As explored in my previous post, Comic Art 101, http://readinginsidetheboxes.blogspot.com/2011/10/comic-art-101-j-scott-campbell-skottie.html, comic book scripting is a unique and interesting component to developing and maintaining a strong comic narrative, where words accompany art to tell a story in a variety of ways. A great comic scriptor can communicate all elements of a scene that the artist will interpret and illustrate to move the story forward. Just as every artist is unique in their own style, each scriptor conveys their narrative in a unique manner. For this post, I'll be focusing on Mark Millar's script for Civil War, and Ed Brubaker's script for Captain America Volume 5. As each writer is distinct in their own notation, each artist conveys these cues into a finished artistic page, moving the story forward panel by panel. The unique element in each of these scripts is that the each artist has a similar style: Steve Epting for Brubaker's Captain America and Steve McNiven for Millar's Civil War both have a realistic style where characters have normal proportions and dimensions. As each artist is unique in their approach in how to communicate their story via story pages and artwork, each script writer will be just as unique. Comic Book scripting is a crucial component in developing a brilliant comic book for the masses to enjoy.
Again, as mentioned above, the artist in Brubaker's Captain America is Steve Epting. Epting utilizes a very realistic and proportioned style that accentuates the physical aspects of each character in a 'real world' perspective. Epting actually lists the full process for developing Captain America (volume 5) #40, where he interprets the script that Ed Brubaker provides. http://steveepting.blogspot.com/2008/07/page-process.html He explains how: "I'll usually go through and do thumbnails directly on the script pages as I'm reading it. These are generally quick impressions, and are subject to change (to put it mildly). Here's the thumbnail for page 11:" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDmey_8MHYdQNThYaVFb8JoOUBz1vbyqf6yp4Gc-uWM2RI-mWiYklOT-V1Vt-QWkLql9wFLYqnEyK4aUeYEJGnTi5uzpRdKBd4AbCaXCX6AgnJbBuKElpiqHMIwa3b7XR9zLH0vl3iftd/s1600-h/40111.jpg (Epting, Page Process). From this point forward, Epting then transforms his basic pencils into a more coherent whole, and then proceeds to ink those pencils: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbzbS-JUZ_EKGPz8paGRgoq6tA63WevIzermNz9AVfMK7RzwaKiOrgK_csnkm5LQzw5Vjfeljv8if_-sbbnZDU1fy-YxuxYfGpznE67afonpmGjQbSw1j1JtvVbDO0_GQZZm3-4u75hAS/s1600-h/40112.jpg and https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqYwef_IVu8oRXuePfI6meejcVNUL-JlwiE-ITvkN5CKrg8OUkdRVatw5gxwRgDdVawgLbme2nGCrykrTs9dNcqEpRLOo6lmDTAczrjThzLm1eETiSrXh6BhIx4tsWga7ZwYrWTtn1TED/s1600-h/40114.jpg. These pages communicate the script notes, the angle of viewing, and all the elements of the story to be conveyed from only a small amount of notes. In this case, the writer is leaving the artist the resources to communicate this story to the best of their ability. Epting is brilliant for being able to take a small idea with even smaller notes, and then take those notes and make incredible art out from them. When the inked pencils are complete, the page goes to the colorer to complete the process: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YKKnd6elrv6-jpUyko-VeEseq-wdmXsSB26j4oQ3a5Cyl3DRA3pXVJTpoRT7i2252Jw0tmwXMMu2SIbhMURiEqpPxln72EGUcpdbBzBPObK1NKzBztY7ymdaH1WP6i_bogowqkheDXpk/s1600-h/40115.jpg. Epting explains how:
"Finally, it's uploaded to the folks at Marvel, who then pass it on to the one and only Frank D'Armata for coloring-- and that's that. I don't follow these steps exactly for every page, but for the most part this is how it's done. I'm constantly trying to tweak this process and eliminate steps in an attempt to increase speed and production, so this is all subject to change" (Epting, Page Process).
This collaborative process ensures that great comic material is developed each week, month, etc. for the reader to enjoy. Epting's art is very kinetic and based in realism so each character has accurate proportions and moves in the real world around them. Though these are fantastic characters, the artistic flair of Steve Epting allows for the reader to enjoy the story that much more. Captain America has no natural superpowers, but is an enhanced super soldier, capable of incredible feats that an average man wouldn't dream of being able to complete. With the series grounded in realism, this style fits the story like a glove. Another noteworthy story that was grounded firmly in realism when considering public disdainwas Marvel's Civil War where a similarly styled artist, Steve McNiven, brought the flair for the realistic to this landmark story to enhance and solidify this (fictionalized) real-world narrative.
