Lemire, Jeff
AVERAGE REVIEW SCORE:
4 out of 5
(1 book)
Thanos: Thanos Returns
(Art by Mike Deodato Jr.)
Book one. Here the long-absent Mad Titan returns to reclaim his previously-conquered territories but finds himself beset by a mysterious and potentially fatal illness. Meanwhile Thanos' son, Thane, puts together a team which includes Nebula and Starfox with the goal of assassinating his weakened father.
Despite very much not being up to date on Thanos' story in the comics, I actually rather enjoyed this book. It has Thanos having to deal with being something of an underdog, as he is weakened by his terminal illness, but also does an excellent job of showing why he's perhaps the most feared villain in the Marvel pantheon. If anything, his weakened state actually makes Thanos feel more dangerous because of his rage at that very weakness.
I also enjoyed the story of the unlikely team put together by Thane to kill Thanos and how, ultimately, Thane's association with Lady Death leads that team on a path none of them foresaw. Particularly noteworthy for me was that this was the first time I've seen Eros/Starfox appear and not absolutely hated the character. Here we do see his smarmy, hedonistic side but we also get a glimpse of his actual power just below the surface, particularly in his confrontation with Terrax the Tamer.
As the start of a series goes, I found this to be a very good one which would absolutely encourage me to read more.
4 out of 5