The Good
This book absolutely exudes fun and a sense of whimsy and delight. This doesn’t mean it has no drama or shouldn’t be taken seriously, but there’s a spirit of playfulness under most of the issue, which actually makes the few parts that aren’t wondrous play all the more serious. Kelly Sue DeConnick has a real knack for merging action with drama and levity. The book opens with some absolutely amazing scenes of Captain Marvel making this personal as she fights to defend her ship in the vacuum of space, but we also have some incredible comedic moments when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive on the scene. To say that Rocket doesn’t get along with all the denizens of the ship would be an understatement, and the book becomes an amazing space-sitcom when the Guardians come aboard, and I mean that in the best way possible. This is most definitely Spaced or Community-style sitcoms: driven by great character moments and dialog rather than the actual situation, and that is most certainly what we get. The issue may be light on plot, but it moves forward just enough to keep things intriguing and the cast is an absolute delight.
We also get incredible linework from David Lopez, giving us a great view of the vastness of space as well as the incredible power that Carol wields. We also get some amazingly intense, animated scenes revolving around a cat in danger, which, if you’re a fan of previous Captain Marvel stories, are actually pretty intense and high-stakes. But we also get some oddly appropriate and realistic imagery of Rocket and Chewie that involves some absolutely incredible comedic moments. Rocket’s been played for some pretty great laughs since his reintroduction, but this book does it better than most. Lee Loughridge’s colors are stunning and gorgeous from cover-to-cover. This issue looks incredible and so incredibly detailed, right down to Rocket and Chewie’s fur.
The Bad
This has a very unsettling cover. It’s by interior artist David Lopez, and I adore both the interiors and the previous cover but this one weirds me out whenever I see it and I can’t place exactly why. The appearance of the Guardians is a LITTLE convenient and contrived, and while the entire plot doesn’t hinge on it, it is definitely driven forward BY it.
The Verdict
This is a pure fun book through-and-through, and after what the Guardians just went through, they can use one of those. Let’s not forget that, for all the high, sci-fi drama, this is the team that involves an extradimensional angel, a space-ent and a sentient, genetically engineered raccoon. There’s a fundamental absurdity to a lot of these characters that this book isn’t afraid to lean into and the results are some absolutely incredible comedy. But even amidst all that, there’s enough drama to keep the pages turning and the plot moving.