Thunderbolts, Vol. 2: No Going Back

Thunderbolts (2016)

by Jim Zub, Sean Izaakse (Artist), Jon Malin (Artist)

If you operate in the shadows long enough, someone is going to shine a light on you. But Bucky didn’t think that person would be his best friend, Steve Rogers! Captured and separated from his team, Bucky is on his own. Where do his loyalties lie? Steve wants to know. The only thing is, Steve has secrets of his own… And when an original Thunderbolt returns, how will Songbird react to the reunion of her former team?

Collects Thunderbolts (2016) 7-12

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2017

About the author

Jim Zub is a writer, artist and art instructor based in Toronto, Canada. Over the past fifteen years he’s worked for a diverse array of publishing, movie and video game clients including Disney, Warner Bros., Capcom, Hasbro, Bandai-Namco and Mattel.

He juggles his time between being a freelance comic writer and Program Coordinator for Seneca College‘s award-winning Animation program.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book that much, to be honest, but it deserves at least three stars for the long-awaited return to Earth of an old favourite character. I'm not giving away any spoilers but, if you know the Thunderbolts, you know who I'm talking about.

[Jaye Berry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This shit is DUMB. Words can simply not express how making Captain America a HYDRA agent is the dumbest thing in the history of ever like??? What drugs were they smoking because it wasn't the good shit. And the explanation for it???? Can't believe they ever got away with this entire ass plotline.

This whole thing was just unfinished plotlines that I guess conclude in other comics. The entire thing was so unsatisfying. There was a clear idea with Bucky leading the Thunderbolts but then it just turned into crossover and tie in city while being a complete mess. Songbird was cool though but I'm a sucker for pink hair.

The most interesting issue of this was Bucky time travelling but then we have time travelling and that was so pointless.

I had more to rant about when I finished it this morning but my energy is negative zero right now so this is it!! Just know this was a waste of time and I hope whoever brainstormed "what if Steve Rogers Captain America was a nazi all along lol" has a horrible day.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]
The Thunderbolts are probably my favourite superhero team. The classic Thunderbolts especially (though I love pretty much every incarnation of the team except the Fightbolts that we will never talk about). When Marvel announced a new Thunderbolts series with all of my favourites involved plus Bucky Barnes, I was sold.

This second volume even brings back Baron Zemo, Songbird (one of my favourite ever characters) and Jolt, so this should be a super-win.

Unfortunately, we're instead plagued by event tie-ins to the point that the last three issues of the series end on a cliffhanger to be dealt with in Secret Empire, and Jon Malin's Rob Liefeld-esque artwork that really has no place on a comic book nowadays. The opening issue featuring art from Sean Izaakes (who pencilled #6 in the last volume) is so much nicer, and yet...

Unfinished stories, 90s throwback art, and squandering my favourite characters is not a good way to treat one of my favourite series. Sad face.

[fer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gostei mais da primeira parte dessa serie. Achei meio bagunçado essa segunda parte. O Bucky perdendo controle total do Thunderbolts, perde a filha adotiva dele Kobit e ainda sai todo fudido no final. E tem toda a parte dele voltando no passado, o Steve sendo da Hydra... nao gostei mt nao.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star for the Bucky content. Not even this cover makes sense because there's no crossovers or cameos besides from Steve, Zemo, and some weird grasshopper aliens who wore tiny bikinis for some inexplicable reason and made no sense in even being there. What a mess.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

To a large extent, this volume of the Thunderbolts feels like it never had a chance to breathe on its own. It spun out of Standoff and it spun right back into Secret Empire. In fact, the most frustrating thing about this second book is that it doesn't have an ending. It just stops mid-story, with the assumption that it'll be continued in Secret Empire.

With all that said, this new-est Thunderbolts almost gets its feet under it. We get the return of some very notable missing TBolts and some very notable foes and we get some great moments between them all. It feels like Zub could really give this a go as a continuation of Busiek and Nicieza's classic Thunderbolts story. But then the rug's pulled out from under us again.

Sigh.

This book is closer to 3.5 stars and probably would have been 4 if not for the abrupt non ending.

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The only good thing about this was the cosmic cube little girl, Kobik. I was glad to see something come out of the Pleasant Hill story. The issue where Bucky gets sent back in time and reexperiences his time in WWII with cap, was cool. This was all a leadin to secret empire, which I haven't read. Honestly it sounds like an interesting story to me, I'm not one to knee-jerk judge it as bad the way so many others did. That said, this book wasn't very good. I didn't know most of the characters, and their relationships were very uninteresting to me. The art was like a cross between ed mcguinnes and Rob liefeld. Not good.

[Adan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, this book remained a mess. It's kind of unfair to wholly blame Jim Zub as the book was basically just a bridge between Standoff and Secret Empire, and I'm sure there were editorial edicts as to where the book had to end. Again, unfortunate as I really do like both the Winter Soldier and the Thunderbolts, but this was not a good showcase for either. The art was still not very good (except in the first chapter, which was done by a guest artist). I do like the cover with every member of the Thunderbolts present, though; that was pretty cool.

[Alex E · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume focuses more on the overall team and their dynamic. This includes an appearance from the original members as they attack the new team. This definitely was a volume for fans of the team as it had a lot of references and callbacks to draw from.

