Avengers vs. Thanos

July 1, 2013

With the merciless alien villain Thanos set to be the adversary in the next "Avengers" film, Marvel has collected here his earliest appearances, from 1973 to 1977, mostly written and often drawn by his creator Starlin, who succeeded Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby as Marvel's most cosmic storyteller. In truth, the Avengers (along with the Thing, Spider-Man, and Daredevil) are only supporting players in the book's two sagas. In the first, alien hero Captain Marvel is gifted with "cosmic awareness" by the immensely old Eon in an effort to prevent Thanos from using the Cosmic Cube to become a god. The second sees the tortured, tragic spacefarer Adam Warlock opposing Thanos's quest to extinguish the stars as a gift for the one he loves, Death herself, in a story involving time travel, a soul-devouring gem, and the personifications of Chaos and Order. VERDICT The earlier work here makes up for its plot contrivances and lack of coherence with wide scope, conviction, excitement, and some strong, imaginative artwork--qualities all heightened and sharpened in the excellent Warlock tale, which is among Marvel's finest work of the period.--S.R.

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