Captain Marvel #24

By Kelly Thompson, Lee Garbett, Belen Ortega, and Antonio Fabela

You would be hard pressed to find a major hero who is as disliked as much as Carol Danvers. There are many reasons for the hate, some is warranted, like her actions in Civil War 2, while other complaints are simply men not liking strong female characters. Having said that, I personally am not a fan of the character. She can be ok at times, but is an all powerful character that isn’t that appealing to me. Now, Kelly Thompson has done an excellent job of fleshing Carol out and giving her good stories that feature her. I’ve bought and read several issues of Captain Marvel from this run, and I really love the character of Star too. As we look into the third issue of this story arc, we get to see what Ove has in store for our time displaced heroine and if he can truly be trusted. I’ll give you a hint, he’s as big of a prick as Namor is.

The work that Kelly Thompson has done on Captain Marvel has been very good. She consistently puts Carol in fun and exciting stories that allow her to excel as a character. This issue we get down to who Ove is and how Atlantis managed to be a safe haven. Thompson gives Ove an interesting personality. We can see a little of Namor in him as he tries to woo Carol. If you don’t completely trust Ove as you read this issue, you’re not alone. Thompson writes characters like Brigid and Emma Frost well too. She has a knack for writing strong women and it shows in this series. We get the reveal of who Ove’s mother is, and a little of the plan seems to seep out. With each passing issue, this book seems to get better and better. If you’re not a Captain Marvel fan, I understand, but this has actually been a very enjoyable story arc.

The pencils this issue are handled by Lee Garbett for the current panels and Belen Ortega for the flashback sequences. Antonio Fabela is in charge of the colors. Present day pencils by Lee Garbett are done well. Garbett does great backgrounds for this issue. As Ove shows Carol’s team around his kingdom, bedrooms look amazing and well drawn. Carol looks stunning as an action hero. Garbett draws her to look like a gorgeous supermodel, and it works. The flashback panels by Belen Ortega have a little more edge to them. Ortega has to show a child see his father die in front of him. He succeeds in showing us more with less. The look on a young Ove’s face as the shadow of the trident spearing his father is probably the best panel in the book. The colors by Antoni Fabela work well with the artists’ style. As the characters snoop through Ove’s kingdom, Fabela uses a dark background with some great slivers of light shining in. The lime green glow from the chains of prisoners is eye catching too. The pencils and colors for this issue help make this a more enjoyable read.

Captain Marvel #24 is a fine issue for anyone on the fence about this series. The characterization of all the main players is spot on, and Kelly Thompson has made this series accessible to new readers. The art department came through and delivered the goods on their part. Captain Marvel continues to be a relevant title despite all of its detractors.