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

[Mike_Murdock]

Amazon has another crazy Marvel Kindle sale, so I bought the first trade of this book since I can read it faster than on Unlimited. I read issue #0. I actually liked it quite a bit. Carol has self-doubt about her role in the world seems to be her most common story (at least going back to the Brian Reed days), but I thought it was a good recap of where she is now with how she got there (with an obvious glossing over the part where she gets her powers, but without retconning it). Anyway, I can't comment beyond that, but I enjoyed the first issue.

[Ascended]

I think the big problem with Captain Marvel is that it's trying to fill a niche that other books fit much better. The first KSD volume, before Carol went to space, was a great mix of humour and drama. There was a certain weight to it. (A lot of that weight, unfortunately, was lost when she went to space. On the other hand, we did have some absolutely delightful issues, particularly the Rock Opera one with Lila Cheney, and the Christmas one where she teamed up with Santa. But since KSD left, the book's generally tended towards a light feel. The CWII arc, written by the Gages, was pretty good, because it moved more serious again. But then Stohl's kept it very light. There's been some drama in it, but it's clearly meant primarily to be fun. But other books are doing a much better job of being fun, and I don't think "fun" is the main thing most people actually want from Captain Marvel. I think most of the audience - including most of the potential audience, the YA readers that enjoy Stohl - would prefer something a little deeper and heavier. Still with plenty of wit and humour, of course, but not as flippant. Something a little more epic. Aaron's Thor run would be a good model to look at.

I'd also change up the art team. A more dynamic line artist, and a colour artist who goes a few shades darker. Because I think the colours are actually part of the problem here. The colours are fairly bright, and set a light tone. I think A simple shift in colouring would have a pretty big effect on how people read the book.

I think I agree with every single word here.

[Ascended]

I think the current status quo needs something. I like the premise.....Carol as the "first line of planetary defense" is a great role for her. The use of Alpha Flight is inspired (even if the execution could use some polish). The costume is quality. The names on the cover are well regarded and (I assume) well paid. But there's something missing. A spark that hasn't really been here since KSD's first volume. I think maybe it's a "superhero/regular life" balance problem.

As an audience, we dont really have an "in" with Carol anymore. Carol spends most of her time on the station surrounded by skilled, competent astronaut-soldiers and superheroes. Even the nervous, plucky young cadets aren't characters that easily lend themselves to immersion because they're friggin super astronauts in space! And Carol's got serious First World problems like "The whole world thinks I'm awesome and it's a lot of pressure!" that none of us relate to and probably aren't overly sympathetic about. Remember when she wasn't sure where she was going to live for a while? She's come a long way.....but maybe too far.

We dont see Carol being a normal person in a normal setting with other normal people. We haven't seen Kit since KSD left, nor any of Carol's old neighbors and friends who don't wear capes. Unless she's here on business, she's barely on the planet, much less dressed like a real person.

I think Carol needs to take more time off and get in touch with her old world again. Her book needs some balance because right now it's all so fantastic and sci-fi there's no emotional resonance; nothing feels entirely real.

And Im not saying she shouldn't be successful and I want her worrying about paying her rent. I love that she's got such a high profile and stupid important job. But gods when was the last time we saw her act like a normal person for more than a couple pages, or dealt with problems that're even halfway realistic?

Sorry, its late and Im rambling......

[InformationGeek]

Amazon has another crazy Marvel Kindle sale, so I bought the first trade of this book since I can read it faster than on Unlimited. I read issue #0. I actually liked it quite a bit. Carol has self-doubt about her role in the world seems to be her most common story (at least going back to the Brian Reed days), but I thought it was a good recap of where she is now with how she got there (with an obvious glossing over the part where she gets her powers, but without retconning it). Anyway, I can't comment beyond that, but I enjoyed the first issue.

#0 is the best of the series. Everything afterwords though... It's a slow, mediocre descent.

[ed2962]

I think the current status quo needs something. I like the premise.....Carol as the "first line of planetary defense" is a great role for her. The use of Alpha Flight is inspired (even if the execution could use some polish). The costume is quality. The names on the cover are well regarded and (I assume) well paid. But there's something missing. A spark that hasn't really been here since KSD's first volume. I think maybe it's a "superhero/regular life" balance problem.

