Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt to Return-from Dynamite!

It's been reported that Peter Cannon-Thunderbolt, a character created by Pete Morisi for Charlton Comics in the sixties and later briefly licensed by DC in the eighties and early nineties, is to return this September in a new series from Dynamite Entertainment by Alex Ross, Steve Darnall and Jonathan Lau. This will be the first time that Thunderbolt, one of the earliest creator owned characters and the inspiration for Ozymandais in Watchmen, has been seen since DC lost the rights.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=39159

This is GREAT! I've thought he was fun since I read his series, and then found a few of the Charlton issues. I have one or two, but I'd like to get them all. And Dynamite does some good work, so I'll have to make a point of finding this.

Very good news. I still have the entire (and brief) run of his that DC put out when I was a kid. I've re-read them far too frequently, I think (the one with the hostage situation in the blimp is actually one of my favorite comics of all time, it's just so cinematic and exciting and junk), so some new stories would be nice.

I wonder if this will be a fresh start or a "joining the story already in progress" kind of thing thing like The Shadow. . . .

Reading between the lines of the interview, I think they're starting it with him as an already established superhero, following the Charlton continuity.

Well, that's just wonderful. DC continues to push me into the arms of Dynamite, and Dynamite continues to welcome me.

Sam_Vimes wrote:Well, that's just wonderful. DC continues to push me into the arms of Dynamite, and Dynamite continues to welcome me.

I don't know that I should be reading so many new versions of old properties but I am enjoying some of them.

I don't mind new versions as long as they aren't totally divorced from the spirit (and continuity) of the originals.

That's why I like "The Shadow" and "Green Hornet", myself. Could do without all the ads for Dynamite's various skin mags, though. . . .

I actually really like both Red Sonja and Dejah Thoris. They're well written and free of moral ambiguity. Never got into Vampirella, though.

tony ingram wrote:I don't mind new versions as long as they aren't totally divorced from the spirit (and continuity) of the originals.

Well, I don't mind if they diverge wildly, as long as I like the story.
But, what I meant was that I've been moving away from Marvel as well as DC because of their business practices, and trying to get into more non-traditional works. If I spend a lot of time and money on licensed characters I won't have much (any) left for the kinds of work I'd like to see done more. The more experimental stuff, and the stuff that could be worth the effort of finding and reading.
I like the Shadow, it's fun, I just don't want fun to be my only criteria. Otherwise, I may as well go back to DC.

What's the kind of stuff you're talking about, there, Mbast1? I'm always open to new kinds of comics and am thus intrigued.

Sam_Vimes wrote:What's the kind of stuff you're talking about, there, Mbast1? I'm always open to new kinds of comics and am thus intrigued.

It's getting harder to find, but mostly creator owned, non-superhero works. I am enjoying Irredeemable, but I'd rather just get out of superheroes in general. I've always read more than just DC and Marvel, but it seems the market is tightening. I'm also looking for non-US stuff to see what's out there. Europe, South America, etc. No specific titles yet, still working it all out.

I'm assuming you've already read Bone, as you're not exactly new to comics. If you somehow haven't, though, then DO!!!

Aside from that, Cerebus, and the various Disney duck comics, I haven't had much experience with non-superhero comics and would be interested to hear any future recommendations you might have.

Until then, though: Make mine Dynamite!

Getting back on-track: I just looked at the linked article and, I have to say, I really don't like how Alex Ross draws the character. Jonathan Lau's take is much better.

Sam_Vimes wrote:I'm assuming you've already read Bone, as you're not exactly new to comics.

Yep, read it years ago. It's great.

Sam_Vimes wrote:Aside from that, Cerebus, and the various Disney duck comics

I have all but the first of the Cerebus trades, and I've read a number of the Duck comics. Quite good, but not much alike. Thanks for the recommendations!

I do look forward to reading this comic, though.

Here, just to make you all grateful again to the late Pete Morisi for pulling DC's licence to use Thunderbolt, are a couple of pics showing the horrors DC visited on the character with a redesigned costume in 1994. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Image Era Thunderbolt!

tony ingram wrote: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Image Era Thunderbolt!

Horrible. Ugly. Goofy.

Why did every other hero back then suddenly need a jacket? I don't remember the '90s being THAT chilly.

Sam_Vimes wrote:Why did every other hero back then suddenly need a jacket? I don't remember the '90s being THAT chilly.

Superheroes are very delicate. Easy to catch a chill. Besides, they needed the pockets to store their haircare products.

