Ever since the tragically awful Civil War II, Marvel has had a major Captain Marvel problem. This event ruined Carol Danvers and no creator has been able to reel her back in since. The Life Of Captain Marvel goes back to Carol’s origin, trying to get our beloved Captain Danvers back on track.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
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Writer Margaret Stohl is back again, she wrote the preceding Marvel Legacy Captain Marvel series. This time we take a different route, diving into Carol’s childhood and family issues. Now that Danvers is a member of the current Avengers team, she seems to staying put on Earth.
Captain Marvel starts having an aggressive panic attack of sorts, stemming from memories of her abusive father she can’t shake. She goes back home to New England in an attempt to tackle these demons and apparently take a break from her superhero duties.
Carol should be Marvel’s female Superman and I don’t think this is the time for this story if that’s the goal.
She takes herself off the shelf for nine months to take care of her brother. During her stay, she uncovers a mystery possibly linking her father to her superpower origin. This story doesn’t exactly inject a bright energy into the character, but it’s definitely more interesting than Carol being an inexcusable asshole (Civil War II).
Margaret Stohl writes a good Carol, she has been steadily re-configuring the character’s priorities and attitude for the better. That being said, this story doesn’t make a great case for being crucial reading for anyone outside of die-hard Captain Marvel fans. It’s not that it’s a bad script, there’s just nothing to really grab the reader.
We’re still desperately waiting for our bright and brave Captain Marvel to have another straight-up superhero comic book. Her space adventures with Alpha Flight were also great but that situation went through too many creative changes and got lost along the way–which is a real shame.
The Life Of Captain Marvel #1 features artists Carlos Pacheco and Marguerite Sauvage, inker Rafael Fonteriz, and colorist Marcio Menyz. The hand-off between our two pencillers, switching between childhood flashbacks and today, is smooth and effective. Their styles aren’t drastically different so the transitions rely more on the color and ink.
Oddly enough, both artists have a few questionable panels. Some of the closeups on Carol and the other characters look wonky and inconsistent.
This introductory issue isn’t very loud or exciting, but it’s potentially an interesting retcon for longtime Captain Marvel fans. Marvel is still struggling to make Carol a pillar of their forefront again, which starts getting real interesting the closer we get to the Captain Marvel film.
If you’re looking for a big, stunning course correction for Carol, this may not be it. Instead, you’ll find a quieter mystery about Carol’s dark upbringing that could end up being a surprise hit.
This issue wasn’t great, just fine. That’s the problem, Carol should be Marvel’s female Superman and I don’t think this is the time for this story if that’s the goal. Captain Marvel has all the potential and characteristics needed to lead the way, just not the opportunity. It’s taking so long to dig her out of this hole, with so many failed relaunches along the way.
It shouldn’t have to come to this but perhaps it’ll take Brie Larson’s portrayal on screen to finally give Carol the glowing attention she deserves.
