Deron Generally
Deron Generally
The Life of Captain Marvel #4
Marvel Comics
Written by Margaret Stohl
Art by Carlos Pacheco and Erica D’Urso
Inks by Rafael Fonteriz
Colors by Marcio Menyz
Letters by Clayton Cowles
On the planet Hala, young Mari-Ell is taught to live, train and survive for war. She trains and fights with a determination that raises her to the rank of Captain in the Kree Empire. Her first mission is to quash any threats to the empire from across the universe and her first mission will take her to Earth. When she arrives, she meets and falls in love with a young widower with two young sons. She abandons her mission to live a life she never thought she could as the two of them have a young daughter that they name Carol.
In the present, Carol Danvers has to come to grips with the fact that her mother is a Kree soldier and that the manifestation of her powers were not a mistake or an accident. That they are the birthright of her Kree heritage. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have that long to process all that information when she and her alien mother are attacked by a Kree weapon sent for Mari-Ell.
Margaret Stohl has taken everything you thought you knew about the origin of Carol Danvers and upended it. She’s taken the character’s origin and altered it in an interesting and satisfying way. It’s one of the best things that could have happened to the character in my opinion. Rather than having Carol constantly deal with her powers being the by-product of a twist of fate, she is informed that the powers she has are part of her and always have been. This opens up new directions for Carol going forward.
The other great thing about this issue is that it puts so many of Carol’s inner conflicts into focus. If there was one thing that I found questionable it was the softening of Carol’s abusive father. Even though his alcoholism is addressed and tied to his stress over the danger he felt they were all in, it can’t be the excuse for his abuse. Other than that, the reveals and the history shown do a great job of making Carol a more compelling character and adding a new dynamic to her relationship with her mother.
The art by Pacheco and D’Urso is beautiful and both the past and present that they are drawing complement each other in both tone and style.
The life of captain marvel #4
