Review: Thanos Annual

As we all know by this point, I adore Donny Cates's Thanos run, so I naturally sprung to get the Annual when I discovered we'd be getting a variety of stories from various writers familiar with the character, much like Action Comics #1000, except each story was focused on Thanos's cruelty rather than Superman's kindness. So, once more, I dove into the stories, gave individual takes, and ranked each one.

"Titan's Greatest Dad" 

Written by: Donny Cates 

Art by: Geoff Shaw, Antonio Fabela 

"Titan's Greatest Dad" is narrated by Cosmic Ghost Rider, the overall host of the annual, and focuses on the upbringing of Gamora, something that Cates's never really touched upon in his run. On top of very pretty art by Shaw, it's incredibly dark, with an excellent twist that showcases the depths of Thanos's cruelty and commitment to said cruelty. It's a strong start, if somewhat brief. 

"What To Get From The Man Who Has Everything" 

Written by: Christopher Hastings 

Art by: Flaviano, Fedrico Blee

Hasting's contribution to the anthology was an incredibly dark comedy focused on David, a young man who is tormented by Thanos on his birthday. Flaviano's art is cartoonish enough to sell the comedy, on top of pulling off an intimidating, if exaggerated, Thanos. I'm beginning to suspect all of these will be brief, but this one uses the lack of space most effectively to pull off some really great gags. 

"Exhibition"

Written by: Kieron Gillen

Art by: Andre Araujo, Chris O'Hallorahan 

Each of these stories feels like a different aspect of Thanos's villainy, and Exhibition is all about his unshakable love for Lady Death. Araujo's art is the real stand-out, capturing a lot of what I liked about classic Frank Quitely while also coming off as more colorful and larger in scale. Gillen's Thanos is every bit as cruel as Cates's, but comes off as more emotional, with a surprise appearance by the wicked Mephisto balancing him out. 

"My Little Hands" 

Written by: Katie Cook

Art by: Heather Breckle 

"Little Hands" reminded me a lot of I Hate Fairyland, largely because of the dissonance between the cutesy art and the incredibly brutal tone. It involves Thanos being trapped on a world of adorable puffballs that worship a heart at the center of the Earth, and takes a real drastic turn. This one is arguably the only story where Thanos isn't entirely at fault, making it all the funnier. Of course, the real stand-out is Breckle's art, which infuses the story with a Sunday paper comic strip feel a la Calvin and Hobbes. Short, but immensely sweet. 

"That Time Thanos Helped An Old Lady Cross the Street"

Written by: Ryan North

Art by: Will Robson and Rachelle Rosenberg 

For someone who ]traditionally portrays Thanos as a punching bag in his run on Squirrel Girl, Ryan North perfectly nails the more deceptive and tactical aspect of Thanos. The entire story is merely a polite and jovial Thanos helping a friendly old woman cross the street, but the reveal of his motives makes it one of the petty and evil things he's ever done. To quote North's Galactus, "What a tool."

"The Comfort of the Good" 

Written by: Al Ewing 

Art by: Frazier Irving

Probably the least comedic of the stories, "Comfort of the Good" is all about Thanos's cruelty and the effect it has on others. It's helped by Irving's art, which is expressive but also alien, truly feeling like an entirely hostile story to the readers. It also ends with a typical Ewing contemplation of the afterlife and how our behavior is sculpted by it, and how the mere presence of a rival god can throw your entire belief system into question. 

Ultimately, I really dug this annual, and I don't think there's a single weak story in the bunch. It's a strong ending to an excellent run, and it even ends with an exciting cliffhanger for the upcoming Cosmic Ghost Rider miniseries. If you've loved this run, or even just want some great Thanos stories, grab this. 

Ranking: 

*That Time Thanos Helped An Old Lady Cross the Street

*My Little Hands

*What To Get From The Man Who Has Everything

*Exhibition

*The Comfort of the Good

*Titan's Greatest Dad