Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) Appreciation - "Higher, Further, Faster, More!"

[Fokken]

KSD (for the brilliant writing) and Jamie Mckelvie (for the new suit) changed my comic collecting world.
She gave Carol a voice and community I've becoming increasingly ravenous for.

Its caused me to order the Reed series off Amazon (which I will report back back on my thoughts) without hesitation.

I miss her relationship with Jess the most -- but I'm enjoying this new cast of characters in space thus far.

[Spider-Chan]

I gotta admit aside from the first few issues, I didn't read too many of the Brian Wood series. It seemed like it was too tied into events comics that I wasn't into.

Reed. Brian Reed

[Enigmatic Undead]

[lilyinblue]

Sorry all for posting a reading request, but up until recently I had never read a story with a lot of focus on Carol. But then I gave her solo a shot and I'm feeling intrigued. What are the pinnacle stories I must read to learn more about her?

If there's one, single must-read issue that hasn't been mentioned here... it's Avengers Annual 10. (1981)

The issues that lead directly into AA10 are all kinds of horrific and awful. But AA10 on its own is a masterpiece... and contains a single incident that will influence Carol's character development for decades after.

I gotta admit aside from the first few issues, I didn't read too many of the Brian Wood series. It seemed like it was too tied into events comics that I wasn't into.

Yeah... and that was unfortunate. Reed's book had a strong start with a strong premise: that Carol really wanted to step up her game, reach her full potential, and truly be one of the "best of the best"...

... but it got hit with every... single... crossover event, which really derailed/diluted the book and its theme. That book definitely suffered from a slow, consistent slide downward as it progressed. Then it hit the end and it reads as if Reed went, "Crap! I'm cancelled! I need to wrap it up and readdress that theme we all forgot about!" (And thus the ending felt super rushed... which is a shame, because her finally throwing down against Mystique again was all kinds of awesome.)

[Ascended]

Dear Ascended,

I nearly spit out my morning beverage at the thought of Carol bursting into song, ala Frozen. haha.

That thought alone is what propelled the entire thing in my mind. Its as beautiful as it is horrific. And I sort of like the idea that Carol cant sing very well, but does anyway.....it'd be so over the top terrible itd be an instant classic. Especially if she's wearing her "lucky hat" from the last volume.

The problem is Ms. Marvel has existed for all of five issues so far. She hasn't been around anywhere near long enough to start popping up in other media yet.

Yeah, I like Ms. Marvel and her title has been an absolute blast but the only real currency she has to trade in on right now is her ethnicity, and that's not nearly enough. Hell, her first story is barely finished. Give her a few years to build up her setting and her stories, then we'll talk.

An animated movie could be cool. The biggest problem with how this fits into your plan, of getting a CM movie sooner than later, is that an animated movie has much longer gestation/production period -- like 5 years versus a year and a half to 2. So even if they started a CM animated movie today we wouldn't necessarily get that before the Phase 4 live action CM movie I know is coming. And if Marvel gave her the penultimate Phase 3 spot (the last spot will, of course, be Avengers 3 (Infinity Gauntlet?)), we would actually see that sooner than an animated movie.

This is all true, but you're assuming Marvel will put her into Phase 4. I'd like to think they will, (if not a late Phase 3 addition) but I have my doubts. Whedon has said he wont use her in Avengers 2, (maybe not use her at all? Dont recall) and if they cant use her in Avengers then they wont use her at all.

Personally, I've always seen animation to be a medium equal to live action. I'm open to a animated CM movie.

That said, the general population, specially the industry in general, has always seen animation as sub-par to live action. So the fact that CM would get a animated movie would be like saying that she's not worthy of having a "real" movie. And while watching the movie I would be constantly reminded that "she's not worthy". Heck, you can notice that in the promotion of Big Hero 6. They could throw the Marvel logo anywhere, but so far they haven't, and in any of Marvel's social media there's been a mention of BH6 (the damn trailer isn't even in their youtube page!). Why? Because Disney bought Marvel to be their "grown-up" franchise, to appeal to a teenager/young adult male demographic. And including their logo in a animated movie would be like "devaluating" the brand.

So, in summary, I'm open to a animated CM movie, but I just wouldn't comfortable watching it.

