Captain Marvel: 10 essential Captain Marvel comics to read before her MCU debut

6. Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Captain Marvel

Look, there is no easy way of saying this: Captain Marvel has a long and convoluted history. Like most comic book characters, retcons and edits have been made to her backstory over the years by various writers and, thus, it’s nearly impossible to navigate through the character’s comic book history in a linear fashion. Throw in the fact that Carol Danvers has existed almost as long as the Captain Marvel mantle itself without actually holding the coveted title (until recently), and it’s understandable that the thought of starting anywhere is quite daunting. However, that’s where this not-so-little gem comes in.

Much like the aforementioned Essential Marvel, the Marvel Platinum series is also renowned for showcasing a particular hero, taking us back through the annals of history to let us revisit some of their greatest adventures. So it’s only fitting that a volume dedicated to Earth’s Mightiest Hero was released just in time to coincide with the upcoming film’s release.

Taking us right back to the beginning of the character’s rich history, The Definitive Captain Marvel revisits the exploits of the original Captain Marvel, a Kree warrior known as Mar-Vell, while also highlighting the event that made Carol Danvers become his rightful successor. From there, the 300-page bumper pack features some of the pair’s immortal storylines as it recaps the 50-year history of Captain Marvel.

Released in February, this anthology is destined to catch you up on the character’s comic book origins and everything that came after that, detailing Marvel’s highs, lows and everything in between. If you don’t know who both Captain Marvel and Carol Danvers are after you read this, you never will.