Review: Thanos- Cosmic Powers
Quick Summary
Pros: The book has plenty of fun action scenes. Some of the action is backed up by exciting artwork.
Cons: The main narrative is not that interesting outside of the action. Many of the book’s subplots are underdeveloped and contribute little to the narrative. Some of the artwork looks unappealing.
Overall: This is a book that has plenty of action but fails to impress when it comes to storytelling. The volume has decently exciting conflicts backed up by artwork that helps the conflicts stand out. However, the majority of the narrative is uninteresting, much of the character development feels like it goes nowhere, and the book as a whole is not that memorable. This event may appeal to readers desperate for more cosmic books from this time period but will not appeal to fans just looking for a good story.
Story
Thanos: Cosmic Powers, by Ron Marz, is a flashy event with plenty of fun action but not much else. The main narrative tells a story that spotlights various characters and plot points existing on the cosmic side of Marvel Comics, at the time. The presence of these factors erupts into conflict at various points and helps contribute to a moderately exciting showdown at the book’s conclusion. However, the way the narrative progresses and the spotlight shifts takes away any appeal that would have been found in individual stories. Instead, the only characters to receive somewhat satisfying stories end up being Thanos and the event’s main villain, yet even these are disappointing in some regards. This strange balance creates a book that is exciting but not that interesting.
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As stated above, the biggest draw in this book is action and excitement. The comic follows a band of characters as they attempt to take down a powerful threat to the universe as a whole. The resistance they face is strong, as this villain is powerful, and requires some satisfying coordination at points. The fight then concludes in a final showdown which offers some great moments as soon as Thanos steps up to the plate and begins swinging at the big bad. This is all further enhanced through several great splash pages featuring some engaging artwork.
However, outside of this action, the majority of the volume isn’t that interesting. Each chapter centers around some personal problems different characters are facing. However, the majority of these problems do not factor into this comic’s narrative and a few are barely elaborated upon once the chapter concludes. This might make for a decent introduction to these characters or an alright complement to events taking place in the Silver Surfer series but it seriously damages the appeal of this comic. By the end of the book, the majority of the subplots feel completely unnecessary and many pieces of the read feel like a waste of time.
In addition, some of the action is backed up by plotlines that are pretty uninteresting. Thanos’ journey into the mind of a robot is exciting but the choice to visualize this event and the way it is visualized doesn’t make much sense. In a similar way, Terrax’s chapter is exciting but centers around a generic plotline with antagonists who participate in coordinated efforts that defy logic. These negatives further damage the book’s appeal and reinforce its status as a book with fun action but little else.
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Art
The visuals in Cosmic Powers is mostly positive but does have a few negative aspects. The positives come from the artwork’s approach to action, which matches the approach of the story. The artwork is bold, bright, and dynamic in a way that works well with combat. This leads to several great fight scenes, with a few impressive ones taking place over multiple pages. On top of this, there are also several great splash pages that either emphasize a specific fight or emphasize a dramatic moment. In general, there is plenty to like about the artwork in this book.
The book’s negatives come from visual trends that seem to be shared by the majority of comics from this era. The volume features the weirdly proportioned and contorted bodies that were, for some reason, all the rage in 90s comics. These unrealistic depictions attempt to make characters look good but just end up looking strange. Fans who enjoy artwork like this will have no problem with this book but other readers may be disappointed in a few places.
Continuity
Thanos: Cosmic Powers is mostly an independent event. However, it builds upon a number of characters and story elements from Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #81-82, which provides plenty of context for this event.
This event is mostly independent and does not directly continue in a specific comic.
This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:
- Thanos had Geatar killed back in Silver Surfer Vol 3. #38, collected in Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos (Review).
- Thanos gained and lost godlike powers in the Infinity Gauntlet (Review) (Reading Order) event.
- Tyrant’s last fight against many Marvel characters is mentioned. This occurred in Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #81-82.
- Cosmic Powers #2 references many aspects of Terrax’s past.
- He was given power by Galactus in Fantastic Four #211, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 19.
- Terrax first rebelled against Galactus and fought the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #242-243.
- He lost a battle against the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #260, collected in Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Vol. 4.
- Terrax fought Galactus’ “most recent and maddest” creation in Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #73-75.
- Ganymede mentions learning about her people. Though a note indicates that this happened in Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #79, it actually happened in Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #80.
- Cosmic Powers #4 references the original Captain Marvel’s battle with Nitro and the poison it inflicted on him. This battle took place in Captain Marvel Vol. 1 #34, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 3 (Review). Captain Marvel eventually died in Marvel Graphic Novel #1, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 6 (Review).
- The Kree Empire was mostly destroyed in Wonder Man #9, part of the Operation Galactic Storm event.