Thanos #1
(W) Christopher Cantwell (A) Luca Pizzari (CA) Leinil Yu
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 08, 2023
SRP: $4.99
THANOS VS. THE ILLUMINATI!
The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him!
The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him! Thanos #1 kicks off the next chapter for the cosmic titan, and it’s… interesting.
Written by Christopher Cantwell, Thanos #1 isn’t bad at all. I’ll admit, I haven’t read recent comics featuring him and it’s been such a long time since his ongoing series, I had no idea where he was/is and what his status is. But, this is his return and it’s very Independence Day.
Thanos is back after vacationing wherever and he’s focused on Earth to get… something. We’re not 100% sure what but with all of the hints, readers can make a good guess as to what’s up. Like a good alien invasion, Cantwell delivers over the top destruction that feels like it’s ripped right out of a Michael Bay/Roland Emmerich film. The scale of destruction and what happens is made for the big screen in all the best ways. It’s pure invasion/destruction fodder… and kind of fun due to that.
Thanos #1 challenges you to not think. The response to Thanos’ actions feels a little scaled back and very late either signifying his swiftness in action or everyone else is on vacation I guess. But, like those big apocalyptic films, the comic begs you to not dwell too much about that and enjoy the symphony of destruction.
Part of the fun are the visuals from Luca Pizzari which teases the over the top destruction of Thanos’ actions. With color by Ruth Redmond and lettering by Cory Petit, it feels like highlights of what’s going on. The art never lingers enough to really let what has happened soak in. Instead once things gets rolling, it all feels like rather quick hits. Planes are destroyed, a city is… yeah. We don’t get the cinematic nature that the moments really call for. But, it’s still entertaining in that B-movie pop culture sort of way.
Thanos #1 isn’t a bad comic and in many ways it delivers some cheesy cosmic fun. But, unless you’re invested in the character or that corner of the Marvel universe, it’s not really enough to suck you in. Still, the return of Mad Titan and what’s teased has some potential there. Still, this is one that’s more for the hardcore invested fans.
Story: Christopher Cantwell Art: Luca Pizzari
Color: Ruth Redmond Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Batman #139 (DC Comics) – We’ve been a bit iffy about the current run of Batman but hopefully a new arc with the Joker will make things a bit more interesting.
Birds of Prey #3 (DC Comics) – The series has been so much fun so far and we’re expecting more of the same.
Count Dante #5 (Scout Comics) – The series has been great so far with its mix of camp, hyperbole, and fantastic art. What’s fact? What’s fiction? Who knows, it’s all entertaining.
Dark Ride #9 (Skybound) – Who is Halloween, and what is the real story behind the Princess of Devil Land? When given the choice to claim her throne, can Sam trust his sister in his time of need?
Mech Cadets #4 (BOOM! Studios) – The series has a been a lot of fun with giant robots and aliens, all for readers of all ages.
Petrol Head #1 (Image Comics) – In a climate crisis-ravaged future metropolis, an old, grumpy, obsolete, smoke-belching, cigar-chomping, HOTROD-RACING ROBOT is one 12-year-old girl’s only hope. Together, can they outrace the chasing Robo-Cops with an invention that might just save humanity?
Punisher #1 (Marvel) – A new Punisher is dispensing justice… really, it’s a tale of revenge with solid action.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #1 (DC Comics) – The Soviet Union looks to crush Superman’s image with a creation of their own built by their own might and forged by their own power!
Thanos #1 (Marvel) – The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him!
Transformers #2 (Skybound) – The integration of G.I. Joe begins here!
Zawa + the Belly of the Beast #1 (BOOM! Studios) – The art has sucked us in on this one. It looks so fantastic.
Thanos #1
(W) Christopher Cantwell (A) Luca Pizzari (CA) Leinil Yu
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 08, 2023
SRP: $4.99
THANOS VS. THE ILLUMINATI!
The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him!
