The last 30 minutes was probably what every comic fan wanted, but getting there might have aggravated some. I thought it was all right and worth the wait.
@sc: It is interesting because a lot of people (myself included) think of the 90s as "modern comics" but there are evidently some issues with how the story is told
@cbishop: I think I missed the notification for this one. I am over doing NaNoWriMo, but let me know about the next one and I will try to get something in.
One of the main problems with ethics is that there are no right or wrong answers, although there are answers which are often considered better than others, at least by the standards of our own civilization. A good comparison of what most would consider acceptable on a utilitarian scale would be that which doesn't involve the loss of life or the infliction of undue pain. This ethical boundary can best be exemplified by a character like Batman, who can do a lot of lesser ethical breaches (break and enter, assault) in the name of justice, but will not even consider more serious ones (murder, torture).
With Thanos the question is a lot more complicated, first of all because it is presumably completely hypothetical. A good analog might be the use of poison gas in wartime. Does it cause horrific deaths and even worse horrors for those who survive? Absolutely, but it has also been used specifically for the same argument that Thanos used, that it will save far more lives than it takes, and the manner of death (for instance drowning in your own blood in your lungs) is worth it regardless. With Thanos though, I think that his actions are better examined his other actions. If one could make the case that his actions are for the good of life, then he would respect life in other regards, wouldn't he? If that were the case, then he fails miserably. After Nebula tries to kill him he has a few different options, for instance killing her out of retaliation or jailing her in some way. Instead he chooses to torture her without any purpose other than retribution or pleasure. His torture of her serves no purpose other than his own gratification, and therefore it is easier to paint his actions through the evil viewpoint that he has.
You could argue that an evil person can still commit a good ethical action, but I think that the film is not arranged that way. Captain America has the conversation with Vision that "we don't trade lives" and I think that this is more of what is considered to be the heroic approach and the ethical approach. This more fits in with what you mention about the use of health care, or the lack thereof and what we consider to be a hero. It is relatively easy (assuming you have the Infinity Stones) to snap your fingers and make half of the universe disappear. A real hero, would work harder, find a way to save all life while benefiting them all.
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