I could always tell the story about how during Christmas 1990 my Dad made the effort to find me a unique comic book. The guy at the comic book store suggested that he take a two issue series from my pull list and he purchased THANOS QUEST. 12 dollars for two regular sized comic books? How could that be worth it when a regular monthy issue was just over a dollar? 30 years later this book is famous for being the start of an epic tale that found it's way onto the big screen to what is argueably the greatest Marvel superhero movie of all time. I had totally forgot I ordered the book after reading about it in Marvel Age so it was a cool surprise I remember really enjoying with several Christmas morning rum drinks.
The Thanos Quest is a two-issue comic book limited series published in September and October 1990 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Starlin, and drawn by Ron Lim. The storyline is a continuation of events involving resurrected Starlin-character Thanos, featured in the title Silver Surfer. The storyline leads directly into three consecutive limited series, The Infinity Gauntlet, The Infinity War, and Infinity Crusade.
The book has covers made of cardboard stock and the paper inside was also of higher quality. Ron Lim's art was amazing as he established himself as someone who is argueable the SECOND greatest artist to ever work on the Silver Surfer and all the rest of Marve's cosmic characters (of course Kirby is #1 by default).
The book set the table by re-introducing us to the character of Thanos who was created by Jim Starlin to be the main cosmic enemy of Adam Warlock, Starlin's very popular 70s character. I barely remembered him when I started to read Thanos Quest. In fact the Elders of the Universe (the one's Thanos fought to get the six infitity stones from) were more familiar to me. Can you name any of them other than The Collector or The Grandmaster today? The creators had freedom to really do some universe building and rewrite the future of Marvel Comics and it did just that.
And the end of the book, Thanos had the six Infinity Stones in his Infinity Guantlet and things were ready for issue one of the 12 issue mini-series that one again allowed Marvel to re-invent itself with a risky big 'event' headed by a villian in the middle of a reimagining himself.
Unique in his character was his relationship with the cosmic embodiment of DEATH who he saw a silent beautiful woman. His promise to kill half the universe to gain her love seemed insane but at the beginning of Infinity Gauntlet the comic book, he actually did that with the snap of his fingers and the story was off and running.
One of the things I am most looking forward to in Infinity War II is seeing how the rest of the world deals with the 'RAPTURE' of half the population. That would make everyone insane if it really happened. The comic series made that the center of the story as well with desperation setting in for character who were really not up to such a powerful adversary as Thanos. As the series continued I started to doubt that there was any way for the heroes to win. You have no idea how bizzarre a concept that is for 90% of comic books ever created. This was more akin to fine literature that just a funny book. It's a great read that I think you will enjoy if the character of Thanos interests you. He's one deep brother with feelings deeper than a black hole.
I choose to believe that during the years that Josh Brolin has been sitting and waiting to show us his Thanos that he read this book over and over again as he thought about the role. The influence is obvious and you will see that once you read the book for yourself. Essential Infinity War background for the completist.
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