This November, Earth will once again tremble before the power of Marvel‘s most feared supervillain in an all-new Thanos solo series! From Chris Cantwell, the writer who brought Marvel’s other big bad to Eisner-nominated heights in Doom, and Luca Pizzari, the acclaimed artist known for his recent work on X-Men: Before The Fall – Heralds Of Apocalypse #1, comes a four-issue limited series that presents a riveting fresh take on the Mad Titan.
The saga will follow Thanos as he rockets to Earth from the darkest depths of the cosmos to undertake his most ambitious conquest yet. The only ones that can quell his passionate fury is a new Illuminati. Mr. Fantastic, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man have reunited to guide the superhuman world from the shadows and joining this new incarnation are Emma Frost and Blue Marvel. This cabal composed of Marvel’s greatest minds have wasted no time in sharing a secret that will shatter the heavens and provoke Thanos’ deadly wrath like never before!
THANOS VS. THE ILLUMINATI! The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him!
Right now, check out Leinil Francis Yu’s main cover as well as a variant cover by Phil Noto that pays homage to George Pérez’s iconic Infinity Gauntlet #1. And peer into the soul of the Mad Titan if you dare this November in Thanos #1.
Thanos: Death Note #1
(W) Christopher Cantwell, J. Michael Straczynski (A) Ron Lim, Andrea DiVito (CA) Andrea Sorrentino
RATED T+
In Shops: Dec 07, 2022
SRP: $4.99
• Spinning out of Donny Cates & Nic Klein’s THOR comes an all-new Thanos one-shot, with Ron Lim’s return to the Mad Titan!
• Thanos is missing, presumed dead. But Thor has seen a vision of his return. And it is enough to make even a God fear. To prepare himself, to prepare the universe, Thor desperately searches for answers in Thanos’ past… and finds a glimpse of the Marvel Universe’s dark future.
Thanos: Death Note #1
(W) Christopher Cantwell, J. Michael Straczynski (A) Ron Lim, Andrea DiVito (CA) Andrea Sorrentino
RATED T+
In Shops: Dec 07, 2022
SRP: $4.99
• Spinning out of Donny Cates & Nic Klein’s THOR comes an all-new Thanos one-shot, with Ron Lim’s return to the Mad Titan!
• Thanos is missing, presumed dead. But Thor has seen a vision of his return. And it is enough to make even a God fear. To prepare himself, to prepare the universe, Thor desperately searches for answers in Thanos’ past… and finds a glimpse of the Marvel Universe’s dark future.
In the opening arc of Donny Cates and Nic Klein’s hit run of Thor, fans witnessed a disturbing vision of the Mad Titan Thanos laying waste to the Marvel Universe! Since then, Thor has done everything in his power to prevent this future from coming to pass, but has it been enough? Find out as this brewing plot comes to the forefront in a brand new arc starting December titled “The Legacy of Thanos.” The arc will be penned by guest writer Torunn Grønbekk who will join returning series artist Nic Klein for an adventure starring Thor and the Valkyrie Rúna. The arc will spin directly out of Thanos: Death Notes, the oversized Thanos one-shot hitting stands in November, and it will serve as a pivotal prelude to Cates and Klein’s future plans for Thanos’ upcoming conquest.
When a universally loathed foe kidnaps Thor’s baby sister Laussa and drags her so deep beyond Hel that not even Sif’s All-Sight can see her, the God of Thunder must call upon the one ally who has traveled so far into the unknown before: Rúna. But what dark secrets of Asgard’s bloody past lay beneath the frozen waters?
Check out the cover below and pick up the start of this thrilling new arc of Thor on December 7!
This November, Marvel will publish a special one-shot starring one of the most iconic comic villains of all time—THANOS! Thanos: Death Notes will be an oversized issue containing riveting stories about the Mad Titan’s life and begin the path towards his next conquest. This issue spins directly out of Donny Cates and Nic Klein’s Thor run where Thor recently beheld a terrifying future involving Thanos and vowed to use all his power to prevent it. Thanos: Death Notes will be brought together by an incredible lineup of creators including J. Michael Straczynski, Torunn Grønbekk, Kyle Starks, Christopher Cantwell, Andrea Di Vito, Travel Foreman, and one of the character’s most definitive artists, cosmic extraordinaire Ron Lim!