As an audience, we dont really have an "in" with Carol anymore. Carol spends most of her time on the station surrounded by skilled, competent astronaut-soldiers and superheroes. Even the nervous, plucky young cadets aren't characters that easily lend themselves to immersion because they're friggin super astronauts in space! And Carol's got serious First World problems like "The whole world thinks I'm awesome and it's a lot of pressure!" that none of us relate to and probably aren't overly sympathetic about. Remember when she wasn't sure where she was going to live for a while? She's come a long way.....but maybe too far.

We dont see Carol being a normal person in a normal setting with other normal people. We haven't seen Kit since KSD left, nor any of Carol's old neighbors and friends who don't wear capes. Unless she's here on business, she's barely on the planet, much less dressed like a real person.

I think Carol needs to take more time off and get in touch with her old world again. Her book needs some balance because right now it's all so fantastic and sci-fi there's no emotional resonance; nothing feels entirely real.

And Im not saying she shouldn't be successful and I want her worrying about paying her rent. I love that she's got such a high profile and stupid important job. But gods when was the last time we saw her act like a normal person for more than a couple pages, or dealt with problems that're even halfway realistic?

Sorry, its late and Im rambling......

I agree with much of this. I don't mind adventures in space but I would like seeing Carol interact with her old support cast again and deal a few down to earth problems. There needs to be a sense of normality to balance the fantastic.

[Fokken]

I think the current status quo needs something. I like the premise.....Carol as the "first line of planetary defense" is a great role for her. The use of Alpha Flight is inspired (even if the execution could use some polish). The costume is quality. The names on the cover are well regarded and (I assume) well paid. But there's something missing. A spark that hasn't really been here since KSD's first volume. I think maybe it's a "superhero/regular life" balance problem.

As an audience, we dont really have an "in" with Carol anymore. Carol spends most of her time on the station surrounded by skilled, competent astronaut-soldiers and superheroes. Even the nervous, plucky young cadets aren't characters that easily lend themselves to immersion because they're friggin super astronauts in space! And Carol's got serious First World problems like "The whole world thinks I'm awesome and it's a lot of pressure!" that none of us relate to and probably aren't overly sympathetic about. Remember when she wasn't sure where she was going to live for a while? She's come a long way.....but maybe too far.

We dont see Carol being a normal person in a normal setting with other normal people. We haven't seen Kit since KSD left, nor any of Carol's old neighbors and friends who don't wear capes. Unless she's here on business, she's barely on the planet, much less dressed like a real person.

I think Carol needs to take more time off and get in touch with her old world again. Her book needs some balance because right now it's all so fantastic and sci-fi there's no emotional resonance; nothing feels entirely real.

And Im not saying she shouldn't be successful and I want her worrying about paying her rent. I love that she's got such a high profile and stupid important job. But gods when was the last time we saw her act like a normal person for more than a couple pages, or dealt with problems that're even halfway realistic?

Sorry, its late and Im rambling......

Ascended for the win.

[Rogue Star]

I was so glad to see the space station get destroyed...

and so mad to see it being rebuilt.

Sigh. I've said it before, I want her to be closer to the people she's saving.

[Wiccan]

Made a thread for the Ms Marvel Generations issue:
http://community.comicbookresources....-and-Ms-Marvel

[CraigTheCylon]

We dont see Carol being a normal person in a normal setting with other normal people. We haven't seen Kit since KSD left, nor any of Carol's old neighbors and friends who don't wear capes. Unless she's here on business, she's barely on the planet, much less dressed like a real person.

I think Carol needs to take more time off and get in touch with her old world again. Her book needs some balance because right now it's all so fantastic and sci-fi there's no emotional resonance; nothing feels entirely real.

You're onto something there. And while I'm likely drawing conclusions from thin air, I think maybe Stohl knows about this and is planning to deal with it?

Chiefly I'm basing this on the Cap. Marvel Generations issue which, while mostly fluff (albeit good fluff, I enjoyed it more than most of the main series to date) throws in one little interesting little nugget that seems to have gone unnoticed. When Mar-Vell is doing his page-long Annihilus for Dummies exposition session, the writing is angled to throw some of the focus on Carol - which is a weird comparison to make, until the last little box on the following page: "He's so blinded by his mission to protect his life that he's forgotten to live."

