Christos N. Gage (Writer), Ben Oliver (Artist), and Jose Villarrubia (Color Art)
I’ve always found the Thunderbolts one-shots to be something of a mixed bag. They work well at giving me my Thunderbolts fix as I really enjoy the dynamics of the team. On the other hand, I can’t ignore the difference in overall quality between the main series and the one-shots. Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato have created something special with the post Civil War Thunderbolts team and the one-shots meant to fill in the long gaps between issues feel both unnecessary and disconnected from the main storyline. With that said, however, I still find the one-shots to be entertaining in their own way as the formula they use, focusing on only a few members at a time, works well enough. Like I said, I need my Thunderbolts fix.
This latest one-shot, Reason in Madness, is no exception to the established formula. We are treated to a fairly dynamic team battle against Biohazard, while Mac Gargan (Venom) is given an offer to rejoin the Masters of Evil, and the relationship/respect between Gargan and Norman Osborne is further explored. The storyline for this one-shot is on par with the rest of them, nothing incredible or complex, but competent and entertaining nonetheless.
Ben Oliver and Jose Villarrubia do a nice job with the art for this issue, though in no way is it even close to the stellar work Deodato has done for the main series. The scenes flow well and the action is easy to follow, but I wish the characters were more detailed and the colors weren’t so flat. As I mentioned earlier, the one-shots have been a mixed bag and the same can be said for the artwork.
Christos N. Gage’s dialogue is, and I hate to keep saying this, a mixed-bag as well. His work with Venom and Osborn is well done and the Masters of Evil storyline is a nice self-contained story, but some minor things frustrated me quite a bit. Penance and Swordsman feel completely out of character with their snappy dialogue, and the lighthearted tone when we get to the scene with the team feels as though it should have been used for a different team book. It is also difficult to place this tale within the Thunderbolts continuity, as Penance talks as though it takes place after the current ongoing arc where he’s made a breakthrough with Doc Sampson, yet there is no mention of the chaos currently gripping Thunderbolts Mountain. That might just be a nitpick, but it bothers me enough to mention.
Overall, Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness is a decent enough read, though hardly necessary. It’s worth picking up if you need a Thunderbolts fix (like me), but just make sure to keep your expectations in check. (Grade: C)
-Kyle Posluszny
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Ben Oliver, Christos N. Gage, Jose Villarrubia, Mac Gargan, Master of Evil, Norman Osborn, One-Shot, Thunderbolts, Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness, Venom
