Captain Marvel #17 Title: "Cheating Death!" Writer: Peter David Penciler: Jim Starlin Inker: Al Milgrom. Editor: Tom Brevoort Cover Price: $2.50 US

Review: PAD begins a masterpeice two parter here with former Captain Marvel scribe and penciller, Jim Starlin. The classic and detailed art still pretty much holds up to today's standards, even if some of the characters aren't drawn perfectly (I'm talking about Marlo and occassionally Rick Jones). Otherwise, a completely entertaining tale guest starring Thor, who really shines here.

Warning - Summary ahead, spoilers.

The book opens to a flashback with Thor and some norse people in a norse village. Thor is celebrating with drinks and women over a battle won. We then jump to present day, where Thor is wandering around where the village once was, trying to remember the people and places long gone. And then--Thanos shows up! Thor throws Mjolnir, but Thanos causes it to fall in midair. Thor says Thanos should be dead, Thanos says that Death is like making love, it gets better each time. He also mocks Thor's speech pattern. He mentions that he has business with Thor, Thor asks how he could have business, especially after his recent atrocities. Thanos says they weren't atrocites, but tests.

We cut to Rick and Marlo buying clothes in a shopping mall. Marlo thinks she is getting old, Rick tells her she is nuts. Marlo asks how she looks, Rick tells her she looks great but Marlo insists she looks too old because she was turned down from a job. Rick asks a pale man in a trenchcoat for his opinion, and he says that he will be happy to help. However, Lorraine tells Marlo to run, and Captain Marvel warns Rick that this man is dangerous. Rick grabs the man's staff, but he is shocked by it and he says it is as cold as death. The man says no, it's only an extension of himself. Rick throws him into a rack of clothes.

Rick runs after Marlo while Captain Marvel looks for a place in the microverse where he can safely exchange places with Rick. Out of no where, Thanos appears. The man, who is named Walker, asks where "she" is, Thanos says she is beyond his reach and tells Rick and Marlo to duck and he fires an energy beam at Walker. Walker puts up a shield and fires back at Thanos, telling him to scream, Thanos says he never will and he is hit with Walker's energy beams.

Captain Marvel and Rick finally exchange places, and Marvel shows up. Walker says Thanos better tell him where "she" is, or he will wreck the world molecule by molecule and he blasts Captain Marvel and Thanos. Thanos and Captain Marvel hold hands and fire beams of energy back at Walker together. Walker takes the attacks, not being effected much and then he is struck by lightning.

Thor shows up, Walker says he is a true death god and not even Thor can defeat him. Thanos and Captain Marvel fire at him again, and Thor throws Mjolnir charged with all the destructive forces channeled through it at Walker. There is an explosion and Walker is gone. Thanos says that his lady Death cheated on him, with Walker. Genis and Rick both say "Eww". Thanos says he'll transport them all to his ship to explain, and he says he'll bring Marlo too since it concerns her. They are all teleported to his ship.

Thanos explains how Walker is a death god worshipped in another Galaxy. Walker grew very powerful and wished for Death to be his alone. He offered her all the souls, every life, in his galaxy. He took the billions upon billions of lives into himself, intending to give them to her. She rejects him and Walker got very mad. Thanos says Walker intends to destroy Death, and he explains that it cannot happen because Death is very important, it maintains order and balance in the universe. Thanos says he hid Death. Cap asks where, and he says that Death is hidden within someone who had a brush with death and miraculously came back to life. Marlo says, "Oh, you mean life I did." She then realizes Death is inside of her and says, "ohh crap."