Captain Marvel #4 Written by Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters Art by Kris Anka & Felipe Smith Colors by Matthew Wilson Letters by Joe Caramagna Published by Marvel Comics An unstoppable alien enemy. Superpowers on the fritz. A traitor hidden in her ranks. A literal target on her chest. Carol Danvers is in a heap …
Captain Marvel #3 Written by Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters Art by Kris Anka & Felipe Smith Colors by Matthew Wilson Letters by Joe Caramagna Published by Marvel Comics If you thought it was good before, All-New All-Different Captain Marvel is really hitting its stride this week, delivering well-paced, epic space adventure that cuts …
It says a lot that, more than 30 years later, our sci-fi visual language is still so reliant on Alien’s and Aliens’ legacy. There are probably entire articles–maybe entire books?–to be written about the fact that you still can’t tell a “small crew investigates an abandoned spacecraft” story without consciously or unconsciously evoking those decades-old movies.
Carol Danvers is not just a fantasy about being powerful–she’s my fantasy that I can be powerful because my desires are powerful. She’s a fantasy that we are strong enough to triumph over our minds and bodies and misfortunes. Strong because of our misfortunes. Strong enough to be the people we choose to be.
Captain Marvel #1 is an enjoyable story of a character having to adapt to a new situation in space with Canadian superheroes.
Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #4 will make readers feel truly victorious and want to “punch holes in the sky” (from DeConnick’s sign-off on the series) in a battle royale that combines both hard punching hand to hand combat and beautiful aerial maneuvers courtesy of Laura Braga, Paolo Pantalena, and Lee Loughridge. Kelly Sue DeConnick and Kelly Thompson also don’t neglect character relationships as Captain Marvel inspires the Banshee Squadron to fight gods while also helping her old friend Kit find thunderous redemption. Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #4 is a single issue party celebrating the power of Carol Danvers as one of Marvel Comics’ most inspirational icons and wraps up DeConnick’s work on the character in powerful and occasionally tearful way.
Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run on Captain Marvel has been an interesting, if a bit uneven, romp. Throughout her time on the book, it has seemed that everyone involved, Kelly Sue, Marvel, even the good Captain herself is struggling to figure out who Carol Danvers is and where she fits best. From the clearly-meant-to-be-a-limited-series opening arc (which was fantastic), a time-traveling tour around the history of Carol Danvers and Marvel Universe female aviation in general, to her most recent stint in space as Avenging Ambassador to the cosmos/Babysitter of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Carol has been trying on a lot of hats (I meant that as a metaphor but it occurs to me that there is one very literal hat that has gained so much popularity amongst the Carol Corps that it now exists in our universe as well).
In Captain Marvel #9, Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez switch gears from space opera to rock opera in space involving variations on the traditional fairy tale. DeConnick inverts gender roles, writes about 75% of the issue’s dialogue in rhyme, and reinvents the character of Lila Cheney (who I previously thought was a Dazzler knockoff while showcasing Captain Marvel’s ability to inspire heroism and self-sacrifice in other people. Artist David Lopez adds a lot of the humor to the proceedings with his penchant for expressive faces. He also spaces out his panels in a way which reflects the rhyming scheme of dialogue before bringing out creative layouts and speed lines for the big third act battle. Colorist Lee Loughridge adds to the musical flavor of Captain Marvel #9 by contrasting the colors of the musical notes with the rest of the panel. He also adds a bit of pop to the teleportation and other dramatic scenes.
Captain Marvel #7 Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick Art by Marcio Takara Colored by Lee Loughridge Published by Marvel Even if it’s basically a “bottle issue” set inside Captain Marvel’s ships, Captain Marvel #7 has Kelly Sue DeConnick’s characteristic humorous dialogue and strong characterization mixed with simple, expressive line-work from guest artist Marcio Takara (BOOM’s Incredibles comics, The Flash), who also has a …
Captain Marvel #1 Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick Art by David Lopez Colors by Lee Loughridge Published by Marvel Comics Captain Marvel #1 opens with its titular heroine and a motley crew of aliens trying to get a certain object and keep it away from evil aliens. This sequence sets up the premise of the book, which …
Yesterday, Marvel released yet another of their mysterious “All New Marvel NOW” teasers with the words “Ms.” in green on a black background with no creative team listed. Some have theorized that this means the return of 2010’s “Girl Comics” anthology, but I think that it means that Ms. Marvel will return and get her …