Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes - Posts Tagged "carol-danvers"

Avengers: The Enemy Within by Kelly Sue DeConnick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book wraps up the latest Captain Marvel series nicely with a crossover Avengers Assemble collecting the Enemy Within one shot comic, Avengers Assemble #16 and #17, and Captain Marvel #13, #14, and #17. All but the last issue are part of the crossover event, so I'll address the true Enemy Within story first.

As the book begins, Carol Danvers can't fly anymore without aggravating a condition that could destroy her mind. However, her problems go far beyond that as the enemy who caused this begins to come after her. The thing is, when you take on one Avenger, you take on them all.

It's a solid crossover story. At five issues long, it's not overstuffed with too much going on. It's packed with action from start to finish. The story works because here Carol is clearly the lead and all the other characters including heavy hitters like Captain America and Thor play supporting roles well. There's plenty of suspense and a powerful conclusion that shows Carol's heart, grit, and determination while also bringing the story of Carol's illness because in the previous volume of Captain Marvel to a satisfying conclusion.

Issue 17 is where the book falters. It was the last issue of this volume of Captain Marvel. Leaving aside the annoyance of Marvel relauching yet another title without even changing writers, this issue was yet another Captain Marvel story where the book brimmed with its own self-importance. Worse yet, it used a one dimensional cartoonish libertarian "objectivist" as a villain to launch an attack to reign on Captain Marvel's parade. Even though I'm not an objectivist, the story came off as straw man polemics. In world, after everything Carol Danvers went through in the first five issues in this book, it was like, "Oh please, give me a break."

However, even Issue 17 wasn't without its redemptive moments as the relationship between Carol and the little girl Kit saved the issue from its own self importance and politicization.

Overall, this was an enjoyable Captain Marvel book with a great crossover story which more than makes up for a lackluster Issue 17.



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Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After the last two books have dwelt on Carol losing her ability to fly (without extreme pain or mental damage), this book goes into a bold new direction. It starts with the cover for Issue 1 that screams that Carol Danvers is ready to go into action and the title of this collection defines its theme well.

If there are rough spots in this book, it's in Issue 1 where the book begins with a cut-scene from events that we won't actually get back to until Issue 5. (I only had to flip through 80 pages, people who read the comic had to wait four months). I was also a little bothered by the conversation with the pilot/boyfriend.

The only other problem is that part of the motivation for her not being sure where she belongs and to take this journey into space is that her mind was affected in the last story leaving her with some uncertainty. Given that, she seems to remember a lot of obscure continuity stuff.

At any rate, Carol is deployed to space by the Avengers to return a child to a planet where she escaped in a pod with hope of getting in touch with Spider-woman but having to settle for Captain Marvel. Along the way, we get a nice two issue cameo with Guardians of the Galaxy and then Carol gets to an alien plant that Emperor J'son is demanding to evacuate. She and a ragtag team from the planet investigate and find something sinister going on.

Even after ordered to leave, Carol refuses to let the Emperor force the Colonist of Tofra and delivers a stirring action speech at the end of Issue 5, "They are a peaceful people, but I am a woman of war. If you move against them, you move against me. I'm willing to die here today for this cause. I've made my choice, now you make yours." It was an awesome moment, given that she was speaking to a full page of battleships.

Marvel has been rediscovering the joys of space adventures. While the Silver Surfer feels much like Doctor Who, this Captain Marvel adventure feels like something out of Star Trek. She's far from home and the only representative of the Avengers in outer space. She has to make her own decisions and hope that anyone who needs to approve does. It's like Captain Kirk without a crew and a lot less regulation.

Overall, this was a great book and a nice new direction for Carol Danvers.



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Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Stay Fly by Kelly Sue DeConnick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book collect five issues of Captain Marvel (issues 7-11) with Issue 10 being a double issue.

I thought after the first issue that while Silver Surfer was going for a Doctor Who Feel, Captain Marvel was very much a Star Trek-like book with Carol Danvers representing the Avengers far from home base just as Kirk did the Federation. That seems confirmed by the cover art which in many ways seemed to be an homage to the scene where tribles fell on Kirk's head in, "The Trouble with Tribles."

In Issue 7, it's confirmed that yes, Rocket was right and Carol's Cat's not really a cat but an alien creature that's very pregnant. This two issue story is played as a comedy but it just doesn't work for me. Again, the Star Trek analogy holds because oftentimes, Star Trek comedies aren't that funny either.

In Issue 9, she and her travelling companion Tic land with Lila Chaney on a planet where Lila got engaged to the price at a young age. Everyone speaks in rhyme and he story is amusing.

