Captain Marvel #6

By Kelly Sue DeConnick, David Lopez, & Lee Loughridge

Captain Marvel’s premiere story arc took some time to get its feet going, but good things come to those who wait, right? Well, not entirely, as Captain Marvel #6 was a fitting conclusion to Carol’s adventures in space, it fell flat when trying to present a finale that just didn’t live up to the lead-in created in past issues. Last time we left Carol, she was soaring into space to confront an armada of spaceships all set to destroy the planet Torfa, with all of her friends on it. This was an epic cliffhanger that wasn’t fully capitalized on here.

The ending was somewhat fitting, but too sudden. Most scenes that should have been important to the story were condensed to a few panels, creating a fast pace of story that may have been too fast for a finale issue. J’son’s “master plan” felt more like a beginner’s plan to being a bad guy. One scene in particular resembled that of a bad action flick, like when Arnold says “I’ll be back” over and over again; two Torfa ships flying into space to take on an army of starships that even Carol had difficulty defeating, and listening to music while doing it no less? Yeah, that’s an example of action for the sake of action.

DeConnick didn’t write a bad story though, as it did have excitement and gripping moments, but the biggest problems lied with the pacing and condensing of those moments preventing them from being moments we’d remember after closing the book. DeConnick does know how to write Carol Danvers, who has consistently been the best part of each issue.

Lopez’s art is simple, yet energetic and animated. It’s the type of art you could hang on your wall and stare at for days. Lopez and Loughridge stole the show, as they have been all series, especially during this issue’s brief action sequences in space. Loughridge’s colors blend perfectly with Lopez’s simple designs. If there is ever a gap in lined detail Loughridge is there to fill it in with his tremendous use of light and shading.

Captain Marvel #6 excelled at the art, as has the entire series, but some rushed scenes and lack of execution from previous build-ups prevented this issue from being memorable. This issue is not the best Captain Marvel, but certainly not the worst, and a good read for any Carol Danvers fan.