Thanos Annual 1, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude 2

Thanos Annual 1
Starlin (w) and Lim (p) and A. Smith (i) and Staples (c) and Caramagna (l)

It's a trip through Thanos' past as we see him at his lowest point, his defeat at the hands of the original Captain Marvel when he first got his hands on the cosmic cube. While he tries to figure out his next move (and sulks), a future version of Thanos (just an avatar the real Thanos sent out), complete with the Infinity Gauntlet, shows up and tells him that he's going to have a pretty great life. Though he continues to fail, at least someday he'll get the Gauntlet, right? It comes with a warning to Thanos that the end of everything might be coming but it's decidedly vague. The issue ends as future Thanos' avatar returns to Thanos and as the old Thanos starts to feel a bigger purpose.

Bit of an odd book, an annual to a series that does not exist, but I suppose when you have Jim Starlin available to write a book (or maybe asking to do one, I don't really know how this one came about) then you have him write a book that's just in his wheelhouse. It's certainly strange and I'm not sure we're coming away with much more here than a bit of a look at Thanos and his past (and maybe his future, who knows) but it's a fine book from which to get a bit of a history lesson on a lot of the cosmic goings-on. Worth a miss but also not an unworthy book if you're looking to maybe get a crash course on Thanos.

Total Score: 3/5


Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude 2
Abnett and Lanning (w) and Alves (p) and M. Clark (i) and JD Ramos (c) and Cowles (l)

As we look to Guardians of the Galaxy for the next major comic movie release, we see our second and (I think) final issue of this prelude series which gives us a look at Rocket Raccoon and Groot. The two are low on funds and low on prospects as they show up in the Hub, a giant space station with severe social status disparity (the rich live near the top, the center is dangerous). They're hired to steal a case out of the rich section and manage to get up there and snag the case, with Rocket also snagging an impounded gun. They escape the guards at the top and bring the case down, though it's not easy, and hand over the case to find out it's filled with sentient life, essentially snails, whose essence the purchaser wants to use to tile his house. The snails plead to Rocket and offer him double so he instantly takes out his purchaser, takes his money, and he and Groot rescue the snails and fuel up their ship to return the snails home.

It's an okay standalone as we get a quick look at the way this duo lives and what it is they're good at. It's not meant to really be anything more than that so I can't find too many faults with it. There's not a lot in here that goes a lot deeper but a prelude book to a movie isn't supposed to go further. It continues to please me to see Abnett and Lanning returning to the Guardians. It scores pretty well because it does what it's supposed to do (even if it gets a little dull).

Total Score: 4/5