Review – Captain Marvel #5 (Marvel Comics)

An Epic and Karmic Battle Can Be Found in Captain Marvel #5

Captain Marvel has always been one of those characters that push herself hard to be the best. Her latest series goes to prove that. The series has done a lot with Carol’s backstory and character design, bringing her further than ever.

Captain Marvel #5 is without a doubt the height of this plot arc. It’s intense, full of epic fights and emotional moments. It’s precisely the sort of thing fans are hoping for. I’ve enjoyed the series up to now, but I’m officially in love with it here. This plot took some moments and plots that may have otherwise caused a chuckle and an eye roll and turned it into something so much more significant.

I should probably mention that there are a ton of cameos in this series so far. Some are bigger than others, but it means that there’s a chance you could find other favorite characters of yours in here. For instance, several favorites on mine had incredible appearances here.

Writing

Captain Marvel #5 was an intense read but in a good way. There were dramatic twists and revelations, and a few karmic moments were thrown in for the fans to cheer about. It made for a lot of fun and a quick read.

I’ve mentioned this in past reviews (I think), but I absolutely love that Kelly Thompson has been pulling in references and events from back in the days. A lot of series will brush older events under the rugs – especially if they don’t want to deal with that material. Thompson brought all of that out into the open and gave Carol a chance to face the demons of her past. It’s made for a solid start to the series and will hopefully give Carol a fresh start along the way.

This issue also marks the end of the first major plot arc, ‘Re-Entry.’ It did a brilliant job of wrapping everything up. It included all of the dramatic moments one would hope for (and possibly then some), as well as some humorous ones to level things out after the fact.

The door was left open for possible reappearances from the antagonist, but I think that won’t be for a while. And best of all, it even started up the next plot. I love it when they keep things moving along.

Art

There is a lot to love about the artwork in Captain Marvel. The first plot allowed for post-apocalyptic character designs – ones that I personally adore. Carol looked great in this new style, but so did many of the secondary characters (Spider-Woman being a shining example here – I’d love it if her redesign became permanent).

Captain Marvel #5 highlights some epic fights, power transfers, and other visually dramatic moments. And all credit has to go to Carmen Carnero and Tamra Bonvillain for that. Canerno’s lines combined with Bonvillain’s coloring made for spectacular and vibrant panels. Honestly, there were a few panels that I would buy prints of, given a choice.

Conclusion

Captain Marvel #5 concludes the current plot arc, but thankfully not the series. It was everything I could have asked for out of a conclusion, as it covered everything from wrapping up all the points to laying the groundwork for the following plot.

It was a lot, a lot of fun, which is something I don’t usually say. The fighting was fantastic, with lots of talk-worthy moments. And the character cameos really enhanced these moments as well, something I’m always excited about.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.