Though Ed Brubaker has his own methods of developing comic pages (as viewed above) Mark Millar has his own voice in how his vision is conveyed. This is most evident in the opening pages of Civil War. This story is firmly grounded in realism, and an artist with a flair for realistic proportions and style was needed to legitimize the seriousness of this dramatic story where superheroics are handled in the real world. Though the story is of dangerous superhumans battling to the death at the cost of human life, Millar communicates these pages in fine detail, with a clear tone to Steve McNiven to develop and draw to move this story forward. Millar begins the story breakdown panel by panel by mentioning how McNiven should:
"PAGE EIGHT AND NINE: Cut to just a few hours later and a double-page spread where, most prominently, we see Captain America and Iron Man standing in full-figure shots in the ruins of this place. It looks like a Hiroshima picture with burned bones everywhere. The place is in darkness and we see lots of Avengers and X-men helping out here with the rescue effort, everyone wearing oxygen masks and working with the official rescue workers. Cap and Iron Man are just surveying the quite awesome damage here. I see this as a full-figure shot of Iron man and Cap (one on each page) but you're the boy, Steve McNiven. Your call" (Millar, Script Book, 9).
Following Millar's brilliant script, McNiven translates these disparate notes into this incredible 2-page spread illustrating Millar's vision for the horrific damage following Stamford's destruction: http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060406214421/marveldatabase/images/7/76/Civil_War_Opening_Shot_Sketchbook_Vol_1_1.jpg http://www.dailyhaggis.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/civilwar01.jpg
Again, much like Steve Epting above, Steve McNiven has taken Mark Millar's notes and created a breathtaking artistic representation that communicates the death of innocents, the future struggle between Iron Man and Captain America as both are on opposite sides of the future law, and convey's Millar's vision of the damage. McNiven's pencils are completed, inked and colored and finally enhanced with Millar's notes and captions to fully communicate the horrific scene depicted. An artist is only as strong as his best scriptor, and both Millar and Brubaker show this skill masterfully through their artists Steve Epting and Steve McNiven.
A comic book scriptor is the architect who designs and envisions where a story will ultimately end up, with a prominent artist to convey those designs in an artistic fashion. As comic book crafting is a collaborative process, the ability for both parties to write and illustrate is an impressive thing to consider, as each party is key to taking a brilliant (or abstact) idea, while communicating it in a way that convey's the writer's initial vision, moving the story forward. Not many forms of written media can duplicate what comics can, and the key to this unique medium's continued success is the collaborative process between descriptive scriptors, and the brilliant and talented artists that communicate those notes. These are only two noteworthy examples, but there are a myriad of talented writers and artists that push the boundaries of this medium every day.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Comic Art 101: J. Scott Campbell, Skottie Young and Jim Lee
Comics and Graphic Novels have two distinct elements: one part is text and scripting, another is sketching, inking and coloring. Comics and Graphic Novels are unique in the sense that both pieces work in tandem to tell the story. Great comic artists are amazing in their own right, even under deadlines to meet monthly, bi-weekly or even weekly art commitments. I've selected 3 great artists in the comic book field, each with their own unique vision and approach to comic art.
The basics of Comic Artwork is the original (real or digital) pencil sketch which provides the skeleton which is how the picture take shape. The artwork then moves to the inker who enhances the pencils of the original artist, adding touches of light and shadow and depth to the artwork for effect. A great inker can enhance the original artwork and add perspective to a 'static' comic panel. Great pencilers and inkers go hand-in-hand when producing superb comic artwork. One of the best in the business is J. Scott Campbell.
J. Scott Campbell draws Harley Quinn, a supervillainess from Batman for an artwork commission. This is Campbell in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xuOk4LnY5s He starts off by drawing the base framework of the art by using pencils. Next, he fills in those pencils (3:13) by using a marker. Campbell inks his own drawing, and fills in the minute details that really make the artwork pop. From this point forward, the art can then move to the colorist to fill in the appropriate areas. A great artist has an incredible inker to add perspective to the sketch, and the colorist builds on the previous labors of penciler and inker. Though Campbell pencils and inks his drawing, the white space is generally red on the character's profile. A great colorist can enhance any comic artist's previous efforts in a collaborative process. Some artists manage pencil, ink and color their own artwork brilliantly.
