Captain Marvel returns in the Marvel Now world, and she looks to be heading up the Space Avengers, or at least the version of the Avengers that will be patrolling in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy. After the Avengers defeated the Builders, multiple worlds declared themselves Avengers Worlds. Now, Stark and the other Avengers are looking to create a space alliance to help keep the Avengers name strong throughout the galaxy. Cue Captain Marvel, a character going through a crisis of identity.
Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) has lost step with who she is and what it means to be a hero. She has the powers and conviction, but something is missing. Along comes Iron Man with an offer, one that will send Danvers into space for a year. Will she take it? How will it effect her current private life? Is this the ticket to answering those nagging questions she continues to have? All of this is presented to Danvers throughout the story; the intro pages let us in on which way she decides to go.
Like G Willow Wilson’s Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel #1 is more about heart and character then super powered battles. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick tells a quiet story, one that is focused on Danvers’ crossroads and the steps she takes to figure out what she needs to do for her life. DeConnick breaks up these reflective moments with action, whether it is an off-world battle with an alien police force, Stark and Danvers stopping two muggers, or Iron Patriot and Captain Marvel rescuing a mysterious pod with an alien inside.
The art from David Lopez is solid, though I don’t know if it works for the series. Lopez’s line work here is thin, without much in the way of background detail. Lopez’s use of shading and blacks gives the visuals a certain narrative heart that goes hand and hand with the storytelling. While it works with this issue, I’m not sure how it will play out once Captain Marvel gets intergalactic. Lopez’s work is great for more interpersonal stories, but might not translate into big action.
(4 Story, 3 Art)
