Laura Braga

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.

Superior Iron Man returns. While it is entry lacks a great deal of the edge that has made the book so compelling, it carries through a lot of the series’ promise. The issue opens up in good form, as Tony Stark strong-arms the American military to buy blueprints to a superweapon else he sell them to Russia or China. However this is the issue where Pepper Potts finally steps to rival her employer turned mad man. Tom Taylor, as always, injects his characters with rich personality and charm. However Teen Abomination, who received an extended origin last issue, has little to do beyond act the role of a wall of muscle. Pepper Potts reads like she’s missing a few traits, though she is trying to stand strong in what Tony himself would deem a nightmare scenario.

Perhaps it’s just coincidence, but it seems February has become a month where Marvel releases issues to ongoing series set in between arcs which fall a bit short of expectations and a fill in artist impersonating the person they’re filling in for. It’s certainly the case with Superior Iron Man with the conclusion to the Daredevil vs. Tony Stark battle that has made up the series thus far. Yildiray Cinar signs off this issue and in his place is Laura Braga. What makes this issue stand out from the pack is how laid back it is. It’s a mostly using Superior Iron Man as a frame to tell the origin of supporting character, Teen Abomination.