Peter Cannon Thunderbolt #1 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Artist: Caspar Wijngaard

Colorist: Mary Safro

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Published by: Dynamite

Peter Cannon, as a character, has existed since the Silver Age and after this issue is done, I wouldn’t blame a lot of new readers for having this nagging feeling that you’ve seen this character before, but not necessarily under this name. And you wouldn’t be wrong.

This new incarnation of Peter Cannon Thunderbolt written by Kieron Gillen and art by Caspar Wijngaard reads almost like a small rebuttal to Watchmen. For those who may not know, the character of Ozymandias in Watchmen was based on Peter Cannon and Gillen does not hide that fact within this issue.

The issue starts off with an alien invasion of Earth that has brought all the superpowers of the world together, namely their superheroes, who come to ask for Peter Cannon’s help. This may sound familiar to those who’ve read Watchmen, as this is pretty much the climax of that book. What this does, within this story, is quickly establishing that Peter Cannon is one of the smartest people on the planet as he is able to construct a plan to repel the invasion almost too quickly.

And this is where I think the issue really shines. Gillen plays on the fact that this is a familiar story, but makes it that it is only part one of what is possibly going to be a much bigger story. As I was reading the second half of the issue, I had a pretty accurate feeling of what was coming up, but even knowing this, I was excited to see where this was going to go. Great stuff!

As for the art, Wijngaard provides pencils (and possibly inks) that are dynamic and are greatly enhanced by Safro’s colours. You don’t always have to overcomplicate the art, and the simplicity here is what makes this issue visually appealing. I also really enjoyed the nine-panel grids peppered throughout the issue, because that gives you a visual hint that Peter Cannon is linked to the Watchmen graphic.