The Good
We're at the midpoint of the ENEMY WITHIN event this month, and things are heating up -- Yon-Rogg/Magnitron is wreaking global havoc with a bunch of Kree Sentries, and Carol and pals are still trying to connect the dots to figure out who they're facing, all while trying to mitigate the threat at hand. That's exhausting for a hero without a power-draining lesion.
But Carol is brilliantly determined -- deadly brain lesion or not, she's going to do whatever she can to save the world. It's an admirable sort of stubbornness, and Kelly Sue DeConnick has built this in as an indelible part of her character. Carol is consistent to the core, and even agrees to give up her apartment (cue the New Yorkers fainting) just to move things forward in her investigation and find her mysterious enemy's identity.
DeConnick just gets this character. She gets all of the characters that show up in this series, and even the cameos feel fully realized. The dialogue is always on point; everything moves the story forward, it feels conversational rather than writerly, and it's filled with little gems like Bruce Banner's "I don't actually get invited into people's homes very often."
Speaking of that supporting cast -- it's been one of the strongest aspects of CAPTAIN MARVEL since the beginning, and it's part of the reason the series is so pleasant to read. Carol gets by with a little help from her friends, and stays mostly down-to-earth because of them (well, except for that dangerous flying she's doing so much of). Every one of Carol's pals has a distinct personality, from persnickety old lady to savvy detective, and everyone has something to contribute to the story. Avengers drop in to help -- because they're Avengers, of course -- but also share some genuine exchanges with Carol & co. It's a great ensemble, but the story is still distinctly Carol-centric, and I think that's a perfect balance for a solo book.
Jordie Bellaire is a wizard on colors. Anything she touches looks incredible. I'm especially a fan of how she handles flashback sequences (she's been rocking these in several books lately) -- the palette choices are fantastic.
The Bad
I adore this book, but the pencilling has felt inconsistent for several months, and continues to do so with another artist switch since the last issue. Scott Hepburn returns to this event, picking up from THE ENEMY WITHIN #1, and a peek at the solicits for CAPTAIN MARVEL #14 reveals that he's back again -- hopefully he'll stick around for a while so the book can have some visual continuity.
The Verdict
Sign me up for the Carol Corps. CAPTAIN MARVEL, in the hands of Kelly Sue DeConnick, has become one of my favorite Marvel titles, and Carol Danvers has become one of my favorite Marvel ladies. I'd be concerned about the lesion on her brain, but she's just so strong and confidently determined that I'm not even worried -- I just want to see the amazing face-off she has with Magnitron before she eventually takes care of what's going on inside her head.