Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Art: Luca Pizzari, Ruth Redmond, VC’s Cory Petit, Leinil Francis Yu, and Sunny Gho
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: January 3rd, 2024
THE ILLUMINATI’S SECRET WEAPON: HULK! The new Illuminati move on Thanos to prevent him from destroying the Earth as part of his quest to reclaim his beloved Death, which means it’s time to bring in the biggest gun they’ve got: THE INCREDIBLE HULK! Let’s dive into Thanos #2 by Christopher Cantwell and see what shakes out.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Thanos #2 Review.
THE DISPATCH
A series that began with such promise takes a turn for the worse as Thanos #2 kicks off. Readers, this issue spent most of the time with the Illuminati discussing whether or not they want to get the Hulk involved to help. And once he gets involved, the fight isn’t even very impactful. Moreover, the character voices are all wrong and sound nothing like who they are supposed to be. Strange, Reed, and Blue Marvel bicker like old men, and the Hulk sounds like a dopey ogre. Moreover, Thanos even sounds weird… almost like Etrigan in a way. He addresses the characters by name almost as if they’re friends. It’s all again just a bit out-of-pocket and frankly took me way out of the story.
Additionally, this “event” by Thanos appears to be taking place in conjunction with the Fall of the House of X. Um… how? How could this be happening in and around the same time? It makes no sense. Plus, are we to assume the Illuminati hid Death from Thanos? And if so, why would they do that? Honestly, this entire story seems pretty weird and trivial as a conduit for returning Thanos to the marketplace of Marvel ideas. Sure, we need Thanos in the MCU. However, not this twisted, villain of the week version we see in Thanos #2.
However, the awkward exchange between characters mirrored with the trivial re-introductory story of Thanos wasn’t the only thing causing Thanos #2 to miss the mark. The illustrations and panel layouts were also uneventful. The characters and other side components were drawn so small and lacked immense detail. Word balloons cluttered almost every page as our heroes discussed whether or not to get the Hulk involved while Reed and Blue Marvel practically dictated every move our heroes made in the comic like Monday Night Football commentators. Heck, did you ever think you’d have a scene where Thanos is driving a truck with a girl in the front seat? Nope!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Thanos #2 left a bad taste in my mouth, especially after the excitement issue one gave this reviewer. Instead of a creative artistry, fans get a story cluttered and jumbled with confused character voices as well as a trivial plot that lacks any real promise and direction. Frankly, Thanos #2 was wordy, and felt like Cantwell was grasping at straws to make this story eventful. From incredibly thin, hard-to-decipher drawings to the Illuminati verbally bickering at each other, this comic is at a loss. My hope is that something can turn this story around quickly. The potential for anything is out there if Cantwell can find his footing like I’ve seen him do it in the past. BUT he’s going to have to make some drastic changes in order for it to happen. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!