Thanos Rising #3

by lucstclair on June 06, 2013

Bored with dissecting the local wild life, Thanos butchers his very own mother to explore the very nature of evil. Travelling the cosmos with space pirates and fathering bastard children along the way, the mad Titan will discover the true meaning of his own existence.
 

The Team

Written by Jason Aaron (Thor God of Thunder Vol. 1 : The God Butcher) & illustrated by Simone Bianchi (Wolverine : Evolution). Published by Marvel.
 

The Pros & Cons

Two words. Holy s**t. You know, it’s a scary thing to not know what you are or what is your purpose in the universe, it’s even scarier to watch those moments unfold for Thanos of Titan. Jason Aaron has taken this beloved Marvel villain to a darker place than ever before, his twisted origin. First he’s curious about death, then he’s sicken by it and eventually, well you see where I’m going with this. Speaking of death, does anybody else think that his manipulative Titan girlfriend is actually Death herself? According to my knowledge of Marvel history, Thanos doesn’t meet Death until much later in the pages of The Silver Surfer series from way back. But I could be wrong.
 
The ending of this issue is very shocking, although kind of obvious as you read about Thanos’ space pirates exploits and his disconnection to all things good & decent. This uneasy feeling starts to creep up on you, like a spider getting ready to sting its prey. Every page feels heavy as you turn them and you witness Thanos’ journey to the point of no return.
 
Simone Bianchi’s illustrations, combined with Ive Svorcina’s colours display a beautiful & ugly portrait of life & death in an alien world that feels and looks more like a HC graphic novel than a comic. The violence is brutal and often off panel, it’s one step away from being a MAX title, which it should have been in the first place when you think about it.
 
In this issue’s only whimsical moment, we see the banter between two aliens as one of them mentions how Galactus has already eaten three planets in the “Starlin” system. It’s a Thanos fanboy moment that brought a smile to my face, only to turn it into a frown by the end of this issue (but in a good way).
 

The Outcome

For me, this is one the hottest mini series Marvel has to offer. Telling the complex story of Thanos’ beginnings is not an easy task, but Aaron does it which such ease. Where will the next issue take us? I think I’m too petrified to find out.
 
 

Our Score:

10/10

A Look Inside

Comments

Just finished this one.... brutal.