Thunderbolts #132

The Thunderbolts are finally back to their paranoid, scheming, and murderous ways after a terrible foray with Deadpool. This issue is everything the new Thunderbolts is about. We get Black Widow being a leader, the team questioning Osborn, and another cool covert operation. Also, with the issue being a stand-alone story, it serves as a great jumping on point for anyone who was intrigued by Magnum Opus.

I've said it before, but Andy Diggle writes a great Black Widow. He writes her dialogue so cleverly, that we can hear her Russian accent. She is also portrayed as a very effective leader for a team of villains. Widow is able to appeal to their sense of evil and coach them to accomplish their goal. From now on, I won't have to write about Diggle's portrayal of Black Widow. It's just understood; and that's a great accomplishment.

The dialogue between the team members is very entertaining. Each one questions the other's motives and reasons for recruitment. Diggle establishes an effective sense of paranoia and danger with Widow spying on everyone, Headhunter asking about Ghost's importance, and Ghost's discoveries. Some humor is also injected with Ant-Man's fetishes, Ghost's smell, and Widow's anger.

Covert operations are what this book was meant to be about and this issue doesn't disappoint. Their mission this time: to secretly recruit a new member. The best part of this team is seeing them succeed on missions. It's cool seeing their plans pan out during a battle. It's cool when we're thrown twists, such as the Green Goblin showing up on Air Force One or the Thunderbolts acting like police. And yes, it's cool when they win. I like this team. Of course I want to see them win, which happens more often than Warren Ellis's Thunderbolts.

Mister X, their new recruit, seems like a cool addition too. He's a low level empath and can sense other people's actions, which gives him an advantage in fights. Not only that, but he can feel his victims' emotions as he's killing them. This is what motivates him and I have a feeling he'll be a lot like Bullseye, except less disruptive to the team.

The best thing about this issue is Robert de la Torre's return to art duties. His work matches the atmosphere and action perfectly. Characters are drawn with an appropriate level of mistrust in their faces. A few of his action panels look a little goofy, but I guess it was supposed to since the Thunderbolts were only putting on a show. Francesco Mattina's cover can't go unmentioned either. It's amazing. If it were at a movie theater, I would buy a ticket to that movie without ever hearing about it.

This iteration of the Thunderbolts is even better than Warren Ellis's. There's a purpose to this team and Andy Diggle has actually found a way to have them succeed without having to take down the best of Marvel's superheroes. Judging from the tease at the end of the issue, I have a feeling Diggle might pit his team against Ellis's in a more literal way. Songbird comes back!!! Naturally, she'll be pissed and we'll reap the rewards.