Captain Marvel #4

By Kelly Sue DeConnick, David Lopez, & Lee Loughridge

Captain Marvel soars high in issue #4 as Carol Danvers continues her adventures across the galaxy. She is currently attempting to organize an escape plans for the civilization of a poisonous planet, while inadvertently causing even more conflict among the planet’s people. Carol is accompanied by new comrades she met on this new world who are willing to accompany her on her further space missions. Everything seems interesting, original, and ultimately different from what is seen in mainstream Marvel titles, and it is, without a doubt, an enjoyable read.

Kelly Sue DeConnick is taking the character in brand new directions that consist of a lot of extraterrestrial potential, because when it comes to space, there is just so much you can tell. Captain Marvel is being returned to her alien roots, consisting with her redefined origins. The story, as well as the art, separates itself from most of the other Marvel titles, as we can now explore alien worlds, with strange new creatures and the possibility for a lot of stories. A good cast of supporting characters are introduced in this issue, each with differentiating personalities while still all having a sense of overconfidence that creates a nice group dynamic that is sure to cause more problems than solve.

Captain Marvel is definitely not one of the most detailed books out there visually, but on a positive note, Lopez’s alien designs diverse and interesting, which is always important when dealing with off-world stories. Loughridge’s lighting is another positive aspect of the art, and how the light reflects off surfaces and characters creates a light atmosphere that illuminates the entire space and makes each scene bright and colorful. Lopez’s art is not too realistic but not too “cartoony” that it becomes too unbelievable. He is great at facial expression as you can always tell how Captain Marvel feels about a situation, even if there weren’t any speech bubbles. It is always a testament to how great the art is when you could almost just look at the images without the words and still realize what’s going on (which is also credited to the great writing). Lopez and Loughridge have created a nice, basic look for the series that stands out from others.

Carol Danvers is a good lead character who takes charge and is a likable character that an entire series can easily follow for a long time. She is also established with a good sense of humor that accumulates to some comedic moments that take away from the severity of some situations. The dialogue is in short supply as it is clear that the art is the leading storyteller for this series, yet so much information is explained just through simple character dialogue as opposed to detailed narration. The series has been consistent in its look, pacing, and quality of storytelling. The positive elements have been trending through every issue and continue through this one, which are surely to continue in further issues. With a likable leading character, an original story with a galaxy-full of possibilities, and art that is simple, yet bright and engaging, Captain Marvel is one of Marvel’s more entertaining and outgoing series.