Review: Peter Canon Thunderbolt #1

I am so excited! I just got done putting together my YouTube show on Charlton comics E-man and I get this title from Dynamite in my review box! I loved the old Charlton comics and Peter Canon was a favorite. Dynamite has revived the character and this issue doesn’t disappoint as it begins with an all-out Alien Invasion of earth. Armageddon anyone?

The Creative Team:

Kieron Gillen does a masterful job of bringing Canon into the present day. Charlton’s characters always had such untapped potential and that’s why I loved them. Their stories weren’t as complex as Marvel or DC, they were quite simple, but the fun factor was always turned up. Here we see a no-nonsense Peter Canon who doesn’t tolerate insubordination from those in his charge. Gillen wisely doesn’t drudge up the whole origin story but instead nutshell’s Canon’s origin in a couple of panels, which is essentially the same as the old Amazing man, a character in public domain. What will make us keep reading is the imminent threat of the Alien’s as they ravage planet earth and it’s up to Canon and his quirky characters to end the threat. Great stuff includes the introduction of Canon’s colleagues and this magnificent seven’s rising up to the challenge of the aliens.

Caspar Wijngaard takes the old Charlton character and brings him a modern sensibility that makes the character comfortable in the 2019’s. His art is fluid and his panels bring out the strength of these characters. We’re also dealt with some horrific scenery in the opening of this issue as his alien invasion leaves the earth in total destruction. Some sobering illustrations will make us cringe. Highlights include the opening splash which is startling and the first appearance of the aliens.

In Conclusion:

Alien invasion stories are a dime a dozen. And this one seems kind of standard. But it’s a good way to re-introduce a beloved character. It’s a well told tale, but too early to judge if it’ll be worth following. The introduction, however, seems promising. It all seems to have been done before until we reach the end of the issue and it seems that Peter Canon must take on…to be continued! *** (8.2 rating)

Review: Peter Canon Thunderbolt #1

Writer – Kieron Gillen

Art – Caspar Wijngaard

Color – Mary Safro

Letters – Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Tags: Kieron Gillen, Peter Canon Thunderbolt

About the Author

Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.