Review: Peter Cannon Thunderbolt #1
Comic book characters, like fashions, have a tendency to come around again. When they do, these characters come along and feel like a breath of fresh air. Take the DC book Freedom Fighters featuring a host of long ago characters fashioning a new take on their existence. Now, Dynamite having success with their JSA like Project Superpowers book, hits the racks with a new take on a one time DC hero in Peter Cannon.
Now, Peter Cannon’s origin, in today’s light, may come across as a tad stale; orphaned boy, studying in the Himalayas, gains the ability to use more of his brain which allows him to be super smart, strong and fast as well as giving him some extra tweaks. So seemingly he is a cross between Danny Rand and Ozymandias. However, Peter predates both as he was created way back in 1966.
Back to this new version; the world lies quaking in fear as aliens invade. A group of heroes from around the world seek out Cannon in an effort to gain his skills and knowledge. Thing is, Cannon isn’t too sure that he wants to save the world. After consulting the scrolls, Cannon comes up with a plan to defeat the raging horde, all the while recognising that there is a deeper threat on the alternative dimensional horizon.
British writer Kieron Gillen is tasked with bringing this classic character into the 21st century, who may be familiar with Marvel fans for his work on Thor and X-Men to name a few. Gillen has the ability to craft strong stories, using grand ideas mired in the failings of his characters. Here, Cannon is noted as being someone who isn’t the easiest person to get along with. Of course, as he is the only person who can see what is happening, the need to possibly work with others coupled with his skills to alienate people kind of runs against each other. Gillen gives Cannon an arrogance that seems based on a Holmes-ian attitude of ,”once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. The rest of the cast can feel like they are only there to show how smart Cannon is, though further interaction may lead to further conflict.
The art is provided by Caspar Wijngaard, whose gives us a book full of clean lines that remind me of Paul Smith aat his X-Men best and Jose Marzan Jr, who coincidentally worked on the DC version. The lack of details gives the art a simple yet effective look, which make the art seem other worldy, which works when you consider that actual aliens are attacking the planet! The simple lines also means that expressions may not as prominent in this book, which suits the arrogance and disinterest of Cannon perfectly. As is the norm with superhero comics nowadays, the dreaded nine panel page rears its oft used head, albeit I did like the creative way it was featured towards the back of the issue. Mary Safro is on colors, delivering a schemes that is quite not expected which adds to the feeling of not quite the real world. Letters are provided by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou who gets to works with a range of fonts across the various characters that make up the superhero contingent seeking Cannon’s help.
Peter Cannon is an old school character which I enjoyed back in the 90’s and is a title that I have patiently been waiting for since hearing about his return. With Superpower and Peter Cannon, it seems that Dynamite are having a go at cracking the superhero market and with books of this quality they stand a great chance.
Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Kier0n Gillen
Art by; Caspar Wijngaard
Colors by; Mary Safro
Letters by; Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Published by; Dynamite Entertainment
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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