as anything other than firepower. Perhaps Zub felt he had something to prove with the Thunderbolts as in 2022 he returned for another shot with Back on Target.
The cover, by the way, is symbolic, looking back at the Thunderbolts history. While there have been too many guest stars over the two volumes, it’s not nearly everyone pictured on the cover.
