Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After the last two books have dwelt on Carol losing her ability to fly (without extreme pain or mental damage), this book goes into a bold new direction. It starts with the cover for Issue 1 that screams that Carol Danvers is ready to go into action and the title of this collection defines its theme well.

If there are rough spots in this book, it's in Issue 1 where the book begins with a cut-scene from events that we won't actually get back to until Issue 5. (I only had to flip through 80 pages, people who read the comic had to wait four months). I was also a little bothered by the conversation with the pilot/boyfriend.

The only other problem is that part of the motivation for her not being sure where she belongs and to take this journey into space is that her mind was affected in the last story leaving her with some uncertainty. Given that, she seems to remember a lot of obscure continuity stuff.

At any rate, Carol is deployed to space by the Avengers to return a child to a planet where she escaped in a pod with hope of getting in touch with Spider-woman but having to settle for Captain Marvel. Along the way, we get a nice two issue cameo with Guardians of the Galaxy and then Carol gets to an alien plant that Emperor J'son is demanding to evacuate. She and a ragtag team from the planet investigate and find something sinister going on.

Even after ordered to leave, Carol refuses to let the Emperor force the Colonist of Tofra and delivers a stirring action speech at the end of Issue 5, "They are a peaceful people, but I am a woman of war. If you move against them, you move against me. I'm willing to die here today for this cause. I've made my choice, now you make yours." It was an awesome moment, given that she was speaking to a full page of battleships.

Marvel has been rediscovering the joys of space adventures. While the Silver Surfer feels much like Doctor Who, this Captain Marvel adventure feels like something out of Star Trek. She's far from home and the only representative of the Avengers in outer space. She has to make her own decisions and hope that anyone who needs to approve does. It's like Captain Kirk without a crew and a lot less regulation.

Overall, this was a great book and a nice new direction for Carol Danvers.



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