Thunderball Comics – Review

Thunderball Comics

by Bob Butman

Alright all you comic fans, Independent comic of the month comes to us from Thunderball Comics in West Chatham, MA. You know, the age old question, “What do gardening tools and super-heroing have in common?” Well, it can finally be answered and the final is The HoeThe Hoe is the first release from Thunderball, and it hit the shelves in mid-May. The very thought of a weed-digger striking fear into the hearts of criminals seemed a little silly, but they pulled it off very well. I wasn’t even halfway thought the book and already I had completely forgotten that our hero used to be in competition with the Garden Weasel.

The writing was solid and showed the maturity that so many books lack. Also, the storyline displayed a feeling of commitment and stability that quickly tells us that these boys are in for the long haul.

Issue one is somewhat of a teaser in the fact that The Hoe is not the only hero that is mentioned in the book. It introduces several characters and gives us a whole new outlook on how heroes might be dealt with in reality. There are a few major points in the Thunderball Universe that really stand out and I think these points are going to help Thunderball go right to the top. The first point is how much a role the government plays in controlling these new super-types. They create an all new ballgame by setting them up in the areas where they are needed. They gain the support of the local populace by getting each hero endorsements from breakfast cereals and, last but not least, they ensure the back-up of the local authorities. Now where have you seen that kind of treatment for heroes?

Point two: They try and pick cities that need superheroes like Spokane, Portland, and Des Moines. Sure, there are cities that not one really knows where they are without a map, but that’s the point.  Like New York needs another superhero.

And point number three: They keep you in the real world as much as possible. When they place the character in a drastic situation, it will actually have an effect on you instead of seeing the world constantly being threatened by annihilation and then the hero saving the day. It’s been done thousands of times over, and it’s time to get back to basics. Thunderball makes the kind of books that are meant for reading the story, not the values on chromium covers in the monthly price guide.

Incidentally, I had the privilege of interviewing the boys from Thunderball, but that was a little crowded on space this time, so I’ll just have to give them another page next time.