The Triumphant Return Of Carol Danvers In Captain Marvel #1
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Captain Marvel is back from space (aka Maine) and fighting monsters in New York City with her best friend, Spider Woman. A large kraken beast has loosed itself upon the streets of NYC, and these two heroes are going to send it back to the ocean. Afterwards, Iron Man arrives to tell Carol that she needs to be interviewed to help with the Avengers’ public relations…and help a young hero named Hazmat to be less aggressive. Carol reluctantly agrees to both, and she runs into an old flame: James Rhodes, formerly known as the Avenger, War Machine, and recently dead.
Captain Marvel #1 at last brings back an ongoing Carol Danvers-starring series set in the aftermath of Life of Captain Marvel and the myriad recent crises in the Marvel Universe.
What stands out the most in Captain Marvel #1 is the dialogue; it’s absolutely delightful. Kelly Thompson nails it with her script. Banter, one-liners, and genuine heart-to-heart conversations run throughout this book, and almost every line works. It is reminiscent of the Avengers comics at the height of the Brian Michael Bendis era.
It very much reads like a day-in-the-life comic as it wanders through Carol’s day and setting up something of a status quo for Captain Marvel’s life now.
That said, the status quo seems to get completely upended in the finale.
Carmen Carnero’s artwork is outright fantastic as well. The detailing and use of shading is to die for, and the costumes of Carol and Jessica have scarcely looked better. Emotion, both subtle and overt, are represented well visually too. Tamra Bonvillain’s color palette is vibrant and well-balanced too. This is a great-looking comic.
Captain Marvel #1 gives Carol the grand return she deserves. She’s funny, devoted, and kicks so much ass. Thompson, Carnero, and Bonvillain may just be this hero’s new dream team. Needless to say, this one gets a recommendation. Give it a read.
Captain Marvel #1 comes to us from writer Kelly Thompson, artist Carmen Carnero, color artist Tamra Bonvillain, letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles, cover artist Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts, and variant cover artists Alex Ross, Adam Hughes, and Lauren Tsai.
