Thanos #1

By Tini Howard, Ariel Olivetti and Antonio Fabela

Anyone who is into comic books or super hero movies knows that this week is a big one for the Avengers. Marvel is releasing it’s biggest movie to date with Avengers: Endgame. Now, this should be a shock to no one, but this past Wednesday also saw the release of a new book featuring the movies antagonist, simply called Thanos. It makes sense that a new series would start up around this time, building momentum for a title is a great thing. There is a slight difference with this book and previous Thanos series, most importantly; this series seems to be a flashback told from Gamora’s point of view.

It’s hard to think about how we view Thanos these days. He’s surely a vicious butcher, but he does also have moments where he can be very relatable. Tini Howard likes everyone’s favorite villain on the sadistic side. Howard starts us off early with a bang as we see Thanos in action. One thing that sticks out is how much the first page of Thanos taking someone looks similar to Leather face killing someone in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Howard also brings back a couple of familiar faces in this issue as Proxima Midnight and Ebony Maw appear. What really works for this issue is that Howard’s characterization of many of the main players is on target. Midnight and Maw, although limited, remain true to who they are. Thanos is scatterbrained at times and chasing the one thing he’s always wanted, Death. The issue ends on an interesting note that can shed further light on the relationship between Thanos and Gamora.

The pencils this issue are handled by Ariel Olivetti with colors by Antonio Fabela. Olivetti is good on pencils here, the work isn’t Gary Frank detailed, but it is detailed just enough. The kills by Thanos on members of the crew are left up to the imagination. It will either be a scream down a hallway or blood splattering on the panel, but Olivetti is never too graphic. Olivetti shines brightest on the last few pages of the issue. Gamora looks great throughout the books, but seeing her perfectly trying to attack after being found out hiding in a cabinet is great. The colors by Antonio Fabela work really well with Olivetti’s pencils. Shading is good when utilized, like when Thanos searches for a survivor with his hooked weapon, or as an enemy believes they’ve escaped and Thanos is shadowed behind them. The green on Gamora is just the right tone too. Seeing her pencils colored the perfect color makes the reading experience that much better.

Thanos #1 was a very fun book to read this week. Tini Howard has done a very good job of adding to the history of Thanos without shoehorning anything. The pencils and colors match the quality of the writing to make this book all the more enjoyable. If you’re riding the high of Avengers: Endgame, Thanos #1 is a book that will satisfy appetite.