written by Margaret Stohl
penciled by Carlos Pacheco
inked by Rafael Fonteriz
colored by Marcio Menyz
flashback sequences illustrated and colored by Marguerite Sauvage
Marvel's big push to catapult Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel, into the spotlight ahead of her feature film debut next March begins in earnest with The Life of Captain Marvel, a miniseries that takes a look at the challenges that Carol not only faced as a child, but all throughout her journey to becoming Captain Marvel.
This issue begins with a flashback to what seems to be an idyllic childhood for Carol, growing up in Boston with her two brothers Joe Danvers, Jr., and Steve. It all seems quite pleasant, until the uglier aspect of the memory sets in, with Carol also remembering her father's acts of physical abuse. Flash forward to the present day, specifically Father's Day, with Carol remembering her dad's darker nature, while the Avengers are locked in battle with a crew of bad guys. The memory of her dad's acts of violence cuts deep, and the resulting anger causes Carol to hit bad guys Tanalth and Moonstone a bit harder than usual, something which doesn't escape the attention of her teammates, especially Iron Man, who knows a thing or two about daddy issues. On Iron Man's recommendation, Carol takes some much needed downtime and goes home to Boston, where she receives a frosty welcome from Joe, Jr. Carol's anger with her father remains, and she's almost inclined to head back to New York, with her anger in tow, when tragedy strikes and she's forced to spend more time in her hometwon, where she not only learns something rather shocking about her father but sets off a chain of events that may come back to bite her later.
As heavily-hyped, big-event books go, I have to say that this one was distinctly underwhelming. It starts off fairly strongly, with Carol's flashbacks, particularly thanks to Margeruite Sauvage's crisp artwork, but after Carol comes home the story almost immediately gets bogged down in some run-of-the-mill family melodrama. I mean, we're talking about nearly twenty pages of Carol shooting hoops with her brother, arguing with her brother and mother, moping around the cemetery, and cleaning up around the house following the aforementioned tragedy. That's hardly the way one would want to use the talents of a topnotch artist like Carlos Pacheco, and an even less effective way to use extra pages in an "event" book. The story is billed as her "definitive origin" and yet, with the exception of the pages illustrated by Sauvage, Carol spends most of the time sulking in the present.
I will not begrudge Marvel their latest attempt to sell books featuring one of their most important female characters, but as a reader I have to say there are better ways to do it. Books like Spider-Gwen and Ms. Marvel (of which I have bought several collected editions) are excellent examples of solo female-led books that have consistently told engaging, exciting four-color superhero stories that also effectively plumb the depths of their respective lead characters. G. Willow Wilson, in particular, has really achieved something special with Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American superhero with a unique voice.
The book's saving grace lies with Sauvage's brief but striking images, and Pacheco's vibrant linework, which helps keep Stohl's story livelier than it has any business being.
I hope for better from this team, and considering I haven't read anything from this author before, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt for now.
6/10
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