Reading order
Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Thanos Imperative | 2011 | Dan Abnett | Buy |
The Thanos Imperative is the culminating event of the cosmic Marvel storyline that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning developed through their Annihilation, Nova, and Guardians of the Galaxy runs from 2006 onwards. The six-issue limited series, collected in 2011, brings together the main characters of that era, including Nova, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Silver Surfer, to face an invasion from the Cancerverse. The storyline resolves the arc involving Richard Rider as Nova and sets up major status quo changes for the cosmic Marvel universe.
Abnett and Lanning’s cosmic Marvel work is regarded as some of the best material produced in that corner of the universe, and The Thanos Imperative was designed as a satisfying conclusion to the era they built. The series makes most sense when read after the earlier Annihilation, Nova, and Guardians of the Galaxy volumes that Abnett and Lanning produced from 2006 to 2010.
Readers coming to this volume without the prior context can still follow the broad strokes of the conflict, but the emotional weight of the conclusion depends on investment in the characters built across the previous runs. The Thanos Imperative is best read as the final chapter of a longer story.