Finally picked up my copy of the new Thunderbolt #1, and I have mixed feelings. Generally pretty impressed with the story, which draws unashamedly on one of the old sixties issues for inspiration, and Cannon's essential character still remains unchanged...right up until this reluctant hero who jealously guarded his privacy in both his previous series' suddenly decides it'd be a good idea to unmask and call a press conference! It's as though someone has decided to make Cannon more like Adrian Veidt! As for the art-no complaints generally (Dynamite seems to attract good artists) but I really hate the redesign of Cannon's costume. He's a martial artist, and his original look was a classic, simple design that fitted well with that, but now he's suddenly sporting what seems to be leather padding everywhere (most impractical) and the same kind of unnecessary lines which have ruined a lot of DC's characters, visually. Why does every character need to be redesigned all the bloody time, these days?

This book has become rather more interesting since the arrival of the mysterious "Adam and Eve", two characters who are clearly intended to be Captain Atom and Nightshade...

tony ingram wrote:This book has become rather more interesting since the arrival of the mysterious "Adam and Eve", two characters who are clearly intended to be Captain Atom and Nightshade...

I stopped reading it for a while. Maybe I should pick it up again, because this could be interesting.

It's probably the only place that versions of those characters are likely to be seen now that the Captain's last dismal reboot at DC has failed.

Sadly, Thunderbolt #10 was the last issue. Oh, well-at least they left the door open for Cannon's return...

tony ingram wrote:Sadly, Thunderbolt #10 was the last issue. Oh, well-at least they left the door open for Cannon's return...

This, then, might be interesting. I think it could be good.

http://www.comicsbeat.com/preview-see-the-big-picture-with-kieron-gillens-peter-cannon-thunderbolt/

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Sadly, Thunderbolt #10 was the last issue. Oh, well-at least they left the door open for Cannon's return...

This, then, might be interesting. I think it could be good.

http://www.comicsbeat.com/preview-see-the-big-picture-with-kieron-gillens-peter-cannon-thunderbolt/

Heard about this, and I am very much looking forward to it! Though curiously, when my local comic shop tried to order it, he couldn't find a mention anywhere in Diamond's catalogue.

tony ingram wrote:Heard about this, and I am very much looking forward to it! Though curiously, when my local comic shop tried to order it, he couldn't find a mention anywhere in Diamond's catalogue.

Will this help?

https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV181059

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Heard about this, and I am very much looking forward to it! Though curiously, when my local comic shop tried to order it, he couldn't find a mention anywhere in Diamond's catalogue.

Will this help?

https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV181059

It would, but they have a different one for the UK.

tony ingram wrote:Heard about this, and I am very much looking forward to it! Though curiously, when my local comic shop tried to order it, he couldn't find a mention anywhere in Diamond's catalogue.

That is weird. I hope they can find it so that you can read this. I think it looks weird and fun. One can hope, anyway.

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Heard about this, and I am very much looking forward to it! Though curiously, when my local comic shop tried to order it, he couldn't find a mention anywhere in Diamond's catalogue.

That is weird. I hope they can find it so that you can read this. I think it looks weird and fun. One can hope, anyway.

Cannon is a character I've always liked regardless of who published him. Well, except for when he was in Justice League International...

By the way, issue #1 is currently listed as "In Shops: Jan 30, 2019"

It's supposed to be out today. I will try to find it Friday! Looking forward to it.

Ooh, thanks for the warning-I'm going in to Ipswich to pick up comics today!

tony ingram wrote:Ooh, thanks for the warning-I'm going in to Ipswich to pick up comics today!

Don't know if you ever got the Kieron Gillen-written PETER CANNON: THUNDERBOLT 5-issue series that came out last year (2019), but it does look like that it was collected in an "oversized hardcover" edition.

Also, Peter Cannon is suppose to be one of the characters used in Dynamite's current zombie miniseries.
* https://crikey.forumotion.com/t1158-dienamite-1-dynamite-s-zombie-crossover-mini-series

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Ooh, thanks for the warning-I'm going in to Ipswich to pick up comics today!

Don't know if you ever got the Kieron Gillen-written PETER CANNON: THUNDERBOLT 5-issue series that came out last year (2019), but it does look like that it was collected in an "oversized hardcover" edition.

Also, Peter Cannon is suppose to be one of the characters used in Dynamite's current zombie miniseries.
* https://crikey.forumotion.com/t1158-dienamite-1-dynamite-s-zombie-crossover-mini-series

I did indeed get the Gillen series, and I've just read Die!namite #1!