By Christos N. Gage (writer), Fernando Blanco (Artist), and Frank Martin (Colorist)

If Thunderbolts #120 was a geekgasm, then #121 was comicus interruptus. Ellis left us with a hasty, “Oh, is it that time already? Gotta go. I’ll call you. No, you don’t need my number. I’ll call you. I promise.”

I feel so cheap.

And now, for my rebound, I’ve got a blind date with Gage and Blanco, whose names don’t mean much to me. On the plus side, the Thunderbolts team is still one of the most engaging ensembles of super-characters on the market today, and Gage and Blanco are doing their darnedest to live up to the standards set by Ellis and Deodato.

The book begins with an appropriately geeky battle of the Thunderbolts against Swarm, the Nazi scientist reincarnated as a sentient collective of bees. The Thunderbolts are no longer the well-oiled machine they once were; they defeat Swarm, but just barely. Gage has a good handle on the personalities of each character: Moonstone and Osborn are continually embroiled in intellectual one-upsmanship; Swordsman is back to being an arrogant aristocrat; and Bullseye and Venom are barely controlled masses of seething psychoses.

Back at Thunderbolts mountain, Swordsman’s sister abruptly appears. Osborn suspects she is a creation of Arnim Zola, but I suspect (along with probably about a million other readers) she’s really a Skrull. To further tie things in to Secret Invasion, the book ends with the assault by the ersatz Captain Marvel, who is especially well-handled. Check out the conflict between his heroic and Skrullian nature, or the scene where Songbird lets him know he has another illegitimate son besides Hulkling. (Fair warning: casual readers will probably find the many references to continuity confusing.)

Whenever a great creative team leaves, especially when it’s as abrupt as Ellis’ departure, the question always arises, “Is this the time to stop buying the book?” For me, at least, the answer this time is “No.” This latest iteration of Thunderbolts may not be quite as good as the one before, but it’s a quick-paced, well-crafted read, and I’m anxious to see where the new team goes with it. (Grade: B)

- Andrew C. Murphy