(Marvel Comics, 2013)
Reviewed by Jared Butler
WRITTEN BY: Kelly Sue DeConnick & Christopher Sebela
ARTWORK: Filipe Andrade
COLOR ARTWORK: Jordie Bellaire
Carol Danvers is an ace pilot who was accidentally exposed to a Kree “Wish Machine” and given Captain Marvel’s powers. She then became Ms.Marvel and did well to establish herself as one of the Avengers most courageous and powerful superheros. This series stated off with Carol revealing her identity to the world and taking on the title of Captain Marvel, as she tries to find balance between her overwhelming responsibilities and the drive to constantly exceed the high standards she sets for herself.
At this time Carol’s resolve and ingenuity are being truly put to the test now that she has been diagnosed with a brain lesion, one that threatens to destroy her mind if she uses her most beloved power of flight. On top of all that enter: Deathbird, one of Carol’s old foes, now armed with the knowledge of her condition and the whereabouts of her friends and loved ones. In this issue Carol is forced to start taking her illness seriously and doing the even harder task of accepting help from her friends and teammates. We also learn that Deathbird is only a pawn of an unrevealed man’s diabolical scheme against Captain Marvel.
One of the main things that drew me into this title was the depth of Carol Danvers’s character. She is a very strong willed, determined, fearless and quick witted young woman who would be more then capable of being a team leader, if only she wasn’t plagued by an adolescent-like self doubt and stubbornness. The other thing that I really loved about this title was the mood set by Dexter Soy’s uniquely crazy artwork. Even with his sometimes awkward anatomy, his work is refreshingly different from today’s more common styles. After a few issues I found myself less then satisfied with the story of Carol’s too-perfectly orchestrated trip through time.
Even less enjoyable was Soy’s replacement Emma Rios, whose retro comic style and pointy flat faces was just distracting me from the actual story. Soy returned for the useless tale that infested issues eight and nine, only to leave us again – but this time in the much more graceful hands of artist Filipe Andrade and colorist Jordie Bellaire (also worked with Emma Rios on this title). Here we are given a loose, watercolor-on-matte canvas look, bringing back the surreal elegance this title deserves. Meanwhile, founding writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and recently joined co-writer Christopher Sebela deliver a tense drama of a superhero facing her own mortality and the dangers of not keeping her identity secret.
This latest story line should have been the first published. We are now really seeing Captain Marvel dealing with a much more believable and very relatable situation than her roller-coaster ride through women’s history earlier in the series.
All in all this title has great potential that I hope will soon be taken full advantage of.
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Follow J.G. Butler on Twitter: @Floor0272
BAG & BORED 