The Thanos Imperative #4

September 26, 2010
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Miguel Sepulveda
Colorist: Jay David Ramos & Wil Quintana
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover: Aleksi Briclot
Editor: Bill Rosemann
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Lord Mar-Vell of the Cancerverse has captured Namorita, giving Nova and his squad even more to fight for than they had before. As he leads the Silver Surfer, Quasar, and the other powerhouses of Marvel’s cosmic corner against Mar-Vell, the Guardians of the Galaxy reel from Drax killing Thanos, the one being that could stop all this…

…or did he?

Yeah, It’s one of those stories. But it’s also a story that reveals something brand-new about the fundamental nature of a major character, and you’ll never hear me complaining about that sort of development. I was wary about bringing Thanos back from the death he suffered in Annihilation in the first place, but I also had faith in the writing team of Abnett and Lanning to deliver a good story and not just bring him back to set up a gimmick. There’s a reason, there’s a point, and it changes things for these characters in a big way.

Nice artwork, as well. Miguel Sepulveda and the color team do some wonderful pages – ugly moments, harsh battles waiting to be fought… it’s all to the good. I also love the twisted versions of the Avengers and the other heroes from “our” universe. Some of these visuals are really ugly and freaky. They’ll no doubt make for great action figures. Abnett and Lanning own this corner of the Marvel Universe. I don’t think anything has been announced about its future past this series, but I hope it has one. This series is really kicking ass.

Rating: 8/10