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[Comic Book Review] “Thanos: The Infinity Revelation” Massively Reinvents The Mad Titan

Published

10 years ago

on

Jim Starlin’s Marvel OGN “Thanos: The Infinity Revelation” is massive in it’s scope. It sees Starlin return to the cosmic universe he helped define in an all-new sweeping story about the pitfalls of being a God. Sadly most of the dialogue is so on-the-nose, that you’re constantly reminded of this fact but with some incredible ideas, the story still manages to entertain.

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WRITTEN BY: Jim Starlin
ART BY: Jim Starlin, Andy Smith
PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
PRICE: $24.99
RELEASE: Out Now

Jim Starlin is an incredible artist. Of that much I’m sure. However, I’m not overly convinced he can write half as well. This is a book that looks stunning throughout. Starlin can warp space and time. He can keep Thanos at the center and make you feel like a God watching over the universe. It’s no easy task, but he makes it look that way. Yet, when it comes to his character’s dialogue, it simply adds nothing to the art.

In fact it so directly references everything on the page that I would go as far to say that it detracts from the art. Thanos’ sweeping voiceover is remarkably on the nose, and centers around stating out loud exactly what he’s doing at every moment. Adam Warlock is very guilty of this too.

So the story amounts to the two incredibly powerful beings musing on what it takes to be a God, and what altercations the universe has gone through thanks to the death and rebirth of these creatures. It’s actually thought provoking stuff and provides some fantastic visual queues of the known cosmic universe, but most of the dialogue is borderline groan-worthy. It’s the type of thing where each character will actually mutter their agendas aloud without any sort of subtext whatsoever.

When the book really gets going it’s easy to forgive such things. A showdown between Thanos and The Annihilators is a highlight that will go down as one of the best battles in Marvel Comics History.

And the finale to the story will leave you with a grand sense of dread. It’s a lovely play on what could have been an easy way out, but leading into a new birth of the status quo that tweaks things in all the right ways.

Starlin writes the characters on these pages as gods. They speak in grand terms and in logical conundrums. But dump exposition as if all Gods speak constantly about their powers and feelings. I’ve seen some use this to credit Starlin, but for me this doesn’t strengthen the book. I imagine Gods would speak in grand terms, but would be ultimately unconcerned with outlining their greater motivations for doing the things they do, but I digress.

The more psychedelic pages of this book are worth the price of admission alone. This is pure Marvel Cosmic awesomness. It’s not exactly the powerful story I wanted, but serves as a great addition to an already insanely appealing part of the Marvel universe. Thanos will always be alluring in a way most can’t quite explain, and nobody seems to draw him like Jim Starlin, it’s just a shame many have written him better.

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

2 weeks ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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