Also true, and very sad. And the reason/s we wont ever see this happen. Which is likely for the best. And I myself would rather see her in live action. Movies would be my first choice, SHIELD would be my second. Actually, I'd love to see her added to the cast in SHIELD's second season, get her powers for either the mid-season or season finale, then jump up into the films. But again, who knows if Marvel will even bother with Carol at all? Black Widow has been a supporting character in three films and has been met with positive reactions from fans and critics each time. The actress wants to do the solo film. And it isnt happening. And while Widow lacks a lot of the window dressing you need for a big movie, its still cause for concern I think.

[ed2962]

Reed. Brian Reed

Ouch! My bad.

[RLAAMJR.]

I miss this costume but Carol's Captain Marvel costume is the best.

[mikeb]

If there's one, single must-read issue that hasn't been mentioned here... it's Avengers Annual 10. (1981)

The issues that lead directly into AA10 are all kinds of horrific and awful. But AA10 on its own is a masterpiece... and contains a single incident that will influence Carol's character development for decades after.

People seem to forget that Avenger's Annual #10 is not just a continuation of Carol's story from Avenger's #197-200. It's a continuation of UXM# 141-142. The primary story is about a conspiracy to commit a prison break and how the Avengers eventually stop it.Carol is only dealt with in about I say 15% of the story.The very beginning and at the very end.At the end of "The days of Future Past" story,the Brotherhood,with the exception of Mystique, are all captured. In AA#10, Mystique tries to break them out of jail with the help of her new protégé. (That's the term Mystique refers to her in the story.)

[Spider-Chan]

As a very big sci-fi fan, I'm loving the series so far . And the cliffhanger, oh boy.

[Myetche]

People seem to forget that Avenger's Annual #10 is not just a continuation of Carol's story from Avenger's #197-200. It's a continuation of UXM# 141-142. The primary story is about a conspiracy to commit a prison break and how the Avengers eventually stop it.Carol is only dealt with in about I say 15% of the story.The very beginning and at the very end.At the end of "The days of Future Past" story,the Brotherhood,with the exception of Mystique, are all captured. In AA#10, Mystique tries to break them out of jail with the help of her new protégé. (That's the term Mystique refers to her in the story.)

That "protege" was Rogue, right? Just to clarify...

[mikeb]

That "protege" was Rogue, right? Just to clarify...

Yes it was! I didn't want to spoil it for anyone who never read the issue!

[Darthfury78]

Carol's way too good for those third-rate Spider-losers. Besides, the only one she would even have a personal problem with is Osborn (and who doesn't?), since he was the one who got Moonstone to impersonate her that one time.

But imagine if those 3rd rate losers become top rate contenders in Carol's world? Especially Carnage and Nimrod?

[Myetche]

But imagine if those 3rd rate losers become top rate contenders in Carol's world? Especially Carnage and Nimrod?

One's a Spidey-villain, the other X-Men. The point is that Carol needs more of her OWN, ALL-NEW villains and needs to stop sponging off other heroes' rogues' galleries all the time.

[Ascended]

But imagine if those 3rd rate losers become top rate contenders in Carol's world? Especially Carnage and Nimrod?

That's the magic of trading these low-rent characters. One hero's D-lister can be revamped into another hero's A-list. You look at Green Arrow for an example; he's stolen Killer Moth from Batman and Deathstroke from the Titans. And both villains have been handled wonderfully and folded into the Arrow mythos seamlessly. All three characters are better off for the change. And Mongul, he was a poor man's Darkseid who Superman would slap around every now and then, until the Green Lantern titles borrowed him. There he became a major player and (temporary) ruler of the Sinestro Corps. Superman wasn't hurting for the loss and the GLC got a much needed, high quality foe, and Mongul himself became much more interesting.

I'm all for Carol's old foes being reinvented, new foes showing up, and her stealing bad guys from other franchises. She needs a good rogues gallery, so why limit everything to one particular method? Do it all. Plenty of bad guys out there, more than enough for Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and Avengers to share.

[heiro5]

That's the magic of trading these low-rent characters.

...so why limit everything to one particular method? Do it all.

This. Do it all!