Granted, Carol isn't so much protecting her life as a bunch of other people's but, again, the whole speech feels directed at her, and this seems to be highlighting your point. Carol has spent so much time working lately that she's never really had the chance to touch base with friends and Earthly coworkers. And while Generations doesn't conclude with her reaching that revelation...I have some iota of hope that Stohl brought this up deliberately and I'm not just fanning a spark that's only visible to me.

[Xalfrea]

So I just read the Kamala/Carol Generations issue, and while I really dug it as an issue on Kamala, for those Carol Corp fans here, what did you think of Carol herself here? Was she written well by Wilson? Did her portrayal here of her early days match up in any way to her original stories?

[Rogue Star]

Maybe it was the fact that she was on earth among the people she was protecting that really made me happy, but I thought Wilson wrote a far more interesting Carol than Stohl has managed to.

[Wiccan]

So I just read the Kamala/Carol Generations issue, and while I really dug it as an issue on Kamala, for those Carol Corp fans here, what did you think of Carol herself here? Was she written well by Wilson? Did her portrayal here of her early days match up in any way to her original stories?

I... actually never read Carol's original run, what feels specially shameful to say on this thread(though I've read a lot about it so I have a good idea of how it was), but I think you could say that she really understands what Carol is all about. I could feel that specially from all the moments where Kamala talks about her. It's like Kamala really has the same perspective of her that we do. Her overall attitude and personality seems to on par with how she has always been, both past and present. A bit bossy, taking her mission and job very seriously, trying to do all on her own but also appreciating other's help at the end.

Maybe it was the fact that she was on earth among the people she was protecting that really made me happy, but I thought Wilson wrote a far more interesting Carol than Stohl has managed to.

I mean, I can't say I disagree, but I guess Stohl really did hurt your feelings lol.

[Distraction]

http://www.comicosity.com/exclusive-...tain-marvel-9/

[OBrianTallent]

I think the current status quo needs something. I like the premise.....Carol as the "first line of planetary defense" is a great role for her. The use of Alpha Flight is inspired (even if the execution could use some polish). The costume is quality. The names on the cover are well regarded and (I assume) well paid. But there's something missing. A spark that hasn't really been here since KSD's first volume. I think maybe it's a "superhero/regular life" balance problem.

As an audience, we dont really have an "in" with Carol anymore. Carol spends most of her time on the station surrounded by skilled, competent astronaut-soldiers and superheroes. Even the nervous, plucky young cadets aren't characters that easily lend themselves to immersion because they're friggin super astronauts in space! And Carol's got serious First World problems like "The whole world thinks I'm awesome and it's a lot of pressure!" that none of us relate to and probably aren't overly sympathetic about. Remember when she wasn't sure where she was going to live for a while? She's come a long way.....but maybe too far.

We dont see Carol being a normal person in a normal setting with other normal people. We haven't seen Kit since KSD left, nor any of Carol's old neighbors and friends who don't wear capes. Unless she's here on business, she's barely on the planet, much less dressed like a real person.

I think Carol needs to take more time off and get in touch with her old world again. Her book needs some balance because right now it's all so fantastic and sci-fi there's no emotional resonance; nothing feels entirely real.

And Im not saying she shouldn't be successful and I want her worrying about paying her rent. I love that she's got such a high profile and stupid important job. But gods when was the last time we saw her act like a normal person for more than a couple pages, or dealt with problems that're even halfway realistic?

Sorry, its late and Im rambling......

This is pretty much what I was coming into the thread to write. It's nice knowing I am not the only one with this thought too. With the few exceptions of Jessica Drew (and those mostly in her book) there's been nothing really to relate to Carol with in regards to friends, relationships. Something greatly missed.
Another thing I have greatly missed is Carol's sarcasm. Perhaps it's just because I have felt so lackluster about this run I haven't noticed it, but KSD has written one of the best Carol Danvers I think I have ever read (and I've been reading since her very first series which I realize makes me old and irrelevant.) But there's not sense of fun or joy in the book.
I would also like to see a consistent and consistently good artist on the book.

[Seren]

Well looks like you guys are getting it...check out next week weeks Captain Marvel preview.