This is the start of the series so it is easy to pick up what is going on and you can decide whether you want to follow it from there. Read Full Review

Devil's Reign: Villains for Hire #1 is an entertaining addition to an event that has been solid. It plays out as expected and hits the beats that are expected. It, so far, hasn't broken any new ground but it does deliver enough entertaining moments to make it a worthy read. Read Full Review

Villains for Hire #1 does an excellent job exploring Fisk as a character but doesn't give any depth to the main characters of the title Read Full Review

Having the Thunderbolts work as Mayor Kingpin's hired muscle is a great call and while the lineup (Rhino, Agony, Electro, Taskmaster, Whiplash, a surprise sixth member) seems like it would make for a good Suicide Squad-esque romp, this first issue pulls the rug out from under you by reminding you just how lethal and merciless each of these villains can get. Read Full Review

Devils Reign: Villains For Hire #1 is a fun tie-in with glaring issues. As a collection of villains going around murdering people, there is an exciting plot with some exhilarating action. The characters are powerful villains that are often considered C-list, but that is often the charm of comics like this. But the art can be off-putting in several instances, even if it is great in others. Using multiple inkers can be fine for adding variety to the page, but it also results in inconsistencies in the line art. Read Full Review

Not much substance here but still pretty cool to watch this assortment of characters go ham against terrorists

This was messy. It kind of came across like a comic version of fast food. You read it, despite knowing it's low quality, and you enjoy it at least a bit. Hopefully next issue does something more interesting.

This issue is just Thunderbolts killing people left and right, fighting amongst themselves and Fisk putting them in their place. Only on the last page does U.S. Agent join them and we still don't know the reason why. If he's either doing it to try to keep these crazies in line or he's somehow undercover for Steve, that's something I can buy. Any other reason, I don't see it in character.

Fisk's new Thunderbolts prove the same point that's made in at least half of all "villains masquerading as heroes" stories: Some villains are just too murdery for that gig. Give them some teammates who want to do the job right and bam, instant intramural conflict.

The structure of the script is heavily slanted toward letting the art team demonstrate the gorn-y glory of the villains in long fight scenes. That's far from my favorite tactic, but it's a valid one. The art didn't wow me, though. Plenty of detail, but terribly stiff; motion is clumsily implied instead of dynamically demonstrated.