Review – Captain Marvel #6 (Marvel Comics)

Time for A Whole Different Team Up In Captain Marvel #6

With War of the Realms taking over the Marvel universe, it’s no surprise that nearly every series is getting a tie-in issue. And now it’s Captain Marvel’s turn to join the fight. If you haven’t been reading the War of the Realms event, that’s okay. You should follow this plot without much problem; just be aware that you might get some spoilers if you read this first.

Captain Marvel #6 brings us the Captain herself, Doctor Strange, and Black Widow all in one place. And as expected, they’re taking on some of the heavy hitters in this War on Midgard. What is unexpected is the conclusion to this issue. Together our team is facing off on a single common threat, one that needs to be handled. And they’re hoping they’re the right team for the task.

Writing

Kelly Thompson’s take on the War of the Realms is precisely what I expected. It’s somewhere between intense and comical, which is perfect. Captain Marvel is no stranger to this War – she’s been making appearances in the spinoff series as needed. But it’s still nice to see what has been taking up the bulk of her time (or is it the Strikeforce that’s taking up the bulk of her time?).

Captain Marvel #6 brought some of my favorite heroes together in one place. This may seem like an odd team-up, and admittedly it is. But it’s also an oddly functional team-up. And I know I’d want these guys at my back if the world was about to end.

This issue had all the intensity of War of the Realms to start with but then managed to ebb and flow as needed. There were plenty of quippy one-liners to enjoy, as well as an actual conversation or two between these fantastic characters. And then, of course, there was the twist on a classic comic trope. Usually I’d be tempted to roll my eyes here, but it was actually quite cleverly done. And highly amusing. I’m looking forward to seeing how they resolve this mess!

As an added bonus, I love that this issue showed Captain Marvel as being tired. I know that sounds silly, but think about it. They’ve shown her in multiple subplots in War of the Realms already. That implies that she’s been all over the place, actively involved in War. That sounds utterly exhausting. So the tiredness adds a touch of realism while also subtly telling us that yes, it is all happening around the same time for her.

Art

Annapaola Martello stepped in as the guest artist for Captain Marvel #6, and I’ve got to say: I love their work. Together with Tamra Bonvillain as the colorist, this creative team brought us so many amazing panels to check out. There were a few different fight scenes in this issue, and they all had a different focus and setting. That left plenty of opportunities to entertain and catch our eyes.

And let’s not forget the variety of characters that had to be portrayed and immediately identifiable. Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and Enchantress. That may be less than some of the other series right now, but it’s still a lot. And all of these characters looked exactly as they should (which I’ve learned to never take as a given).

Conclusion

Captain Marvel #6 brought some of my favorite characters together in the same place, for which I couldn’t be happier. That it was also a tie-in issue seemed almost secondary. A lot of tie-in issues can be frustrating because it requires a ton of information to understand, but I don’t feel like that was the case here.

This issue took a dramatic fight scene, a classic comic trope, and mashed them together for a unique (and at times hilarious) plot. And I sincerely cannot wait to see more about this plot. Or to find out how far the gossip train will spread amongst our heroes.

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.