Review: CAPTAIN MARVEL #2

CAPTAIN MARVEL #2
Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Art by David Lopez
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: April 9, 2014

CAPMARV2014002_DC11jpg_Page1Many Captain Marvel  readers have wondered exactly why Marvel relaunched the title so soon after its Marvel NOW! debut. This issue makes me think the relaunch was appropriate. The story is a new phase in Carol Danvers’ life, a new step in her journey. The tone and focus have shifted up and out. This isn’t to say Kelly Sue DeConnick’s humor and depth aren’t present; just that this is a different book. The art is more traditional and the story is a deliriously fun romp through outer space, so if that’s your thing (looking at YOU, Green Lantern fandom), you should really give this a whirl.

Our eponymous Captain had a rough time on Earth recently and has taken to the stars to get some perspective and also because if you have the ability to fly around in space you should use it.  Carol’s companions include her cat, Chewie, because why the hell not, and her AI, Harrison. She joins up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, gets targeted by some space baddies and also has to get a scared refugee to a safe haven that is apparently less than safe. Laser guns, explosions, Groot – these are a few of my favorite things.As a huge fan of Brian Bendis’ current run on GOTG, I do hope that there’s some more focus on Gamorra and Peter interacting with Carol and maybe a little less of the Rocket & Groot Show. I love Rocket and Groot – they’re my favorite part of the Guardians book – but I think there’s more rich territory to be covered between Carol and Gamorra in particular. Strong female friendships are something DeConnick excels at writing, and Carol must be missing her best friend Jessica Drew, is all I’m saying.

The interiors of the book are gorgeous. Carol looks great, so do the space ships and the bad guys. In some panels Rocket looks a little too much like the cat, but everything is bright and clean and big and weird, just like a superhero space book should be. David Lopez does a great job giving Carol the grit and sass she’s so well loved for. I do have a complaint about the cover though. Lopez drew that as well, and the face is….a little scary? Something about the eyes makes her look like an evil baby. That could just be me? I love the pose, the big smile on her face, and again I think Lopez did just a wonderful job inside the book. It’s definitely a huge departure from Andrade’s work in the last volume, which I personally adored but some criticized as too abstract for a superhero book. I think it’s a testament to the versatility of Captain Marvel that she works under so many different pens.

I’ve been excited by the prospect of a Captain Marvel/Guardians of the Galaxy crossover since I first heard it mentioned, mostly because Carol is so well suited to this kind of adventure. On Earth, she’s an Avenger, established paragons of Earth-defending. The Guardians are heroes too, but unlike the Avengers, they’re a bunch of misfits. There are no gods, no insanely rich geniuses with conveniently available resources, and no infinite roster of teammates. I look forward to seeing what Carol learns about herself in a setting where people don’t know her and she doesn’t have her established support network to help her. Carol will have to grow and evolve to operate under such conditions; certainly DeConnick has some thrills and twists up her sleeves for She of the Sparklefists.

The Verdict: 9.0/10

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