With only a couple more issues to go, is the series starting to really soar?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

As Thunderbolt squares off against the Hooded One, he reflects on the dragon that he unleashed upon the world- the very dragon he must now stop from destroying it! Meanwhile, the General is prepared to stop any perceived threat by any means necessary, and Peter Cannon turns to new friends…and an old one.

What we hold in our hands with this release is the summation of many of the various plot lines that this saga has played with since its initial inception.  Their connections at first glance seem to be basic at best but as things fall into place the creative team unveils what can only be summarized as their best single issue to date.

Steve Darnall and Alex Ross pen the script and the dynamic duo not only exceed expectations they floor right past them.  Smartly, they abandon unnecessary tangents to embrace the ticking timer surrounding this tale, but they also yield some very interesting sequences because of this quickened pace.  I was thoroughly impressed in the overall rise in quality as I frantically flipped from page to page just to see what happens next.  If there is a fault here, then it’s the fact that the narrative was rather predictable but it was an engaging affair nonetheless.

Jonathan Lau continues to be an impressive feature for this tale.  Whether he’s illustrating action, crowd confusion or a giant dragon attacking our beleaguered hero this impressive talent knows exactly how much detail to place inside his individual panels.  The end result being: pencil strokes that highlight the actions and reactions in a way that ebbs and flows with the spirit of the story that it brings to visual life.

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #8 is without a doubt the single best comic book in this series so far, and it should make eager fans quite pleased with the trajectory of the narrative even as it comes to an inevitable end in just two more issues.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5