Captain Marvel #47 Review and Spoilers

[ChronoRogue]

We go back to where we were left last issue, where Hazmet goes nuclear while Laura helps to protect her from the swarm in the time it takes to charge up. Polaris and Carol protect their teams with energy shields.

Hazmat rushes to Laura to check if she's still alright, Laura confirms she's hurt but she'll be back on her feet in no-time. Meanwhile the team assess Rogue, she's hurt pretty badly so Laura gives Anna her healing factor to help speed up the process. Rogue awakes and Psylocke relays to Carol the good news, confirming the Brood they killed was an impersonation and not Rogue herself. Carol and Jess begin work trying to free Binary, but she is held down by both tech and organic components; they manage to blow up the technology but the organic vines keep regrowing and wrapping themselves around Carol. Kwannon tells her that the system works as a give and take, if they want to free Binary, someone needs to take her place as the vines prisoner.



Carol volunteers, stating that there isn't time to argue and that to bring an army back with them to help free her. As the 2nd team make their way back to the ship, Rogue offers up her mind to share what exactly happened to get her trapped with the Brood. Apparently she'd been coming back from a mission which seems a bit secretive when she caught Binary's tracking signal, she fought her way inside but the swarm eventually overwhelmed her. She is captured and The Brood Queen notes that Rogue's abilities, like Laura, make her more of a liability than useful to them so they get to work on trying to understand her power and destroying her at the same time. I'm guessing the Brood-Rogue hybrid must have been a result of the experiments.



Rogue shares that while she was set to be destroyed, Binary and Carol's abilities are viewed by the Brood as keys to being able to conquer the Kree Empire. It's why have such a strong feud with Carol and why Binary was captured.

The 2nd team eventually split with Gambit, Polaris and Laura going back to help Carol's team, then Rogue and Hazmat going back to the ship to rest up and prep their getaway. Rogue and Hazmat have a short chat, Hazmat telling Rogue she's glad she met her, as its rare to find someone who she feels would be able to empathize with her. Rogue encourages Hazmat, telling her she is appreciated and that she has good people around her right now with Carol and Jessica.

Back with the first team, Jessica and Kwannon try to fight off the encroaching swarm but they eventually get overwhelmed. We last see the Brood-Queen hovering over Carol and the unconscious first team.



Overall a solid 8.5/10 from me. I think it ties together the reason for the plot, leaves a few mysteries and subtle plot-threads, and has a nice balance of action and emotional beats. Very curious on what work Rogue was doing out in space, but I'm guessing it ties into R&G. KT proving once again she is great at balancing multiple characters and giving them each something to do, it's not even a team-book but it feels like one of the best balanced one's out right now; so props for that.

MVP for the issue seems to be Laura, the girl never seems to run out of energy. Hit by a huge amount of radiation, offers her powers to Rogue and still volunteers to help rescue Carol. No wonder she survived hundreds of years inside the vault.

I will say I kinda get frustrated by some of the panel set-up and jumps in time. I get that it's for dramatic effect and misdirection, but think maybe there might have been clearer ways to communicate to the reader how much time has passed and what is or isn't an illusion. But it's a small nit-pick, again very solid issue. I'm kinda sad time is almost up with this team, really hoping KT gets more opportunities to write these characters. (Uncanny Avengers perhaps...)

[Malachi]

Haha you just beat me to doing a review of this =) had it all typed up.

The highlight of the issue was Rogue and Jen talking on the thunderbird. Made you care for both of them. This is the Rogue that the current mini should be using instead of the very cold version that runs around there.

Also liked Gambit having none of Rogues stoicism and more or less carrying her around. For a character so headstrong as Rogue you need someone who can match that and get through to her.

Another nice thing is that when Laura helped Rogue down she called her Rogue and she called her Laura. Witch I feel reflects their relationship, while she calls Gambit Remy. Laura needs more page time with Rogue to get to Anna levels and for Rogue she is more open and gets to real names over codenames faster.

It's nice to see Carols history with the brood explored but I can't remember if I actually read the issues where she is transformed into Binary. I doubt it since I can't remember what series it took place in.

The off-panel, apperent, takedown of Jessica and Kwannon feels odd. Next issue might shed some light on what happened beyond limited pages.

Overall this was a strong issue. 8/10 for me.

EDIT: the nature of Rogues Wonderman powers bug me a teeny bit. Mostly it's because they are ionic and you could make the case that she can't be overwhelmed becasue she doesn't really tire and she is invunerable. But perhaps Rogue's powers just mimics the atributes of Wondermans powers and not their ionic nature. If someone has a good explanation then I am all ears.

[Krakoa]

EDIT: the nature of Rogues Wonderman powers bug me a teeny bit. Mostly it's because they are ionic and you could make the case that she can't be overwhelmed becasue she doesn't really tire and she is invunerable. But perhaps Rogue's powers just mimics the atributes of Wondermans powers and not their ionic nature. If someone has a good explanation then I am all ears.

