Captain Marvel #1 Review

The cover is pretty cool, too.

Following the death of Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers has shed the name Ms. Marvel to take on her namesake's mantle and a less overtly sexy outfit. Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, and drawn by Dexter Soy, this seems to be a part of a significant push to make Carol Danvers an A-list female character, which Marvel sorely lacks currently.

Despite opening with a fight in which Carol and Captain America take down the Absorbing Man, the issue is primarily focused on Carol's reluctance to take on Mar-Vell's mantle. After a conversation about it with Captain America, and a somewhat flirty sparring match with Spider-Man, Carol goes to visit a sick friend and recalls the first time she met on of her idols: Helen Cobb, a pioneer in female aviation. As the title to this comic should make clear, Carol eventually decides to stop being a Ms. and become a Captain after spending some time high (in terms of elevation) in the atmosphere.

This first issue is short on action, but long on character development and world-building, which is arguably more important at the beginning of a new ongoing series. Kelly Sue DeConnick has a good grasp on the character of Carol Danvers and what makes her tick, especially the disappointment she has at not being able to truly live up to her potential as a pilot, due to her lack of any actual need for a plane. The moments between the Captains America and Marvel are well written, if a bit by-the-numbers for inspirational pep-talks. I liked the continuation of the friendship/flirtation between Carol and Peter Parker (who is drawn to look a lot like Andrew Garfield), though I worry about the prospect of him potentially overshadowing her in her own book.

The art by Dexter Soy is interesting, and certainly well-drawn, though I am not yet sold on it for this book. The dark hues are intriguing, but every image seems like it needs to be a little bit lighter. Carol certainly has her demons, but she isn't like dark like Daredevil or the Punisher, there needs to be a certain vibrancy in her world. Soy has a good grasp of the human anatomy, though his faces seem a little bit off, though it is nothing I can pinpoint and is hardly noticeable. I also liked the frantic feel his action sequences had, though there really wasn't much action in this first issue.

Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick has a decent first issue, though I am wary of the art not really fitting the material on hand, and should do well if it stays interesting (which it should). I am a fan of the character (and glad she got a less ridiculously revealing outfit) and certainly look forward to what comes next, though hopefully there will be some more action next time.

7/10

Avenging Spider-Man #14 Review

Avenging Spider-Man is essentially, a re-titled new volume of Marvel Team-Up, so it is nice to finally see a good, old-fashioned team-up between superheroes in the mighty marvel manner, and by that I mean, it starts with them trying to beat each other senseless. Written by current Venom scribe, Cullen Bunn, and drawn by artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, this issue is the start of two-part story teaming Spider-Man with Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy in the Savage Land.

Spider-Man is fighting dinosaurs in the Savage Land while on work trip for Horizon Labs (just another day at the office), when he is attacked by a group of mutated fire-breathing pterodactyls trying to harvest his genetic material. He then runs into Devil Dinosaur (a red Tyrannosaurus Rex) and Moon Boy (an intelligent, ape-like humanoid) who, despite earlier friendly meetings, see him as an enemy and proceed to attack him. After realizing they are on the same side, Spider-Man attempts, and fails, to communicate with the prehistoric duo due to Moon Boy only speaking lizard, and Spider-Man's drawings in the dirt being indecipherable. They then proceed to attack those mutating the dinosaurs (and those who have kidnapped Peter's Horizon Labs coworkers) with all the subtlety a T. Rex and two friends can muster.

The story is simple, but the dialogue is sharp and Spider-Man's jokes are genuinely funny, so there is nothing really to complain about. Certain scenes, like those of Peter Parker being the only one of his think-tank coworkers not in awe of the Savage Land (he's been there at least a few times by now) are quite funny. It is interesting seeing Cullen Bunn take on lighter fair than that found in his current Venom run, but he handles it well and produces a genuinely fun comic. 

The art is, in a word, beautiful. Gabriele Dell'Otto might just be my favorite artist in comics, and he reaffirms the reasoning behind my admiration here. Everything visual in this comic, from the Savage Land setting to Spider-Man and Devil Dinosaur, works superbly. I would have bought this comic even if there was only the art, and no writing, assuming it was Gabriel Dell'Otto drawing it.

This issue is just a fun romp in the jungle, with some good humor and some truly amazing art, if you like the character of Spider-Man (or Devil Dinosaur or Moon-Boy) it is well worth picking up, though expecting anything substantial will certainly leave you disappointed. 

8/10