Thanos: The Infinity Siblings

A month ago, Thanos required explanation.

Even after six years of build-up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos wasn’t a household word.

Funny how the largest opening box office in movie history can change all of that.

Thanos is now mentioned in late-night TV skits, internet memes and YouTube videos. A snap of the fingers and half of all mankind disappears, or whoever is the target of the joke.

Now, if reviewing a Thanos book, there’s really no need for explanation, right?

Well, not exactly.

Take the latest in Jim Starlin’s series of semi-connected hard-cover Thanos graphic novels.

First off, Starlin is important. While most folks think Stan Lee created every character in the Marvel Universe – and he did create a whole slew of them with artists such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee didn’t create Thanos. 

Jim Starlin created Thanos.

So, Starlin returning to arguably his greatest creation is worth noting. 

Because the movie Thanos owes a lot to the Starlin Thanos, a super-being who is cruel, brutal and bent on harnessing cosmic powers while being something of a poet and philosopher. A lot of other writers treat Thanos as big, powerful, willful and evil but Starlin’s Thanos isn’t only the most powerful person in the room, or possibly any room, he is the smartest, best chess player, too.

And he’s got an over-riding reason for doing what he does.

With Starlin’s “Thanos: The Infinity Siblings,” the storyline re-introduces Thanos’ brother, Eros, the other son of Mentor, the one-time ruler of homeworld Titan.

Egotistical Eros is often at odds with his megalomaniacal brother, Thanos.

Here, they are at odds and allied, etc., throughout a storyline spanning thousands of years, though encapsulated within an episode.

Thanos is seeking to ensure he remains the paramour of Death. Yes, for Starlin, Death is personified in the feminine form. In the comics, instead of Thanos seeking to annihilate half of all humanity to end over-population and conserve resources, he seeks to end half of all life for love – the love of Death.

In many ways, “The Infinity Siblings” falls into the trap of several of the recent Starlin Thanos tales – too much metaphysical mumbo-jumbo for the seeming sake of metaphysical mumbo-jumbo.

But “The Infinity Siblings” does include a surprising glimpse at one future incarnation of Thanos. Surprising but one that makes so much sense, regarding Thanos becoming, rather than seeking … hopefully, that doesn’t spoil it too much.

And for those looking for a conclusion for what is a relatively expensive hard-cover graphic novel, expect a to-be-continued ending. Starlin and Thanos will be back in another relatively expensive hard-cover graphic novel titled “Thanos: The Infinity Conflict.” 

After “Infinity Revelation,” “Infinity Relativity,” “Infinity Finale,” “Infinity Entity,” Starlin seems to have an infinite supply of “Infinity” ideas, and they seem to often be continued.

Usually, an expensive graphic novel that is not self-contained between two covers is reason for irritation. It is here, too, but hey, it’s Jim Starlin. It’s Thanos.