MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL #5
Writer: Margaret Stohl
Penciller: Michele Bandini
Colorist: Michael Garland and Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 5/24/17
Mighty Captain Marvel is a rebirth, of sorts, for Carol Danvers following her attempt to prevent crime before it even happened. As the leader of Alpha Flight, Carol is tasked with preventing any alien entities from entering Earth air space. In other words, she’s been put as far as humanly possible away from normal civilization. Now her job is look after the protective shield that will keep enemies away from earth.
Unbeknownst to Carol, Steve Rogers actually has other designs for the shield and that’s to keep one of earth’s mightiest heroes on the outside looking in as he and Hydra take over the world. Gotta hand it to Steve on this one, Carol is too big of a piece to leave on the board and he found the perfect way to eliminate her.
Plot: Mighty Captain Marvel #4 is another look at Steve’s betrayal of Carol, S.H.I.E.L.D., the United States, and his fellow heroes. As Carol et. al work to get the protective shield surrounding earth, Steve Rogers knows that this will trap some of the most powerful enemies to Hydra’s plans of world domination. As a military leader, this book shows how cunning Rogers can be and how quickly Carol can figure out something is amiss.
As Secret Empire builds and builds, the story continues to impress. Not only do we see different heroes step up to save the day, we also see the masterful job Steve Rogers can do when he’s not on the side of good. This story arc is basically Steve Rogers’ Art of War and it’s a fantastic story. Mighty Captain Marvel is another way to build on that story from a different angle and sets up a showdown between Carol and Steve for later in the series.
Story: Margaret Stohl is using this book to set up a group of women that will save the day. There’s plenty of subtext in the story. Stohl is using this story to showcase the power of women, even in battle. While the subtext is there, it isn’t in your face and works well within the confines of the overall arc. How will these group of women overcome seemingly impossible odds? Stohl also has a woman save the day for a man, something that we see play out in the conversation following the save.
Mighty Captain Marvel is about female empowerment and it does a fantastic job of touching on these issues while still telling a story that doesn’t push male readers away. Carol Danvers has always been a symbol of power and strength, but now she stands for leadership and heroics. This really is the perfect way to bring Carol back into the fold after her actings in Civil War II. Stohl does a fine job of balancing the past with the present to deliver a story that everyone can appreciate.
Art: Michele Bandini does a superb job of drawing these characters in all facets. The introduction of the new Alpha Flight trainees presents some interesting storylines moving forward. Once again, we see a theme of self-assured women, ready for combat. In fact, the only one with any sort of reservations is the man, which is a change from the normal routine.
Michael Garland and Erick Arciniega do a great job of bringing these characters to life without sacrificing anything in the battle scenes. The expressions on the faces of Rocket and Groot are enough to make most people laugh out loud. The full-scale war between Alpha Flight and the Chitauri might be the best part of this issue of Mighty Captain Marvel.
Verdict: Mighty Captain Marvel is a story about redemption, empowerment, betrayal, and personal growth. Carol Danvers has long been one of my favorite Marvel characters and it’s because of her raw power in battle. There are few heroes with the ability to absorb punishment and damage quite like Carol Danvers. She is quite simply one of the toughest heroes there is and Mighty Captain Marvel showcases these attributes in all the right ways. — JW
Rating: 4/5 Stars