You know what worked in this issue? Declan Shalvey

This man needs to find more work! After this issue he shows why he’s perfect at setting mood and also delivering some great moments in a comic. First on the mood and right away you know you’re in 1800s London. From the great period costumes the Thunderbolts are wearing to the shabby building in London, Shalvey draws it perfectly. There’s also some great effects in this issue from T’Bolts tower going in and out of visibility to the way they change costumes in a single page; Shalvey executes it perfectly. Praise should also go to colorist Frank Martin for capturing the mood perfectly too. His method of using drab grays and light blues really makes it look like a depressed city from the 1800s. But when we go to the present day, Martin delivers the bright colors you’d expect from this comic.

What hurts this issue for me is how Parker introduces this story. He jumps right into the middle of the situation and takes a long time to explain just why the T’Bolts and Mr. Hyde are doing what they’re doing. What made the last arc worked was establishing the plot right away and mixing the old school elements with the present day. Here, with the two London cops mainly being the main characters, we get a fuzzy look at this situation and when it is explained it’s hard buy it. While it’s cool to see Mr. Hyde maybe being Jack the Ripper, I have a feeling the real explanation with Satana will be disappointing. But there are some nice character moments in this from Luke Cage being crabby to Centurus teaching Troll how to talk. It’s moments like that that gives us enough depth to these characters then what you’d normally see in a comic.

While the story in this particular issue didn’t wow me, it was still interesting enough to enjoy. Maybe it would have been better to keep the T’Bolts front in center rather then be background players half of the issue. But it’s hard to complain when you see great art by Declan Shalvey on each page of this comic. This man really needs a solo book to call his own. In short, an enjoyable issue but definitely not the best to come out this year.