10 Comic Books To Read Before ‘Thunderbolts*’
Marvel Studios’ newest sure-to-be-hit, Thunderbolts*, has fans both excited and intrigued. The most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe team is made up of this world’s biggest misfits and forgotten characters. The movie brings back the likes of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) to face off with the new MCU player, Sentry (Lewis Pullman).
For Marvel Comics fans looking to look back or people who want to get into the comic books in advance of the new flick, there’s thankfully a lot of content for reading. Whether it be diving into the personal lives of Yelena, Bucky, or Sentry, or a great depiction of the Thunderbolts team, audiences who want to get into the books have some awesome reading ahead of them. This list will discuss the best comic books to read before watching Thunderbolts* based on their storylines and relevance to the movie’s characters.
10
Sentry (2005)
Written by Paul Jenkins and Art by John Romita Jr.
In this eight-issue limited series by Paul Jenkins and John Romita Jr., also known as “Sentry: Reborn,” Marvel Comics decided to return to a solo ongoing series for the character for the first time since 2000. Within this run, Jenkins’ story depicts a solo story that ran alongside Sentry’s involvement in the parallel running New Avengers (2004).
Sentry (2005) delves a lot deeper into the dynamic between Sentry and his darker half, The Void, who is likely to be the main villain of Thunderbolts* in May. For audience members who are interested in how Bob Reynolds is going to go from mild-mannered guy to one of the MCU’s most powerful villains, Sentry (2005) is the perfect book to read.
9
Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova (2020)
Written by Devin Grayson and Art by Michele Bandini
In 2020, the wonderful team of Devin Grayson and Michele Bandini decided to bring Yelena Belova and Red Guardian together in a one-shot comic called Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova (2020). With Thunderbolts* seemingly using the relationship between Red Guardian and Yelena as the emotional core of the film, this is a great book to read to prep for what’s sure to be one of the Widow’s best stories.
The plot surrounds Yelena’s struggle with her identity (something Thunderbolts* seems to be touching on) as she comes across Red Guardian.
Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova (2020) is written by Grayson, which is perfect because he’s one of the co-creators of the character, so he knows what he’s doing with her. The plot surrounds Yelena’s struggle with her identity (something Thunderbolts* seems to be touching on) as she comes across Red Guardian. Thus, this one-shot is perfect for fans to visit prior to the new, highly anticipated MCU flick.
8
The Age of the Sentry (2008)
Written by Jeff Parker and Art by Nick Dragotta & Ramon Rosanas
Sentry is often considered Superman for the Marvel Comics universe. While this isn’t necessarily true, he’s about as overpowered as the Blue Boy Scout, for certain. Thus, The Age of Sentry (2008) decides to take a new direction for the character and critically injure him. Because of this deadly injury, heroes Scout, Watchdog, and Lindy Lee have to travel back in time and go through his early days to learn how they can save him from seemingly certain death.
For those looking for some background on the comic version of Sentry, The Age of Sentry (2008) is the perfect book to pick up. Not to mention, the art by Nick Dragotta & Ramon Rosanas is some astoundingly beautiful art and some of the best of the early 2000s.
7
Thunderbolts (1999)
Written by Fabian Nicieza and Art by Mark Bagley
While the rest of his run isn’t particularly beloved, Fabian Nicieza‘s debut on the Thunderbolts (1997) book is really well done. It’s got a niche team made up of Hawkeye, Moonstone, Abe Jenkins (Beetle & Mach), Atlas, Songbird, Ogre, and Charcoal. Much like the MCU’s version of the Thunderbolts, this team is made up of a lot of forgotten characters at the time.
Nicieza does a great job getting and keeping people invested in characters they likely hadn’t cared about before, which is what Thunderbolts* needs to do if they’re going to succeed at the box office. If Nicieza could make people care about Abe Jenkins and Charcoal, here’s hoping that director Jake Schreier can do the same for the likes of Ghost, Taskmaster, and U.S. Agent.
6
THUNDERBOLTS: Winter Soldiers (2016)
Written by Kurt Busiek & Jim Zub and Art by Mark Bagley, Sean Izaakse, and Jon Malin
The writer of the original and widely beloved run of the Thunderbolts, Kurt Busiek, returned to the book in 2016 with a new iteration of the team, led by one of the best spies in Marvel, the Winter Soldier. This is very similar to the situation Bucky will find himself in Thunderbolts*, as he’s seemingly the one who brings the team together, at least based on the trailers.
So, not only does THUNDERBOLTS: Winter Soldiers (2016) depict how Bucky leads a team like the Thunderbolts, but part of it occurs while the “Civil War II” storyline rages throughout the larger Marvel Comics universe. The Thunderbolts also get a chance to face off with the Inhumans. For fans who are really excited about Bucky’s role in Thunderbolts*, this comic would be a wonderful read.
