THANOS #14
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Colorist: Antonio Fabela
Publisher: Marvel Comics
A future Thanos calls upon his younger self from the past for help. But Thanos has conquered all. What could Thanos need help with?
What You Need to Know:
After conquering the Chitauri, Thanos is abruptly taken to the future by a cosmically powered Ghost Rider. Ready to kill the Ghost Rider for his disrespect and forcing him into the future. Thanos’ attention is quickly diverted when he sees his older self-sitting on a throne in the skull of Galactus. It becomes clear, in the future, Thanos has won.
What You’ll Find Out: Thanos is for all intents and purposes, inevitable…his life is meant to be that of strength and power. Thanos will grow stronger as everything around him grows old and weak. Simply put, Thanos will win one day. And standing before his future self, Thanos does only one thing. He hits future Thanos of course! But older Thanos did not bring his younger self to the future to fight. And when Thanos is about to crush the skull of Ghost Rider who comes to aid his master. Thanos hears his future self say one word that he’d never thought he’d ever speak. “Please!”
Angered that his older self would utter such a word, young Thanos blasts his older self again. Thanos can’t begin to fathom he would ever “beg” and lashes out at his future self until older Thanos has had enough. Blasting his younger self with cosmic power, Thanos shows his counterpart that he is indeed the mad titan from the future. Solidifying this fact with another word. Thanos says his true name, a name only Thanos would know. The name his mother intended to give him. A name she only told Thanos just before he killed her. Dione! The younger Thanos concedes and agrees to help his older self. Thanos needs help to get “them” back. But who they are is the question as they stand below a statue of Death.
What Just Happened? Donny Cates takes a unique look at the mad Titan and likens him to things such as meteors or cancer. These things aren’t essentially evil since they are just acts of fate. Thanos is an act of destiny himself and Cates does very well in defining that. Thanos is an aberration, a mutation and unique. He is meant to grow stronger, outlast and outlive everything. But when that eventually happens, then what? And that is the question that Cates seems intent on answering.
Geoff Shaw is just the perfect artist for this title. I may have mentioned that before but I’ll keep on saying it. His level of detail and ability to keep things rough and yet transition into smooth when the panel calls for it is impressive. Antonio Fabela knows what colors to use to make each scene have just the right tone. These guys are simply the right choice for this book and rock every issue. Whether it’s action where Thanos is blasting himself around. Or an ominous moment of standing under the statue of Death. Shaw and Fabela don’t waste a single panel or page.
Rating: 9/10. Final Thoughts: Here’s the thing, Thanos has always been a simple character. He’s a power-mad villain who wants to conquer the universe. So initially thinking that this character could hold a series was questionable at best. But I have to say, I love this book. Thanos has so much to work with and Cates is peeling layer by layer back and it’s so much fun. This series to make Thanos more than just some big bad guy who wants to kill and conquer. Might just be what helps set Thanos further apart from other bad guys. Depth is what set guys like Magneto and Dr. Doom apart. But this just might put Thanos miles above the rest.