Skottie Young is a unique artist that is recognized for his distinct artistic style, and is the regular artist for Marvel's adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Here are just some of his fantastic efforts on display: http://skottieyoungstore.bigcartel.com/products Skottie sketches, inks and colors his daily sketches, but uses computer programs to enhance his pencils, inks, etc. Again, his very stylized and unique art style is expressive, but retains a sense of wonder and oddness that stands out among other artists. Skottie inks a cover for The Wizard of Oz adaptation: http://www.youtube.com/user/skottieart#p/u/8/XdsEsb_CcKQ Again, Skottie pencils the sketch before inking it digitally, but uses the tools available to bring out the depth and shadow that he wishes to convey from the sketch. By using these inking tools, he can make changes easily without damaging the original sketch. Skottie has penciled and inked many of his own works for various comic companies which is an incredible feat: http://www.skottieyoung.com/p/about.html Generally speaking, comic book art is a three step process, penciling, inking and coloring, but sometimes one artist can complete all aspects of it.
Jim Lee is one such artist. Lee pencils, inks and colors this commissioned piece of The Joker from Batman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es00TDfFQPY This is a fantastic example of the comic art process in action. He starts with 'pencils' with light marker lines, fills in the more defined lines with marker, and then fills in the subtle details with red marker highlights. Jim Lee is one of the most dynamic and revered artists in the field, and is a regular contributor to DC comics. Jim's pencils have an incredible amount of detail within them initially, but when inked and enhanced, the true mastery of his artwork shines through. In this pencil drawing from Batman: Hush, Jim Lee has an incredible amount of detail in the initial stages of his work. When applying the colors and inks to the drawing, the brilliance of his detail work shines through: http://scifimafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hush1.jpg The detailing and cleanup of those initial lines is brilliantly rendered with the additional detail. The small details and embellishments in Lee's artwork convey a large field of vision, and brilliant shadowing and depth are brought to the surface with the colored art on the right.
There are hundreds of incredibly skilled pencilers, inkers and colorists in the field of Comic Books/Graphic Novels, but being a great artist is a collaborative process. Though Comic Book art can convey the simplest aspects the script writer lays out, great art takes on a life of its own when all the pieces are in place. Comic Book art is as integral to the direction of the story as the words on the page, but both aspects are needed for a great comic book to tell a great story. Sometimes, a picture tells 1000 words. This is such a picture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xp_tY4KNhI&feature=related This is a magnificent example of an incredible artist creating incredible artwork for incredible stories. Comic Books and Graphic Novels are like no other medium in print, especially when backed by spectacularly talented artists.
The basics of Comic Artwork is the original (real or digital) pencil sketch which provides the skeleton which is how the picture take shape. The artwork then moves to the inker who enhances the pencils of the original artist, adding touches of light and shadow and depth to the artwork for effect. A great inker can enhance the original artwork and add perspective to a 'static' comic panel. Great pencilers and inkers go hand-in-hand when producing superb comic artwork. One of the best in the business is J. Scott Campbell.
J. Scott Campbell draws Harley Quinn, a supervillainess from Batman for an artwork commission. This is Campbell in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xuOk4LnY5s He starts off by drawing the base framework of the art by using pencils. Next, he fills in those pencils (3:13) by using a marker. Campbell inks his own drawing, and fills in the minute details that really make the artwork pop. From this point forward, the art can then move to the colorist to fill in the appropriate areas. A great artist has an incredible inker to add perspective to the sketch, and the colorist builds on the previous labors of penciler and inker. Though Campbell pencils and inks his drawing, the white space is generally red on the character's profile. A great colorist can enhance any comic artist's previous efforts in a collaborative process. Some artists manage pencil, ink and color their own artwork brilliantly.
Skottie Young is a unique artist that is recognized for his distinct artistic style, and is the regular artist for Marvel's adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Here are just some of his fantastic efforts on display: http://skottieyoungstore.bigcartel.com/products Skottie sketches, inks and colors his daily sketches, but uses computer programs to enhance his pencils, inks, etc. Again, his very stylized and unique art style is expressive, but retains a sense of wonder and oddness that stands out among other artists. Skottie inks a cover for The Wizard of Oz adaptation: http://www.youtube.com/user/skottieart#p/u/8/XdsEsb_CcKQ Again, Skottie pencils the sketch before inking it digitally, but uses the tools available to bring out the depth and shadow that he wishes to convey from the sketch. By using these inking tools, he can make changes easily without damaging the original sketch. Skottie has penciled and inked many of his own works for various comic companies which is an incredible feat: http://www.skottieyoung.com/p/about.html Generally speaking, comic book art is a three step process, penciling, inking and coloring, but sometimes one artist can complete all aspects of it.
