Carol Danvers is back in her own book, finally! It’s been a long time coming, but she’s officially “Captain Marvel” complete with her own title. Let’s see if she lives up to the name.
Written by Kelly Sue Deconnick
Illustrated by Dexter Soy
- SHE’S BACK! The “Mightiest” of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!
- Ace pilot. Legendary Avenger. 100% pure bad-a$$.
- Carol Danvers has a new name, a new mission …and all the power she needs to make her life a living hell.
- Guest starring Captain America.
Kelly Sue Deconnick, the writer of this title, has been pushing it towards the public consciousness since she was announced as the writer. If you follow her tumblr, she regularly posts fan art of Carol Danvers and gives reminders to her followers to make sure the book gets pre-ordered, among other things. It’s essential in this climate to pre-order, it’s exactly what this industry is built on. This book is also very important because it’s one of the few female led books on the market also written by a female creator. One is rare enough, but both? So her efforts, while expected from any other writer trying to make sure they keep getting work, has a certain sense of urgency to it.
Books like this need to exist. And why not; the book is certainly good enough to warrant the attention. Deconnick has a knack for writing characters like Carol Danvers or Peter Parker, who are defined by their sharp wit, but in the case of our new Captain Marvel, she maintains the level of badassery (totally a word) established not only by previous writers but with the cartoon Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, where Danvers was voiced by the ultimate badass Jennifer Hale (who you might know from the Mass Effect series as the female Shepard). Those are big shoes to fill, and Kelly Sue filled them nearly perfectly in tone.
If there is one problem with the book from the standpoint of the writing, it came from the fact that the action takes a backseat to a history lesson (an admittedly important one) about the first female fighter pilots, one of which counts our lead as an admirer. Before anyone gets mad about my take on the story presented, it doesn’t have anything to do with WHAT was told and simply WHEN it was told. This is a great story, but as an initial hook for a series, it can feel a little slow. If it were a one-shot in between arcs, when Carol was more established as Captain Marvel and new fans related to her a little more readily, it would be perfect. Even if it were a Point One issue, it’d be great. As a #1, however? I’m thinking of fans who might never have read a Captain Marvel book before; would they care?
The art, provided by Dexter Soy is a great fit for a cosmic character like Captain Marvel, and I hope to see him in more space/swashbuckling adventure with Carol for the foreseeable future. The wide open negative space works really well with Soy’s style, and the pages that do take place in space shine the brightest in the book itself. There are two pages in particular that stand out, splash pages set against the backdrop of space, that are absolutely breathtaking. If that’s any indication of the direction of the series, you can sign me up.
When it all comes down to it, you should pick up this book. It’s extremely well written and the art fits well with the assumed direction of the series. I can’t wait to see if Kelly Sue and Dexter take Carol to the Kree Empire or beyond. The Earth doesn’t seem big enough to hold her anymore.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy
