Thanos #1-6

Hunger by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom

Thanos is one of those rare comics from the big 2 that has a villain, in this case former villain, as the lead character. He has turned over a new leaf, he isn't as self-centered as he once was but that's about as far as he is wlling to take it. In Dungeons & Dragons terms Thanos is lawful neutral. If he fights with the good guys it is because it suits his purposes, not because he is altruistic.

The first couple issues are a little exposition-heavy. They set the scene and fill in Thanos' history. The last four issues flow much faster and, for the most part, are not bogged down with lots of dialogue or explanations. One of the nicest aspects of the story was how the Rigellian recorder was used both as a means to state the obvious and as the butt of jokes because it frequently did little other than state the obvious.

All in all this was a fun read. Starlin and Milgrom, using several cosmic level characters (Thanos, Adam Warlock, Galactus, Pip the Troll) told a story in which the continued existence of reality was threatened by a being from another plane of existence. This sort of story has been told before in the Marvel Universe. Some might not appreciate it for that reason, but there are some twists in this tale that make it unique or unique-seeming enough to make it a worthwhile read. The only shortcoming is possibly in how quickly and simply the story is resolved.