Jim Lee is one such artist. Lee pencils, inks and colors this commissioned piece of The Joker from Batman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es00TDfFQPY This is a fantastic example of the comic art process in action. He starts with 'pencils' with light marker lines, fills in the more defined lines with marker, and then fills in the subtle details with red marker highlights. Jim Lee is one of the most dynamic and revered artists in the field, and is a regular contributor to DC comics. Jim's pencils have an incredible amount of detail within them initially, but when inked and enhanced, the true mastery of his artwork shines through. In this pencil drawing from Batman: Hush, Jim Lee has an incredible amount of detail in the initial stages of his work. When applying the colors and inks to the drawing, the brilliance of his detail work shines through: http://scifimafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hush1.jpg The detailing and cleanup of those initial lines is brilliantly rendered with the additional detail. The small details and embellishments in Lee's artwork convey a large field of vision, and brilliant shadowing and depth are brought to the surface with the colored art on the right.
There are hundreds of incredibly skilled pencilers, inkers and colorists in the field of Comic Books/Graphic Novels, but being a great artist is a collaborative process. Though Comic Book art can convey the simplest aspects the script writer lays out, great art takes on a life of its own when all the pieces are in place. Comic Book art is as integral to the direction of the story as the words on the page, but both aspects are needed for a great comic book to tell a great story. Sometimes, a picture tells 1000 words. This is such a picture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xp_tY4KNhI&feature=related This is a magnificent example of an incredible artist creating incredible artwork for incredible stories. Comic Books and Graphic Novels are like no other medium in print, especially when backed by spectacularly talented artists.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Nihilism of Thanos
Many supervillains seek to eliminate their foes, or to make a name for themselves in the superpowered community, but few are total agents of death like Thanos. Thanos is a galactic supervillain that seeks to honor his mistress, Death. Thanos worships this otherworldly entity and seeks to eliminate any life to thrill her. She brought him back from the afterlife to be a harbinger of bloodshed and violence. Seeing as he is a naturally powerful individual on his own, when augmented with the Infinity Gauntlet in the 1991 storyline, he becomes even more capable of annihilating life in the universe. He can turn characters into toy blocks, skin into glass and manipulate reality to kill any in his way. Thanos is an agent of death, and a brilliant representation of Nihilism in the Comic Book form. http://www.comicvine.com/infinity-gauntlet/39-42233/ http://www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/
As previously mentioned, Thanos is brought back from the dead and augmented with the Infinity Gauntlet which is comprised of gems that manipulate power, alter reality, augment physical abilities, make wishes that break scientific laws, manipulate minds, and manipulate spirits that are living or dead. Thanos is already a formidable enemy in his own right, but when enhanced with the Infinity Gauntlet, he nearly eliminates half of the life in the universe to please his mistress, Death. To say that Thanos enjoys his work is an understatement, but he truly seeks to enter Death's good graces as he idolizes her powerful hold on the universe. This is perfectly communicated by the space-faring soldier,Silver Surfer:
"Apparently Death has long thought the fact that there are more people alive today than have ever died was a type of cosmic imbalance. This was an irregularity that she sought to right using the dark powers at her disposal. And so she made the tragic mistake of retrieving Thanos, the mad titan, from the realm of the dead. Through him, Death would mold the universe to her liking. Along with renewed life, Death gave him greatly augmented power. Death has ordered Thanos to slaughter half of the sentient population of the universe" (Starlin, Infinity Gauntlet #1, page 9-10)!
Thanos literally becomes an agent of death, seeking to please his handler and lover, Death. In her vision, life cannot be too abundant in the universe, and she revives Thanos to return the universe to cosmic balance. Thanos is all too willing to enact her decree and begins to eliminate life in broad strokes. In the above description, Thanos is a living weapon, molded to serve his dark master to kill sentient life to appease her. Thanos is capable of eliminating scores of living beings throughout the universe on a whim.