I keep waiting for this book to get better. Like, for some reason I think it should be really good. But it just never really picks up enough steam to warrant that thought. The dialogue is stilted, the plot is drawn out, the overall tone just feels off.

I think part of it is the art. Of course, every art style is subjective, but in my opinion, it definitely hurts the book. The artist is definitely a Rob Leifeld fan, because its a very similar style. This unfortunately makes the book feel dated on top of the other issues I mentioned.

I may give this series one more chance but if it doesn't pick up, I think I'm gonna drop it.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly I think three stars is over-rating it but I don't think it's the comics fault, or even the writers. This suffered because it was a bridge between Standoff and Secret Empire (two 'events') and needed Bucky to have a big revelation.

The artwork in the first issue is excellent and unfortunately it highlights the mediocre nature of the issues that follow.

Volume one had a great developing 'buddy' story between Abe and Erick and I'd hoped to see more of that but it was barely touched on in these issues.

As I said, the volume ends heading in into Secret Empire and with the series cancelled it leaves what happened to these characters (most of whom I'd come to care for) up in the air.

[Sharla · Rating 5 out of 5]

When does the next volume come out? Which book should I be reading now?

I've never read a Thunderbolts title before, but I thoroughly enjoy both volumes of this run. The artwork was bold and vibrant, the storyline was compelling - especially how it interacted with the larger Marvel arc -, and I loved the characters. Though it took me a while to get to know some of the less familiar characters, a few issues in I felt like I had a good grasp of each of them and understood their unique responses to situations. Also I just adored Kobik and Bucky's relationship. Their story was grounded in Bucky's past experiences, but Kobik brought so much and energy to the title.

[Scott Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems to end the series for the moment, indicates where "Kobik" (and any plots dealing with the cube) go from here, and clearly leads directly into Secret Empire.

As a book designed to do those things, it's pretty decent, better than three stars. As a volume that, as far as I knew, was meant to stand in as the next chapter in an ongoing series--meh. Perhaps if I read it again after getting through Secret Empire...'Bout time somebody knew about Cap though. That's gone on far longer than it needed to.

[Liz Levandoski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good read. I will say, its not the best read if you just pick it up because it looks cool, one does have to know what is going on during the main Marvel continuity at this time. I get the purpose but still not the best. Maybe because I wasn't reading the runs before this, the reveal of Steve Rogers being Hydra is not the best. It wasn't shocking to me because I've known about it, but I think the author could have made it slight better. But as long as you know whats going on, its a good overall read and the art great to look at too.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

More bad-90's-influenced art. It wasn't that bad until Mark Bagley did a guest spot for a few pages and it looked sooo much better.

Continuing off of the previous volume. The Winter Soldier has been captured by SHIELD, and the team enlists Songbird to help get him out. Then the team manages to squeeze in a "Man on the Wall" mission before Jolt returns just in time for Baron Zemo to lead a new team of Masters of Evil to capture Kobik, in a setup for Secret Empire.

The writing is okay, but it's hampered by the art.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like a weird 50-50 split between picking up from around, say, Thunderbolts Vol. 1 #15 and Secret Empire. It's clear how the stories go together, but it feels like a black-and-white cookie. I wouldn't have thought so many people are still into "Songbird and Beetle: Will they or won't they?" But here we are.

Note that the cover featuring seemingly every Thunderbolt ever is misleading. It's basically just the original Busiek crew.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this being Zub's first hero comic he really did a good job of connecting the old Thunderbolts (not counting the Marvel NOW version) to the current storyline...and he did what he was asked...give a year worth of good story that gets these characters to Secret Empire.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Bucky got something really really good, something that he would've been happy with and then he found out it had been tainted by Red Skull and Kobik and that just hurt... nevermind the beat down he received when he got back to present day. I'm like DAMN!! Can the dude catch a break?

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story. The art wasn’t great.

[Kurt Lorenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

7-9, No Going Back, ☆☆☆
10-12, Return of the Masters, ☆☆☆☆

[Phobean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the previous volume? Who are all of these characters? What’s with the wild girl trope?

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

That’s more like it! I loved the flashback to the Bucky era. My interest in Secret Empire is officially piqued.

[Bobbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Bucky allergic to shirts? I’m not complaining, just observing respectfully.

[⋆｡˚⋆୨୧˚abby mae˚୨୧⋆˚｡⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baron Zemo……always at the scene of the crime when it comes to terrorizing Bucky

[Liz.Loki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Italian review:

Non lo so… il finale non mi ha soddisfatta chissà quanto.

Ho già letto Secret Empire e tutti i fumetti di Captain America dove continua la storia di Kobik, eppure sono rimaste troppe cose in sospeso.

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English review:

I don't know... the finale didn't satisfy me much.

I already read Secret Empire and all the Captain America comics where Kobik's story continues, but too many things are left unresolved.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was fun while it lasted. Bummed it was such a short ride! Sean Izaakse illustrates the first issue in the collection and he's a terrific artist. Need to remember that name! Jeez, Marvel's cancelling all my favorite titles: Thunderbolts, Spider-Woman, Mockingbird. Sadface.

[Gary Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Great Marvel Readthrough, pt 164

[diaryofaworm]

ummmmmm…..

[April Cole Ledebur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been my favorite comic series for the past year. If it wasn't for the ending I would have given it five stars. I hope Marvel fixes this whole mess soon.