Issue 10 is puzzling. It's a double issue with a cover that's done in true retro silver age Marvel style heralding Danvers "100th Solo Adventure." It's an odd thing to celebrate since it includes the 10 issue in this Captain Marvel series, a prior Captain Marvel Series, a Miss Marvel series that preceded it, and a Miss Marvel series from the 1970s.(Perhaps there were a few more.) IThe Double issue ends up being focused on how her supporting cast on Earth (from Issue 1) deal with an enemy. This is a good story, but she's really a supporting character and doesn't do much at all. Which is kind of an odd way to celebrate a character's "100th Solo Adventure."

Then in Issue 11 she returns for Christmas and there is some genuinely touching stuff here.

Overall, this isn't a horrible book, but it does feel like it lost focus. The stories didn't serve Carol Danvers well. She's not best served by comedic storylines. She's a courageous warrior who likes to show determination and grit and hits things. I'll always remember her line, "I've got to go and punch a dinosaur." And the more the series gives her the ability to do things like that and the less it has her dealing with an overly pregnant alien cat, the better off we'll all be.



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Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis by Kelly Sue DeConnick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This trade is one that doesn’t look feel like an actual story as it collects only four issues.

Issues 12 and 13 are an okay two parter involving Carol’s cat (who has been revealed to be a powerful alien.) Following that, Issue 14 is actually a tie-in to a much-larger comic event that as a standalone really doesn’t offer much. It’s part 11 in a much larger story. Issue 15 sees Carol saying goodbye to an old friend who has actually been dying since the start of the previous series. She doesn’t get to say goodbye to her as her deep space adventures kept her away from Earth. It’s a touching story and probably the highlight of the book.

Still, the book itself is weak. Comic book companies shouldn’t include tie-ins to events in trades not related to the event because it really left me feeling lost. Probably the weakest Captain Marvel since the first volume of the previous series.



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Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps by Kelly Sue DeConnick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Kelly DeConnick's run on Captain Marvel ends on a whimper. The book has some decent action and is certainly a brisk read. The idea of Carol Danvers leading an all-female crew of pilots is interesting but the realization is off. With so many characters in the Carol Corps, it's hard to really get a feel for any of them.

Ultimately, the action bits as well as battling the army of flying Thors are the highlight of the book. The book also throws in Issue 17 of Captain Marvel's 2012 run. The issue is still good, but the idea of a libertarian villain just hasn't aged particularly well. Still, it's a sweet story.

Overall, the book is okay but not really a must-read.



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Essential Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by Gerry Conway

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects the entire Miss Marvel series from the 1970s (1-23) along with two previously unpublished stories that were released with Marvel Superheroes Magazine #10 and #11 in the 1990s, and Avenger Annual #10. While Carol Danvers had been introduced in 1968, this book really marks her heroic beginnings as Miss Marvel.

Throughout the book, Miss Marvel is a battler, having the knowledge of a Kree Warrior. The character was introduced when seventeen page issues had become the norm and this leads to some tight and exciting battles. My favorite stories in here are found towards the back of the book. Issues 17 and 18 have her dealing with a murderous plot involing SHIELD and the Avengers. Issue 19 sees Ronan the Accuser trying to take her and Captain Marvel back to the Kree homeworld in a good team up. In Issue 20, she gets a new (much better) costume and begins a two part story involving sentient lizards in the desert. The story in Marvel Superheroes #11 shows how she began investigating the death of a friend and ultimately ran into the then villainous Rogue and Mystique and lost her powers and memories to them. Avengers Annual #10 is a great story about the Avengers having to fight Rogue, but Miss Marvel's main role in this is as the inciting character and to chew the Avengers out over something they did in an issue not collected in this book.

The biggest challenge with this book is the character of Miss Marvel and Carol Danvers. Probably the main point of sympathy is her relationship with her dad, class A chauvinist who won't accept that she can do anything and when she was younger refused to pay for her college because he was spending all the college savings on her brother. Beyond that, the writers tried to give her some feelings of duality for the first dozen issues. But beyond that, she comes close to becoming an example of the "Strong, Independent Woman" archetype that replaced the damsel in distress...and is just about as interesting. In the first issue, she's hired on to edit a magazine for J. Jonah Jameson, says in the interview that she'll ignore the his vision of the magazine and edit the thing her way. She bulldozes him so that Jameson gives her the pay rate she demands to run the magazine the opposite of how he actually wants it run. Again, this is J. Jonah Jameson.

To be clear, the stories are all good fun, if you're looking for some fine comic action. The writing is by Gerry Conway (for the first three issues) and then by Chris Claremon, two comic book legends. The art is all competently done. This book will give you some fun action. If you're looking for a deeper and more well-rounded female character, however, you'd do better to check out Spider-woman and She-hulk books that came out a few years later.



