Another Late Review: The Life of Captain Marvel #2

written by Margaret Stohl
penciled by Carlos Pacheco and Marguerite Sauvage
inked by Rafael Fonteriz and Sauvage
colored by Marcio Menyz and Sauvage

Still reeling from the revelation that apart from being an abusive parent, her father Joe was also an unfaithful husband, Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel struggles with the quandary of whether or not to reveal to her mother the love letter she has discovered showing the illicit affair even as the two of them spend their days caring for Carol's comatose brother Joe. In the meantime, a deadly visitor from outer space lands and starts making its way to Carol's hometown in Maine.

This series is truly one of Marvel's infamous slow burn stories, with scant plot movement being stretched out over multiple issues. The plot moves along much more briskly this time, with the immediacy of Carol's dilemma regarding her late father's apparent infidelity and the impending arrival of the character who will presumably be her foe providing tension that was regrettably absent from the last issue, whose extra pages made its meandering nature all the more apparent, but it still feels too thin for a five-issue miniseries.

I get that this is more about the demons in Carol's head than any external threat, and Stohl's pacing is definitely much improved here, but honestly, I'm really no fan of issues where precious little happens, whoever the main character may be, and this book is really no exception.

Carlos Pacheco, who already delivered decent work last issue, actually steps up his work here, but isn't really given a whole lot to draw.

One definite highlight of this book for me, though is Marguerite Sauvage, whose work is really gorgeous to behold. I'd be more willing to forgive the shortcomings in the storytelling if her work adorned most of the issue rather than Pacheco's. I have no idea how long this woman has been illustrating comics but I'd definitely like to see more of her stuff. There's far too little of her work here, though to really affect the overall grade I'm giving this issue.

Having started this miniseries I intend to see it through, but I don't really see myself following Carol Danvers' adventures on a regular basis the way I follow those of Kamala Khan or Earth 65's Gwen Stacy.

6.5/10