ThunderCats #3 Review

 

Writer: Declan Shalvey

Artist: Drew Moss

Colorists: Martina Pignedoli

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Lucio Parrillo; Declan Shalvey; Jae Lee & June Chung; Ivan Tao; Drew Moss

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Newcomer Calica enchants Lion-O. The ThunderCats’ young ruler wishes to accompany her outside. But when Lion-O draws the broken Sword Of Omens to check if it is safe, the embedded Eye Of Thundera doesn’t grant him Sight Beyond Sight. Instead, a door of glowing light appears inside the crashed flagship. What will Lion-O discover when he steps through this magical doorway? Let's extend our claws, leap into ThunderCats #3, and see!

 

Story

Lion-O peers through the glowing doorway. But before he can enter, something leaps out at him. Cheetara doesn’t hear Lion-O’s cry, but she hears Calica call for help. She races through the Thundarian flagship to find Lion-O beaming. Her leader embraces a long-lost friend.

 

When they enter the chamber, the ThunderCats discover a cache of weapons. Lion-O learns that his father appointed his friend to guard the room two months ago. They find no stasis pod to explain his friend’s lack of aging. Yet Jaga piloted the ship for years. Even though Lion-O’s malfunctioning pod slowed his aging, he still grew to manhood during their trip.

 

Jaga gave his life to pilot the Thundarian flagship to Third Earth. Yet his spirit haunts Mumm-Ra in ThunderCats #3. Seated upon his throne in the black pyramid, Mumm-Ra questions the glowing figure. He alludes to their shared past. But the Thundarian spirit does not answer.

 

 

 

In Declan Shalvey’s story, Panthro should be Lion-O's rock. Yet his Security Chief grows impatient with Lion-O. When Panthro countermands one of Lion-O's decisions, the situation escalates. Cheetara intercedes but realizes she must restore order quickly to protect her people's heritage and cohesion on this alien planet.

 

Panthro’s distrust of Calica is understandable. Why would the Mu'Tants abduct the girl before they destroyed Thundera? The previous issue also hinted at a psychic link between Calica and Mumm-Ra. As Jaga once wielded the Sword Of Omens, this suggests that Mumm-Ra gained access to the sword’s Eye Of Thundera and used it to communicate with Jaga and Calica. With Declan Shalvey cramming ThunderCats #3 with hints, mysteries, and drama, Tygra’s suffering almost goes unnoticed. While Cheetara strives to return order, the contest for leadership between his friends shakes Tygra to the core.

 

 

 

Art

Drew Moss reveals the grandeur of the ThunderCats’ flagship. Calica wanders through long corridors, Lion-O meets her in an immense conference room, and Panthro studies screens projected from computers in the hangar, surrounded by vehicles and Tygra’s repair equipment. Even broken, the ship hums with a technology indistinguishable from magic. When Lion-O first peers inside, the chamber mirrors the conference room in size and shape, with a central aisle lined by empty displays leading to an elevated throne. Yet when he and the ThunderCats enter, the walls seem to hug the shelves and cases filled with weapons in this Room Of Requirement.

 

Moss portrays earnestness, determination, despair, and overwhelming joy in the ThunderCats’ expressions. He propels the Thundarians into action amid rising tensions regarding Lion-O’s leadership. Yet the most fraught scenes belong to Slythe, the Mu’Tant leader. He entered the jungle to be alone. In leaving his people behind, he may have lost them forever. His desperate fight for survival in ThunderCats #3 reveals that he was wrong to claim victory over “this pathetic world.” 

 

 

 

Cheetara cuts an electrifying swathe of yellow through the red, blue, and green that enrich this story. Whether the action occurs during the day or night, Martina Pignedoli surrounds the characters in bright, rich colors. The atmosphere of Third Earth fills the air with appealing colors that contrast with the characters. When tensions rise in the Thundarian flagship--or something unexpected occurs--a cloud of beautiful color appears.

 

Lowercase black letters in colored narrative boxes relate character thoughts and off-camera dialogue. Black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and swell for shouts. A heartfelt cry wafts through a disembodied pink oval. Mumm-Ra’s handprinted letters dominate cloudy balloons. Jeff Eckleberry helps us hear the Eye Of Thundera open, Slythe’s failure, and a bulkhead shatter in ThunderCats #3.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Repressed anger prompts a challenge to Lion-O’s leadership, a beloved friend returns, a mysterious room showcases a Mu’Tant weapon, and a villain discovers new adversaries in ThunderCats #3.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more covers and preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.