This seems right to me. Even with Rogue's Carol powers it felt like she only ever really used the flying and strength when Carol's powers are obviously deeper than that.

[cranger]

So does this story feel like this all due to Broo and what is happening in X-Men or that something bigger is going on that will set the Brood free to be a threat again when this is over?

[ChronoRogue]

Haha you just beat me to doing a review of this =) had it all typed up.

I'm so sorry lol! I was worried I might be stepping on someone's toes who planned to do a write-up but got impatient. I have too much time on my hands these days. ;;^^

But agreed, Rogue needs a balance of tough and warm. Philips Rogue hasn't shown that yet, but maybe we'll see a more human characterization later on. We'll see.

As a side-note, I will say the Brood feel a bit... lifeless. This issue makes me wish they were designed in a more engaging way. They've always been a bit of weaker villains because they're modeled after Ridley Scott's "Alien" franchise which is focused on making them an 'other' and as their namesake, alien. Those beings are simple-minded and animalistic, not the best fit for comic book villains. Marvel's Brood are obviously intelligent as shown in this issue but they definitely all kinda blur together and don't feel very memorable as villains individually.

That said, this issue reminded me of a lot of untapped potential for the Brood to be very, very interesting if done right. If instead they were written more like the Chimera Ants from the manga "Hunter x Hunter", they could easily be in the Top 3 villains of Marvel. And by that I mean; give them human moral conflicts, write them as a hive but with more individuality and let them look more like the hosts they take on to better differentiate them; as well as giving a more horror-twist. Brood-Rogue for example still looked like a Brood just with a bad wig lol. They should go more Uncanny Valley with the designs.

Also I can easily imagine a King or Queen Brood who has much more charisma and looks more similar to imperfect Cell from DBZ. Instant classic villain, but ofc having to be careful with copyright (not that they aren't already a very clear reference to another franchise as it is...).



Give me a Brood-version of this please, it makes so much sense in my head. xD

Anyway, Marvel where is my X-Men Kelly Thompson book? D:<

This seems right to me. Even with Rogue's Carol powers it felt like she only ever really used the flying and strength when Carol's powers are obviously deeper than that.

I don't know, we've seen the little ionic bubbles and energy signature before just infrequently. I think it may be less she doesn't have his powers, than she doesn't totally absorb all aspects of a power most of the time or have them "on" all the time.

Like Rogue eventually displayed Carol's 7th sense, but it was widely inconsistent. It may be that Rogue isn't operating at full capacity of Simon's powers, but then again, Simon himself still seems to get tired at times so... not sure lol.

[JB]

Thanks for posting! The scene between Rogue and Hazmat was wonderful and once again the balance of the cast is done well by KT.

For anyone curious about Carol's first encounter with the Brood that turned her into Binary, it happened during Claremont's Brood saga, Uncanny X-men #161-#164.

So does this story feel like this all due to Broo and what is happening in X-Men or that something bigger is going on that will set the Brood free to be a threat again when this is over?

When Rogue is recounting what she heard from the Brood she mentions "something about dreams" so it's directly related to Nightmare taking control of the Brood while Broo is sleeping as shown in X-Men. Once Nightmare is defeated it seems they'll be fully back under Broo's control.

[Malachi]

I'm so sorry lol! I was worried I might be stepping on someone's toes who planned to do a write-up but got impatient. I have too much time on my hands these days. ;;^^

But agreed, Rogue needs a balance of tough and warm. Philips Rogue hasn't shown that yet, but maybe we'll see a more human characterization later on. We'll see.

As a side-note, I will say the Brood feel a bit... lifeless. This issue makes me wish they were designed in a more engaging way. They've always been a bit of weaker villains because they're modeled after Ridley Scott's "Alien" franchise which is focused on making them an 'other' and as their namesake, alien. Those beings are simple-minded and animalistic, not the best fit for comic book villains. Marvel's Brood are obviously intelligent as shown in this issue but they definitely all kinda blur together and don't feel very memorable as villains individually.

That said, this issue reminded me of a lot of untapped potential for the Brood to be very, very interesting if done right. If instead they were written more like the Chimera Ants from the manga "Hunter x Hunter", they could easily be in the Top 3 villains of Marvel. And by that I mean; give them human moral conflicts, write them as a hive but with more individuality and let them look more like the hosts they take on to better differentiate them; as well as giving a more horror-twist. Brood-Rogue for example still looked like a Brood just with a bad wig lol. They should go more Uncanny Valley with the designs.

Also I can easily imagine a King or Queen Brood who has much more charisma and looks more similar to imperfect Cell from DBZ. Instant classic villain, but ofc having to be careful with copyright (not that they aren't already a very clear reference to another franchise as it is...).

Give me a Brood-version of this please, it makes so much sense in my head. xD

Anyway, Marvel where is my X-Men Kelly Thompson book? D:<



I don't know, we've seen the little ionic bubbles and energy signature before just infrequently. I think it may be less she doesn't have his powers, than she doesn't totally absorb all aspects of a power most of the time or have them "on" all the time.

