When discussing the work that went into Thunderbolts: Doomstrike, Jackson Lanzing said that the miniseries would be the culmination of the ‘Revolution Saga’, which he and Collin Kelly began with Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty and continued with Thunderbolts: Worldstrike. “It’s the grand finale for our work on Bucky and we’re leaving it all on the field,” Lanzing said at the time. Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #5 more than lives up to his words.
Picking up immediately after the climax of Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #4, this issue is full of page-to-page action as Bucky and his Thunderbolts battle Doctor Doom’s Thunderbolts in one final face off. But it also answers the question: why does Bucky call himself “the Revolution?” As Lanzing and Kelly reveal, it’s not just to move past his time as the Winter Soldier or to celebrate his winning the Century Game – it’s to remind himself to keep fighting for what’s right, no matter what. “So other people know it’s never too late,” Bucky says after taking out a foe.
It’s that “never too late” sentiment that fuels the Thunderbolts. The original team started out as villains, but most of them became heroes – proving that it isn’t too late to find redemption. Ironically, it’s one of the original Thunderbolts who helps turn the tide for the better! And that continues, as Bucky’s actions inspire others. That, at its core, is what revolution is about. It’s not just one person or one group, but the actions they take that inspire others to stand up against what’s wrong. The final page of this book is as strong a mission statement as Lanzing and Kelly could deliver, and it’s a fitting one.
Marvel
Since this issue is the grand finale, Tommaso Bianchi goes all out for the action sequences. A two-pager features Thunderbolts old and new colliding, while another page hops back and forth between Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter battling against a legion of Doombots while Bucky engages in yet another brutal, bloody battle with Citizen V. My favorite recurring part of the issue has to be Steve, Bucky, and Black Widow utilizing Captain America’s shield in some insanely creative ways, followed closely by Ghost Rider ’44 charging through a prison leaving hellfire in his wake.
None of this would look as good as it does without Yen Nitro. Nitro is playing with a variety of different colors here, from Songbird’s bright pink sonic wings to the glowing orange flames of Ghost Rider ’44 to the red, white and blue blur of Captain America’s shield. But the one constant is the daylight; the majority of the fight takes place in the sun, offering the promise of a better tomorrow – and a world that will no longer be under Doom.
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #5 not only closes the book on a tie-in that’s better than expected, but it also closes out the ‘Revolution Saga’ that Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly have been working on. In a way, they’ve brought Bucky Barnes to the next stage of his life as a leader and a surprising inspiration to others, which I’m sure will continue with the upcoming New Avengers.
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