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

The Thanos Imperative #3

August 28, 2010

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

The Cancerverse is continuing its war on our universe, and an ever-dwindling army of cosmic heroes is doing its best to toe the line. But there’s hope from the other side – the Cancerverse’s counterparts to robotic heroes like the Vision and Machine Man have resisted the influence of Mar-Vell, and may provide the key to victory… if only Drax can put aside his hatred of Thanos long enough to win the war.

Abnett and Lanning have been telling war stories with these characters for some time now, going back to Annihilation, but they’ve never gotten stale in their telling. The Cancerverse concept itself is wonderfully warped and twisted, making for some dreadful villains for our heroes. We’re seeing Nova really have a chance to step up and demonstrate the depths of his own heroism, and the Guardians of the Galaxy have their own opportunity to shine.

There’s been some speculation about a “Cosmic Avengers” title spinning out of this event, and while that idea may have a little merit, the “line-up” we’re presented with this issue wouldn’t really sustain an ongoing. Quasar, Nova, and even Beta Rey Bill would work well together, but the Silver Surfer doesn’t really come across as a team player, and Ronan and the Gladiator are both kind of bland characters – powerhouses, to be sure, but not necessarily the sort of characters that make for interesting protagonists on an ongoing basis. (Both of them, honestly, are more interesting as antagonists, even if they’re fighting on the right side.) Hopefully if that does turn out to be the case, we’ll see a slightly different team.

Miguel Sepulveda’s artwork has a different kind of flavor to it, a clever mix of high-flying science fiction and superhero adventure, blended with the Cthulhu-style horrors of the Cancerverse. They mix well under his pencils, and give us a good-looking book.

This issue ends on a dandy little cliffhanger that actually calls the title of this event into question. It will be fun to see where the writers take us next.

Rating: 7/10