After learning that Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run on Captain Marvel will come to an end with Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps it has made this Secret Wars mini-series have a bitter sweet feeling. DeConnick’s work on the Captain Marvel character has been fantastic. While it I am sad that this mini-series will be her last I have high hopes that Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2 will be another strong entry in DeConnick’s run.
Creative Team
Writers: Kelly Sue DeConnick and Kelly Thompson
Artist: David Lopez
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: Captain Marvel flies above the ocean, searching through the wreckage of the Thor Corps recent attack. All Captain Marvel can find is the plaque of the ship that was attacked before being called back to the base since she is flying around the no-fly zone.
Carol gets back to the base and enters the room where Jo is treating the only survivor of the Thor Corps attack. Carol is able to wake up the guy by calling him sailor. The guy reveals that he is actually a captain going by the name of James Rhodes. Rhodes goes into shock when thinking back about the attack and falls back to sleep.
Later that afternoon Carol meets Dr. Nayar and brings her into the barracks where the injured Rhodes is being housed. Helen objects to having Dr. Nayar heal Rhodes but Carol tells Helen that they can’t let him die.
Dr. Nayar is able to stabilize Rhodes condition and gives Carol some antibiotics to treat his infection. Dr. Nayar then says that the group now should be thinking of the consequences of bringing Rhodes to shore.
Carol and the others tell Dr. Nayar hat Doom is a bunch of lies. Dr. Nayar tells them that what they are saying is blasphemy. Carol explains that she does not believe that she was given her powers by Doom’s magic but by some other force. Jerri then says that they believe Carol got her powers from the Void. Upon seeing Dr. Nayar’s silence Helen says that they are going to the Void to get powers like Carol’s. Dr. Nayar wonders if Carol’s team will keep her captive so she doesn’t tell Doom but Carol says they will not and let her go.
Carol tells half of her team to retrofit some of their jets while the others go to work like normal.
Carol then goes to the Baroness office to get her to believe the team is working like they normally are. During the meeting Carol becomes uneasy when Baroness goes over how they are always at war by using chess as an example of who has the real power in war.
Carol and Helen check on Mackie’s progress with the retrofits. Mackie says that its about done but that they need to test it. Helen volunteers to do the test tonight but Carol says they have to wait to test the jets at a time that won’t give away what they are doing in secret. While Helen objects to how they are wasting time Carol quickly shuts her down.
That night, Carol checks up on Rhodes, who has finally woken up and tells Carol to call him Rhodey. After informing Rhodey on the death of his crew Carol asks him to tell her the truth about what his crew was doing out at sea.
Rhodey explains that he is actually from Battleworld’s Limbo land, a place he calls “Hell on Earth.” Rhodey says that his time in Limbo drove him and his crew to the sea to find out where they really came from.
Carol laughs a bit not because she thought the story was funny but because of how similar she and Rhodey are. Rhodey wonders if Carol has found her answer yet. Carol says she hasn’t yet.
At the hanger, Helen sneaks in and takes the prototype jet out. Carol catches Helen taking off and is left in shock when the jet explodes not long after taking off. End of issue.
The Good: With Secret Wars completely taking over Marvel’s publishing line it has become even more imperative for creative teams to do something different. The comic books that have stood out from the pack so far are the ones not just looking to tell another super hero story. That is exactly what Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2 does so well in getting across to the reader.
Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2 first and foremost is a character piece. Even though Carol Danvers is a person with super powers that is not what this series is about. Kelly Sue DeConnick and Kelly Thompson make sure to emphasize how important Carol and the world around her are the things that make this comic special.
What makes this take on Carol Danvers stand out even more is how DeConnick and Thompson make the world feel like it is a place built around her. There is a distinct feeling that Hala is a place that functions to challenge Carol at every turn. This issue in particular showed us just how many different things Carol has to deal with outside of her own questions of her origin.
DeConnick and Thompson are able to highlight all of the different things Carol has to deal with by creating a compelling supporting cast. Every character that is part of the Carol Corps has a distinct voice that stands on its own. From Helen to Joelen no one character sounds the same, which helps create a vibe that unique to this series.
Even if Battleworld has only been around for a few years, from what was revealed in a recent issue of Secret Wars, that is something you don’t think about while reading this issue. DeConnick and Thompson create a sense of history to Hala with how they have Carol interact with her support cast. Seeing how Carol is able to deal with the tension created by Rhodey’s presence shows just how much of a true leader she is. Helen and the others response to Carol’s commands also makes you realize how close all of these people are.
DeConnick and Thompson also do a nice job with how they are able to integrate the greater problem facing Battleworld with Rhodey’s introduction. They made Rhodey sudden appearance feel special because of what his presence mean. It reemphasize how dangerous it is to disobey Doom’s rule if he finds out about Rhodey leaving Limbo and sailing off for Hala. It also puts Rhodey in an interesting wild card-type situation as the conflict between Captain Marvel and the Thor Corps begins to heat up.
Speaking of the conflict, I did enjoy how the ending built off all the tension within the Carol Corps. Seeing Helen disobey orders and test the prototype jet was a natural way to tie everything back to the Secret Wars conflict. Now instead of the typical being at odds with Doom’s rule Carol has a personal reason to fight the Thor Corps. This revenge sub-plot also helps to increase the need for Carol and company to get to the Void if they want to stand a chance in future issues.
As has been the case with the Captain Marvel ongoing, David Lopez provided this issue with some excellent artwork. Lopez does a wonderful job making this comic feel like a period piece with the way his choice of colors in certain scenes. I particularly enjoyed how he drew the scene between Carol and Baroness. He was able to make the tension between he two during the meeting feel real. Its these type of little things that help the story stand out from the Secret Wars pack more than it already is.
The Bad: The only problem some may have with Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2 is the lack of action. From beginning to end, this issue is about the characters and their relationships with one another in this location of Battleworld. That may be a turn off to some looking for a lot of action in their comic books.
Overall: Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2 does a fantastic job in helping to separate this series from the army of Secret Wars comics on the stands right now. Kelly Sue DeConnick and Kelly Thompson delivered a story that feels unique to Carol Danvers character. The relationships between Carol and her crew help ground the more fantastical elements as they all seem like genuine friends dealing with a conflict together. James Rhodes presence in the story added to the tension that already existed around this story as he gave this series a wildcard at its disposal. And with how things ended in this issue I have even greater expectations for this story to get even better moving forward.
