Did we really need another Jim Starlin-crafted crossover with Thanos at the center of the plot? No, not at all. While I enjoyed The Infinity Gauntlet a few years ago, the seemingly unending parade of sequels diluted the concept and didn't boasts the same conceptual or visual strengths. So I really wasn't looking forward to another in the line, but I have to admit, the super-hero fan inside of me still gets a kick out of seeing so many characters brought together for one story.
A pharoah who disappeared from the face of the Earth four millennia ago returns, possessing vast cosmic powers that make his every whim a reality. The first of those on Earth to detect his coming are the powerful telepaths among the X-Men, making the team of mutants a prime target. Also on the Pharoah's cosmic radar are the leaders of every nation, and the powerful heroes who would defend them. Meanwhile, Thanos has detected that the being is a threat to all reality, and he has gathered a team of champions to help defend existence.
When Starlin is dealing in the original concepts created for this story or those space-faring characters for which he is known (such as Thanos), the art is quite strong, reinforced by some brilliant, crisp colors that bring out the energy and cosmic nature of the story. But when he ventures into other creators' playgrounds -- such as the new Frank Quitely designs for the X-Men -- the art gets awkward. Starlin gets credit, though, for capturing strong likenesses of a variety of real-world politicians and leaders, and the detail of the Egyptian theme is impressive as well.
Ultimately, the plot here -- cosmic threat comes to Earth, and the forces rally -- is fairly generic. The one element that struck me as somewhat out of the norm was Starlin's extensive use of real-world figures in the story, standing alongside the more fantastic characters from Marvel's pantheon of fiction.
Starlin avails himself of one of the advantages of a shared super-hero universe in order to convey a sense of the epic. He does so by linking a diverse multitude of colorful characters, and it makes for fun reading. But by tapping into that strength of the shared continuity, he also taps into one of the disadvantages. The reader knows that there will be no lasting changes to these characters, and it robs the story of a key measure of suspense.
