The second 'Captain Marvel' comic I've read, published before the previous one, and by the same writer.
First off, 'In Pursuit of Flight' is better than 'Higher, Further, Faster, More' in terms of introducing me to the main character and her history. Carol Danvers' backstory - her family, and how she got her powers and first became Ms. Marvel - is told in a neat way that's important to the overarching story.
We see the Captain interact with familiar Marvel superheroes at the beginning, where she is reluctant to take the name and mantle of Captain Marvel, after her own hero Mar-Vell. The plot is fresh, unique and tightly-woven. It works as its own separate story from other Marvel comics.
Time travel is a very difficult subject to write about, and too often it is used poorly and thrown in as a lazy, ill-thought-out plot device. Time travel is a breeding ground for plot holes and pretentious writing, which is why I tend to avoid stories that use it. But 'In Pursuit of Flight' uses it to great effect and the potential for more isn't squandered.
There are a lot of panels featuring jets, planes and ships - all flight in the sky, and the presence of women in the forefront of these magnificent adventures may inspire girls reading 'In Pursuit' to become pilots themselves, and fight the patriarchy.
The girls of the WWII Women's Air Service, the Banshee Squad, are awesome.
Also, I love Captain Marvel's hairstyle here.
A few downsides that make me rate 'Higher' over 'In Pursuit', however, are:
Carol herself. 'In Pursuit' is where she is not as fun or lively, but more angsty and unsure of herself. While there are moments that show off her competitiveness, determination, witty charm and giving encouraging speeches - especially when she's with the Banshee Squad – Carol still doesn't seem as confident. Odd seeing as she's an Avenger with decades of experience under her belt. Though since this comic was written before 'Higher', I suppose she is only getting started on working out her identity - from Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel. She’s developing and gaining strength in her own abilities.
I don't like the artwork at all. Maybe it's because I'm still fairly new to American comic books and so I haven't gotten used to there being different art styles in one volume, but the art in 'In Pursuit' looks too dark, murky and serious. The change in artists halfway through is so glaringly obvious I was taken aback. I suppose human beings are hard to draw for even professionals - the second style is too simple, samey and like a cartoon strip found in newspapers (seeing as the past timeline is set in the 1940s to the 60s, maybe this is intentional? I don't know). I miss the colourful and vibrant 'Higher', which seems more fitting for Captain Marvel.
There is a strong girl power message in this volume. Men, past and present, are portrayed as basically douches who don't want women to fly planes and join air force training programs, no matter how good they are. It is a little forced, but it is expected. The women in 'In Pursuit' help and support each other; they are friends and sisters in a cast mostly made up of badass ladies. And like I said it is an aspiration tale that might get more girls to want to be pilots.
Flaws aside, I enjoyed 'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: In Pursuit of Flight' greatly. The ending is also a little better than in 'Higher, Further, Faster, More' and made me teary-eyed enough to consider giving it five stars. It is a good story about a hero's journey towards self-discovery, guidance from history and the present, and how the past affects one's destiny.
Captain Marvel is still cool. An inspiration. A three-dimensional human being just finding her footing on the ground in an adventure set high in the sky and across time.
For we all have a purpose, a need to reach out and be the stars we were always meant to be.
Make this the plot of the 'Captain Marvel' movie now!
Final Score: 4/5
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