Thanos: The Infinity Relativity

Thanos: The Infinity Saga

by Jim Starlin, Andy Smith (Illustrator), Frank D'Armata (Illustrator)

Annihilus, lord of the Negative Zone, makes a renewed assault on the positive universe, searching for a source of infinite power. To stop him, a fragile alliance of cosmic protectors forms. The Guardians of the Galaxy. Gladiator, Majestor of the Shi'ar. And Adam Warlock - whose complex cycle of death and rebirth has left him more confused than ever about his true nature. With Adam reunited with his Infinity Watch comrades Gamora, Drax and Pip the Troll - and joined by newer friends like Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and Groot -they hold the potential to end Annihilus' threat once and for all...if only they knew how! But the answer lies in the dark mind of another. A Titan, whom some would hold as mad. Could the fate of everything rest in the hands of...Thanos? Cosmic maestro Jim Starlin's infinite odyssey continues!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2015

About the author

James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters Thanos and Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Death and suicide are recurring themes in Starlin's work: Personifications of Death appeared in his Captain Marvel series and in a fill-in story for Ghost Rider; Warlock commits suicide by killing his future self; and suicide is a theme in a story he plotted and drew for The Rampaging Hulk magazine.

In the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach. Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority. Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).

When Marvel Comics wished to use the name of Captain Marvel for a new, different character,[citation needed] Starlin was given the rare opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character. The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by the company itself. (

In the late 1980s, Starlin began working more for DC Comics, writing a number of Batman stories, including the four-issue miniseries Batman: The Cult (Aug.-Nov. 1988), and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family", in Batman #426-429 (Dec. 1988 – Jan. 1989), in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed. The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation. For DC he created Hardcore Station.

Reviews

[˗ˏˋ n a j v a ˊˎ˗ · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh wow... okay. quite a catchy story. ADORED the art and graphics. just some plot wholes some of which were filled too much with dialogues. it was ok though. could be better but mister Starlin did not disappoint me. at least, I had to read this anyway it's in the infinity series. again, LOVED the art.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd love to say I loved it... but unfortunately.. I didn't.

At times... and there's a lot of times... it's boring. Boring to the point that you ask why the hell am I reading this? I should be reading something interesting, simply because it's NOT interesting.

Starlin writes like he's in the 80s or something. Too much talking, too much thinking too much villains being cliche as fuck. That Annihilus sucked. Big time. From the stances he'd have, because the art in this one wasn't my favourite thing either, to the things he'd say. The way he'd say them and every character including Annihilus, maybe excluding Thanos, but everyone else was talking nonsense. Overexplaining shit that don't need explanation and saying shit just to say shit. Filling pages for no reason at all.

As much as I love Starlin, this one was a chore to read.

The artwork was.. cringe-worthy at best. Starlin should have left someone else to draw this.
From the proportions, to the fighting stances, everything was bad. And oh my fucking God, Groot. Groot was SO bad. Groot is A TREE. NOT BetaRayBill NOT a creature that looks like a dead brown painted horse. TREE! Oh well.

Sorry but this one wasn't good. At all. Maybe it had some times I liked, and the end was real nice too. But yeah. I wouldn't recommend it, but of course if you're reading the infinity trilogy then you kinda have to, even though half the book is nonsense with Annihilus that's written for kids.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Thanos: The Infinity Relativity" book 2 of the Infinity trilogy by Jim Starlin is a great story with plenty of action and dialog that is intelligent and full of wit.
The story finds the Guardians of the Galaxy joining forces with Adam Warlock to stop the villain Annihilus "Lord of the Negative Zone" from enslaving the Posiverse. They are missing the might and the intellect of "The Mad Titan" Thanos to ensure victory or so they think.
The story is hard hitting and fast paced with lots of laughs thanks to the Guardians. The story also makes a couple of references that caught me off guard. Rocket finds a beautiful gem that (ala Tolkien) he repeatedly refers to as his precious. A few times Rocket also refers to a saloon as a great place to hide out in called Starlin's (a reference to the writer Jim Starlin).
The art work is excellent with plenty of detail and some incredible full page spreads. For new comers the story also includes a quick overview of Adam's origin story.
An enjoyable read that took me back to the 80's when I first discovered Thanos and Warlock.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great production values... and great, familiar characters... and great Jim Starlin storytelling. Still, I'm glad to find this one at our public library. Had I spent my own money, I might have felt shortchanged. I really like his rendition of Annihilus, but not his version of Blastaar. Your mileage may vary.

