Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 2012
Price: $3.99
Creator(s): Steve Darnall, Alex Ross (writers), Jonathan Lau (artist)
Format: 48-pages; Full-Color
Age Ratings: All Ages
ICv2 Ratings: 4 Stars out of 5
When the world desperately needs a superhero most one appears and instead of hiding his true identity he reveals that he’s Peter Cannon, then uses his newfound celebrity status as a platform to spread his message of world peace. Unfortunately there’s a terrible secret is behind this new status quo and any number of people that will do anything to destroy it.
Given the sheer number of revivals of classic pop culture characters currently clogging the shelves of your local comic book shop you could argue the last thing we need is another, no matter how legendary their pedigree. And that goes double for superhero comics, so my expectations for Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt were understandably low, but co-writers Steve Darnall and Alex Ross immediately messed with them by establishing the obvious; no matter how hard creators in the past have tried to make him one, Peter Cannon just isn’t a standard superhero.
So with respectful nods to Peter Morisi’s original version and a touch of Ozymandias from Watchmen, Darnall and Ross have come up with a story that plays to the character’s strength; his uniqueness. And while quite a bit of space in the first issue is spent world building and establishing future threats this issue stands enough on its own to give readers more than their money’s worth. And the solid art by Jonathan Lau certainly doesn’t hurt.
--Steve Bennett: Writer and retail services consultant.
