Scan barcode
djwills369's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
jessiehulk98's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. I love how Barry Lyga has given us the opportunity to learn about Thanos and his past and why he's the horrible monster we know him to be!
libreroaming's review against another edition
2.0
Disclaimer: I've always seen the MCU Thanos as an inferior, ill-conceived Malthus undergrad student to the more tragic comics origin. Largely because, while less sane, wanting to kill half the world with magical infinity stones as a "please date me" gesture to Death at least makes sense for the methods to achieve goals. MCU Thanos insisting that if you randomly kill half of all life it will let the overpopulation flourish instead of...any other methods, well, generously you could think he's just a genocidal maniac who wants the flimsiest excuse of what lets him kill untold millions. Or he's a total idiot who doesn't understand how biomes work.
Lyga tries to give a little bit of both. The prose as it stands is good, Thanos is a distinct character voice and the amount of brutality in some of the scenes lend well to his journey. But it's ultimately a boring venture, mostly because Lyga must write a character who is not sympathetic and also not very compelling. The prequel means readers know eventually where he ends up, but the stakes prior to it are slack. We know Titan is destroyed, but since Lyga was only able to give Thanos 1 friend and 1 love interest (that he talks to about a handful of times and there is no chemistry), there are no personal stakes. I will say the reveal where Thanos returns from his exile and discovers his father's plan after Titan's fate is already sealed is a great moment, but it's a blip 50% of the way through.
The moments where you might want more extrapolation: such as his recruitment of the Black Order or Gamora, are either mere notations or not there. I would say if you genuinely think MCU Thanos is an amazing and compelling character, Lyga delivers what the character is already drawn. But if you were hoping for a prequel to give some nuance to an otherwise flat character, this won't change your mind.
Lyga tries to give a little bit of both. The prose as it stands is good, Thanos is a distinct character voice and the amount of brutality in some of the scenes lend well to his journey. But it's ultimately a boring venture, mostly because Lyga must write a character who is not sympathetic and also not very compelling. The prequel means readers know eventually where he ends up, but the stakes prior to it are slack. We know Titan is destroyed, but since Lyga was only able to give Thanos 1 friend and 1 love interest (that he talks to about a handful of times and there is no chemistry), there are no personal stakes. I will say the reveal where Thanos returns from his exile and discovers his father's plan after Titan's fate is already sealed is a great moment, but it's a blip 50% of the way through.
The moments where you might want more extrapolation: such as his recruitment of the Black Order or Gamora, are either mere notations or not there. I would say if you genuinely think MCU Thanos is an amazing and compelling character, Lyga delivers what the character is already drawn. But if you were hoping for a prequel to give some nuance to an otherwise flat character, this won't change your mind.
twstdtink's review against another edition
1.0
This book was a horrible attempt to “humanize” Thanos. All it did was make him seem weak and undermined his super-villain status in the Avenger movies.
deandingus1078's review against another edition
5.0
Unexpectedly poignant and completely thrilling. You don't even have to like the MCU, it's a great science fiction tale.
benwoll's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dsullivan's review against another edition
2.0
This book was entertaining, but not great. Ebony Maw and the rest of the Children of Thanos are mentioned on one page as joining Thanos, but their characters aren't developed at all and they are never mentioned again. I would have liked to know more about how they came to join him and learn more about them as individuals. There were ridiculous spans of time in the story. The worst was when Thanos spends a year eating and working out alone in a room on his spaceship because he's depressed.
I did enjoy the backstory to Thanos' relationship with the Chitauri and some insight into the Other.
Overall, I wasn't bored, but I wouldn't recommend it for MCU fans looking for more content.
Spoiler
All of the interesting characters introduced in this book die.I did enjoy the backstory to Thanos' relationship with the Chitauri and some insight into the Other.
Overall, I wasn't bored, but I wouldn't recommend it for MCU fans looking for more content.
july2104's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ellieafterall's review against another edition
4.0
”I blame myself for much. If I learn from it, it will not be so bad.”
If there is nothing I can do in my current predicament, then I will have to change the predicament. And this will call for drastic measures.
The sheer existence of me is at once a weighty and weightless thing.
If there is nothing I can do in my current predicament, then I will have to change the predicament. And this will call for drastic measures.
The sheer existence of me is at once a weighty and weightless thing.
evanbondauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun learning about Thanos' past and history. There are some fun easter eggs for fans to catch, which I won't spoil. I always wondered where Thanos learned of the infinity stones and how he started to seek them out. This book does an excellent job making you sympathize with the Mad Titan.