Review: Captain Marvel - The End #1

Just when you thought Kelly Thompson was all about the humour, she drops an issue that whilst may not pack as much resonance as its more obvious influence, still delivers the message of heroic proportions.

The year is 2051 and Captain Marvel has spent the last fifty years in space, doling out justice and peace.Â But fifty years way from Earth, away from home comes with a price.Â Too far away, she couldn’t arrive in time to help save the planet; too close, eventually, to turn away.Â Once there, she turned her back to the loss of life and headed to the stars until the call “Avengers Assemble” once again beckoned her home.Â Of course this is different home, a bittersweet home filled with the children of those that went before, who bear both the joy of new life and the heavy weight of guilt of lives lost.Â Once again, the power of Captain Marvel is required, though this time. Carol will need more than just her powers to fight the good fight and bring light to a world of darkness.

Kelly Thompson is theÂ Captain Marvel writer.Â Her love, her knowledge of the character is second to none.Â For all of Carol’s power, Thompson recognises that her true power resides in her friendships.Â This has been on show in the first issues of the current run and comes to fruition here.Â Despite all that the kids have lost, they all love Carol for what she meant to their parents.Â It is a nice change of pace to see the love of the past take precedent over the normally more common placed sins.Â Thompson also recognises that this Carol is so different to the current model.Â Loss, time and distance has had an effect on her.Â It’s brave of Marvel to let Thompson loose in this way.Â The dialogue is heartwarming, with the conclusion coming across as a natural element, which make a logical sense.

The art is supplied by regular Captain Marvel artist Carmen Carnero, who is taking a break in part to the Last Avengers story line.Â Carnero’s art may at times seem a little unfocused, but here it coalesces well.Â Carnero works hard to ensure that the kids look enough like their parents, which helps generate the emotional buy-in that is required for this book to tick.Â The panel designs work, though the larger action panels make way for more compact dialogue elements.Â The latter is required in order to get the right pieces in play. As much as I liked the art, it is the colors of David Curiel that really makes the art pop, from Carol’s evolved light show to the darkness in which the survivors live.Â Letters are supplied buy VC’s Travis Lanham who handles the denseness of dialogue well.

Recently we have had the “Life of Captain Marvel” mini which shaped the current book, the book that features the current adventures, and so it makes sense that the powers that be get round to Carol’s demise.Â Experienced comic fans will no doubt see the All-Star Superman or The Justice League Fatal Five animated movie touches.Â Influences are one thing; ideas may be even imitated, but style remains and it is this style that goes to show how great a writer Kelly Thompson can be, especially with this character.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Kelly Thompson
Art by; Carmen Carnero
Colors by; David Curiel
Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
Published by; Marvel Worldwide

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