Jim Starlin Explains The Connection Between The Thanos Annual and Thanos: The Infinity Revelation

In a new interview with Comic Book Resources, comic book legend Jim Starlin explained the connections between his upcoming Thanos Annual and the original graphic novel Thanos: The Infinity Revelation coming later. The Annual will be drawn by frequent Starlin collaborator Ron Lim, with whom The Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity War were produced. Starlin praised the artist, saying that his two most regular collaborators were Lim and legendary horror artist Bernie Wrightson. While Wrightson always turns in something wildly different from what Starlin expected (but inspired), Starlin said he can count on Lim to turn in exactly what he hopes to see. Inks on both projects will be provided with Andy Smith and between having a common inker and Lim's similar visual sensibilities to Starlin, it's hoped that the whole package has a kind of visual consistency that will appeal to casual readers brought in by the Guardians of the Galaxy film, in which Thanos's adoptive daughter Gamora is heavily featured.

Informally, The Thanos Annual has been referred to as a prequel to The Infinity Revelation, and CBR asked Starlin -- who wrote both and drew The Infinity Revelation -- to explain just how interconnected they are. "You can read them independently, but after you read the Annual, you'll probably want to read the graphic novel," Starlin said in an interview. "You can pick up the graphic novel and read it independently, but I think later on down the line they'll probably collect these two stories into one volume. They really are quite connected to each other. Plus, Andy Smith will be inking both the Annual and the graphic novel, so that links them together even more." Jim Starlin's Thanos Annual, with art by Ron Lim and Andy Smith, arrives in stores May 28. Thanos: The Infinity Revelation arrives in summer 2014.