[Judah Radd · Rating 3 out of 5]

::sigh::

So dated. Like really... Jim... it’s as if you just decided to show up and pick up after Marvel: The End like nothing has happened since.

Like the story and dialogue, the pencil work here is so early 90s/late 80s... it’s just... so dusty and old.

Did I feel some good nostalgia seeing the Infinity Watch back together? Yeah! I love these characters, and once I get over the dustiness, it’s nice to spend time with them again. It’s also fun seeing the Guardians interact with the Watch. These characters evolved significantly during Annihilation and beyond... and then Jim Starlin got his hands on them again, and they’ve basically reverted completely back to what they were like during Infinity Watch.

It kinda makes me laugh. It’s painfully obvious that Jim Starlin hasn’t read anything in the interim time. It’s not the same Thanos, Warlock, Gamora, Drax and Starlord we got used to during Abnett’s time. It’s a prehistoric, early 90s version of these characters. Which, if I’m being honest, is both silly and nice.

This book is fine. It’s a good piece of nostalgia, it has laughs and thrills and all of that cerebral, esoteric space odyssey shit Starlin loves. I enjoyed it, but I think I laughed at it as much as I laughed with it.

Younger readers will probably fall asleep after the first couple pages. Older readers, enjoy seeing these Rolling Stones on their farewell tour playing all the old hits.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge Jim Starlin fan. This graphic novel features the always gorgeous art from Mr. Starlin and does not disappoint.

Now, as for the story. This is the second volume in a trilogy. I enjoy seeing the various characters interact (Thanos, Warlock, Annihilus, The Guardians of the Galaxy, etc.) but parts of this story are just too hard to follow. Warlock's numerous resurrections have become a little tiresome. Oh, and speaking of resurrections, Thanos ends this volume by blowing his own head off. Yep, the last page is his headless body floating through space. I'm sure this will be explained in the final volume of the trilogy, but it was quite the ending.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid art by Jim Starlin. I was a little lost with the plot. Definitely could have used a recap to get everyone up to speed, especially for a stand alone graphic novel.

[Oduro AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

****
Has anyone else noticed that titles like "Infinity Revelation" and "Infinity Relativity" read a lot like the episode titles for the "Big Bang Theory"? (I love that show)

Question:
Adam Warlock possesses the power of an entire Universe, effectively operating as Infinity & Eternity but not replacing the Infinity and Eternity of this story's reality?!

My confusion comes about from how Marvel has historically treated beings of Great (Universal) power who created an imbalance in the Cosmic Hierarchy. Following the Infinity Gauntlet storyline Adam Warlock was forced to relinquish the power of the assembled gauntlet because the Living Tribunal decreed there could not be two beings (a gauntleted Warlock and Eternity) wielding Universal authority within the same actuality.

The case for the Living Tribunal intervening in this story is much the same as it was in the Gauntlet storyline in which the Living Tribunal's decision came down to Eternity's protest of Warlock wielding vast power on the grounds of his fragile grip on reality (side-note* Marvel has an untapped opportunity to open a dialogue on Mental Health with Warlock's character), here too Warlock is not fully immersed in this reality, granted he's not totally off-kilter, he's still not all-there, his subconscious and conscious mind struggling to fully comprehend his new abilities and possible new role in this most recent reincarnation.

This story makes a lot more sense, thus is far more enjoyable, to me than the First (Thanos: Infinity Revelation) which guided us through a sequence of somewhat esoteric events that concluded with a Godlike Warlock but with no indication of his import.
****
Read it; the motivations in the Infinity Relativity are clear, there's a reasonable Cause & Effect structure, and there's a more satisfying Set-up/Pay-off value (specifically the fantastic and quite reasonable action Thanos takes in the cliffhanger ending)


Cheers.

[Alexander Rivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 15 of 18 in the "Infinity Gauntlet" series and it seems like the page counts keep going down. It was good to have Thanos and Adam Warlock in the majority of the storyline because of all the intricacies behind each character. Adam keeps getting transformed into new identities, which is like the journey we all through in life where it appears like we have become different persons in different periods of time. Thanos keeps being put into the situation where he is collaborating with the "good" superheroes to stop a greater evil than him. I feel like I'm growing to like Thanos and it bothers me that we as humans have to capacity to grow to like certain characters even though their evil. It might be all the time spent with a character that builds a certain liking to a person you have a love/hate relationship with.

