In the first issues of Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt, the heroes defeat an alien invasion, only to figure out that the real mastermind is the eponymous character – from a parallel universe. Cannon takes his team on a psychedelic trip through other Earths to arrive at the doorstep of the evil mastermind version of Thunderbolt.
In Thunderbolt #3, Peter Cannon comes face-to-face with his genocidal doppelganger, who thinks himself a savior by sacrificing a relative few for the greater good of the multiverse.
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story
A thousand dimensions from ours. All Earths’ best hopes, resting on our heroes’ fight. They’ve got everything… except a chance.
Apparently, Alan Moore drew inspiration from the original iteration of Peter Cannon to create his Ozymandias for Watchmen. If this book is meant to return the favor, it is too on the nose at times. From doppleganger Cannon’s supreme intellect, to his motivations, to the circular symbol etched in his head, it’s derivative of the classic graphic novel.
Sure, one could get lost in the fact that the books are dopplegangers of one another. However, if you can move past this notion, you will find that Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt is a bold and exciting superhero adventure.
While writer Kieron Gillen may be cherry picking plot points and character traits from other stories, he blends it all together to make Thunderbolt familiar and fresh at the same time. Gillen crafts a complex story accessible for any fan of the genre to pick up off the shelf. Furthermore, it is unique and gripping enough to keep readers engaged and wanting to read on.
Art
Caspar Wijngaard brings Gillen’s multiversal vision to life with different artistic styles. He illustrates different versions of Earth to look as if ripped out from different comic book. The bulk of the pages are filled with a modern style of intense action. Additionally, the flashback panels hearken back to the golden age of comics with more pulpy style.
Mary Safro uses an almost pastel color palette, with hues of peach and blue to give Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt a unique style unlike other superhero titles.
Conclusion
The end of the third issue of Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt will leave readers intrigued and excited to see what happens next. The creatives behind this book have fun as they look for new ways to examine familiar comic book tropes.
What do you think of Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt? Let us know in the comments!
