Close Menu
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    One Piece But Why Tho 5

    Fathers of ‘One Piece’: Powerful Bonds, Legacy, and Found Family

    06/13/2025
    Elena Street Fighter 6 But Why Tho

    Elena Brings Style And Versatility To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    06/06/2025
    Lune and Sciel from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    Lune, Sciel, And The Romance Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Fails To Realize

    06/05/2025
    Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro

    Everything To Know About Eve Macarro In ‘Ballerina’

    06/05/2025
    Marvel Rivals Ultron

    Ultron Brings Aggression To ‘Marvel Rivals’ Support Class

    05/31/2025
  • Star Wars
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » Marvel Comics » ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird,’ Issue #1

ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird,’ Issue #1

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings05/02/20223 Mins Read
Thunderbird #1
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Thunderbird #1

Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 is written by  Steve Orlando & Nyla Rose, penciled by David Cutler, inked by Jose Marzan Jr. (with Roberto Poggi on pages 13-15, 20-22, 23, 25), colored by Irm Kniivila, and lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham. It’s published by Marvel Comics. John Proudstar — aka Thunderbird — was the first member of the X-Men to die in action after a battle against Count Neferia went sideways. However, he was resurrected following the end of The Trial of Magneto. Struggling to find his place in a world that’s grown without him, Proudstar returns to his home in Arizona but learns that the Heritage Initiative has kidnapped his family, forcing him to go on the offensive.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The Age of Krakoa has seen multiple mutants in the X-Men mythos get a new lease on life, both in how they’ve been utilized across the array of X-titles and quite literally with the concept of resurrection being introduced. Rose and Orlando explore how the world has changed since Proudstar’s death. He doesn’t feel comfortable on Krakoa, despite it being a supposed paradise for mutants, and he worries that his grandmother has passed in the years since his death. He also wrestles with his place in mutant history: in the same way that Steve Rogers awoke to a world that only knew him as the living legend Captain America, Thunderbird became a legend in his death.

The issue also takes on a new dimension thanks to the involvement of Rose and Cutler, who both share an indigenous heritage. Cutler, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation, designs a new costume for Thunderbird that incorporates the colors of the “Four Directions” in Native American culture, as well as turquoise to represent the strength and invincibility that is his mutant gift. On a page that feels like a hand-scrawled letter, thanks to Lanham’s letter work, Proudstar explains to mutant designer Jumbo Carnation that he wants to craft a costume representing his mutant and native heritage, and I think Rose and Cutler succeeded in that effort. Kudos also go to Orlando, who reached out to Rose for help with the story.

Cutler also illustrates some great action sequences, including Thunderbird breaking into a police station to rescue his relatives and battling his old foe Edwin Martynec. Martynec can transform into a wolf-like creature, which Cutler shows in horrifying detail; it only makes it all the more satisfying when Thunderbird is able to gain the upper hand. Topping off the artwork is Kniivila, whose colors give the book a more naturalistic feel. The opening pages feature the sun beating down on Proudstar as he walks through the dusty plains of Arizona, and the ending has a reddish-orange sunset that’s the perfect background for him to reunite with his brother Warpath and his grandmother.

Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 brings one of the classic X-Men back to the land of the living, with indigenous creators helping shape his new path in life. This is the perfect example of what the Giant-Size X-Men books should be going forward, and thankfully this isn’t the end of Thunderbird’s journey since he’s set to play a considerable role in X-Men Red.

Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 will be available wherever comics are sold on May 4, 2022.

Giant Sized X-Men Thunderbird #1
4.5

TL;DR

Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 brings one of the classic X-Men back to the land of the living, with indigenous creators helping shape his new path in life. This is the perfect example of what the Giant-Size X-Men books should be going forward, and thankfully this isn’t the end of Thunderbird’s journey since he’s set to play a considerable role in X-Men Red.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticlePREVIEW: ‘Techtonica’ is a Story-Focused Factory Sim
Next Article ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Spider-Man 2099: Exodus – Alpha,’ Issue #1
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

Death of the Silver Surfer Issue 1

REVIEW: ‘Death of the Silver Surfer’ Issue 1

06/11/2025
One World Under Doom Issue 5

REVIEW: ‘One World Under Doom’ Issue 5

06/11/2025
The New Avengers Issue 1

REVIEW: ‘The New Avengers’ Issue 1

06/11/2025
Ultimate Spider-Man Incursion Issue 1 cover art

REVIEW: ‘Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion’ Issue 1

06/04/2025
Cover of Imperial Issue 1

REVIEW: ‘Imperial’ Issue 1

06/04/2025
Uncanny X-Men Issue 15 cover art

REVIEW: ‘Uncanny X-Men’ Issue 15

05/28/2025
TRENDING POSTS
Yoo Su-bin, Kim Shin-rok, Go Min-si, and Kang Ha-neul in Tastefully Yours
6.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘Tastefully Yours’ Is A Half-Baked Romantic Venture

By Sarah Musnicky06/11/2025

For all its emphasis on flavor, execution, and satisfying a customer, Tastefully Yours ultimately proves to be underwhelming.

Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night with the Duke Episodes 1-2
8.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 1-2

By Sarah Musnicky06/12/2025

The bar is set pretty high with The First Night With The Duke Episodes 1-2. While exposition-heavy, it is a delightfully silly watch.

Y'shtola in the FFXIV Commander Deck - Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Interviews

Magic Designer Explains The Challenge Of Picking A Face For The FFXIV Commander Deck

By Kate Sánchez06/11/2025Updated:06/11/2025

FFXIV Commander Deck pulls highlights core characters and mechanics, with Y’shtola as its Commander. But building the deck, wasn’t easy.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here