Review: Thanos- Redemption
Quick Summary
Pros: The first half of the book is a thrilling adventure with galactic stakes. The second half is equally thrilling and brings the conflict to a more personal level. Both halves are creative and present a great picture of the journey Thanos is currently undergoing. The artwork looks good and enhances the reading experience.
Cons: Some of the dialogue in the first half reads poorly. One of the subplots in the second half is somewhat uninteresting.
Overall: This is a great comic collection that tells two solid Thanos stories. The first sees Thanos go head to head in a fierce battle against a threat to all reality. The second has him deal with smaller threats but in a more intimate setting. The entire narrative is fun to see play out, has some satisfying character development, and is backed up by some good-looking artwork. Any fan of Thanos, particularly fans who enjoyed his role in the “Infinity Trilogy” should check out this collection.
Story
Thanos: Redemption, by Jim Starlin and Keith Giffen, is an awesome continuation and evolution of the ongoing mythos surrounding one of Marvel Comics’ best villains. This volume collects several exciting stories where the stakes are high and Thanos has plenty of opportunities to show off his abilities as a master-strategist and as a warrior. However, his prowess in battle is not the main focus of the collection, as the evolution of his character ends up being one of this collection’s most compelling aspects. It also helps that there are very few negatives weighing down this otherwise great narrative. In the end, this makes Thanos: Redemption a wonderful read for any fan interested in seeing Thanos during one of the most unique times in his life.
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The opening half of Thanos: Redemption, written by Jim Starlin, has Thanos team-up with members of the former Infinity Watch to defeat Galactus and the potentially universe-devouring threat manipulating him. This is an exciting story that manages to defy expectations at a number of points. Thanos’ attempt at reconciling with the Rigellians, the reveal of the collection’s true villain, and Thanos’ victory are all points that were unexpected but work well as part of this narrative. They allow the read to be as exciting as it is creative.
The only downside to this half of the book is that Thanos’ dialogue is a bit annoying. His overly detailed explanation seems to be an attempt to make him seem smart yet the way he is constantly stating the obvious ends up having the opposite effect.
The second half of Thanos: Redemption is equally thrilling and equally creative. It follows Thanos as he attempts to deal with several cosmic threats held within the universe’s most secure prison. The fights in these chapters are closer and, typically, take place on a personal level, rather than a galactic one. This contrast to the first chapter works out well and makes the action in the book feel a bit more diverse.
The downside to this half of the book is that it spends too much time focusing on the prison’s guards. These characters are not that interesting and their plight feels like a distraction from a much better story.
The other major positive about the entirety of Thanos: Redemption is the way it continues the growth Thanos has been experiencing since his failure to please Death back in Infinity Gauntlet (Review) (Reading Order). His attempt to right his past wrongs while also constantly pursuing new knowledge makes him an even more interesting character than before. He comes across as more measured and dedicated, with his fierce sense of honor coming through particularly well in his encounter with the Rigellians and with Galactus. There are also hints that his journey is not over yet, as his subjugation of the Fallen One and the return of his relationship with Death indicate plenty of potential in the future. All of this is even more rewarding for anyone who has seen Thanos progress through the “Infinity Trilogy” to the point where he is at now.
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Art
The artwork in Thanos: Redemption is pleasing from start to finish and is part of what makes this such a great comic. The book’s opening half contains pencils from Jim Starlin, inks from Al Milgrom, and colors from Christie Scheele and Heroic Age Studios. This group puts together some great looking work with structures that seriously help the flow of the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of the collection’s big bad, which is accomplished through a small panel that grows as the bad’s presence becomes known.
The book’s second half contains visuals from penciler, Ron Lim; inker, Al Milgrom; and colorists, Christie Scheele and Krista Ward that look almost just as good as those in the collections first half. They are bold and bright in a way that emphasizes the impressive display being put on. They are also detailed and creative, in a way that highlights the unique location of the narrative. In general, the visuals in this book are positive and are an asset to the reading experience.
Continuity
Thanos: Redemption collects the entire Thanos Vol. 1 comic series. Though this series stands on its own, it also continues story elements from the Infinity Abyss event, collected in Guardians of the Galaxy: Road to Annihilation Vol. 1 (Review), and the Marvel Universe: The End event.
The story here continues on in the Annihilation event (Reading Order) starting with Annihilation: Prologue #1, collected in Annihilation: The Complete Collection Vol. 1.
This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:
- Thanos’ clone fought the Rigellians in Thor Vol. 2 #21-25 and Thor Annual Vol. 2 2000, collected in Thor by Jurgens & Romita Jr. Vol. 4.
- Thanos #1 reviews many elements of Thanos’ history.
- He fought Captain Marvel and obtained the Cosmic Cube during the “Thanos War” (Reading Order).
- He collected the Infinity Gems in Infinity Gauntlet (Review) (Reading Order).
- He faced Adam Warlock’s alternative selves during the Infinity War (Review) (Reading Order) and Infinity Crusade (Review) events.
- He gained ultimate power from the Heart of the Universe in Marvel Universe: The End.
- Developments from the Infinity Abyss event collected in Guardians of the Galaxy: Road to Annihilation Vol. 1 (Review), are mentioned in a variety of ways. This event saw Adam Warlock’s most recent evolution, an attempted clone of Galactus, and Adam and Gamora starting a new life together.
- Thanos #2 reviews many elements of Adam Warlock’s history.
- His creation and first moments on Earth were shown in Fantastic Four #66-67, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 7 (Review).
- His encounter with the High-Evolutionary and adventures on Counter-Earth are mostly shown across Marvel Masterworks: Adam Warlock Vol. 1 (Review).
- His team-up with Thanos and battle against the Magus and the Universal Church of Truth take place across Marvel Masterworks: Adam Warlock Vol. 2 (Review).
- He saw Thanos “forsake” power at the conclusion of Marvel Universe: The End.
- The skeleton and Infinity Gem seen in Thanos #3 are vague references to Rune’s exploits in the Ultraverse.