Thanos is missing, presumed dead after the chilling events of Kieron Gillen and Esad Ribić’s Eternals. But Thor has seen a vision of his return. And it is enough to make even a God fear. To prepare himself, to prepare the universe, Thor desperately searches for answers in Thanos’ past…and finds a glimpse of the Marvel Universe’s dark future.
See the universe tremble once more when THANOS begins his next era in Thanos: Death Notes #1 on November 30th.
In Eternals #10, Kieron Gillen starts to lay the foundation for his upcoming event featuring the Eternals, Avengers, and (Not yet) X-Men with the help of some larger than life visuals from Esad Ribic and Matthew Wilson. This comic is Ocean’s 11 with godlike beings meets Thanos tortures the shit out of Phastos and deals with his parental issues and general hatred of the Earth. The Mad Titan’s storyline continues to be the best part of Gillen and Ribic’s Eternals run as he isn’t openly attacking and conquering Earth or other planets/worlds, but using subtler means and his new role as Prime Eternal to erase his parents from existence forever.
However, the scenes where Thanos isn’t monologuing, threatening or generally being a force are a blast with Kieron Gillen and Esad Ribic in full blockbuster mode with Kingo, Sprite, Makkari, and Ajak slipping in via Sersi’s earrings as she dines (and flirts) with Namor. With the exception of one out of place face for Captain Marvel, Ribic’s god-like take on his figures works for this era of Avengers that has heavy hitters like Phoenix, Starbrand, and of course, Thor on the team. There’s a natural rhythm to Iron Man and Namor’s sniping, and Esad Ribic shows he can do comedy too with a hilarious reaction shot to Namor basically telling him he’s meeting Sersi in the hot tub. Then, on the other hand, Ribic channels classic children’s comics with the team’s distraction of Starbrand.
Eternals #10 is really a feast of tones with the Machine’s narration tying it all together, and as usual having all the best lines. Eternals’ huge cast of characters is an argument for the monthly series with characters like Ikaris and Thena, who featured prominently in the book’s first arc, taking a secondary, yet heroic role in this issue. This is because they’re more traditional heroes/fighters, and the infiltration of Avengers Mountain is all about the stealth and veneration of Celestials. Their deep connection to the Celestials makes Makkari and Ajak perfectly suited for this mission and to play more of an active role in the narrative. There’s even an flashy sequence using Makkari’s super speed that’s a nice riff on an old puzzle video game trope with ethereal colors from Wilson.
Makkari and Ajak are even more importantly to the big picture of Eternals and the Marvel Universe as a whole because of their history with the Avengers beginning back in 1,000,000 BC that was elucidated in the wonderful Eternals: Celestia one-shot. The Eternals have a complex relationship with the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes that is contextualized in a timely data page that could lead to so much thematic goodness and sets up a metaphor for the Avengers that goes beyond dysfunctional family, sports team, or super-celebrities. (That’s more the Mark Millar/Bryan Hitch Ultimates.) However, the Avengers/Eternals conflict is more in the appetizer period thanks to all the sneaking around and flirting. But if Kingo’s pop culture references hold true, this is going from religious-tinged heist to punch-up very soon.
Eternals #10 uses the focus of an infiltration mission to flesh out its large cast’s personalities while also sowing the seeds for a conflict with the Avengers with Esad Ribic’s art ranging from statuesque deities to light comedy. While this is going on, Gillen continues to craft Thanos’ arc as he wields moral dilemmas and family trauma as weapons instead of finger snaps and flashy jewelry. Kieron Gillen’s take on Thanos is quickly becoming one of my favorites as he continues to add new wrinkles to the usual Big Bad formula. I can’t wait to see what devilish conundrum he comes up with next.
Story: Kieron Gillen Art: Esad Ribic
Colors: Matthew Wilson Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
