Writer Steve Darnall Reveals Dynamite & Alex Ross' Plans For "Peter Cannon: Thunderbo

[CBR News]

Peter Morisi's original Charlton Action hero is coming back from Dynamite, and Alex Ross collaborator Steve Darnall reveals their plans to update "Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt" and the undue influence of Ozymandias.


Full article here.

[BugsySig]

Great, another project to keep Alex Ross from putting out any more Kirby: Genesis or Project: Superpoers books. Awesome.

[Scott Mateo]

Will they have to re-imagine his origin since DC owns the rights to Charlton's PETER CANNON: THUNDERBOLT #1?

[TonyStark1012]

Here goes another $3.99 I'll be sending Dynamite! LOL!

[gwydion]

Lot of comebacks in 2012-2013 in the comic book world! Hope this one is as good as the Valiant titles have been so far.

[emb021]

Will they have to re-imagine his origin since DC owns the rights to Charlton's PETER CANNON: THUNDERBOLT #1?

AFAIK, DC doesn't own the rights the Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. As noted in the article, the character has always been owned by Pete Morisi. DC never owned him in any way.

I would like to know if Dynamite will do a reprint of the original Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt material.

[EMeadow]

Dynamite needs to try to get Moore to write something for the character. Something tells me he'd actually do it.

[Ed Love]

I want to like this... but as usual, the costume redesign is horrible, taking something that is relatively simple and iconic looking and turning it into something that looks like it was inspired by race car drivers. He's a martial artist and into Eastern religion, why does his costume have armored legs and piping? I can see getting rid of the shorts, but does it have to be along the same tired redesigns we see everywhere these days?

And, the focus on Ozymandias and the Watchmen aspects, letting the tail wag the dog. It's where DC has gone wrong with the Question and it's going wrong here, letting Moore's work influence the take and direction of the character. Instead, look at the creators that inspired Morisi: Bill Everett whose Amazing Man's origin and backstory is almost verbatim of Thunderbolt's. The costume inspired from the GA Daredevil who fought the ultimate yellow peril style menace, the Claw. Recognize that the later Iron Fist drew on some of the same inspirations but he's not at all treated as an Ozymandias type character. By having the writer talking so much about Moore's work and how that influences this without really addressing so much else that was part of the character's history and legacy, a big warning sign in my eyes. Taking what could be a fun character and book and saddling him with a lot of post-modern concerns that were barely original 30 years ago.

[tony ingram]

I've been a fan of Thunderbolt since I found a few issues of the original series at a South London street market back in the eighties. I liked the short lived DC series, but I suspect he'll be a great fit at Dynamite. Very glad to see him back, even if they have changed the costume unnecessarily.

[emb021]

I want to like this... but as usual, the costume redesign is horrible, taking something that is relatively simple and iconic looking and turning it into something that looks like it was inspired by race car drivers. He's a martial artist and into Eastern religion, why does his costume have armored legs and piping? I can see getting rid of the shorts, but does it have to be along the same tired redesigns we see everywhere these days?

And, the focus on Ozymandias and the Watchmen aspects, letting the tail wag the dog. It's where DC has gone wrong with the Question and it's going wrong here, letting Moore's work influence the take and direction of the character. Instead, look at the creators that inspired Morisi: Bill Everett whose Amazing Man's origin and backstory is almost verbatim of Thunderbolt's. The costume inspired from the GA Daredevil who fought the ultimate yellow peril style menace, the Claw. Recognize that the later Iron Fist drew on some of the same inspirations but he's not at all treated as an Ozymandias type character. By having the writer talking so much about Moore's work and how that influences this without really addressing so much else that was part of the character's history and legacy, a big warning sign in my eyes. Taking what could be a fun character and book and saddling him with a lot of post-modern concerns that were barely original 30 years ago.

Once again we are in total agreement.

[Scott Mateo]

AFAIK, DC doesn't own the rights the Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. As noted in the article, the character has always been owned by Pete Morisi. DC never owned him in any way.

I would like to know if Dynamite will do a reprint of the original Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt material.

According to Roy Thomas in the Dick Giordano Tribute issue of ALTER EGO, he says that DC bought the Charlton PETER CANNON: THUNDERBOLT #1 so they could release it in a collection, probably similar to what they did in the ACTION HERO ARCHIVES HC like they did years later.

[Ed Love]

According to Roy Thomas in the Dick Giordano Tribute issue of ALTER EGO, he says that DC bought the Charlton PETER CANNON: THUNDERBOLT #1 so they could release it in a collection, probably similar to what they did in the ACTION HERO ARCHIVES HC like they did years later.

