The Good
This issue is great because it shifts the focus away from the Thunderbolts team and puts us in the shoes of a number of policemen from Victorian England. Through them, we get what Jeff Parker wanted to show us: the weirdness that superheroes present in the pre-WWII era. While figures that Cap, Namor and Bucky were prevalent around that time, in this issue we actually get to see a society where people literally have no experience.
The writing and art are solid like always, and I like how they haven't quite abandoned the "good" Thunderbolts team. I think Luke Cage, Songbird and the others have a valid place in the book that shouldn't be overlooked.
The Bad
Not much; I didn't really have a lot of problems with anything in the book, except that there was a lot of police dialog that really went nowhere. Certain panels/pages could have easily been omitted in favour of more productive storytelling. The cliffhanger ending is a bit unclear, as well; guess we'll have to wait and see what next week brings.
The Verdict
Now that Fear Itself is over, I'm worried that THUNDERBOLTS might fall by the wayside in terms of storytelling; I want Jeff Parker to be able to tell great stories, but this time-hopping excursion really seems to have overstayed its welcome.
I know that they're trying to do something different, but it seems like Marvel wouldn't let them do anything major to muck up the timestream; it kind of throws a pall on the whole thing, and makes me wonder how soon they'll pop back into the present, maybe switch a member or two, and resume the status quo.
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