Trade paperback collections can make great time capsules. Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers, out today, will take you back to 2016 – a time when Marvel was knee-deep in the All-New, All-Different initiative, which saw some interesting changes at the publisher. In the Avengers line of comics, the “Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill” event had just happened, bringing back a younger Steve Rogers as Captain America and introducing us to Kobik, who will be key players in the story later. Winter Soldier had just served time as “the Man on the Wall” from the fallout of the “Original Sin” event, and 2017 was the Thunderbolts’ 20th anniversary. All these ingredients were perfect for launching a new comic, which led to volume 3 of Thunderbolts, now collected in its entire 12-issue run for this trade.
Marvel
The stories inside this trade are a great introduction to the Thunderbolts team, but you will be slightly surprised if you’re coming here because of the movies. Most of these characters haven’t been featured in a film yet, so your main character to follow will probably be the Winter Soldier, which was the same reason I bought these comics when they first came out. Jim Zub wrote this series, and he did a great job of bringing back the original Thunderbolts and having them interact in an “All-New, All-Different” Marvel Universe. The characters have great personalities and often clash, but Zub does a fantastic job of getting you to feel invested in them. You care about their past, pain, and inspirations. Honestly, these stories hook me even after all these years.
Marvel
Jim Zub manages to make this series very interwoven with the Marvel Universe. At the start of this trade, you are dealing with the Thunderbolts coming out of “Standoff” and Winter Soldier from his series, so it was great to see them build a bond. The stories have guest stars like the Inhumans, Squadron Supreme, and Miles Morales, while the overall story runs parallel to Hydra-Cap, or “Stevil” if you prefer, and intersects with Civil War II. The stories don’t sacrifice character at the behest of becoming a crossover issue. Instead, Zub makes it part of his world and shows the characters genuinely reacting to what is happening. All this adventure will lead you to the Secret Empire event, finishing up the Hydra-Cap arc. Sadly, the ending will leave you hanging as some elements and characters, like Jolt, have been left out in the cold.
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Jon Malin does the bulk of the heavy lifting as he is the leading artist for most issues, while Sean Izaakse subs in for two. The two work well together as there isn’t much of a distraction when Sean comes in to sub; some credit to colorist Matt Yackey for being consistent with colors, which helps keep that momentum going. The art team has fun showcasing the scripts as they find great ways to feature the action, comedy, and drama that this team of Thunderbolts go through. Plenty of moments highlight the creative team’s works, like issue #6 with the beer run, issue #9’s tormented romance between Mach-X and Songbird, and Zemo’s temptations in issue #10. Overall, this collection will entertain the reader, laughing at dated references and gravitating towards new characters in the Marvel Universe that you will want to learn more about. Justice like entertainment, indeed!
Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers is an entertaining collection that presents a group of misfits seeking redemption under the leadership of a lone wolf. This Thunderbolts team was affected by and influenced the Marvel Universe as it collides with many events from the “All-New, All-Different” era. Some of these characters might be new to you, or maybe you’re wondering why Red Guardian isn’t in this collection, but you will find characters that will steal your attention. Get ready for redemption chased the hard way.
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