PETER CANNON – THUNDERBOLT #1
GRADE: C
STORY BY: Steve Darnall & Alex Ross
ART BY: Johnathan Lau
COVER BY: Alex Ross
PUBLISHER: Dynamite

SYNOPSIS:
The Charlton Comics character returns in this new series from Alex Ross and Steve Darnall that updates Cannon’s origin and powers for a new generation of comic readers.

THE GOOD

I have a soft spot for the Charlton Characters…Blue Betle, The Question, Captain Atom are all favorites of mine and while Cannon was never as beloved by me I do like the character. the concept is a really cool one: white guy is raised by a mysterious gaggle of monks who teach him to harness the unused portions of the brain to have total control over his body. I always felt the character was inspired by the old DC Comics character Mister Terrific and everyone knows that Ozymandias from Watchmen was a direct reimagining of the character. So while other similar characters have had a much bigger spotlight, Peter Cannon has been waiting for his chance to shine and I am happy to see him getting that chance.
The art is really good and Lau creates some very striking panels. The way he draws the dragon in this book deserves kudos and his redesign of Thunderbolt’s costume is pretty cool.

THE BAD

Sadly the story does not match the art. The comic is a tad too wordy and Cannon is not a very interesting character so far.

THE UGLY

There is some very heavy-handed political dialogue in this book and Ross/Darnall would be wise to tone it down a little so that it doesn’t come across as too preachy.

FINAL VERDICT

While I am hopeful for the future of this book and really do have a fondness for the character, I was not wowed by this debut issue but the twist on the last page does have me intrigued.