Keith Giffen takes over the writing reins for this title's second story arc, and the shift in writing style from Jim Starlin's to Giffen's is noticeable but not jarring. Not surprisingly, Giffen's script boasts some enjoyable humor, which serves as a gateway into the alien world that serves as the backdrop for this cosmic tale. The writer piques my curiosity here, but there are unanswered questions that scratch at the reader's mind, not to mention accessibility concerns. The art is a treat, at least for those of us with fond memories of Ron Lim's Silver Surfer stories from the 1980s. Ultimately, despite the creative changes, this title is still hindered by the cosmic nature of its characters and plotting.
Thanos travels to a remote outpost -- called Frontline by those who live there -- on the edge of the universe where he seeks out the chief of the local security force. The officer in question just happens to be a displaced Earth man who's shocked to find one of the deadliest and more feared villains in the cosmos in his precinct house. It turns out Thanos has come to this place because of its link to something of a Cosmic Mecca, an energy construct said to exist on the very edge of reality itself. Thanos has an appointment to keep there with someone from his past.
Though I'd heard plenty about Jim Starlin's work for Marvel in the 1970s and his creator-owned property, Dreadstar, it was his work on Silver Surfer in the 1980s that served as my introduction to his work. It was through that work that I discovered another creator: Ron Lim. He captured the energy and imagination that went into the cosmic characters wonderfully, and that period in his career -- on Surfer and Thanos Quest -- stands out as the pinnacle. Seeing him revisit Thanos here was a real treat. I love that Thanos actually changes clothes for this issue as well. Casting aside the notion of a standard costume makes him seem less like a villain and more like... well, not a person, per se, but an individual.
There are two different categories that Giffen's scripting in recent years can fall into. There are those times when he doesn't offer nearly enough information, offering only short spurts of cryptic text (see Dominion). And then there are those times when he gets overly verbose. Thanos #7 falls into the latter category. Still, there's a meticulous detail in one of the lengthier speeches that makes it ring true as a boring, bureaucratic schpiel.
What didn't sit well with me after reading this issue was the role the Earth man turned space cop has to play. Giffen makes a big deal about introducing this character. There's a real build-up to his introduction. But by the end of the issue, he's a bit player, a seemingly nameless guy in the background. We're not given a reason to care about this character, and it's too bad, as he's the only grounded element in the book to which the reader can relate.