5
Dark Avengers (2009)
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Art by Mike Deodato
If there was a popular comic writer in Marvel Comics in the early 2000s, it was Brian Michael Bendis. He wrote some of the hottest books of the time, including Ultimate Spider-Man (2000). One of his best is Dark Avengers (2009). After the results of the Skrull invasion (and how he handled it), Tony Stark was removed as the head of superhuman affairs, and Norman Osborn himself stepped up to the mantle to take over.
His team is another one that is super unique and fun. Standing alongside Osborn (who was Iron Patriot at the time) were Sentry, Moonstone disguised as Ms. Marvel, Ares, son of Wolverine, Akihiro, disguised as his father, Bullseye disguised as Hawkeye, Mac Gargan disguised as Spider-Man, and Victoria Hand. These villains/anti-heroes pretending to be iconic heroes makes for a super interesting dynamic and while it’s not super similar to Marvel Studios’ rendition of the team (aside from Sentry), it’s a great read nonetheless and a Thunderbolts story at heart—given the fact that the team is made up of most of Osborn’s Thunderbolts team from before.
4
Black Widow (2020)
Written by Kelly Thompson and Art by Elena Casagrande
One of the best runs for Natasha Romanoff is Black Widow (2020). One wouldn’t think of reading this book in preparation for Thunderbolts*, but it’s surprisingly a really great one to prep with, thanks to the inclusion of Yelena Belova. While it mainly revolves around Natasha, Yelena is a core part of the story and is utilized in a fun way.
A lot of people wish that the Black Widow movie was more akin to this comic run because of how expertly Kelly Thompson crafts the plot. Alas, this approach wouldn’t have been fully possible, though, since the comic book came out only one year before the film’s release. Still, the comic has a great twist, and the inclusion of Yelena is not only a great addition to the story but gives fans a lot to chew on regarding the character before she takes the protagonist role in Thunderbolts*.
3
Sentry (2018)
Written by Jeff Lemire and Art by Kim Jacinto
This run of the Golden Guardian, Sentry, is easily the highest-rated one he’s been part of, especially in comparison to his other solo books. Exceptional reviews flooded in after the release of Sentry #1 (2018) and really put him on a whole new pedestal for fans. Jeff Lemire does a phenomenal job exploring the character in a deeper manner that is genuinely stimulating.
Sentry is a reintroduction to the character that exploded in popularity.
If Thunderbolts* takes inspiration from any Sentry comic for his inclusion in the film, it needs to be this landmark story. It’s a reintroduction to the character that exploded in popularity. It serves as the perfect introduction book to Sentry for new readers, meaning if anyone wants to learn about the character before seeing the new MCU movie, this particular story is the absolute perfect entry point into the lore of one of Marvel’s most powerful yet underrated heavy-hitters.
2
Thunderbolts (1997)
Written by Kurt Busiek and Art by Mark Bagley
Sometimes the best content comes from the originals. The first run for the Thunderbolts team is commonly known as the best. Written by Kurt Busiek, Thunderbolts (1997) is everything a good Thunderbolts story ought to be and a shining example of how good a Thunderbolts story can be. The way Busiek brings these “losers” together to form Marvel Comics’ newest team is very well done.
Everyone loves a good redemption story, and Thunderbolts (1997) is one of the best. The book’s status quo reflects the MCU’s greatly, too (like Thunderbolts (2007)). With the book taking place after the world’s biggest heroes were wiped out by a force known as Onslaught, the Thunderbolts come together to tell a truly amazing story about not just redemption but also villains learning that it’s not easy being the hero. Going by the trailers, that’s something that the MCU Thunderbolts are soon going to learn by the end of their movie.
1
Thunderbolts (2007)
Written by Warren Ellis and Art by Mike Deodato
Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato’s Thunderbolts (2007) is known as one of the best early 2000s and “modern” Marvel Comics runs. It’s actually quite underrated, honestly, as most people commonly note the original Kurt Busiek run as the best of the best (which it is, but not enough to disregard Ellis’). It has a unique team consisting of Norman Osborn (leader), Bullseye, Mac Gargan’s Venom, Radioactive Man, Songbird, Moonstone, Swordsman (recently seen in Daredevil: Born Again), and Penance.
The story is unhinged, and with the public having lost faith in Marvel’s superheroes after the events of “Civil War,” the Thunderbolts stepped up to the plate and actually offered a thought-provoking story. The absence of the Avengers in the major public eye is very similar to the current state of the MCU, so it’s a similar status quo that readers will be somewhat familiar with.
