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Captain Marvel (2012) (Collected Editions)
Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Down
Collects Captain Marvel #7-12. Marvel NOW! Captain Marvel goes head to head with...Captain Marvel? Former Captain Monica Rambeau returns, but what's her problem with Earth's new Mightiest Hero? What threat is lurking below the ocean's surface? And can both Captain Marvels stop it before they get ship wrecked? Then: Carol finally returns home, but is changed. What is weakening Captain Marvel's powers? How will the lifelong high-flyer react when she discovers that she can no longer fly?
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2013
44 people are currently reading
3021 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Sue DeConnick
365 books2,231 followersKelly Sue DeConnick’s work spans stage, comics, film and television. Ms. DeConnick first came to prominence as a comics writer, where she is best known for reinventing the Carol Danvers as “Captain Marvel” at Marvel and for the Black Label standard-setting Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons at DC. Her independent comics Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly (both from Image Comics) have ranked as New York Times best-sellers and been honored with Eisner Awards, British Fantasy Awards and Hugo nominations.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 336 reviews
January 2, 2015
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this volume quite a bit more than the last one. For some reason, I'm still not sold on this Captain Marvel, though.
I've noticed that she's certainly not a solo-superhero, and I like that she seems to collect friends and allies as the book moves forward.
Also, she's a decent person.
So this time around the big Thing is that she has some sort of a tumor in her head, and if she uses her flight power...bad things happen to her brain.
She won't die, but she'll lose all memory of what makes her...well, her.
Luckily, since she's such a nice gal, everyone is willing to pitch in and help her out.
Even Captain America, who loans her his flying motorcycle!
Which, to me, was sort of the highlight of the entire volume.
Look at it! Who doesn't want one of those!
Apparently, Carol.
But I don't think she gets how the sheer awesomeness of her situation.
Steve's. Flying. Motorcycle.
*SQUEE*
On top of that, somebody is screwing with her life, and threatening to harm her friends and family.
Big Reveal Time:
It was a letdown, and I walked away disappointed and confused.
However, I still liked this enough to try to grab the next volume if I can.
I enjoyed this volume quite a bit more than the last one. For some reason, I'm still not sold on this Captain Marvel, though.
I've noticed that she's certainly not a solo-superhero, and I like that she seems to collect friends and allies as the book moves forward.
Also, she's a decent person.
So this time around the big Thing is that she has some sort of a tumor in her head, and if she uses her flight power...bad things happen to her brain.
She won't die, but she'll lose all memory of what makes her...well, her.
Luckily, since she's such a nice gal, everyone is willing to pitch in and help her out.
Even Captain America, who loans her his flying motorcycle!
Which, to me, was sort of the highlight of the entire volume.
Look at it! Who doesn't want one of those!
Apparently, Carol.
But I don't think she gets how the sheer awesomeness of her situation.
Steve's. Flying. Motorcycle.
*SQUEE*
On top of that, somebody is screwing with her life, and threatening to harm her friends and family.
Big Reveal Time:
It was a letdown, and I walked away disappointed and confused.
However, I still liked this enough to try to grab the next volume if I can.
November 18, 2014
After reading her surprisingly good Avengers Assemble series, I thought it’d be worth revisiting Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel – was I too harsh with the first volume? Welll… not really, unfortunately.
Here’s why I think her Avengers series is basically the opposite of her Captain Marvel series, and why they differ so much in quality. Avengers Assemble is a series which has volume-length arcs that are self-contained, hence no Volume 1, 2, 3 etc. and anyone can pick them up and enjoy them – it’s great for casual readers. Structurally they’re the standard superhero template of villain wants to take over world/steal something valuable, hero stops them, though DeConnick sprinkles lots of cute moments throughout to make it stand out from the dross. You get to read Avengers talking like witty, contemporary people, cracking jokes, being silly – it’s a fun time and it’s clear that these comics are playing to her strengths as a writer.
Now Captain Marvel. The colourful cast of Avengers is reduced to one and replaced with a dreary band of nobodies that just aren’t interesting. There’s the woman who’s doing a doctorate or something, there’s the little girl who idolises her, and there’s the old lady in the park who feeds the bird. Cripes, that is one boring group! And in a series that is numbered, you want long story arcs that play out and pay off – and DeConnick can’t do it.
Her story in the second volume is a mishmash of unconnected things. She fights a transformer robot in the ocean for some reason, then battles something called Deathbird for way too long (three issues, I think), and discovers she can’t fly due to a brain tumour. There’s not a lot here to get excited about and DeConnick can’t make the reader excited about them with her writing.
She treats them as background distractions while she tries to shovel in as much clever dialogue as she can but, without the sounding boards that are the other Avengers, they fall flat as it’s mostly just Captain Marvel herself (to be fair, Jessica Drew and Steve Rogers cameo but these are much too brief appearances to make much of an impression on the book as a whole). Plus the stories are so predictable – d’you think she beats the transformer robot/Deathbird/dinosaurs/anything that crops up? Duh!
The art is something of a problem with this series too. The Jamie McKelvie and Joe Quinones covers are awesome and I did like Emma Rios’ art in the first volume, but in the second book we get Dexter Soy and Filipe Andrade. Soy’s art over the first two issues (the transformer/ocean story) is actually quite decent. Andrade’s? it looks like he drew the whole thing in marzipan! Syrupy anime-esque drawings of human-ish characters with bizarre arms and legs slop across the pages while their faces are a constantly warping miasma of features (is that an eye or a mouth?!). It’s such a thick, convoluted drawing style that it looks like there’s a barrier between yourself and the page – and the art is right in front of you!
The irreverent approach to Avengers Assemble is fine for that title – there are loads of Avengers comics out there, why not have a comedy one? But there’s only one Captain Marvel comic and it needs to be better than this. She’s being pushed front and centre thanks to the forthcoming movie and she’s only going to become more popular. Her comics need to be more interesting, more emotional, and more developed than they are under DeConnick, because right now it’s a meandering bore. Like the first volume, I have to say that I want to read a great Captain Marvel comic – but this ain’t it.
Here’s why I think her Avengers series is basically the opposite of her Captain Marvel series, and why they differ so much in quality. Avengers Assemble is a series which has volume-length arcs that are self-contained, hence no Volume 1, 2, 3 etc. and anyone can pick them up and enjoy them – it’s great for casual readers. Structurally they’re the standard superhero template of villain wants to take over world/steal something valuable, hero stops them, though DeConnick sprinkles lots of cute moments throughout to make it stand out from the dross. You get to read Avengers talking like witty, contemporary people, cracking jokes, being silly – it’s a fun time and it’s clear that these comics are playing to her strengths as a writer.
Now Captain Marvel. The colourful cast of Avengers is reduced to one and replaced with a dreary band of nobodies that just aren’t interesting. There’s the woman who’s doing a doctorate or something, there’s the little girl who idolises her, and there’s the old lady in the park who feeds the bird. Cripes, that is one boring group! And in a series that is numbered, you want long story arcs that play out and pay off – and DeConnick can’t do it.
Her story in the second volume is a mishmash of unconnected things. She fights a transformer robot in the ocean for some reason, then battles something called Deathbird for way too long (three issues, I think), and discovers she can’t fly due to a brain tumour. There’s not a lot here to get excited about and DeConnick can’t make the reader excited about them with her writing.
She treats them as background distractions while she tries to shovel in as much clever dialogue as she can but, without the sounding boards that are the other Avengers, they fall flat as it’s mostly just Captain Marvel herself (to be fair, Jessica Drew and Steve Rogers cameo but these are much too brief appearances to make much of an impression on the book as a whole). Plus the stories are so predictable – d’you think she beats the transformer robot/Deathbird/dinosaurs/anything that crops up? Duh!
The art is something of a problem with this series too. The Jamie McKelvie and Joe Quinones covers are awesome and I did like Emma Rios’ art in the first volume, but in the second book we get Dexter Soy and Filipe Andrade. Soy’s art over the first two issues (the transformer/ocean story) is actually quite decent. Andrade’s? it looks like he drew the whole thing in marzipan! Syrupy anime-esque drawings of human-ish characters with bizarre arms and legs slop across the pages while their faces are a constantly warping miasma of features (is that an eye or a mouth?!). It’s such a thick, convoluted drawing style that it looks like there’s a barrier between yourself and the page – and the art is right in front of you!
The irreverent approach to Avengers Assemble is fine for that title – there are loads of Avengers comics out there, why not have a comedy one? But there’s only one Captain Marvel comic and it needs to be better than this. She’s being pushed front and centre thanks to the forthcoming movie and she’s only going to become more popular. Her comics need to be more interesting, more emotional, and more developed than they are under DeConnick, because right now it’s a meandering bore. Like the first volume, I have to say that I want to read a great Captain Marvel comic – but this ain’t it.
December 7, 2015
Strong start in volume one, and I had high hopes for volume two. It started strong with a great robot bashing, but unfortunately right after that, the artwork dropped below inferior. The lines made everyone look like angular myopic freaks.
Okay. That really shouldn't mess to hard with the story, per se, but the story was just okay. Some really interesting things were happening and being alluded to in the first volume, all of which were ignored pretty much entirely to set up a possible Great Retcon. Nothing's worse than a retcon, except for a retcon that takes many issues to set up before the eventual disappointment.
Brain Tumor? Really? Losing memories? Really?
I didn't mind the personal touches and I know that super powerful peeps need interesting ways to flaw them up. I'm just saying it could have been handled ANY OTHER WAY than memory loss to my eventual satisfaction. Maybe I'm picky. Maybe I discovered that I had just started LOVING Carol Danvers, and now she's taken away. (Insert creative expletives lasting approximately two and a half minutes.)
Still, I haven't given up. There's enough good in these pages to more than offset the intimations of what's to come.
Okay. That really shouldn't mess to hard with the story, per se, but the story was just okay. Some really interesting things were happening and being alluded to in the first volume, all of which were ignored pretty much entirely to set up a possible Great Retcon. Nothing's worse than a retcon, except for a retcon that takes many issues to set up before the eventual disappointment.
Brain Tumor? Really? Losing memories? Really?
I didn't mind the personal touches and I know that super powerful peeps need interesting ways to flaw them up. I'm just saying it could have been handled ANY OTHER WAY than memory loss to my eventual satisfaction. Maybe I'm picky. Maybe I discovered that I had just started LOVING Carol Danvers, and now she's taken away. (Insert creative expletives lasting approximately two and a half minutes.)
Still, I haven't given up. There's enough good in these pages to more than offset the intimations of what's to come.
July 7, 2015
Cognitive dissonance is balls.
So, look. I love Kelly Sue DeConnick's writing. I love Carol Danvers. In general, I am a huge fan of everything that is going down in this book. BUT THE ART WAS SO DISTRACTING AND I HATED IT.
The first two issues were okay. Dexter Soy continued his run from the first volume. And while I'm not a fan of his art, either, at least he manages to draw people that look like actual people. Starting at issue #9, Filipe Andrade takes over, and while there's a certain beauty to his art, it is not the vehicle I would like my Carol Danvers delivered in. His people all look like alien fetuses. They have stick legs that bulge weird. And aside from looking like an alien fetus, his Carol also looks like a moonfaced idiot, with those giant eyes and long flowing hair and legs up to her eyeballs. Carol is a badass, not a flowy ethereal damsel.
Like, look. This panel should be awesome. She's LITERALLY off to punch dinosaurs in the face right now, but that lady in that panel has a triangle for a head and it looks like she's about to drown in her own eyes and then be snapped in half by a passing breeze. You could land a jetliner on her lips.
So yeah, it was like a war in my head, and I found it almost impossible to get around how much I hated the art enough to enjoy the story.
Which was pretty great.
The first two issues feature Carol meeting up with former Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, to fight an enormous robot in the ocean. It's mostly just action, and I have no prior attachment or knowledge of Monica Rambeau, so I'm probably not the best judge of those two issues.
Starting with the weird alien art in issue #9, the main storyline picks up. Something is affecting Captain Marvel's powers, and she's ordered by her doctor to stop flying at all costs, or it could kill her. But there are dinosaurs to punch, and weird bird people to defeat, some guy is skulking around conspiring against her, her cat needs to go the vet, and some asshole in her building is trying to evict her. The book ends in a cliffhanger, so I'm really hoping once I track down a copy of Avengers: The Enemy Within, this storyline will get picked up and finished, because I've read the next Captain Marvel after this, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with her brain or her powers by then, and the skulking guy is nowhere to be seen.
Also, I'm sure he's a lovely guy, and in different circumstances I might very well like to look at his artistic workings with my eyeballs, but I really hope Filipe Andrade never draws Captain Marvel again.
So, look. I love Kelly Sue DeConnick's writing. I love Carol Danvers. In general, I am a huge fan of everything that is going down in this book. BUT THE ART WAS SO DISTRACTING AND I HATED IT.
The first two issues were okay. Dexter Soy continued his run from the first volume. And while I'm not a fan of his art, either, at least he manages to draw people that look like actual people. Starting at issue #9, Filipe Andrade takes over, and while there's a certain beauty to his art, it is not the vehicle I would like my Carol Danvers delivered in. His people all look like alien fetuses. They have stick legs that bulge weird. And aside from looking like an alien fetus, his Carol also looks like a moonfaced idiot, with those giant eyes and long flowing hair and legs up to her eyeballs. Carol is a badass, not a flowy ethereal damsel.
Like, look. This panel should be awesome. She's LITERALLY off to punch dinosaurs in the face right now, but that lady in that panel has a triangle for a head and it looks like she's about to drown in her own eyes and then be snapped in half by a passing breeze. You could land a jetliner on her lips.
So yeah, it was like a war in my head, and I found it almost impossible to get around how much I hated the art enough to enjoy the story.
Which was pretty great.
The first two issues feature Carol meeting up with former Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, to fight an enormous robot in the ocean. It's mostly just action, and I have no prior attachment or knowledge of Monica Rambeau, so I'm probably not the best judge of those two issues.
Starting with the weird alien art in issue #9, the main storyline picks up. Something is affecting Captain Marvel's powers, and she's ordered by her doctor to stop flying at all costs, or it could kill her. But there are dinosaurs to punch, and weird bird people to defeat, some guy is skulking around conspiring against her, her cat needs to go the vet, and some asshole in her building is trying to evict her. The book ends in a cliffhanger, so I'm really hoping once I track down a copy of Avengers: The Enemy Within, this storyline will get picked up and finished, because I've read the next Captain Marvel after this, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with her brain or her powers by then, and the skulking guy is nowhere to be seen.
Also, I'm sure he's a lovely guy, and in different circumstances I might very well like to look at his artistic workings with my eyeballs, but I really hope Filipe Andrade never draws Captain Marvel again.
May 2, 2019
Whoa, a Captain Marvel book I really enjoyed. I knew it would eventually happen.
This one is a lot more family/friend drama, and I think that's when Carol becomes more interesting. With dealing with her dying friend and her cancer, to working on defending the world from a giant T-Rex, with also dealing with her own sickness she is developing, this poor super lady has a lot on her plate. Once she starts helping others it just goes to show how much it is effecting her. She's gain headaches that are so killer than if she continues flying it'll wipe out her memories complete after a brain leak. So it's best she doesn't fly, but someone is behind all this, and won't let that happen.
This volume works better because get to see Carol just living her everyday life. You get to see her friends and family she cares about. You enjoy this character for everything she stands for. That's why this worked so well, with solid pacing, and super fun set pieces. Sometimes the art was great but other times it was very very scratchy and hard to see what was happening.
Overall a really impressive volume that helps grow Carol into Captain Marvel! A 4 out of 5.
This one is a lot more family/friend drama, and I think that's when Carol becomes more interesting. With dealing with her dying friend and her cancer, to working on defending the world from a giant T-Rex, with also dealing with her own sickness she is developing, this poor super lady has a lot on her plate. Once she starts helping others it just goes to show how much it is effecting her. She's gain headaches that are so killer than if she continues flying it'll wipe out her memories complete after a brain leak. So it's best she doesn't fly, but someone is behind all this, and won't let that happen.
This volume works better because get to see Carol just living her everyday life. You get to see her friends and family she cares about. You enjoy this character for everything she stands for. That's why this worked so well, with solid pacing, and super fun set pieces. Sometimes the art was great but other times it was very very scratchy and hard to see what was happening.
Overall a really impressive volume that helps grow Carol into Captain Marvel! A 4 out of 5.
January 24, 2014
As with the first Captain Marvel book, I liked half the art (Dexter Soy's work) and then hated the latter half. More so in this one. Carol just looks deformed in half of this. But story-wise, this is another good volume: Carol as Captain Marvel is rash, determined, unstoppable, and the latter half of the book with the worries about her health kept me interested. It doesn't matter that I'm lacking some of Carol's backstory -- and the Helen Cobb story from the first volume seems to be playing a bit into this, too, which I enjoy. I'm even a bit anxious about Carol and how exactly this will play out.
I love her interactions with the people around her. I haven't read anything with Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel -- actually, I haven't got round to anything with her in it at all -- but I loved her back and forth with Carol. I enjoyed the inclusion of Spider-Woman, too, and Captain America and Tony Stark's brief appearances.
Really need to get hold of The Enemy Within, pronto.
I love her interactions with the people around her. I haven't read anything with Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel -- actually, I haven't got round to anything with her in it at all -- but I loved her back and forth with Carol. I enjoyed the inclusion of Spider-Woman, too, and Captain America and Tony Stark's brief appearances.
Really need to get hold of The Enemy Within, pronto.
July 8, 2013
Still delivering the natural dialogue, and continuing with not-stale conflicts/villains/antagonists/whatever. The creative teaming here continues to deliver - fun, adventurous, unusual, and grounded.
I really enjoy reading this book. It's entirely like watching a bunch of old friends - it's clear they're very comfortable around each other, there's none of that comick-booky speech impediment that sounds like a bad Shakespeare impression. Instead I just get to hear people giving (and barely taking) shit from one another, like a gang of friends from my childhood days. In fact, in a way it's like watching guys try to express affection for one another - they're just as likely to punch each other as say something nice, but you can see the warmth there if you're watching out the corner of your eye.
I miss friends like these. So many people here in Portland are so damned nice and sincere. Fucking commies, can't we just make fun of each other once in a while?
What is so very awesome about Kelly Sue's take on Carol is how willing she is to embrace her bad decision-making. This is as human a hero as Spider-Man, as easy to relate to and as interesting to follow. Carol has as much going for her as any person alive, and rather than take calculated risks and make reasonable decisions (or even to rely on others to help her see a different perspective), Carol here would rather stick her face in front of a speeding train than check the schedule.
I articulately enjoyed the book for first giving us some funny, mindless, silly action and banter, and later ramps up a dramatic climax that weaves in a number of aspects of Carol's history and personality. It's like there's some actual storytelling craft going on here :), and I am so happy to see things step up from even the first volume of this series.
I am very much looking forward to The Enemy Within. I don't even much care who the players are in that story, because the story itself (with these writers and artists) is just a pleasure to take in.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go punch a dinosaur."
I really enjoy reading this book. It's entirely like watching a bunch of old friends - it's clear they're very comfortable around each other, there's none of that comick-booky speech impediment that sounds like a bad Shakespeare impression. Instead I just get to hear people giving (and barely taking) shit from one another, like a gang of friends from my childhood days. In fact, in a way it's like watching guys try to express affection for one another - they're just as likely to punch each other as say something nice, but you can see the warmth there if you're watching out the corner of your eye.
I miss friends like these. So many people here in Portland are so damned nice and sincere. Fucking commies, can't we just make fun of each other once in a while?
What is so very awesome about Kelly Sue's take on Carol is how willing she is to embrace her bad decision-making. This is as human a hero as Spider-Man, as easy to relate to and as interesting to follow. Carol has as much going for her as any person alive, and rather than take calculated risks and make reasonable decisions (or even to rely on others to help her see a different perspective), Carol here would rather stick her face in front of a speeding train than check the schedule.
I articulately enjoyed the book for first giving us some funny, mindless, silly action and banter, and later ramps up a dramatic climax that weaves in a number of aspects of Carol's history and personality. It's like there's some actual storytelling craft going on here :), and I am so happy to see things step up from even the first volume of this series.
I am very much looking forward to The Enemy Within. I don't even much care who the players are in that story, because the story itself (with these writers and artists) is just a pleasure to take in.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go punch a dinosaur."
August 19, 2013
DeConnick pulls out all the stops here. There's giant sharks and a mech and a mysterious villain and guest stars and... Oh, and there's also characters with human emotions and frailties speaking to each other naturally, like people who have known each other for a very long time. I can't ask for anything more than this, a superhero comic with both style and substance.
August 19, 2016
Solid story with above-average art as well.
December 21, 2014
Captain Marvel is seriously going to make the best movie! Enjoyed this volume a lot, wasn't quite as good as the first - but Kelly Sue DeConnick is a fantastic writer!
April 27, 2021
This was surprisingly good like Carol and Monica team up to clean some underwater debris and they have to take out a transformer like villain and its so cool the way they do it, combining, you see their team work and friendship and the next team is with Jessica Drew vs Dinosaurs and then she has been a having a problem in her brain, a lesion which is making her cause hallucinations and then she is advised to not fly but that's impossible for her and when her old enemy Deathbird comes in to take away everything she holds dear, what will Carol do? Thats the basic premise and it just shows Carol in a very different setting and challenges her basic nature and an old enemy returns! Epicly written, the only complaint is the art which was so weird.
June 21, 2019
DeConnick did it again - she delivered a powerful story with a kickass heroine, the perfect amount of mystery and action, great dialogue and narrative flow, plus a well-rounded cast of equally amazing side characters and villains.
I think it would have been even better if I had read some Ms Marvel issues first to stay up to date with certain events that occurred in this volume, however, I never feel like I'm in way over my head with DeConnick's work - she always makes sure to put the reader up to speed on past events and backstory, and not in an obvious recap kind of way. As a novice to this world, her consideration is much appreciated.
I had so much fun with this volume and my heart swells with every bad ass panel. Carol Danvers is a force to be reckoned with and I've grown to really care for her, which made this plot in particular a little alarming. Not going to say anything else other than I'm dying to find out what happens next! I'm super intrigued and pumped to be meeting the Avengers now, which is a crowd I'm a bit more familiar with.
Andrade's art was not my absolute cup of tea but it actually grew on me after a while. I'm still a much bigger fan of Soy's but I'm a bit more open to other styles now that I've had my share of them. That was the only actual downside to this comic because otherwise it was very much up my alley.
I think it would have been even better if I had read some Ms Marvel issues first to stay up to date with certain events that occurred in this volume, however, I never feel like I'm in way over my head with DeConnick's work - she always makes sure to put the reader up to speed on past events and backstory, and not in an obvious recap kind of way. As a novice to this world, her consideration is much appreciated.
I had so much fun with this volume and my heart swells with every bad ass panel. Carol Danvers is a force to be reckoned with and I've grown to really care for her, which made this plot in particular a little alarming. Not going to say anything else other than I'm dying to find out what happens next! I'm super intrigued and pumped to be meeting the Avengers now, which is a crowd I'm a bit more familiar with.
Andrade's art was not my absolute cup of tea but it actually grew on me after a while. I'm still a much bigger fan of Soy's but I'm a bit more open to other styles now that I've had my share of them. That was the only actual downside to this comic because otherwise it was very much up my alley.
June 7, 2016
Carol's day-to-day routine is disrupted by a giant robot, a dinosaur fight, and a throwdown with Deathbird. Her world is turned upside down when she discovers a tumor in her head could erase her memories if she keeps flying. Considering Carol is a pilot and loves flying, guess if she stops...
A better collection than volume 1 in terms of writing and story, but I didn't like Felipe Andrade's skinny and asymmetrical art in the last four issues. I'm also not clear on the pseudoscience behind the tumor. What I really did like was the fun dialogue between Carol and Monica Rambeau (another former Captain Marvel), Spider-Woman, Wendy (her new assistant), Captain America, and Frank (a pilot friend who offers Carol a job).
A better collection than volume 1 in terms of writing and story, but I didn't like Felipe Andrade's skinny and asymmetrical art in the last four issues. I'm also not clear on the pseudoscience behind the tumor. What I really did like was the fun dialogue between Carol and Monica Rambeau (another former Captain Marvel), Spider-Woman, Wendy (her new assistant), Captain America, and Frank (a pilot friend who offers Carol a job).
March 24, 2019
I really want to love this series but it keeps disappointing me. My main complaint: I had no idea what was going on or who the other characters were. It's only been a few months since I read the previous volume, I can't have forgotten all of it, can I? Who is Monica? What are her powers? Who is Frank Gianelli? Did Captain Marvel work at "Woman" magazine in the previous volume? Why was that mentioned so often? Who are Rose, Dr Nayar, and Tracy? Why did Carol take Tracy to Dr Nayar if the appointment was for herself? None of this is explained, so I guess I'm supposed to know?
There's a big reveal at the end of a character who has been lurking in the shadows, concealing his face, but it meant nothing to me because I've never heard of him.
Apparently I should have read the Ms Marvel series first, a lot of these characters first appear there.
Art in first two issues by Dexter Soy is pretty bad. I never understood what was going on because his art is murky and confusing, more interested in style than actually showing the story. This was a (stupid) story that takes place above and below the ocean surface, but his art often didn't make it clear if they were underwater or in the air.
Art in next four issues by Filipe Andrade is very good, he's not trying for realism, and he has an interesting style that implies a lot of motion. I'd like to see more of his work.
characters I had to look up:
Tracy Burke - renowned journalist, Carol's friend, & a fellow co-editor at "Woman." In a relationship with Theodacia Matthews (deceased?). Tracy has cancer? Maybe?
Rose Rucklova - an apartment neighbor
Dr Farzana Nayar - Tracy & Carol's doctor.
Frank Gianelli - a former soldier and a photojournalist in NYC, longtime ally of Carol's; I guess he's just the Jimmy Olson of Captain Marvel?
Monica Rambeau - the former Captain Marvel, onetime leader of The Avengers, also known as Photon, Pulsar, Daystar, Sceptre, Lady of Light, Sun Goddess, Spectrum, and dang that's a lot of aliases. First appeared in Spider-Man. Born in New Orleans to Marie Rambeau, worked as a cargo ship captain, exposed to energy while trying to disable a weapon, her powers allow her to convert her body to energy. Dubbed "Captain Marvel." That's confusing.
Katherine "Kit" Renner - daughter of Marina Renner, aka "Lieutenant Trouble" - neighbors in Carol's apartment building
This ends with "to be continued in The Enemy Within" which is collected as an Avengers title. Looks like maybe Marvel cancelled this run and then re-booted it as Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps?
There's a big reveal at the end of a character who has been lurking in the shadows, concealing his face, but it meant nothing to me because I've never heard of him.
Apparently I should have read the Ms Marvel series first, a lot of these characters first appear there.
Art in first two issues by Dexter Soy is pretty bad. I never understood what was going on because his art is murky and confusing, more interested in style than actually showing the story. This was a (stupid) story that takes place above and below the ocean surface, but his art often didn't make it clear if they were underwater or in the air.
Art in next four issues by Filipe Andrade is very good, he's not trying for realism, and he has an interesting style that implies a lot of motion. I'd like to see more of his work.
characters I had to look up:
Tracy Burke - renowned journalist, Carol's friend, & a fellow co-editor at "Woman." In a relationship with Theodacia Matthews (deceased?). Tracy has cancer? Maybe?
Rose Rucklova - an apartment neighbor
Dr Farzana Nayar - Tracy & Carol's doctor.
Frank Gianelli - a former soldier and a photojournalist in NYC, longtime ally of Carol's; I guess he's just the Jimmy Olson of Captain Marvel?
Monica Rambeau - the former Captain Marvel, onetime leader of The Avengers, also known as Photon, Pulsar, Daystar, Sceptre, Lady of Light, Sun Goddess, Spectrum, and dang that's a lot of aliases. First appeared in Spider-Man. Born in New Orleans to Marie Rambeau, worked as a cargo ship captain, exposed to energy while trying to disable a weapon, her powers allow her to convert her body to energy. Dubbed "Captain Marvel." That's confusing.
Katherine "Kit" Renner - daughter of Marina Renner, aka "Lieutenant Trouble" - neighbors in Carol's apartment building
This ends with "to be continued in The Enemy Within" which is collected as an Avengers title. Looks like maybe Marvel cancelled this run and then re-booted it as Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps?
August 10, 2021
Carol's interactions with Monica Rambeau--ex-Avenger and hero with a strange ability to manipulate, absorb and transform into energy--during strange giant robot incident are fun. They're very sarcastic with each other. Carol's interactions with Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman always involve great quips.
The other half of the storyline sets up The Enemy Within (which I read out of order) and cleared up a lot for me. Now I know where the very useful Wendy came from. Tony Stark's interference with Carol's schedule is cute and produces some interesting results. Steve Rogers is nicely supportive, loaning Carol his flying motorcycle because if Carol uses her powers to fly, the lesion in her brain will wipe out her memory.
The covers are so much better than the story art.
The other half of the storyline sets up The Enemy Within (which I read out of order) and cleared up a lot for me. Now I know where the very useful Wendy came from. Tony Stark's interference with Carol's schedule is cute and produces some interesting results. Steve Rogers is nicely supportive, loaning Carol his flying motorcycle because if Carol uses her powers to fly, the lesion in her brain will wipe out her memory.
The covers are so much better than the story art.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2014
This was very disappointing. The first half was OK, but if I hadn't read up in other locations about who Monica was it would have meant nothing to me. I don't expect recap of years of history for new readers when each issue is so short, but the source of their rivalry was very unclear without outside knowledge. As for the art, it's very, very clear that the first half was better than the second, but the colors were questionable. I'm pretty sure Monica is supposed to be African American, but in a lot of the frames in Issue 7 her color is as light as the guy who I think is supposed to be Latino and Carol's skin got as dark as hers in other frames. It wasn't clear visually if she was Black or if she was just standing in some shadows. I know he was going for sun-kissed looks out on the water but if she's one of the first super awesome African American heroes, and female heroes, than she should look like a black woman. A different colorist did Issue 8 and I could see the difference, she looked better.
The rest of the book was a total disaster. Story-wise Carol was a total idiot, I hated her. I don't know this woman or her history, but I couldn't respect the idiot in this story at all. And I really thought the art was a joke when I first saw it. I thought it was like one of the extra issues that are sometimes included where they'll tell us a "fan" who's just a kid drew the comic, like maybe that kid who lives next to Carol or something. I honestly think it's the worst art I've ever seen in any comic or graphic novel, I can not believe they published it. It's insane to me. Here's an example of what they think is acceptable:
A panel that fills up a third of the page and the woman has no face, but the flowers look good and there's a buddha in the hospital room, and a really fancy mirror. And all of the women have those stupid skinny legs, the one in this picture are among the best in the book actually. It was just bad. The writing was bad, the art was bad, it was just very disappointing.
The rest of the book was a total disaster. Story-wise Carol was a total idiot, I hated her. I don't know this woman or her history, but I couldn't respect the idiot in this story at all. And I really thought the art was a joke when I first saw it. I thought it was like one of the extra issues that are sometimes included where they'll tell us a "fan" who's just a kid drew the comic, like maybe that kid who lives next to Carol or something. I honestly think it's the worst art I've ever seen in any comic or graphic novel, I can not believe they published it. It's insane to me. Here's an example of what they think is acceptable:
A panel that fills up a third of the page and the woman has no face, but the flowers look good and there's a buddha in the hospital room, and a really fancy mirror. And all of the women have those stupid skinny legs, the one in this picture are among the best in the book actually. It was just bad. The writing was bad, the art was bad, it was just very disappointing.
April 22, 2016
3.5 stars. I didn't realise when I borrowed this from the library that it was volume 2, which was more than a little annoying as I know practically nothing about Captain Marvel except that she's a badass and a pilot and Marvel are making a Captain Marvel movie. Thankfully, Wikipedia helped out with the couple of things that threw me, and the rest was fairly smooth sailing.
I ADORED the first two issues in this. The art was glorious, Carol was basically 1000% sass, and she was well on her way to usurping Natasha Romanoff as my favourite female superhero. And then the rest of the book happened. It's not so much that the story was bad, although it WAS kind of all over the place. There were plenty of cameos from other Marvel characters to keep newbies like me engaged, and the idea of what Carol would do if told she couldn't fly was an interesting one.
But.
The art was awful. Every single character looked like they'd been drawn by a left hander using a 6B pencil. They were kind of smudgy and half formed, and they all had weirdo alien heads with giant eyes and tiny chins and flat noses. Meanwhile, the backgrounds were all lovingly precise and incredibly detailed. Like...what?!?!?! Who puts all that effort into the backgrounds and then half-arses the characters??
So yeah. As a Captain Marvel newbie, I really liked Carol and her extreme sassiness, and I'm now even more excited about the movie. But the art in the second half of the volume has me kind of doubting whether I'll pick up any other Captain Marvel comics. Not without flipping through to check that the same artist isn't involved, anyway...
I ADORED the first two issues in this. The art was glorious, Carol was basically 1000% sass, and she was well on her way to usurping Natasha Romanoff as my favourite female superhero. And then the rest of the book happened. It's not so much that the story was bad, although it WAS kind of all over the place. There were plenty of cameos from other Marvel characters to keep newbies like me engaged, and the idea of what Carol would do if told she couldn't fly was an interesting one.
But.
The art was awful. Every single character looked like they'd been drawn by a left hander using a 6B pencil. They were kind of smudgy and half formed, and they all had weirdo alien heads with giant eyes and tiny chins and flat noses. Meanwhile, the backgrounds were all lovingly precise and incredibly detailed. Like...what?!?!?! Who puts all that effort into the backgrounds and then half-arses the characters??
So yeah. As a Captain Marvel newbie, I really liked Carol and her extreme sassiness, and I'm now even more excited about the movie. But the art in the second half of the volume has me kind of doubting whether I'll pick up any other Captain Marvel comics. Not without flipping through to check that the same artist isn't involved, anyway...
April 22, 2018
Really enjoying DeConnick's Captain Marvel run. One of the best things is that Carol is allowed to have female friends and they talk to about their passions, worry about each other, and enjoy one anothers' company. That is harder to find in comics than some would think. I also love that Carol's outfit seems pretty practical. Even the sash around her waist is actually a tool she uses on multiple occasions in the series.
Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Down starts out with a fun plot involving Carol and Monica Rambeau investigating an unexplained ship/plane graveyard near New Orleans. This was just straight-up fun that features Carol punching sharks and battling a giant robot.
The rest of the volume focuses on Carol receiving disheartening news about the cause of her headaches while trying to battle an old foe. The collection ends on a cliffhanger and unfortunately, finding a print copy of Avengers: The Enemy Within is fairly difficult (especially if you want it for a reasonable price). You can buy a digital version of it on Marvel's website, if you don't mind not owning a physical copy.
I look forward to continuing this series and can't wait to see what DeConnick does next.
Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Down starts out with a fun plot involving Carol and Monica Rambeau investigating an unexplained ship/plane graveyard near New Orleans. This was just straight-up fun that features Carol punching sharks and battling a giant robot.
The rest of the volume focuses on Carol receiving disheartening news about the cause of her headaches while trying to battle an old foe. The collection ends on a cliffhanger and unfortunately, finding a print copy of Avengers: The Enemy Within is fairly difficult (especially if you want it for a reasonable price). You can buy a digital version of it on Marvel's website, if you don't mind not owning a physical copy.
I look forward to continuing this series and can't wait to see what DeConnick does next.
August 30, 2013
For all the work they did establishing Carol Danvers badasskickery in the last Volume, they undo a bunch of it here. I understand part of it is for the story narrative, but too much of it makes her into an idiot, immature, and dumb. Also, this version (written by the same author as the first volume) seems to focus on the jokes more than other parts. So where she was badass tough girl Vol 1, she's jokey girl who is emotionally stunted here.
It was interesting to team her up with an earlier Captain Marvel, and we also see an appearance from Spider Woman (who seems to actually be a close friend of hers now). The storyline with other Captain Marvel is the best of the bunch, and the rest of the book is just not doing anything for me. I wanted to like it more, and I liked the humour, but I also wish they'd pick who she is and go from there.
They really lost the plot here, and it seems like DeConnick hasn't figured out where she's going with this character, which makes it hard to get on board to follow the title.
Not recommended, skip.
It was interesting to team her up with an earlier Captain Marvel, and we also see an appearance from Spider Woman (who seems to actually be a close friend of hers now). The storyline with other Captain Marvel is the best of the bunch, and the rest of the book is just not doing anything for me. I wanted to like it more, and I liked the humour, but I also wish they'd pick who she is and go from there.
They really lost the plot here, and it seems like DeConnick hasn't figured out where she's going with this character, which makes it hard to get on board to follow the title.
Not recommended, skip.
November 5, 2013
Why I am so behind on comics: this book came out in June. I ordered it for my library in June. It finally got processed and sent to me... yesterday. In November.
But it was worth the wait. I love everything about this!! Carol, obv, but also Monica and Jess and Wendy and Kit and CHEWIE <3 <3 <3 I love that it's just cool, smart, strong women kicking ass (and kicking shark and kicking dinosaur) and having sort of relatable human problems (such as taking your cat to the vet, only to be attacked by dinosaurs... and then telling a passerby that your cat is Spider-Man undercover and will they please be an honorary Avenger and take him to the vet)? PERF.
Reading this was so delightful. It made me feel like all of my interests were being pandered to. Like, all of them. And then I thought: holy shit, is this what it feels like to be a straight white bro comics fan ALL THE TIME?? ugh now I want to punch a SHARK.
But it was worth the wait. I love everything about this!! Carol, obv, but also Monica and Jess and Wendy and Kit and CHEWIE <3 <3 <3 I love that it's just cool, smart, strong women kicking ass (and kicking shark and kicking dinosaur) and having sort of relatable human problems (such as taking your cat to the vet, only to be attacked by dinosaurs... and then telling a passerby that your cat is Spider-Man undercover and will they please be an honorary Avenger and take him to the vet)? PERF.
Reading this was so delightful. It made me feel like all of my interests were being pandered to. Like, all of them. And then I thought: holy shit, is this what it feels like to be a straight white bro comics fan ALL THE TIME?? ugh now I want to punch a SHARK.
August 29, 2016
A bit of a mishmash of disconnected stories compared to the solid arc of the previous volume. Each of the brief tales collected here seems to be a little bit of a stall, not really building to anything important. I can't say I was particularly thrilled by a random giant robot battle or a haphazard fight with a bird woman, particularly since they each lack much of a climax.
That said, DeConnick's knack for dialogue and character shines here even more than in the previous book, and I loved getting a glimpse into her daily life. This aspect of the story feels like Fraction's Hawkeye or similar, more genuine books, really delving into what makes Carol Davners who she is. While this wasn't quite enough to save the book, it does keep it entertaining and light. Still looking forward to more of this.
That said, DeConnick's knack for dialogue and character shines here even more than in the previous book, and I loved getting a glimpse into her daily life. This aspect of the story feels like Fraction's Hawkeye or similar, more genuine books, really delving into what makes Carol Davners who she is. While this wasn't quite enough to save the book, it does keep it entertaining and light. Still looking forward to more of this.
October 10, 2014
Bullet Reviews
I don't think this was as good as the first volume, but ultimately, I still loved it. Carol Danvers rocks, and new characters like Monica Rambeau, Wendy, and Spider Woman (not "new" as in "new to Marvel", "new" as in "new to this series") need to appear more often. This is far more episodic, but I think that works to the comic's favor.
Now the art for issues 9 - 12 - that gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, it's evocative and crude, forcing you to focus on the movement and feelings instead of the pretty pictures. On the other hand, why does every character wearing a coat look like a blimp?
Regardless, love this comic. Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel is my goddess and probably my favorite superhero.
I don't think this was as good as the first volume, but ultimately, I still loved it. Carol Danvers rocks, and new characters like Monica Rambeau, Wendy, and Spider Woman (not "new" as in "new to Marvel", "new" as in "new to this series") need to appear more often. This is far more episodic, but I think that works to the comic's favor.
Now the art for issues 9 - 12 - that gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, it's evocative and crude, forcing you to focus on the movement and feelings instead of the pretty pictures. On the other hand, why does every character wearing a coat look like a blimp?
Regardless, love this comic. Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel is my goddess and probably my favorite superhero.
January 7, 2020
I really, really want to like Kelly Sue Deconnick's Captain Marvel more than I do.
In the last volume I mentioned that I felt the execution of the arc was a little off to me. Carol ends up travelling in time and reliving her origins in becoming the original Ms. Marvel. I think my main issue is that it never was explained to my satisfaction how it was that Helen Cobb's plane essentially became a time machine, even though I knew that the Deconnick's whole purpose in the arc was to revisit Carol's origins in order to ground readers in the thirty plus years of Carol's adventures under different names before taking the mantle of Captain Marvel. Even though the execution isn't to my liking, the whole point of the arc is to let readers know from here on out, Carol Danvers is Captain Marvel. And in that regard, In Pursuit of Flight is a success.
As I surmised in In Pursuit of Flight, Deconnick was setting up her future arcs by revisiting Carol's origins. (This becomes obvious on the last page of Down, but I will let readers discover that revelation for themselves.) The first arc, drawn by Dexter Soy, involves Carol interacting with yet another Captain Marvel--this time the 80s Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau (now going by the name Pulsar I think--she's had a ton of them.) I'm a fan of the Rambeau character, even though I found her a bit one dimensional when she originally appeared in The Avengers. This Rambeau is sassy and sarcastic and I would love to see her in her own series after this two parter. But she's not the star of the book--Carol is and the rest of the book is an arc dedicated to explaining why Carol is Down. Again, I will let readers discover what is going on here, but I have to say that while Deconnick's story is tighter than what I read in In Pursuit of Flight I have to say what I found problematic about this collection was the art.
Dexter Soy's work on the first two issues of this collection is stylized, but not distracting. The work of the artist on the second half of the book, Felipe Andrade, I found distracting. Now I know that usually the art in a comic book is usually secondary for me, as I feel there are many great accomplished artists out there currently working in comics. I am not trying to dismiss their contribution to the form, but unless an artist really helps accentuate the work of the writer they are working with (think Steve Dillon working with Garth Ennis on Hellblazer and Preacher.) Usually I don't comment on the art because it's acceptable to me and has effectively conveyed the story without detracting from it. But if I am going to give Dillon accolades for his work with Ennis, I am also going to note when an artist's work is detrimental to the story. I don't feel that Andrade isn't a good artist, but his style, in my opinion, doesn't work with Deconnick's story here. I could see Andrade's style really working on a title like Doctor Strange or Swamp Thing, but here I was looking for something a bit more conservative when it comes to figure drawing. It's hard to explain without the reader seeing it for themselves, but it didn't work for me.
At the end of the volume, we are set up for the next Captain Marvel collection, this time bringing the Avengers in tow. From a story perspective, I'm interested in where this is going to go (especially, again, thanks to the revelation on the last page.) I'm just kind of hoping that Felipe Andrade isn't along for the ride.
In the last volume I mentioned that I felt the execution of the arc was a little off to me. Carol ends up travelling in time and reliving her origins in becoming the original Ms. Marvel. I think my main issue is that it never was explained to my satisfaction how it was that Helen Cobb's plane essentially became a time machine, even though I knew that the Deconnick's whole purpose in the arc was to revisit Carol's origins in order to ground readers in the thirty plus years of Carol's adventures under different names before taking the mantle of Captain Marvel. Even though the execution isn't to my liking, the whole point of the arc is to let readers know from here on out, Carol Danvers is Captain Marvel. And in that regard, In Pursuit of Flight is a success.
As I surmised in In Pursuit of Flight, Deconnick was setting up her future arcs by revisiting Carol's origins. (This becomes obvious on the last page of Down, but I will let readers discover that revelation for themselves.) The first arc, drawn by Dexter Soy, involves Carol interacting with yet another Captain Marvel--this time the 80s Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau (now going by the name Pulsar I think--she's had a ton of them.) I'm a fan of the Rambeau character, even though I found her a bit one dimensional when she originally appeared in The Avengers. This Rambeau is sassy and sarcastic and I would love to see her in her own series after this two parter. But she's not the star of the book--Carol is and the rest of the book is an arc dedicated to explaining why Carol is Down. Again, I will let readers discover what is going on here, but I have to say that while Deconnick's story is tighter than what I read in In Pursuit of Flight I have to say what I found problematic about this collection was the art.
Dexter Soy's work on the first two issues of this collection is stylized, but not distracting. The work of the artist on the second half of the book, Felipe Andrade, I found distracting. Now I know that usually the art in a comic book is usually secondary for me, as I feel there are many great accomplished artists out there currently working in comics. I am not trying to dismiss their contribution to the form, but unless an artist really helps accentuate the work of the writer they are working with (think Steve Dillon working with Garth Ennis on Hellblazer and Preacher.) Usually I don't comment on the art because it's acceptable to me and has effectively conveyed the story without detracting from it. But if I am going to give Dillon accolades for his work with Ennis, I am also going to note when an artist's work is detrimental to the story. I don't feel that Andrade isn't a good artist, but his style, in my opinion, doesn't work with Deconnick's story here. I could see Andrade's style really working on a title like Doctor Strange or Swamp Thing, but here I was looking for something a bit more conservative when it comes to figure drawing. It's hard to explain without the reader seeing it for themselves, but it didn't work for me.
At the end of the volume, we are set up for the next Captain Marvel collection, this time bringing the Avengers in tow. From a story perspective, I'm interested in where this is going to go (especially, again, thanks to the revelation on the last page.) I'm just kind of hoping that Felipe Andrade isn't along for the ride.
September 10, 2017
This is a great follow-up to the first volume. Having had the chance to trade her destiny with Helen Cobb, Carol has chosen to be Captain Marvel in name and in mission, and now that is threatened. Her ability to fly, her neighbors, the people she cares about, and her life is threatened. She gets to have some fun with the name first, and I love the interactions with Monica and Frank, but ultimately this is about Carol, and everything good in her life is at risk.
Then it ends on a gasp.
Having read the first two volumes so closely together it was really easy to see how well they build on each other, incorporating history but staying fresh.
Then it ends on a gasp.
Having read the first two volumes so closely together it was really easy to see how well they build on each other, incorporating history but staying fresh.
April 9, 2019
Hate when the art style changes half way through a series....
May 11, 2019
Five stars for the story, 3.5 stars for the art- I don't know why, I just wasn't as much of a fan of the art style for issues 9-12, I thought Carol looked kinda weird. But the story was great!
October 23, 2017
I picked this up from the library along with volume one and I almost regretted because I didn't enjoy the first book. The story here is better, but goes on a bit too long.
The first part of this book involves a former Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and a giant robot that rises out of the Gulf of Mexico. The relationship between the two women is well done. I don't know anything about Monica though, so I feel like part of their banter loses its impact. The most interesting portion is how it relates to the levees in New Orleans weakening and how the heroes are going to help fix them. Too bad that didn't take up more of the story.
Once that wraps up, Carol returns to New York and is diagnosed with a sickness related to her alien DNA and she is forbidden to fly. This begins to tie things back to volume one. Again, there are characters presented that I'm not familiar with and that aren't introduced very well, so the importance of some of Carol's relationships is lost.
The art splits between a realistic style and a cartoony style. I would have preferred a common style throughout the book. Either one would have been fine. The mix isn't terrible, but it is very noticeable when it does change. There are some cool scenes with the giant robot though.
The first part of this book involves a former Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and a giant robot that rises out of the Gulf of Mexico. The relationship between the two women is well done. I don't know anything about Monica though, so I feel like part of their banter loses its impact. The most interesting portion is how it relates to the levees in New Orleans weakening and how the heroes are going to help fix them. Too bad that didn't take up more of the story.
Once that wraps up, Carol returns to New York and is diagnosed with a sickness related to her alien DNA and she is forbidden to fly. This begins to tie things back to volume one. Again, there are characters presented that I'm not familiar with and that aren't introduced very well, so the importance of some of Carol's relationships is lost.
The art splits between a realistic style and a cartoony style. I would have preferred a common style throughout the book. Either one would have been fine. The mix isn't terrible, but it is very noticeable when it does change. There are some cool scenes with the giant robot though.
September 27, 2014
Kelly Sue DeConnick continues her run on Captain Marvel with it's second volume, Down. The graphic novel deals with two separate plots. In the first one, Carol must work with Monica Rambeau, the second Captain Marvel, to solve a problem off the coast of New Orleans. In the process, she discovers that Monica is not 100% comfortable with how Carol took up Captain Marvel's mantle. In the second storyline, Captain Marvel discovers that something's wrong with her powers, and the results could be deadly.
While I enjoyed In Pursuit of Flight, I feel like DeConnick really hits her stride here with Down. Both storylines are quite strong, filled with action while keeping the emphasis on the relationships between the characters. DeConnick seems to be crafting a family for Carol in the apartment building where she lives, and the results can be quite comical, an can be seen in the well crafted dialogue. Another thing DeConnick does well is keep our protagonist grounded and relatable, no small feet given the power house Captain Marvel is. She does this in the first arc by keeping the emphasis on the relationship between the past and present Captain Marvesl (don't worry action fans! She gets to fight a giant mech too). And she does this in the second storyline by taking away one of Carol's biggest strengths. If she flies, she may die. There are also a nice amount of superhero cameos. Monica Rambeau is the biggest one, but you also get to see Spider Woman and Captain America lend a hand.
The artwork this time around is divided between two artist. Dexter Soy, who I've grown to quite like (despite the fact that he constantly changes the length of Carol's hair from panel to panel), provides the art for the first arc, while Filipe Andrade does the second. I wasn't as fond of Andrade's style at first, but by the end I was growing to like it.
Because I enjoyed Down so much, I will continue to read Captain Marvel with the upcoming graphic novel The Enemy Within, which is a crossover with Avengers Assemble. From there, I hear that they're planning on rebooting the title, which makes me a little nervous. I quite like how things are, does rebooting mean they're going to change things a lot? I guess we'll see
While I enjoyed In Pursuit of Flight, I feel like DeConnick really hits her stride here with Down. Both storylines are quite strong, filled with action while keeping the emphasis on the relationships between the characters. DeConnick seems to be crafting a family for Carol in the apartment building where she lives, and the results can be quite comical, an can be seen in the well crafted dialogue. Another thing DeConnick does well is keep our protagonist grounded and relatable, no small feet given the power house Captain Marvel is. She does this in the first arc by keeping the emphasis on the relationship between the past and present Captain Marvesl (don't worry action fans! She gets to fight a giant mech too). And she does this in the second storyline by taking away one of Carol's biggest strengths. If she flies, she may die. There are also a nice amount of superhero cameos. Monica Rambeau is the biggest one, but you also get to see Spider Woman and Captain America lend a hand.
The artwork this time around is divided between two artist. Dexter Soy, who I've grown to quite like (despite the fact that he constantly changes the length of Carol's hair from panel to panel), provides the art for the first arc, while Filipe Andrade does the second. I wasn't as fond of Andrade's style at first, but by the end I was growing to like it.
Because I enjoyed Down so much, I will continue to read Captain Marvel with the upcoming graphic novel The Enemy Within, which is a crossover with Avengers Assemble. From there, I hear that they're planning on rebooting the title, which makes me a little nervous. I quite like how things are, does rebooting mean they're going to change things a lot? I guess we'll see
February 12, 2017
Well....
World: I hate the art, all the artists so far on this book have not been my cup of tea. It's not just the art, it's the colors and the sense of motion for a Captain Marvel book, it's just...not good. The world building for this book is also a bit wonky. For Marvel fans I think it's fine, but being the second arc for a new series intended for new readers the cast of characters and the world is just thrown at them and sometimes readers do feel lost (I know I did).
Story: The giant robot story was fun for what it was, the lesion in the brain thing was...zzz. We've read this type of story so many times with heroes being sidelined and making the decisions dispite...blah blah blah. Nothing special here, and the final reveal is also meh as I said the world building really dropped the ball here.
Characters: I like the banter, it's a strong point of the book and I also do like Carol's personal voice. What I don't like is the slew of characters that show up in her life which I know for Marvel readers is great, but for new readers and being a second arc is just overwhelming to new readers. Who's that? and her? and her? and him? and them? What?
Good intentioned book with wonky world building and cliche plot made me sad.
Onward to the next book!
World: I hate the art, all the artists so far on this book have not been my cup of tea. It's not just the art, it's the colors and the sense of motion for a Captain Marvel book, it's just...not good. The world building for this book is also a bit wonky. For Marvel fans I think it's fine, but being the second arc for a new series intended for new readers the cast of characters and the world is just thrown at them and sometimes readers do feel lost (I know I did).
Story: The giant robot story was fun for what it was, the lesion in the brain thing was...zzz. We've read this type of story so many times with heroes being sidelined and making the decisions dispite...blah blah blah. Nothing special here, and the final reveal is also meh as I said the world building really dropped the ball here.
Characters: I like the banter, it's a strong point of the book and I also do like Carol's personal voice. What I don't like is the slew of characters that show up in her life which I know for Marvel readers is great, but for new readers and being a second arc is just overwhelming to new readers. Who's that? and her? and her? and him? and them? What?
Good intentioned book with wonky world building and cliche plot made me sad.
Onward to the next book!
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