Robb Ghag reviews Thanos Rising #1…
“The vile face left movie audiences in shock after last summer’s Marvel Studios’ ‘The Avengers‘ movie, but who is this eerily disturbing villain? Thanos rises as the unrivaled rogue of wretchedness in this gripping tale of tragedy, deceit and destiny. Where did this demi-god of death and destruction come from and…more importantly what does he want?“
The first thing I’ll say about this book is this: Is there anything Skottie Young can’t draw and make look amazing? I think the answer is no, but to be sure you should probably follow him on Instagram @skottie.
Since the release of The Avengers last summer and those fateful seconds where Thanos turns and cracks an evil smile, people have been asking: Who is Thanos? Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi bring us the origin of Thanos right from his birth to his childhood years and his first murders on his home planet of Titan. I’ve always been a fan of Thanos as a villain, from his love of death to his ultimate hunger for power. When he ascended and obtained the cosmic cube, and when he gathered all the infinity gems to form the Infinity Gauntlet are probably two of the most iconic storylines in the Marvel Universe.
He revisits the planet of Titan where he slaughters all of the inhabitants and we begin the flashback of Thanos’ entrance to the world. His father “Mentor” is ecstatic at his son’s birth regardless of his purple skin and red eyes. His mother’s reaction is to immediately grab a knife and kill her newborn son. This explains most of his demeanour as he has nightmares about these memories years later.
As he attends school he’s already brilliant and being an outsider also makes him a popular child. It’s a great window into his past as you never see the lighter side of Thanos with the exception of his appearances in the Infinity Watch.
As soon as you see Thanos appear in almost any storyline you know it’s going to get good, but delving back into his history is a great segue in Marvel’s attempt to raise the awareness of who he actually was and will eventually become. Bianchi’s artwork, as always, is stunning and even his drawing of a planet within the void of space looks epic. He looms larger than life as he walks along Titan with the bones of his victims crushed beneath his heels.
The cover to the next issue looks amazing and even though fans know where he ends up, it’s great to see the path that started him on the journey and rise to become one of Marvel’s greatest villains.
Robb Ghag works for an Arts & Entertainment Brokerage in Toronto Canada. An Animation and Film school graduate, he specializes in Risk Management of Animation and VFX studios throughout North America.
Originally published April 6, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
