This was another book picked up by my husband in his quest for graphic novels about women heroes by women authors. I’m a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but I didn’t grow up on comic books, so I’ve been going into all the movies blind. I figured this would be a great way to actually introduce myself to a character I know is coming to film. Unfortunately, “volume 1” in this instance was not a relaunch of the character but just the start to a new run of adventures. I came away from the book excited to meet Captain Marvel on film in a few years, but utterly confused by what I had just read.
This collection definitely accomplished some things I was looking for as a reader. I got a good sense of Captain Marvel’s personality and abilities and enjoyed both. I especially loved that there was some discussion of her romantic life in the beginning of the book but that it took an unexpected turn in that she decides to follow her own path.
On the other hand, I wish I had known that this was a continuation story instead of an introduction. I had no idea who any of the characters were if they weren’t already part of the MCU. It was also hard to identify with a good portion of the plot considering it depended on already being familiar with Captain Marvel’s personal history to understand the full implications of the villain she faced and all the facets of their relationship.
In addition, while it was really cool to see the Guardians of the Galaxy in graphic novel form, I’m curious why the author felt that Captain Marvel needed the external support. Why wasn’t it possible to present a story line that focused solely on Captain Marvel and relied on her strengths as a character alone?
The issues that rely on so much background knowledge for the reader mean that I probably won’t be reading future installments of this graphic novel series. However, I’m definitely excited for Captain Marvel’s turn on the big screen. I especially hope that her relationship with Col. Rhodes/War Machine makes it to the MCU, both for the representation of a biracial relationship on the big screen and because I need a hilarious scene with Tony Stark being irrationally jealous of her in my life.
Rating: 3 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.
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