Review: Captain Marvel #26

For a book I started picking up at the start of the Last Avenger storyline, thanks to a great cover, I have to admit that Captain Marvel under the writings of Kelly Thompson has been one of the most consistently high quality books this side of Black Cat, and you all know how much I love Black Cat!

This is a final issue for lots of elements for Carol Danvers. For starters, it’s the end of the New World storyline, there is a death in the family and then there is the end of something special which looks to protect a future. Taking the story first; Carol’s battle with Ove is a bittersweet one for sure. The cast of characters remains quite large, but there is a reason for this. With the battle over, it takes a supreme sacrifice to get Carol back to her time. But in doing so, possibly the seeds of something new are sown.

Kelly Thompson has set up Carol brilliantly. When you have a character as powerful as Carol, it is the interactions with her friends that carry the biggest chink in her armour. When you have not one but two Jessica’s involved you know that there could be heartache. Whilst that may be part one of the main emotional draw, other interactions with Emma, fro example, also carry a level of mutual respect. The dialogue works in every panel; the Enchantress also an impact part to play. The beauty of Thompson’s writing is so good that even though it could be argued that Carol “won” there are greater losses than Ove going back into the past.

I have been a fan of Lee Garbett since his Batgirl run. Here, Garbett has excelled in the various battles and quiet place that Carol has gone through. It would be easy to think of Garbett as just an action penciller, but take a look at the panels with Carol and Jess when the former is back in her own time. You can see the emotion pour from the pencils. Garbett’s run has been a masterclass of quiet moments, actions scenes and group interaction. This is Garbett’s last issue; I know change is a constant in comic books but I do wish that Garbett was staying on the book a little longer, no disrespect for David Lopez and Jacopo Camagn intended. Colors are supplied by Antonio Fabela who has that Marvel style that kind of blurs the pencil lines a bit, thought there is a resonance and richness to the characters. Finally, letters are provided by VC’s Clayton Cowles who takes a break from the X-Font, Batman Catwoman to deliver an easy going font, that belabours the verbiage.

For a book that has been at a high standard for quite some time, this issue was outstanding! When you consider how frustrating Avengers and the Phoenix force story has been, how nothing has happened in Amazing Spider-Man for a whole and don’t get me started with the re-incarnation of Claremont’s long running elongation of story that Hickman is channeling, Thompson and Carol have delivered quality storytelling month in / month out. Head and shoulders the best book that Marvel has published this year to date.

Writing – 5 Stars

Art – 5 Stars

Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Kelly Thompson
Art by; Lee Garbett
Colors by; Antonio Fabela
Letters by; VC’s Clayton Cowles
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network