The Mightiest Of Them All– Reviewing ‘Captain Marvel’ #10

The Undone, a powerful cosmic force, has ripped apart the Marvel family and stands upon the cusp of consuming all. Unfortunately for this force, Captain Marvel never gives up without a fight.

It all comes down to this as Alyssa Wong, Ruarí Coleman, Roberto Poggi, Bryan Valenza, and Ariana Maher complete the short-lived series with Captain Marvel #10.

I am going to preface this with the fact that a quick scan of my reviews of the previous nine issue will show how much I adore this series. The introduction of Yuna Yang and the dynamic of pairing a thief with Carol Danvers through the Nega-Bands is so interesting and different. Throwing in Yuna’s relationship with Lenore (also known as Omen, herald of the Undone) and her great family dynamic, alongside the Marvel family, delivered tons of fun and new avenues to explore.

All that being said, this issue sadly felt a bit rushed.

Not in a way that made things feel bad or took away from the journey. It just sort of feels like Wong really wanted some more issues and had to condense things down to fit this spot. I, of course, have no idea if that is the case, but it has that sort of feeling.

Overall, the resolution of the Undone plot, and the way the heroes bring this force down, feels satisfactory. Puts their powers and thoughts together and shows how dynamic their connection is at this point. Even the means to resurrect everyone as Carol pulled a “Just this once, Rose, everybody lives!” move (Doctor Who nerd-dom moment!).

There just was a very rapid pace to it all that felt like maybe one more issue, or even maybe a larger (double?) sized issue would have given a tiny bit more breathing space. Again, it doesn’t take away overall, but just would have helped a bit.

Visually Coleman and Valenza, with inking assistance this time from Poggi, bring the whole thing home.

With such a wonderful mix of very dynamic weighty massive feeling artwork that carries a rough but also whimsical energy around. Giving the regular world spaces and those within the Undone/Negative Zone each their own unique feeling. Coleman has a great handle on creating authentic light effects, so spaces feel illuminated or darkened appropriately. Everything about the Undone/Negative Zone spaces feels as unnatural, other worldly, and chaotic as one would expect. Poggi’s inks blend well with Coleman’s creating a solid symbiotic situation.

There are some graphic situations, Yuna and Genis-Vell do have holes in their chest, but Coleman presents them in a serious but not overly graphic way. Expressions and placement are on point, and the choices for how to panel allow everything plenty of room to breathe and feel like they are in true movement.

Metting that solid middle ground is the color palette that Valenza has brought time and time again. Letting all the unusual set pieces and characters (including the heroes) dominate the colors that are more vibrant or out of place. Blending them in a way that tones them down to match the overall color scheme tonally, while still standing apart. An accountable sharpness and heaviness are added, playing with the same weight as the pencils and inks, to make sure we always feel the impact of these characters and their world.

Comic books, even when serious, are fun to their core. We see that on display here from the overall story elements to the visual choices that Coleman, Poggi, and Valenza make on every page. When it comes to lettering, fun is a dynamic energy that Maher always can tap into. Delivering all the usual standard affair of dialogue and captions, while juicing it all up every chance she gets. A bit of color here, some big bold SFX there, and just the right energy to really convey any and every emotion that characters are displaying.

Adding the proverbial exclamation point that really completes the fun package.

What a run this has been. On the one hand, it’s a shame to see this story over after just ten issues. Seeing Carol and Yuna (alongside Lenore and the other supporting cast) bouncing off each other for more adventures would be great. Likely this might be the last time we see Yuna for a while (if ever), since new runs tend to change status quos and dynamics like we all change clothes. On the other hand, I’m glad that the team got to tell the story they were here to tell and brought it to a conclusion they, presumably, were quite happy with.

What a ride it’s been. I look forward to where many of these creators go next and seeing what is next or Captain Marvel after the hiatus that book is taking (as noted in the letters page).

Captain Marvel #10 is now available from Marvel Comics.