This doesn't mean that their relationship is healthy or 'normal' by any stretch of the imagination, as Death uses Thanos as a tool and nothing more. She is a fickle mistress and is only appeased when millions of deaths are at his hands. She is upset that Thanos killed the protectors of the gems, her celestial bretheren to gain ultimate power over reality. Thanos is upset at her disdain, and seeks to gain her favor again:
"Darling mistress, your scorn wounds me deeply. It was never my intention to wrong you nor, do I believe, I have. True, I did use the powers you granted me to seek out the infinity gems, to become the supreme being that now stands before you. But I only sought such glory to be worthy of your love. Your love is bondage. NO! You are WRONG! Death should be revered! We shall decide the fate of a million solar systems and all that inhabit them" (Starlin, Gauntlet, 21-22)!
Thanos is the perfect combination of both danger and ignorance. Since he doesn't realize he is being used as an instrument for his Death's whims, he continues to kill indiscriminately to appease her and gain her approval. In this exchange, it becomes clear that Thanos will do anything to gain her approval, even if it means killing entire solar systems or decimating billions of sentient beings. Thanos' danger comes in his violent manipulation of the Infinity Gems, but his true danger comes in his disregard for all life in order to appease Death. He is also incredibly frustrated with her spurning: "Did I not butcher the woman who gave me birth, who force fed me this Hell called life?! Death is with me every second of the day!! My every moment is spent in either dealing out Death or worshiping it!! Who under the stars is better suited than I to be Death's Consort (Starlin, Gauntlet, 26-27)?
Though Thanos is frustrated with his situation, he still takes it in stride to murder. In order to gain Death's affection, he begins to systematically eliminate the Marvel superheroes one by one in unique and horrific ways. He begins by having two heroes skin dissolve incredibly quickly, encasing another in a box of glass where he suffocates and another's bones into rubber where they collapse and die. He shows off for Death by manipulating reality: "Good God! Thanos has turned Thor into glass!! Back off, prune face! No one's bustin' up Thor while Nova's around! Not round. Square. Square as in cubes. Like a child's toy blocks (Starlin, Gauntlet #4, 31). Thanos then proceeds to crush Nova (in block form) into dust, while shattering Thor into glass shards with a flick of his wrist. He is playing with his prey, and relishing in the display of complete power, but to no avail. While he is the most powerful being in the known universe, Death is still ambivalent. Thanos then flaunts his full wrath, eliminating entire solar systems in his blind rage: "Entire Solar Systems in the immediate vicinity are ravaged by the effects of this celestial clash. Calculating the billions of lives lost as a result of this confrontation will have to wait (Starlin, Gauntlet #5, 9).
His wrath and spurned rage costs billions of sentient beings their lives as his gauntlet extinguishes lives with a flick of his wrist. This boundless slaughter has the opposite effect of what he's seeking for Death. She is disgusted with his display and is finished with the titan. Thanos is then humbled and shocked that he has done his job too well. Thanos is defeated and eventually loses control of his gauntlet as the heroes rebuild reality. It took the complete eradication of reality and billions upon billions of lives for Thanos to realize that he was being manipulated by Death for her own ends. Thanos in all his nihilistic glory realizes the error of his ways, though galaxies were eliminated to find true cosmic balance. She is turned off by the excessive killing Thanos displays and ultimately loses his grip on sanity. This magnificent miniseries shows the destructive nature of lover's spurned and how an individual with ultimate power can carve a murderous rampage throughout worlds, galaxies, etc. to prove a point. Thanos truly loved Death and wanted to do anything to gain her favor. He is a tragic, nihilistic figure that kills scores of beings to achieve his goals. Thanos is the ultimate nihilist in Comic Book fiction.
As previously mentioned, Thanos is brought back from the dead and augmented with the Infinity Gauntlet which is comprised of gems that manipulate power, alter reality, augment physical abilities, make wishes that break scientific laws, manipulate minds, and manipulate spirits that are living or dead. Thanos is already a formidable enemy in his own right, but when enhanced with the Infinity Gauntlet, he nearly eliminates half of the life in the universe to please his mistress, Death. To say that Thanos enjoys his work is an understatement, but he truly seeks to enter Death's good graces as he idolizes her powerful hold on the universe. This is perfectly communicated by the space-faring soldier,Silver Surfer:
"Apparently Death has long thought the fact that there are more people alive today than have ever died was a type of cosmic imbalance. This was an irregularity that she sought to right using the dark powers at her disposal. And so she made the tragic mistake of retrieving Thanos, the mad titan, from the realm of the dead. Through him, Death would mold the universe to her liking. Along with renewed life, Death gave him greatly augmented power. Death has ordered Thanos to slaughter half of the sentient population of the universe" (Starlin, Infinity Gauntlet #1, page 9-10)!