It was pretty cool having the Guardians of the Galaxy in this graphical novel because I have grown to like them through the movies. After reading so many issues of this series I am wondering why Adam Warlock has not been in any Marvel movies because he is such a great character.

[Nicholas Ahlhelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Starlin's second volume in his new series of Thanos books reads something like "The Empire Strikes Back" of his series. It picks up where The Infinity Revelation left off, but sets up a much larger epic tangentially related to Starlin's Thanos / Hulk series. The story also serves as something of a sequel to the classic Annihilation crossover as Thanos, a far more powerful Adam Warlock and the Guardians of the Galaxy all must deal with the threat of Annihilus.

Like any Starling comic, there's tons more going on than it first seems, and the story opens up for a huge next book in the series.

[Santiago L. Moreno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una hoja final potente, una pelea entre Thanos y Annihilus y la nueva naturaleza de Warlock. Y poco más. La continuación de "La revelación del infinito" cuenta el comienzo de la segunda incursión del Rey de los Bichos, ahora más poderoso, en el universo 616. Mucha acción, menos filosofía de lo habitual y los protagonistas principales de siempre, Thanos y Warlock, rodeados de algunos de los que protagonizaron el evento cósmico Aniquilación. Bostezos y una anécdota: Starlin tira para casa y explica el quid del asunto comparándolo al Tribunal Viviente y no al Todopoderoso, que sería más apropiado.

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Starlin's modern cosmic saga continues. The creator of Thanos still makes comics like no one else. Taking concepts and characters that have made his career and utilizing the current state of the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe he weaves a compelling tale with gorgeous artwork. His storytelling is masterful and though the themes are very much consistent with Starlin's past work everything is fresh and new rather than drenched in nostalgia or trying to recreate the past. Entertaining comics through and through.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot better than the first volume, Thanos: The Infinity Revelation. It's better to see this trilogy as three very long comic issues instead of three stories that can stand alone. This even ends like a penultimate issue in a comic arch.
Starlin's art is great. The story still isn't perfect, and spins its wheels a little, but it's better. And the art of the battles is beautiful.

[Ma'Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanos tries to save his reality from Annihilus. Where the first book in this graphic novel trilogy was mostly a conversation between Thanos and Adam Warlock, this one is actually mostly Thanos talking to himself. And yet it manages to be interesting!

I had to assume this was published at the same time as an epic Age of Annihilation event happening in Marvel, but I don't think that was actually the case in 2016, so this might just be happening in its own alternate reality.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing off of The Infinity Revelation and Thanos Versus Hulk, Annihilus has levelled up and so has Adam Warlock. Annihilus is ready to invade the Posiverse again. Thanos decides to leave the realm of Death to get involved for some reason. Pip the Troll is in the area, as are the Guardians of the Galaxy. Fighting ensues.

Jim Starlin is nothing if not consistent. The story and art are solid. The book has an Empire Strikes Back ending with a promised next book.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of Starlin's Thanos graphic novels was a big disappointment but it gets better here. While at times it doesn't read as a book starring Thanos but instead guest starring the Mad Titan, its a good read. His art is still classic but once again Groot and Rocket look insane. Overall, this is a book that could have been a bigger Marvel crossover but is better served here.

[Kurt Zisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice progression from The Infinity Revelation but the story and art are still slightly lacking. The inclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy and beefed up Annilhus definitely help this one create a better sense of the cosmic drama.

[Jon Garthwaite · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art and coloring in this book was crisp, but the stilted dialogue and plot drug it down severely. I wanted to like the concept, but ultimately the incredible scale of the powers being thrown around effortlessly was portrayed as commonplace and thus forgettable. I do not recommend this series.

[Ben Shee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanos can be beat.

[Nicole Hidalgo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a pleasure to see Thanos uniting with the heroes... you can never know what the Mad Titan will do, and he usually surprises!

[Chad Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a great battle with Anhilus (sp?) in this book. I don't know much about him or his Negative Zone world, but it was a lot of fun. And the end of this was great with a cool cliff hanger.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This feels like Starlin trying to bring his dated (but charming) dramas up to speed to Annihiliation and Guardians of the Galaxy.

But it doesn't work for me...

