Justice, like lightning! Zub helms new Thunderbolts series (Interview)
The Thunderbolts are back, but whose side are they on?
We asked Jim Zub, writer of the new Marvel Comics series that debuts May 4, that very question. The series, drawn by Jon Malin, marks his Zub’s debut at Marvel.
First question when dealing with the Thunderbolts in my mind has to be this: are they heroes or villains this time around?
That’s one of the core questions at the start of the series. Bucky wants the new Thunderbolts protecting Kobik (a cosmic cube child with the mind of a four-year-old girl), but some of the other Thunderbolts have other plans.
Who’s on your roster? How did you settle on that particular group? What makes this your ideal roster?
On the team at the start of the series are four original Thunderbolts members (Moonstone, The Fixer, Atlas, and MACH-X) along with Winter Soldier and Kobik. Lots of legacy but enough new elements to keep things interesting.
The team was set up as part of a Marvel Writing Retreat before I came on board but, honestly, I’m really happy with the roster. I think it’s a great mix of old and new. Bucky’s inclusion works very well and creates tension and drama right from the get-go.
Was there anyone you wanted but couldn’t have for whatever reason?
Songbird is a member of the New Avengers so she couldn’t be a part of our team, but that also creates some really cool story possibilities down the road. All I can say right now is that Al Ewing and I have been chatting and things are going to be fun.
Were you a fan of the series before?
Absolutely. I read quite a lot of Kurt’s original run, Warren’s dark take, and thoroughly enjoyed Jeff Parker’s issues when they were coming out. Reading and re-reading the entire Thunderbolts run for research was a lot of work, but it reminded me how many great Thunderbolts stories have been told over the years. Really inspiring.
Who’s your favourite member to write so far?
I don’t know that I have one favorite just yet. What’s most enjoyable is the interaction between them all – The friction that creates all kinds of dramatic tension I get to play with.
What can we expect to see in your first arc?
After the events of STANDOFF Bucky has taken Kobik under his protection and the rest of the original team has fallen in with the two of them as a way to regroup and redeem themselves for the crimes that got them put into Pleasant Hill in the first place.
Bucky has seen first hand that S.H.I.E.L.D. can’t be trusted with the power of the cosmic cube and he’s determined to keep her (and the rest of the Marvel Universe) safe while continuing to protect Earth from threats he discovered following in Nick Fury’s footsteps as the ‘Man On The Wall’. Doing that puts the team into conflict with heroes and villains aplenty.
How has Jon been to collaborate with?
Jon’s been great. He’s busting his hump on every page, really amping up the action and drama. We’ve chatted a few times on the phone and I know he’s really pouring himself into this, using it as a springboard to show people what he’s capable of. We’ve got great stuff planned and I’m pumped to see what readers think of our action-packed launch.