Like Rogue eventually displayed Carol's 7th sense, but it was widely inconsistent. It may be that Rogue isn't operating at full capacity of Simon's powers, but then again, Simon himself still seems to get tired at times so... not sure lol.

I was waiting to see if someone else posted one too and then typed one up. So we where probably not so out of sync on this one ^^

The brood is just one Hickman revamp away from having different broods with different purposes. Like guard broods, stealth broods and so on. A king brood like Cell perhaps, or several to defend the brood mother.

I don't remember if Simon does tire. I love Busieks Avengers run and for me that and early avengers are what constitutes as my memories of Simon.

[Rnap22]

I’ve read these recaps and I may have to pick this up as it’s a definite non-crossover crossover and sounds really good. I’ve always liked Carol but I fell out of her first series. I’m interested in the separation of her and her Binary powers as a separate being. Rogue and Carol co-leading an Uncanny Avengers team would be awesome.

[Kingdom X]

I reaaaaaally think they should bring Kelly back into the X-Office. Shoot give her Uncanny Avengers. She’s able to write mutant and human characters as peers and build natural chemistry among them. A lot of writers will have one group of characters talk down to the other, but it’s been genuinely fun to see this batch of characters on an adventure together.

[AppleJ]

Great write up @ChronoRogue!

Yeah, it's the inter-character relationships and interactions that really make issues like this sing for me.

I loved Gambit getting to be the one person who can successfully out stubborn Rogue and that she actually listens to him. This is the kind of give and take I miss. He can be a wife guy without being a doormat! And Rogue just isn't THAT emotionally closed off. I can only hope their mini swings back to these characterizations.

I'm not sure about the ionic Wonderman powers, but we can assume they've been damaging Rogue over a long time frame and yes, even Simon isn't written consistently and can weaken. This is why I dislike characters being overpowered. I think at least since Simon left her body in UA that I don't consider her to carry his full strength and abilities at all times.

I really enjoyed Laura being so careful and tender with Rogue. I would love to get more downtime and heart-to-hearts between these two now that they're been teammates on X-Men and share a connection through Gambit. They're really family in my mind.

But the moment with Hazmat was truly beautiful. It also reminds me how much I love Rogue as a mentor and want it back so bad!

Polaris and Kwannon really got to show some strong leadership skills and we get Kwannon's psychic armor.

This also did fairly well for me with keeping the action going and maintaining a sense of urgency. It feels like this is building to something very significant for Carol's own lore and that's always exciting to see.

All I can say is when the hell do we see Kelly on Uncanny Avengers with THIS team?! It feels so right and like there is plenty left to explore even after this arc!

[ChronoRogue]

I was waiting to see if someone else posted one too and then typed one up. So we where probably not so out of sync on this one ^^

The brood is just one Hickman revamp away from having different broods with different purposes. Like guard broods, stealth broods and so on. A king brood like Cell perhaps, or several to defend the brood mother.

I don't remember if Simon does tire. I love Busieks Avengers run and for me that and early avengers are what constitutes as my memories of Simon.

Ah, I see lol.

I definitely think they would benefit from a revamp. I kinda feel like the Skrulls and the Brood occupy some similar themes, especially once you get into the Super Skrulls, but find the designs and concept of the Brood more interesting; parasitic insect-like beings that evolved to feed and use their hosts to reproduce. It's a hard concept to inject empathy into, but that's why it's interesting if you are able to do it and turn them into more than just mindless killing machines. Here's hoping some of Hickman's notes included them outside of just this lingering Broo plotline.

Simon usually just get gets knocked out if the writer wants him off the table lol, but I do vaguely recall him showing some signs of getting tired or overexerting his abilities. In general, I find Simon displays his powers very inconsistently, outside of his standard flying brick powers. He can be given random powers like teleportation that he uses if the writer remembers, then it disappears under the next writer. Much like some aspects of Rogue's powers lol.

Thanks for posting!

Great write up @ChronoRogue!

Thank you very much!

[jwatson]

What i like about this is the book. What i don't like about it is i don't like the comment on it because of no fault of kt the vitirol toward tini and her work, right or wrong and the shotty job done on Leah's x-factor coupled with the disappearance of Vita just really makes me get a there can be only one vibe and i don't like the space in the x-office is still so small when the material is so vast. And i'm just going to leave it at that and not do a deep dive.

Specifically on the issue i like rogue has some semblance of control of her powers again if she isn't draining those around her with her distance absorption that having read the series it happened in, i can admit i took a bit of pride in it being restored here because it reinforced the series. I think it was Mr. and Mrs X but not 100.

[juan678]

https://twitter.com/SergioDavila007/...57922629836800

[ChronoRogue]

Loved that page, a lot of detail in it.

[thjan]

I really enjoyed this issue! So glad that Rogue is finally involved in the fight and I absolutely loved her moment with Hazmat. Can't wait to see her kick butt next issue hopefully!

And yeah, that double page spread is fantastic!