[Nasreen Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always been team Thanos. I enjoyed it but I didn’t realize it was book #2. The ending was a bit annoying. A real cliffhanger… lol. I guess I’ll look for both books #1 and #2…

[Kevin Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The middle part of a trilogy that began with the heady Thanos: The Infinity Revelation, this installment seems more humorous, more action-packed, and more accessible to fans of the Marvel cinematic universe (with great character moments from the Guardians of the Galaxy), but is also deeply interwoven with Starlin's unique vision and the cosmic odyssey he's been crafting for decades.

James Robinson nailed it in his introduction when he described Starlin's "world"--so much more than mere style--as an amalgam of underground, European, and mainstream American comics, along with the more serious, ambitious, and mind-bending science-fiction of writers like Frank Herbert and Robert A. Heinlein.

There's so much rich subtext to Starlin's writing. I think the tale is really an extended metaphor for expanding one's consciousness. Starlin and the other ground-breaking, subversive creators of his generation, like J.M. DeMatteis and Steve Englehart were the first to take mainstream American comics to a new level of political, social, artistic, and even personal expression. Four decades later, Starlin is on top of his game as a master storyteller, draftsman, and world-builder. But, for all the vastness of his scope, his focus is always turned toward the power that lies within.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's nice to see a continuation from the weirdness of Starlin's Thanos: The Infinity Revelation, but other than Warlock having no idea what happened to him it's pretty disconnected. This is about Annihilus invading from the Negative Zone, which results in some pretty decent fighting but otherwise seems a bit cliche. What is interesting is seeing a team-up between the Infinity Watch and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy (even though they're drawn a bit... weirdly) with Thanos trying to manipulate things in the background as usual.

Warlock is pretty interesting in this one, since he's not this dimension's Warlock and everything is ever so slightly off for him. His interactions with everyone are tinged with enough discomfort and confusion that you can tell he has no idea what's going on with him. It's interesting to see the character of Warlock changed from someone with a gigantic universe-saving scheme to someone who's totally lost.

It's sort of annoying that this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the stakes are high and the characters are fun to follow around, so it was enjoyable on the whole.

[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starlin continues his Warlock/Thanos work where cosmic things happen for...reasons...*, has changed Annihilus, who has always been a big bad into a bigger bad (who pounds Gladiator into the dirt to show how much bigger and badder he has now become), apparently manipulated by a new villain who is ostensibly his servant.
Guest-starring, as usual, Pip and Gamora (with Gamora bringing her Guardians along).
There have been better stories by Starlin (who even after all these decades seems to take umbrage at others writing Thanos and not treating the character with the proper respect) and, sadly, his artwork has been better, too. This book's inker doesn't really fit (or enhance) his work, IMO.
I'll probably still read the conclusion anyway...

*but at least his interstellar exploits still convey a sense of scope and don't feel as pedestrian as some other writers' "cosmic" stories.

[Douglass Gaking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a high quality comic written and illustrated by a great team, but the wow factor isn't there for me. Thanos and Annihilus are battling for control of the most powerful force in the universe. The Guardians and other recently relevant characters you would expect are included, although the Silver Surfer only appears on one page and has one exclamatory line. His role is less important than a Stan Lee cameo. To me, that seems to come up short. The other focus of this comic is the universe is relying on Thanos for its protection. Thanos is only serving his own self-interest by defeating a rival or wishes to challenge his own universal domination. To me, this isn't nearly as interesting as Marvel hypes it up to be.

[Brent Ecenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit confused with this series, as to if it's in continuity with the Marvel Universe, and if so when it takes place. The characters seem like a cross between their 1990's versions but with today's team lineups. That being said, this is a fun continuation of Jim Starlin's cosmic tale of Thanos, Adam Warlock and Annihilus. Annihilus has become more powerful than ever, and after defeating the Hulk, Pip the Troll, Thanos and Adam Warlock work together with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him. This volume ends on a pretty great cliffhanger leading into concluding chapter of the saga.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nowhere near as much fun as the first volume of Starlin's new three part Thanos epic, mainly because Thanos is barely in it. Instead we focus on the Guardians of the Galaxy, Pip the Troll, and Adam Warlock bumbling around and generally being ineffectual against Annihilus. When things get back to Thanos and how the events of the first volume have affected Warlock, the story vastly improves, but for the most part there's not as much to enjoy here as previously. Hopefully the final part can get back to the psychedelic universe-reinventing that the first volume had.