Marvel Pick Of The Week – December 17, 2014

Pick Of The Week:

Captain Marvel 10, by Kelly Sue DeConnick, David Lopez, Marcio Takara, and Laura Braga

Carol Danvers has been a tough character to really get right, which is a shame because she’s one of Marvel’s first major female superheroes and will headline the studio’s first female-led film later this decade. Originally an Air Force pilot who gained alien powers by rescuing Kree hero Mar-Vell from the exploding Psyche-Magnetron, she has been kidnapped from the Avengers mansion by a man who mind-controlled her into becoming his biological mother (that really happened, Avengers 200, and it was super-gross), her identity and powers were stolen by Rogue, and she developed alcoholism that led her to drink during rescue missions and eventually face Avengers court-martial. It seems like writers eventually aren’t sure what to do with her and end up hurting her again and again.

Kelly Sue DeConnick took the character over with a street-level angle in Ms. Marvel, linking fans of the character or of empowered women in general into a massive, jovial Carol Corps. Then, in part of a Marvel series of relaunches, the title was passed to Kamala Khan, and Carol Danvers joined up with the Guardians of the Galaxy as Captain Marvel. I love Kelly Sue DeConnick in general (and raved about her new property, Bitch Planet) but I haven’t loved the outer space adventures like I thought I would. The humor’s there, but the supporting cast has been a bunch of aliens that haven’t held my attention, and the Guardians have barely poked their heads into the frame. This anniversary issue hits the spot for me, though, because it briefly brings Carol back home to New York.

The set-up is that Carol has received a letter from home. The first one is from Kit, the little girl next door who taught Carol how to be a hero and an inspiration. She tells the story of an enemy breaking out of prison and sending an army of rats to find and destroy Captain Marvel. Kit escapes the rats, and the story gets picked up by Spider-Woman. Here, the art changes, and the sweet tone changes to a chatty, funny conversation between two independent women who happen to be best friends. Spider-Woman moves the story along and then passes it off to Iron Patriot (as promised in DeConnick’s Dragon Con panel), with another change of artist to finish the action with tension, adrenaline, and even romance.

Carol Danvers is barely in her own anniversary issue. Still, her character and spirit surround every part of this story. As a result, the people who love her let the reader know how complex this person is, and DeConnick shows that she can be an interesting, compelling figure without having to run her through another torture-porn sequel.

Long live the Carol Corps.

Honorable Mentions:

Elektra 9, for proving the “This book is pretty but empty” critics utterly wrong with this double-page spread shaped like a heart in which Elektra wanders through a breakup with Daredevil and breaks all of our hearts by the time she gets across the page. I will miss this amazing, mysterious book.

Black Widow 13, for following up on last issue’s Anderson Cooper segment by showing a news show where J. Jonah Jameson asks, “Anderson Cooper: Villain or Vital Voice?” I vote Vital Voice.

Inhuman 10, for letting Evil Inverted Medusa act pretty much like Regular Medusa but with her protective vibe turned all the way up as she attacks the United Nations and throws Spider-Man into the East River. That fight scene was awesome, and I was actually rooting for Medusa in her defense of her people.

Deathlok 3, for giving us all the chance to pretend like a cyborg with a gun belt is completely incognito as long as he wears a hat. The man has a gun strapped outside his jacket. The cops hunting him are a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Storm 6, for spicing up everyone’s holiday travel plans by showcasing Storm saving her plane from both apocalyptic turbulence and jet packed terrorists. Not what you need to read right before heading to Gramma’s, but pretty stinking awesome nonetheless.