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Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: Best of the Best by Brian Reed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects the first five issues of Brian Reeds run on Ms. Marvel.

The first story opens with Carol Danvers trying to right her life. When she fights Stilt Man and he has no clue who she is. It confirms for her that she's wasted a lot of her life and talent what with her alcoholism as well as general goofing off. She says, "I can do more, I know I can. I can be the person other people strive to be...I can be the best." That's a solid goal. Though her move of hiring a publicist is an iffy way to do that.

However, by the end of Issue into Issue 3, she's facing off against the Brood and another alien creature known as the Cru and she's the only one who can save the Planet. We get a well-paced action story that shows what Carol can be and feeds into her character arc.

Issues 4 and 5, we get a story with a sorcerer coming after Carol while she's trying to do an interview with a Superhero news magazine show. This is a follow up to House of M guest starring Doctor Strange. This isn't a bad story, it's okay, but Doctor Strange is the real star as he tends to be in any story featuring a non-magical character dealing with magic.

Overall, the book is pretty good. The book sets up Carol Danvers' character arc and has a nice three-issue story but gets bogged down by Marvel's mandated never-ending crossovers and that may be the first time that happens in this series, but it'll be far from the last.



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Ms. Marvel, Volume 5: Secret Invasion by Brian Reed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ms. Marvel is a natural match for this event with her Kree powers.

In the first half of the book, there's a Skrull replacement for Miss Marvel running around and her own team is set to bring her in. I think this is very well-handled. There's also a really cool bit in the first issue where we get to see Carol Danvers' first meeting with the Skrull done in vintage 1960s style. Things don't go well and she ends the first half of the book in a pathetic state.

But then we get into the proper tie-in to Secret Invasion and Ms. Marvel returns to deal with the Skrull invasion of Manhattan. Not only does the story have a very good bit of action, it also shows Miss Marvel at her best and she's at her best when she's hitting things and being able to be a warrior. This book works because it allows her to shine while also setting up some mystery for the next volume.



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Ms. Marvel, Volume 6: Ascension by Brian Reed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is a bit of a hodgepodge.

It starts out with Ms. Marvel Annual #1, which is a team-up between Spider-man and Ms. Marvel after Ms. Marvel attempts to capture Spidey for being unregistered fail and a group of roots attack the city. The story is fun, although Spider-man steals the show, but also has a few remarks that are a bit sophomoric.

Ms. Marvel/The Storyteller Special #1 finds Ms. Marvel flying to warn the Storyteller, a boy with the power to bend reality to his imagination, that AIM has found him, but finds herself being drawn in to his fantasy. This story is part fun but also a bit bittersweet.

Issue #31 has Carol visiting her dying father, and we get a look at her messed up family relations and how Rogue stealing her memories has affected that.

Issues #32-34 focus on Carol's past and we get a story of how she was shot down, captured, and tortured in #32 in far too much detail. We also see her with ridiculous strength as a pre-Super Powers Carol Danvers and how she rebuilds herself and joins military intelligence.

All of this is leading up to Issue 34 where she plans to steal something from the CIA but doesn't use her powers. Spider-man shows up in the mix and we have to wait until later volumes for resolution.

Overall, despite the unresolved nature of the book and the torture stuff in Issue #32, this was a solid volume, and it left me wanting to pick up the next book.



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Ms. Marvel, Volume 7: Dark Reign by Brian Reed

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects three stories. First, is the three issue "Death of Ms. Marvel" storyline which answers a lot of questions from Volume 6 such as why Carol wasn't using her powers because after her encounter with the Cru they are spiking. At the same time, we learn about Carol's investigation. It's a good conclusion to the previous arc.

Then there's, "Meet the New Boss" where with Carol assumed dead after the previous arc, Karla Sofen (anti-hero/Thunderbolt Moonstone) has been chosen to be the new Ms. Marvel as one of Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers, but first she has to meet with the official psychiatrist, who has an agenda of his own. This is a good introduction for Sofen. It doesn't cause you to like her or sympathize with her, but it does show what she's about and serves as a good introduction for the character.

Finally, we have the last three issues which are very fast-paced. The Dark Avengers are trying to secure Modokesque clones of the Storyteller, however AIM wants them back and hires Deadpool to help, while it's Karla's job to protect them. Meanwhile, colored female light-shaped entities are searching for Ms. Marvel and they don't mean Karla, and the New Avengers are drawn into the case leading to a stunning reveal to end the book and set the pace for Volume 8. Overall, best book in the series so far and sets the stage for the next book.



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