One of the better titles to come out of Marvel's Civil War was the newly renovated team of the Thunderbolts. I skipped a couple of issues in the beginning because I really didn't see what people were talking about when they said that the comic was worth reading. At that point, I didn't realize that Baron Zemo had been removed as head of the team and that it now included not only Norman Osborn and Venom but the newly revamped Speedball who was now going by the name of Penance. The following is a complete list of reasons why you need to start reading Thunderbolts now. As in, right now.

Warren Ellis' writing & Mike Deodato's artwork
This one kind of goes without saying. The team wouldn't be nearly as awesome without one of the best writers Marvel has to offer. Deodato's art fits Thunderbolts so well, it almost hurts. If anyone else was doing it, it just wouldn't be nearly as good. It really brings a tear to my eye when a creative team like this gets put together.

Venom
He bit off (See above) Steel Spider's freakin' arm in issue #115! What else do I have to say?! If you've ever read any of the Spider-Man comics, you already know how wicked Venom is. Granted, it's not the same Eddie Brock Venom from way back but he still manages to fit the bill as one badass super-villain. Eddie Brock who?

Norman Osborn's inevitable breakdown
For those of you that aren't in the know, Norman is currently the team leader, replacing Baron Zemo. If you've seen Norman as The Green Goblin, you know that he's got a couple screws loose which currently has me eagerly anticipating the issue in which Osborn goes completely insane and kills not only himself but a number of people on the team. It hasn't happened yet so you might still be able to catch it when you start reading.

Bullseye
The man is a complete maniac. He couldn't care less about the lives of his fellow teammates, he stabs not only renegade hero Jack Flag in the spine but also stabs two guards in their foreheads. While he's currently residing in a coma for trying to break free from his restraining implants, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll be back savagely beating superheroes in no time.

Penance
You may, like me, have hated him as Speedball but he's traveled pretty far to get to where he is now. Penance is a shadow of his former self and couldn't be any cooler.

Senseless violence
Is there any better way to solve life's problems that by beat the living hell out each other? I think not. Luckily, the Thunderbolts share this philosophy on life and we get to reap all the rewards by watching them engage in some of the coolest fights in comics today.

With Ellis and Deodato at the helm and a roster of really incredible characters, what's not to love about the Thunderbolts? They're violent, sadistic and completely insane. Sometimes it's a nice change to cheer for the bad guys once in a while.

Do you read Thunderbolts? Love them, hate them, comments are always welcome!