Thanos literally becomes an agent of death, seeking to please his handler and lover, Death. In her vision, life cannot be too abundant in the universe, and she revives Thanos to return the universe to cosmic balance. Thanos is all too willing to enact her decree and begins to eliminate life in broad strokes. In the above description, Thanos is a living weapon, molded to serve his dark master to kill sentient life to appease her. Thanos is capable of eliminating scores of living beings throughout the universe on a whim.
This doesn't mean that their relationship is healthy or 'normal' by any stretch of the imagination, as Death uses Thanos as a tool and nothing more. She is a fickle mistress and is only appeased when millions of deaths are at his hands. She is upset that Thanos killed the protectors of the gems, her celestial bretheren to gain ultimate power over reality. Thanos is upset at her disdain, and seeks to gain her favor again:
"Darling mistress, your scorn wounds me deeply. It was never my intention to wrong you nor, do I believe, I have. True, I did use the powers you granted me to seek out the infinity gems, to become the supreme being that now stands before you. But I only sought such glory to be worthy of your love. Your love is bondage. NO! You are WRONG! Death should be revered! We shall decide the fate of a million solar systems and all that inhabit them" (Starlin, Gauntlet, 21-22)!
Thanos is the perfect combination of both danger and ignorance. Since he doesn't realize he is being used as an instrument for his Death's whims, he continues to kill indiscriminately to appease her and gain her approval. In this exchange, it becomes clear that Thanos will do anything to gain her approval, even if it means killing entire solar systems or decimating billions of sentient beings. Thanos' danger comes in his violent manipulation of the Infinity Gems, but his true danger comes in his disregard for all life in order to appease Death. He is also incredibly frustrated with her spurning: "Did I not butcher the woman who gave me birth, who force fed me this Hell called life?! Death is with me every second of the day!! My every moment is spent in either dealing out Death or worshiping it!! Who under the stars is better suited than I to be Death's Consort (Starlin, Gauntlet, 26-27)?
Though Thanos is frustrated with his situation, he still takes it in stride to murder. In order to gain Death's affection, he begins to systematically eliminate the Marvel superheroes one by one in unique and horrific ways. He begins by having two heroes skin dissolve incredibly quickly, encasing another in a box of glass where he suffocates and another's bones into rubber where they collapse and die. He shows off for Death by manipulating reality: "Good God! Thanos has turned Thor into glass!! Back off, prune face! No one's bustin' up Thor while Nova's around! Not round. Square. Square as in cubes. Like a child's toy blocks (Starlin, Gauntlet #4, 31). Thanos then proceeds to crush Nova (in block form) into dust, while shattering Thor into glass shards with a flick of his wrist. He is playing with his prey, and relishing in the display of complete power, but to no avail. While he is the most powerful being in the known universe, Death is still ambivalent. Thanos then flaunts his full wrath, eliminating entire solar systems in his blind rage: "Entire Solar Systems in the immediate vicinity are ravaged by the effects of this celestial clash. Calculating the billions of lives lost as a result of this confrontation will have to wait (Starlin, Gauntlet #5, 9).
His wrath and spurned rage costs billions of sentient beings their lives as his gauntlet extinguishes lives with a flick of his wrist. This boundless slaughter has the opposite effect of what he's seeking for Death. She is disgusted with his display and is finished with the titan. Thanos is then humbled and shocked that he has done his job too well. Thanos is defeated and eventually loses control of his gauntlet as the heroes rebuild reality. It took the complete eradication of reality and billions upon billions of lives for Thanos to realize that he was being manipulated by Death for her own ends. Thanos in all his nihilistic glory realizes the error of his ways, though galaxies were eliminated to find true cosmic balance. She is turned off by the excessive killing Thanos displays and ultimately loses his grip on sanity. This magnificent miniseries shows the destructive nature of lover's spurned and how an individual with ultimate power can carve a murderous rampage throughout worlds, galaxies, etc. to prove a point. Thanos truly loved Death and wanted to do anything to gain her favor. He is a tragic, nihilistic figure that kills scores of beings to achieve his goals. Thanos is the ultimate nihilist in Comic Book fiction.
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