Marvel’s highest-profile female hero (sorry, She-Hulk) takes to the skies once more in her own solo book… Your Major Spoilers review of Captain Marvel #1 awaits!
CAPTAIN MARVEL #1
Writer: Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters
Artist: Kris Anka
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Sana Amanat
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Captain Marvel: “When former U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers was caught in the explosion of an alien device, she was imbued with superhuman powers. As an Avengers, she used her gifts to protect the planet. Now a new chapter awaits, yet she is and will always be Earth’s Mightiest Hero. She is…
CAPTAIN MARVEL!”
RISE OF THE ALPHA FLIGHT
In the post-Secret Wars world, things aren’t quite as simple time-wise. That is to say, careful readers of the right books (The Ultimates, for one) will have already seen Captain Marvel in her role as the ramrod of the orbiting Alpha Flight Space Station, protecting Earth from threats before they break atmosphere. This issue is the story of her first day in the job, starting with a lovely interaction with her boyfriend War Machine (the Rhodey/Carol relationship is one I wholeheartedly back) warning her that her new job may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Alpha Flight station is full of familiar faces, including Sasquatch, Puck and Aurora, and Abigail Brand, the former head of S.W.O.R.D. Captain Marvel’s relationships with these characters are deftly laid out, and everyone gets a little panel-time in the issue, as Captain Marvel refuses to let her role be one of pencil-pusher, handling an incoming asteroid with her own two fists. By the end of the issue, she’s arrested a diplomatic delegation, discovered a cosmic threat, and found a compelling mystery drifting in space, one that is oddly familiar…
GIVE US MORE EUGENE JUDD!
Maybe ten years ago, around the time of ‘House Of M’, Marvel editorial made it clear that Carol Danvers was getting elevated to main player, and I was skeptical about the whole thing. As of 2016, they’ve not only won me over, but they’ve completely erased the memory of a time when Captain Marvel wasn’t a top-tier player at Marvel, which is an achievement to be respected. The last volume of Carol’s adventures by Kelly Sue DeConnick was transformative, and a very hard game to follow, but this first issue makes it clear that this creative team is up to the task. Fazekas & Butters keep the spirit of Kelly Sue’s Captain Marvel while putting her in an entirely new role, and her high-profile assignment feels perfectly rational and natural in-universe. Kris Anka’s art is solid throughout the issue, especially in a quiet sequence where Puck and Captain Marvel bond while lifting weights and talking about life in general. Best of all, the art and story work together effortlessly to make our main character likable, heroic and powerful, yet still a relatable human being. That’s hard…
THE BOTTOM LINE: ACTION-ORIENTED AND ENGAGING
In short, if you were worried that the Carol Danvers we’ve been reading about was going to disappear under new management, I’m here to tell you: This is a solid issue. Captain Marvel #1 is an excellent new start for the character, featuring some fascinating new concepts, some old characters, and the Captain in a whole new role, making for a well-above-average 4 out of 5 stars overall. As first issues go, this one serves as the much-sought-after “jumping-on point”, as well as a continuation of the best parts of what came before, giving the ANAD Marvel era another solid number one issue, much to my wallet’s discomfort…
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