There's quite a bit of gray area concerning Thunderbolt in that there are conflicting stories and actions. For example, he popped up in a couple of DC comics two years ago, something that would be a big no-no if DC had only licensed him. Yet, he's also the only character I know of that appeared in Justice League Task Force that didn't appear in JLA/AVENGERS. So, which one was a mistake or oversight?

Keep in mind, some of those reprints DC did, the characters were public domain. Charlton was bad about not properly notating their copyrights and some like Captain Atom's first foray in Space Adventures were before automatic renewals and were never renewed. Cannon was after the law changed and allowed for automatic renewals, but the question is one of the exact nature of who owned it and the subsequent relationship with DC. I've long heard rumors that Morisi owned his character and was only licensed by DC but this is the first I've heard it expressed in any kind of official format. It would have a little more credence if it wasn't coming from Dynamite who seems to have a history of not dotting all their i's and crossing all their t's. But, DC is also big at giving the idea that they own more than they do when it comes characters like those from Quality and Fawcett.

[Scott Mateo]

There's quite a bit of gray area concerning Thunderbolt in that there are conflicting stories and actions. For example, he popped up in a couple of DC comics two years ago, something that would be a big no-no if DC had only licensed him. Yet, he's also the only character I know of that appeared in Justice League Task Force that didn't appear in JLA/AVENGERS. So, which one was a mistake or oversight?

Keep in mind, some of those reprints DC did, the characters were public domain. Charlton was bad about not properly notating their copyrights and some like Captain Atom's first foray in Space Adventures were before automatic renewals and were never renewed. Cannon was after the law changed and allowed for automatic renewals, but the question is one of the exact nature of who owned it and the subsequent relationship with DC. I've long heard rumors that Morisi owned his character and was only licensed by DC but this is the first I've heard it expressed in any kind of official format. It would have a little more credence if it wasn't coming from Dynamite who seems to have a history of not dotting all their i's and crossing all their t's. But, DC is also big at giving the idea that they own more than they do when it comes characters like those from Quality and Fawcett.

I think one of the reasons why they changed his costume was so that they could use him again without permission from PAM (although he took back rights because he was disgusted with that new look in the JLTF story).

Where else did he appear two years ago after JLTF?

[Ed Love]

I think one of the reasons why they changed his costume was so that they could use him again without permission from PAM (although he took back rights because he was disgusted with that new look in the JLTF story).

Where else did he appear two years ago after JLTF?

I think everyone was disgusted by that JLTF look. However, right before the events of Flashpoint, he appeared in DC Universe Legends alongside other Charlton Action heroes in his standard costume. Of course that comic was a walking contradiction that fit into no known continuity. But, right around the same month, he also appeared in a comic (JSA maybe) that showed a flashback to Kingdom Come in the full-on Daredevil costume he had in that. Now the latter, DC could be disingenuous and claim that it actually WAS the GA Daredevil and not Peter Cannon, but that would be a lie. It's interesting that after several years of appearing nowhere, in almost one month he pops up in two different comics for a panel or two. Made me wonder if the rumors of him reverting back to Morisi was just that, rumors. There had long been similar rumors regarding Wonder Woman, justifying why she stayed in print, given series after series.

[Scott Mateo]

I think everyone was disgusted by that JLTF look. However, right before the events of Flashpoint, he appeared in DC Universe Legends alongside other Charlton Action heroes in his standard costume. Of course that comic was a walking contradiction that fit into no known continuity. But, right around the same month, he also appeared in a comic (JSA maybe) that showed a flashback to Kingdom Come in the full-on Daredevil costume he had in that. Now the latter, DC could be disingenuous and claim that it actually WAS the GA Daredevil and not Peter Cannon, but that would be a lie. It's interesting that after several years of appearing nowhere, in almost one month he pops up in two different comics for a panel or two. Made me wonder if the rumors of him reverting back to Morisi was just that, rumors. There had long been similar rumors regarding Wonder Woman, justifying why she stayed in print, given series after series.

DC Universe Legends? Is that the comic that went along with the DCU Online game or something else? I'll have to check through my JSA issues, but yeah...PAM doesn't have copyright of the GA Daredevil, which the KC T-Bolt resembles, so DC can go that route if it ever went to court. Just like DC can also use him in that JLTF costume and get away with it. Also, PAM's estate probably aren't aware he made a cameo appearance, hence even finding it worth pursuing.

If you can, could you let me know the comic he appeared besides JSA? Like with Peacemaker, I collect everything they ever appeared in, including fan art. I need to scour my DC CHALLENGE so I can find that Dave Gibbons rendition of him!

:)