I imagine many people will have been seeking out this graphic novel after seeing the post-credits scene in Avengers. The Infinity Gauntlet collects six issues. All of them were written by Jim Starlin, while George Perez and Ron Lim shared the artistic duties. While there are many heroes featured on the cover Thanos, and the Infinity Gauntlet, are at the center of it all and this is reflected in the story because it really is a story about Thanos.
Thanos is in love with Death, and he has promised to kill half the population of the universe in her honor. He seeks to win her love but when he gets the Infinity Gauntlet he begins to use the power for his own selfish purposes, and Death spurns him. The rest of the book is him trying to balance his own selfish needs with trying to please Death and win her affections. All the while the universe is Thanos’ plaything, and the inhabitants, including many of your favorite characters, blink out of existence. Obviously the universe isn’t going to stand by and let Thanos rule without any opposition, so the Silver Surfer comes to Earth to try and get Doctor Strange and other heroes to help. Then, the mysterious Adam Warlock arrives too, and they also invoke the aid of cosmic beings such as Eternity, Love, Hate, and many more.
Thanos however is omnipotent and the only hope the universe has is that his own weaknesses will prove his undoing.
The book deals with power and our place in the universe, and the nature of heroism. We see how power corrupts Thanos and just how easy it is for him to will changes in the universe. Some of the things he does are grotesque and he’s only limited by his own imagination, but an interesting point is raised towards the end. Really, we are at the whims of the chaos of the universe, so is it really any different when a sentient being is controlling the universe? It’s an interesting point on which to meditate and it’s a shame that the series ends where it does, because it would have been intriguing to delve deeper into that issue.
A lot of the Marvel Universe gets some face time, although there’s not really much development for any of the heroes. Like I said, it’s Thanos’ story so most of the heroes that we know and love are merely supporting characters. That’s not to say they don’t all get their little moments to shine, and it shows their resolve that even though some of their comrades and loved ones are disappearing around them, and everything seems futile, they still seek to help people, and they fight to the last man. There are still good character moments though, one of my favourites was an audacious attempt by Spider-Man to attack Thanos.
The story is strong and even though there’s a lot going on somehow it manages to not spiral out of control. The artwork is amazing too, particularly Perez’s. It really captures the grandiose and epic scale. It’s so over the top and immense, but that’s what the story needed, especially when the cosmic beings get involved.
The only problem with having a villain so powerful is that it’s difficult, and often underwhelming, to find a way to defeat him. The issue was handled well here and I don’t think there’s anything more that the heroes could do. Some may find the ending cheap, but I thought it was quite charming and was actually quite a human way to end things. Power is often sought but it is usually a burden that not everyone can handle. I can imagine it was very hard for Starlin to think of a way to end it that proved satisfying and I think he did find that way, ,much to his testament. It’s interesting to contrast the first few panels with the last few.
I loved how Thanos tried to seek Death’s love as well. Even with all his power he still searches for the elusive flame and it was…entertaining to see him continually be spurned.
Overall it’s an entertaining story with some great art. It’s certainly not going to be adapted panel-by-panel for any Avengers movies but if they take anything from this I think it will serve them well. I like how even though there’s a lot of action it deals with a lot of high concept stuff too, and it’s definitely a good thing that this is going to get more readers since Thanos’ appearance in Avengers. If you want Thanos this is the book for you.
