Finally Carol's got the demotion....does she deserve it?
I had huge expectations for this title, and equally huge concerns. Could the writing/plot/art ever hope to match my sky-high hopes of this title being, in a word, awesome? Could this demotion (as it points out in the issue - Carol is, technically, a Colonel) and subsequent undertaking of the legacy of the name "Captain Marvel" be the next logical step for the character?
The answer is yes for both. As you can tell from my rating; I thought this first issue was simply fantastic.
For a first issue, this covered all the bases:
Fight scene..with a recognizable face that any new/old reader would know. Check. Appearance of another famous character (who ties into character's past). Check. Profound pondering on character's history/future/purpose. Check. e.t.c. e.t.c.
Kelly Sue DeConnick does a fantastic job of introducing/re-introducing us to a character who has been around for ages, and has a history to match. New readers can easily get emotionally invested into Carol's life, especially with the inclusion of Helen Cobb - a friend (and mentor) who was Carol's hero and inspiration to become a pilot. Here we see Carol evolve and develop into a (slightly) different character than before. In many ways she's growing up. Moving on. Taking the mantle of "Captain Marvel" is a huge step in the right direction. Yes, the issue gets very deep and pondering-y but again, it feels "right" for the character. The whole "never been able to test herself" thing was a very cool inclusion to her monologue. She's never been allowed to push herself to be the best she can be (a running theme in Ms Marvel's 2006 run). The continuation of that was nice to see here.
Dexter Soy's art is certainly a huge contrast to the cover. Dark, water-colored, deep. This is just my opinion, but I love it. Others have expressed doubts over whether his style suits the book....and I think it does. It's unique. And that can only help "Captain Marvel" at this point. And another thing: the last page gives me goosebumps. The costume is growing on me. Not so much the faux-hawk that graces the cover, but that can always change.
I actually cannot think of a single bad point about this issue. (Apart from the before mentioned faux-hawk....) I'm coming up blank.
It's nice to see a female lead comic being released by Marvel, the last one being X-23's one which ended early this year. Hopefully this will continue for many, many issues.
Oh, and for the record, the Absorbing Man is an idiot. Moon Powers *rolls eyes*.
