Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Comments: Charlie's problems come bubbling to the surface this issue as they are focused on.
In this era of the Redeemers I found this issue to be stronger than the last two. It had a feel like Nicieza's first issue or a solo issue by Busiek. This issue wasn't cleaning up old Thunderbolts stuff or really focusing on characters I didn't know yet.
Since Charcoal is the one of the left over Thunderbolts that might have made me to like this issue more. Admittedly, Charcoal was one of my least favourite Thunderbolts but things just seemed to click this issue and I now like the character more than I did before. If there was any sentiment left that Charcoal was just tacked onto the team that is now certainly gone. Much like Thunderbolts #33 that focused some attention on Jolt and helped my like for the character.
I hope Cap is on his last legs for leading the team in the title. He even thinks about all the things he's doing. He has not had that much of an impact on the team, but the title was bogged down a little with him last issue. Plus he has a whole war to wage with the Avengers so I'm eagerly anticipating Citizen V showing up. With the whole revelation in Citizen V and the V-Battalion #3 things should be spiced up as I thought.
More information on Ogre's secret containment chamber, but it still isn't helpful to me. I don't have that good of a memory or have that many issues to give a good guess on this one. The way HS-1 was pictured in this issue did remind me of something. The Mad Thinker was always following the New Warriors around and I thought he had someone contained like this too that he hoped that they would one day join the New Warriors. I don't think anything ever happened to the person, still locked away in their chamber. That also doesn't go back far enough in time to where HS-1 is supposed to come from I think. Bring on the obscure character. The identity of Ogre hiding out in the Thunderbolts base was like this.
I think it would have helped if I would have been able to read Thunderbolts: Life Sentences then I wouldn't have been scratching my head wondering what happened with the Moonstone and Graviton scene. Obviously it isn't going to be good for the Redeemers. I was a little slow on picking up just was going on with the moon panels at first. I think Life Sentences would have been even better than the regular title and it was what I was most looking forward too.
Hawkeye's deal with Mentallo seems interesting. He won't get out for good behaviour after he helps Mentallo to escape, of course Hawkeye being an ex-avenger maybe he will be able to place the blame on someone else or cause a diversion. I guess Hawkeye will have the same problems in prison once Mentallo is gone.
The Secret Empire is back with Charcoal's father who seems to have done pretty well. It's good to see the Secret Empire again since they are out there scheming. I would expect them to keep showing up until they are defeated if ever, since they are a rather big group, and seem to survive like Hydra.
Charcoal being hurt by the gas that his dad was sent to retrieve and then asking the question "Is that why the empire wanted its secrets." They are rather sneaky; I wouldn't doubt they had plans for Charcoal to return to them and were going to use this. If his dad couldn't bring him back somehow they would use force.
With all the problems Charlie has faced he lets his dad die. Can't say that I'm surprised but it was a good ending. Its not easy for him to be a hero and I can think of other heroes who put in a similar situation would have saved their father. It would have been quite damaging to his body to save his dad I wonder he could have, and then maybe there wouldn't be much of Charcoal in the title as he turned into a solid block. I'm interested to see if what happened to his hand is temporary and if he's just ignoring what happened in the end.
That last panel seems like something out of Baron Zemo's trips into Adhesive acid pools. While I think Calvin Burlingame's story is over I can see him brought back in some future issue either unfrozen, changed or some weird blue gas or solid monster. Every little background detail seems to be further explored at some point in the title, like the Fixer's snapped head and tossed away body. Cryogenics chemical planet has to do something with the pool that Calvin fell into.
One thing I thought about before this issue with just the preview cover was that hand on the cover was of Captain America. I though the Redeemers would get in over their head with some villain and Cap would do something to save his team and be covered under a bunch of rumble. The cover doesn't accurately depict events inside but it's always been like that. Another thing about Calvin is if he were experimented on like Charlie he would turn out to be a similar version of Charcoal. Seeing a character like Charcoal in the Secret Empire before I thought that might have been Charcoal's father.
A good solo issue and I've settled into the art that Zircher is doing on the title. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, and considering the mayhem the title has been through I enjoyed this solo issue.
Thunderbolts and all associated characters are the property of MARVEL COMICS TM&©2003.