Excluding the slight bias I have with Stryfe and Dark Beast, I agree with you. As for Exodus, I was never a fan but like you said with Carey at the helm it should be interesting and anything beats another warmed-over Magneto resurrection (Though with the exception of the Northstar/Aurora flashbacks, that Annual was kind of stale). My prediction with Stryfe is that his residence at Providence is one of redemption and he will end up helping save the island. Or he could just be a spirit or in a flashback and I'm totally off.

On the subject of Ellis, I read all his Authority stuff and was never impressed with it's glib, snide look at everything. Back when he became the flavor of the month in the post-Transmetropolitan days he made like his counterpart Ennis and spread himself thin (That RED miniseries he wrote had such a rushed, cliched conclusion. But with Thunderbolts the snideness and cruelty works for me, Bullseye and Norman show no signs of turning a new leaf. I admit, I have no idea who Penance is, though.

Oh, well. I hope you enjoy "To the Lighthouse". I remember watching a television adaptation a few years ago that had the actress who played Aunt May from the Spider-man flicks and the Alfred from the Burton Batman movies as Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay.