Can you take her higher?
If Carol Danvers’ life has been all about flying higher and charging towards the horizon, her latest solo series offers a perfect new status quo. Carol is leaving the Avengers behind to spearhead the new Alpha Flight and serve as Earth’s first line of defense against interstellar threats. The result is a new series that’s less a traditional superhero book that an ensemble science-fiction tale. If anything, Captain Marvel reads like marvel’s take on Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica. And that certainly has its appeals.
The most interesting quality of this new series is that Agent Carter showrunners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters have been tapped to script the book. Making the jump from TV or film to comics can be tricky, with many writers struggling with the idea that less is more and that the visuals need to tell the story as much as possible. Luckily, Fazekas and Butters don’t take the overzealous approach to the book. They craft a clean, engaging script that offers just enough insight into Carol’s current mindset while focusing more on her new job and her relationships with her various new co-workers. The standout dynamic is easily Carol’s instant friendship with Puck, as the latter character is as peppy and colorful as ever.
There’s nothing drastically new or different about the book’s voice or Fazekas and Butters’ portrayal of Carol. The series reads like a natural extension of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s work while being perfectly accessible and enjoyable for newcomers. The real struggle here comes with the clash between Carol’s brash, go-getter personality and the bureaucratic needs of being a leader.
It helps that the writers have artist Kris Anka to lean on. Anka’s clean, angular style is a fitting complement to their writing. Anka’s characters are sleek and simple yet still dynamic and expressive. His background details frequently showcase the vastness of Carol’s new space station home and the empty void surrounding it. The only time the storytelling falters comes late in the game when a brief space battle sequence becomes oddly claustrophobic due to the small, cramped panels.
Anka’s redesign of Carol’s modern costume is also a success. Her suit gains a few embellishments that give it a more rugged, militaristic appearance without losing the elegance of Jamie McKelvie’s original design. Her new hairdo is also a plus. Given that every Marvel artist seemed to have their own interpretation of Carol’s hairstyle in years past, it’ll be nice to see a more consistent look for the character for a change.
Captain Marvel is in good form as she kicks off her latest solo series. The new status quo is a logical extension of what’s come before, and the ensemble cast injects new color into the mix. The creative team work seamlessly together to provide a clean, accessible and entertaining gateway into her world.
