My first 'Captain Marvel' comic, and at first I was confused. This "Vol. 1" is neither a reboot nor a smooth introduction to Captain Marvel. I didn't know who half the characters were.
But it got much better as I kept reading. The pacing grows steadier, and it becomes an awesome space/interplanetary adventure with a superheroine protagonist. We have Captain Marvel interacting with more new characters than with her older friends who I knew next to nothing about. And I love the artwork - it's colourful and very expressive, just right for drawing various alien species, and it matches the action and humorous scenes perfectly. It’s a cartoon serial with a lot of heart and brains.
Carol Danvers is great. A pilot, a militant, a strategist, and a diplomat for hard-earned justice on other planets. There are many sides to her: kind and caring, stubborn and temperamental, determined, sassy and funny as all hell. Both the artwork and her dialogue compliment her multilayered personality to a T.
Danvers is a 'Star Wars' fan and this adds to the many hilarious moments in the comic. Her talking spaceship is called Harrison, and she even named her (female) cat Chewie. And she takes the cat with her on space missions when no one back home wants to look after it. In that respect she reminds me of another awe-inspired heroine, Ellen Ripley from the 'Alien' movie franchise.
Additionally, I love that Danvers punches the dumb blonde stereotype right in the face. Her bright and welcoming design is cool, no contest. She really is like a female Iron Man, only with alien powers. In fact Tony Stark designed her ship with the talking computer interface, and her space costume with the helmet.
(Seriously, if she's an Avenger why isn't she in any of the Marvel movies yet? Such bull.)
I even like her romantic relationship with Rhodey, aka Iron Patriot. It ends at the end of the first chapter when Carol decides to follow her dream of reaching for the stars and going into space. I was actually quite sad at that, as even though their interaction in this comic is brief, I felt their connection, their history together.
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More' also features the Guardians of the Galaxy; great when the film had recently come out and so everyone now knows who they are. Even though I'm one of the few people on earth who do not like the film, I still enjoyed seeing them here, especially Rocket who is an absolute blast. Literally.
The Guardians’ appearance is a little too brief, even for a cameo. They disappear near the end, making me think they might have been included for fanservice and promotion for their own new series. But this is Captain Marvel's comic - her adventure, her chance to shine and be awesome.
'Higher, Further, Faster, More': from the title alone, you can be certain it ups its game exponentially. It is very political, with rich details of alien worlds and their culture, but it never gets boring and bogs down the action. The scenes in space - reminiscent, again, of 'Star Wars' - are amazing to look at as well. Seeing Carol Danvers adapt to all of these different environments galaxies away from her home is further testament to her strength and resolve as a character; another thing to love about her.
Bright and fun. This Marvel comic was a little perplexing to me at first – other flaws include an abrupt ending, and typical one note bad guys. But it grew on me. Captain Marvel grew on me. Despite an array of strong memorable characters - including a lesbian couple - the leading lady steals the show.
She is one of the most alive heroines I've seen in a long time.
P.S. The cover art segments of Capt. Marvel are fantastic. They make me adore the artwork even more.
Final Score: 4/5
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