Somehow, Thanos returned
Whether it’s Captain America or Iron Man, author Christopher Cantwell (also known for co-creating the excellent series Halt and Catch Fire) has managed to offer adventures that revise the identity of Marvel superheroes. And with Thanos: Return of the Mad Titanthe screenwriter once again explores these reflections which are already his trademark, with one of the most emblematic antagonists of this universe.
The gentleman (who has already written a powerful short story about the villain) does not present the grape juice-colored colossus simply as a brutal antagonist. He makes a tyrant in search of his reason for being.
Because following his mysterious reappearance, the purple bad guy sets out to find the only one who finds favor in his eyes: the incarnation of Death. More This comic is not a love story, it’s even the opposite. Thanos must indeed as much confront the new formation of the Illuminati (consisting of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Blue Marvel, Mister Fantastic and Emma Frost) than the existential crisis of the one he loves.
The problem of the Return of the Mad Titanis that this comic is not intended to exist by itself. It essentially serves as a prologue to a big Marvel crossover released during the summer that sees Thanos go (again) to collect the Infinity Stones. In this perspective, the speech – although catchy and successful posed by Cantwell – takes second place. And that is very regrettable.
Thanos, the Bourne Ultimatum
The visuals of this comic feature a particularly inspired Luca Pizzari. This illustrator with an expressive style is a regular at the Maison des Idées. We’ve seen him for example on X-Menbut also Conan the Barbarian et Star Wars : Darth Maul – Black, White & Red. The choice of this artist is clever since his lively line appears as ideal to embody this story where Death dreams of becoming human.
And in just four chapters, unfortunately far too short, the guy gives his all with generosity. We see Thanos rubbing shoulders with each Illuminati in hallucinatory and explosive sequences ; the opportunity to introduce this new team and their relationships. In the midst of all this uninterrupted destruction, Pizzari even finds a little space for rare gags as offbeat as they are unexpected.
These vibrant boards are made possible by the work of colorist Ruth Redmond. take on even more force in the face of the panels from the point of view of Death. Illustrated with more sobriety by German Peralta, these scenes are imbued with a form of melancholic darkness. The depression that the Reaper is going through is thus elegantly depicted.
Despite the few pages and the weight of the specifications of the Marvel publisher, Thanos: The Return of the Mad Titan presents itself as an interesting reading of the famous villain. Christopher Cantwell, German Peralta and Luca Pizzari manage to breathe a refreshing soul into a comic that could have been very conventional and predictable.
Thanos: Return of the Mad Titan has been available since September 11, 2024 from Panini Comics France.
