BLOOD WORK: BETWEEN THE PANELS: THANOS ~ THE INFINITY RELATIVITY

Jim Starlin, the Marvel Comics cosmic maestro, has given us the next chapter in the saga of THANOS, the mad Titan, ADAM WARLOCK, and the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. This latest original graphic novel is titled THE INFINITY RELATIVITY and it is a sequel to last year's original graphic novel THE INFINITY REVELATION also by Jim Starlin. Relativity not only expands on the concepts laid out in Revelation, but it also ups the threat level culminating in an epic climax! Starlin serves double duty once again on this book as both its writer and artist and the results are even better than the last.

Marvel seems to be letting Starlin craft a story all his own without forcing him to tie the story into current Marvel events like Secret Wars or Jonathan Hickman's Thanos story INFINITY. And Starlin is using more than just Revelation and Relativity as the chapters for the story. Before Revelation came out in 2014 Starlin and Ron Lim (one of my favorite artists for comics) teamed up for a single issue special earlier in 2014 simply titled THANOS ANNUAL. Likewise, this year before Relativity was released Jim Starlin wrote and penciled a four issue limited series titled THANOS VS HULK. Here in Relativity does Starlin bring all these stories together for one mind blowing tale of cosmic proportions.

THE PLOT

Every time Adam Warlock goes through his cycle of death and rebirth he acquires new and greater abilities. After the events of The Infinity Revelation the newly reborn Adam Warlock is learning the extent of his new powers. He has more power than he ever has before, nigh limitless, and godlike. Others have noticed Warlock's near omnipotent power, namely ANNIHILUS, lord of the Negative Zone, and Adam Warlock's sometimes ally and long time foe Thanos. Thanos's past self when he had possession of the INFINITY GAUNTLET and total omniscience visits himself in the future, our current, to warn himself of Annihilus's plan to steal Warlock's newfound power.

Earlier Annihilus gained tremendous power by siphoning off large amounts of gamma radiation from the Hulk. Thanos was present during that conflict and witnessed Annihilus more powerful than ever before. If Annihilus were to gain Adam's power the lord of the Negative Zone would be unstoppable. Thanos contacts his former INFINITY WATCH teammates, GAMORA, DRAX, and PIP THE TROLL along with the Guardians of the Galaxy and sets a plan in motion to reach Warlock and rescue him before Annihilus arrives. Thanos also manipulates GLADIATOR of the SHI'AR to converge on Warlock and Annihilus. Chaos erupts and the plan falls apart. Warlock, still not having realized the full potential of his power, is subdued and taken to the Negative Zone. Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy mount one last rescue attempt but this time Annihilus is ready for them. Can even the might of Thanos stop a super powered Annihilus?

THE GOOD

The characters. This group is one of my favorite ensembles of Marvel characters and for a long time only Jim Starlin had written them. Then the Guardians of the Galaxy movie came out and suddenly everybody in the world was writing them, each writer imbuing them with different personalities than Starlin had originally. Here we get another adventure with them where they feel somewhat like themselves. Starlin, being the good sport that he is, has actually acclimatized his take on these characters to reflect how they have been recently portrayed save for Thanos. Starlin has a direct connection to Thanos and it is always consistent no matter what other writers have done with the character. However, Peter Quill a.k.a. STAR-LORD, having been portrayed as a bumbling idiot thanks to the movie, is treated as such. It's actually kinda funny because he is completely worthless in this story which is in keeping with his current portrayals.

The story. The Infinity Revelation was a cool story that felt like a one-shot self-contained idea. In the Infinity Relativity Starlin uses what Revelation set-up and runs with it. He brings in components from the Thanos Vs Hulk mini series as well as the Thanos Annual in natural and surprising ways which give the story more weight and reward you for having kept up with it all. At the same time, if you haven't been keeping up, Starlin keeps it accessible and the story keeps you engaged. But this book does not stand alone. You find out at the end that Starlin is crafting a trilogy of graphic novels and this is the second in that trilogy. This book has an explosive ending that leaves you wide-eyed and shocked! And it plays perfectly into Thanos's character.

THE BAD

Continuity. You'll never find me complaining about continuity. I love discovering that there is more to the story. The Infinity Revelation worked perfectly as a stand alone and fit the format. The Infinity Relativity however does not. It ends on a cliffhanger, incomplete, and is further enhanced by the stories that came before it. If you bought this book on a lark without having read the previous stories you may feel a little disappointed that it's not a complete story. You either have to buy the next one or toss the book in a pile of stuff you'll never read again. But in all fairness, reading the introduction tells you that this is a story that builds upon others.

THE VERDICT

The Infinity Relativity is the second part in a new Thanos trilogy of stories by the original creator of Thanos, Jim Starlin. The art, colors, and inks by Jim Starlin, Frank D'Armata & Rachelle Rosenberg, and Andy Smith are sharp and fantastic. And the story is new and different and on an epic scale that is perfect for these cosmic characters. Starlin ups the game with this story and leaves you wondering just how exactly the third chapter is going to play out. This story is anything but predictable and even better than the last book. I cannot wait for THE INFINITY FINALE coming out in 2016, which could conceivably be Starlin's last Thanos story.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Really good. One worth owning.