Written by Jim Starlin
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Published by Marvel Comics (April 13, 2016)
Source: Comixology
I have been following Jim Starlin's career since his early days at Marvel. Some of my fondest memories of that work involved the war between Captain Mar-vell and Thanos. At the time, my friends and I thought the scope was amazing. Little did we know that it was just the beginning, the tip of the iceberg.
Now, after so many pages that I lost track, Jim Starlin turns in what he is calling his swan song with the characters. And what a swan song it is. All the epic grandeur of a classic finale is present in this story. Planets are destroyed. Heroes die. Races get annihilated. Betrayals occur. And in the end, we get the Marvel cosmic universe re-established with some major changes. I don't know who will take up the reins from the master but Jim Starlin will be a hard act to follow.
For one of the best grand cosmic epics you will ever read in comics, go back and read Jim Starlin's epic from the beginning. But be prepared. You have not seen anything like this before.
My highest recommendation.
Author/Artist: Jim Starlin
Inker: Andy Smith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Source: Comixology
Graphic Novel Challenge #26
I could talk for hours about how much I like Jim Starlin’s work so I was very excited to see the publication of his Thanos graphic novel. If I heard correctly, this is the first of three. Starlin’s art is just as good, or better, than it was in his heyday of “Captain Marvel”, “Warlock”, “Metamorphosis Odyssey”, and “Dreadstar”. The inker perfectly complements his line work without changing the style.
It was fun getting to revisit the cosmic corner of the Marvel universe. Where else have we got to see Infinity, Eternity, and the others in recent years? I was hoping to see them in Marvel’s big “Original Sin” crossover but it does not appear to be in the cards. Starlin’s Steve Ditko inspired landscapes perfectly illustrate the big characters.
If the story has a fault it is in the lack of a resolution. Instead of a standalone novel, this seems like chapter one of a three part story. Despite that reservation, I highly recommend you taking the plunge into the cosmic epic as depicted by Starlin. Now I am going back just to stare at the pages.
Author: Jim Starlin
Artists: George Perez, Ron Lim
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Publication: Sept., 2011
Source: Kindle store
Graphic Novel Challenge Book #11
I remember picking up the early work of Jim Starlin off the spinner rack of a small local grocery store. It was his famous “Captain Marvel/Warlock/Thanos” epic. Starlin showed how Thanos used the Cosmic Cube to gain god-like powers. It was a life and death, fate of the universe in the balance story that was amazing. Starlin revisited Thanos in “The Infinity Gauntlet”.
I am a big fan of his art and was disappointed to see that he did not do the art for this mini-series. George Perez, one of my all-time favorites, started on the art and Ron Lim finished as the penciller. Both do an excellent job.
It was a fun chance to revisit characters we had not seen in a while. The story was good but did not have the pathos of Starlin’s earlier work. The Watcher appears which is interesting since his death is the driving force behind Marvel’s latest crossover, “Original Sin”. The plot goes back and forth with Thanos gaining the upper hand only to lose it. The later issues deal with a surprise move by Nebula. Adam Warlock is guiding the heroes even though they do not know what he has planned.
Highly recommended as a fun summer blockbuster type crossover.
