"Modern Marvels" (2005/06/01) from New Thunderbolts 7 (June 2005)
Reprinted in New Thunderbolts: Modern Marvels

Reader Rating: Average

Summary: While a television news program provides an outsider's analysis of the new Thunderbolts, Songbird looks at the team from the inside -- and is disturbed by what she sees.

The TV analysts are Dr. Schoolcroft ("author of Shadows:The Dark Side of the Marvels") and Seth Voelker, formerly Sidewinder of the Serpent Society. Pages from Schoolcroft's on-line "Thunderblog" provide detailed backgrounds of the new team members.

Radioactive Man begins an analysis of Genis' metamorphosis. Joystick appears on The Today Show with Al Roker. Blizzard and Speed Demon are recruited by the Shocker for a job. The Purple Man and the Swordsman continue their plot against the T-Bolts. And Melissa is so upset with Abe's funding arrangement with von Strucker -- and perhaps with other aspects of the team -- that she walks out.

Comments: An oddball album issue. Each of the new members get a full page poster accompanied by revealing text from Schoolcroft's "Thunderblog." These are drawn in fine style by Tom Grummett. But the rest of the art is by Bill Sienkiewicz, and his scritch-scratch style just doesn't suit the material at all. An accompanying website purporting to be Schoolcroft's Thunderblog was originally posted at marvel.com, and you can still read the text here.