Captain Marvel owes her life to a fallen friend, but it’s hard for the chair of The Avengers to find time for grief… no matter how badly she needs it. Your Major Spoilers review of Captain Marvel #50 from Marvel Comics awaits!

CAPTAIN MARVEL #50

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Javier Pina and David Lopez
Colorist: Yen Nitro
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Editor: Sarah Brunstad
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: June 14, 2023

Previously in Captain Marvel: It has been an impossible journey – one that’s taken Carol Danvers across time and space and pitted her against enemies new and old. No one believed she would get this far. But that’s the power of Captain Marvel and her Carol Corps: They will never give up.

THE AFTERMATH

The Brood have been defeated once and for all (until next time), but at the cost of Binary’s life, leaving Carol Danvers grieving her not-exactly sister. When a traditional support group fails, she heads into space, where her Kree half-sister Lauri-El finds her. Thanks to a text from Jessica Drew, Lauri has found a planet on the brink of war, allowing Captain Marvel to try a little Kree-style therapy by punching everything in sight. It also doesn’t quite do the trick, and while she appreciates the surprise party that She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, Hazmat, and Jessica Jones throw when she returns home, there’s still a lot on her mind. So, when Spider-Woman sends her into a magical void to face her own fears, she’s shocked to find The Scarlet Witch waiting for her, with a message: Captain Marvel is afraid to become another Avenger gone wrong.

ALWAYS GO OUT WITH A BANG

This issue covers a lot of ground with a lot of Marvel’s characters, touching base with a wide range of characters throughout the firmament as Captain Marvel tries to deal with her grief AND her guilt. She has a productive conversation with Tony Stark, a sweet one with her significant other, War Machine, and the best one of all with The Scarlet Witch. There are a lot of important discussions in the pages of Captain Marvel #50, but the pacing is well-handled, and it all feels both motivated and necessary. Carol even has a bit of closure with Rogue, something that seemed impossible even a few issues ago. It’s a fitting end to Kelly Thompson’s extended run with Cap, and the art team pulls out the stops to keep everything visually interesting and fresh. Carol and Wanda’s talk takes place in a mystical void that provides only what you give it, so the changing backgrounds and focus on The Star tarot card are clever and storyline appropriate.

BOTTOM LINE: IT’S A GOOD READ

It’s easy to be tempted to write off the ending of an arc as just “putting the toys back in the box,” but Captain Marvel #50 gives Colonel Danvers time to work out her fears, deal with her family and friends, and also come to terms with her doubts as a hero, refusing to simply negate anything for the sake of continuity, and does it with good-looking art that earns 4 out of 5 stars overall. I’m not 100% clear on whether the next issue of Captain Marvel will be a new number one or a continuation, but Carol’s in a good place to take on any challenges to come.

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