AVENGERS VS THUNDERBOLTS #1

The Thunderbolts return with an authority as Baron Helmut Zemo leads the Thunderbolts with good intentions that seem less than heroic to the Avengers. Captain America leads the Avengers to find out if they have started down the dark path to once again becoming the Masters of Evil or truly have heroic intentions behind their actions?

Fabian and Busiek have not missed a beat with their return to these characters. While the Thunderbolts have been deemed rich in Marvel continuity, Fabian and Busiek keep that continuity at bay while telling what is needed to get the story across to the readers. Fabian and Busiek do a great job with references to past events by using inside jokes between the characters that fans will understand and new readers will see as jokes between the characters.

Barry Kitson's artwork is something different than what most THUNDERBOLTS fans might be used to. His style adds a bit of smooth tone to the characters as well as the issue itself. Kitson redesigns some costumes giving them a similar look as shown in EMPIRE while staying true to the concept of the characters. Gary Erskine's inks and Brian Reber's colors seem to blend very well with Kitson's style. Tom Brevoort made a good choice in picking this team in my opinion.

If you're a reader that enjoys THUNDERBOLTS, AVENGERS, or team titles then this is an issue you will enjoy.

Story: 10/10
Artwork: 10/10
Overall: 10