Rick Jones Captain Marvel Appreciation - "MARV!"

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Marvel Comics' superhero, Captain Marvel, first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (1967) and launched his own series soon afterward. Captain Marvel was a Kree soldier named Mar-Vell and came to Earth wearing a white and green uniform. After sixteen issues and fading sales, a fashion emergency was called. Gil Kane drew the cover to Captain Marvel #17 (1969) that proclaimed one of the most extreme makeovers in comics history:
I think Captain Marvel's red and blue costume design is one of the greatest in the world of comics. The yellow exploding sun in the center of his chest, the mysterious nega bands around his wrist, and the weird half-mask that exposes his hair--every detail just makes him visually unique and unmistakable.

More than just the costume design--it was the way the Gil Kane drew the character. Don Heck had briefly drawn the new costume at the end of issue #16 and it wasn't nearly as exciting.

Besides the new costume, Captain Marvel #17 has a story that focuses not on Mar-Vell, but perennial sidekick Rick Jones. After Rick's brief stint as Captain America's all-new Bucky ends, he leaves Avengers Mansion feeling destitute. Holographic visions of Captain America lead him to a secret base, where he discovers the nega bands.

[Panic]

I agree with what you said about Mar-Vell's costume and Gil's rendering of it; one of my favourite costumes ever, and Gil was the best at drawing it.

I do find it interesting that in the early issues, Gil clearly wasn't sure if the mask went all the way around the head or not - he often drew it stopping before the ears from the front view, but carrying on to circle the head in profile shots.

[EmeraldGladiator]

The classic red and blue costume is my all time favorite costume ever. It is what drew me to the character. I fell in love with it in my early elementary school years. However I never wanted the green and white costumed comics but longed to have all of the blue and red costume issues. I only recently got the First Marvel Milestones Captain Marvel vol #1 because I had no real desire to own or read the green and white costumed ones but have had all the blue and red ones for decades. I will give Kane credit but I must admit I love the Starlin photon trail, and gold hair matches the look better it goes with the nega bands and star on his chest and I also love the way Broderick's run looked as well. Bring Mar-Vell Back!!! (Genis and Phyla too). It might be the only way to make me care for a Carol Danvers book.

[Panic]

Neal Adams joins Kane and Starlin in my top three Mar-Vell pencilers.

[The Whovian]

Neal Adams joins Kane and Starlin in my top three Mar-Vell pencilers.

Ah, the good old days!

[Nomads1]

Neal Adams joins Kane and Starlin in my top three Mar-Vell pencilers.

No disrespect meant on your opinion, but for"classic" Marvel, I think Patrick Broderick (IMHO, a widly underrated penciler) also did a great job. Amazingly enough, I'd take him over Adams in my top three.


Peace

[Panic]

Broderick was good, at times very good - I do think we were lucky to get him on the book, he brought a power and energy to Mar-Vell we hadn't seen since Starlin. However I didn't love the way he drew faces - often Mar-Vell and others looked kind of ugly (by no means always, but some of the time), and I generally prefer a "prettier" look. It's a totally personal quirk, though.

I only recently got the First Marvel Milestones Captain Marvel vol #1 because I had no real desire to own or read the green and white costumed ones but have had all the blue and red ones for decades. I will give Kane credit but I must admit I love the Starlin photon trail, and gold hair matches the look better it goes with the nega bands and star on his chest and I also love the way Broderick's run looked as well. Bring Mar-Vell Back!!! (Genis and Phyla too). It might be the only way to make me care for a Carol Danvers book.

Yeah, I've only glanced through the green-and-white stories - I've never had any interest in them, it might as well be a different character. I just love the red and blue so much, it was a big part of what drew me to the character as a kid. I totally get why Starlin made the changes he did, and the photon trail really made Mar-Vell stand out, but I (slightly) prefer the original Kane starburst, mask, and white hair.

I've also got to give respect to Kurt Busiek, who appears to be one of the few who were buying Mar-Vell's mag and cared enough to write in:

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I remember this cover from when I was a kid. Sal's best work , however, was some of the issues he did on Thor with Walt Simonson - I felt he altered his style to be more Simonson-like, and it worked for me.

"Our Pal" Sal was to me GREAT at altering his style, which was to the benefit of countless readers of marvel comics who got treated to his pulse pounding pencils for decades! I'll NEVER take "Our Pal" Sal for granted

[EmeraldGladiator]

No disrespect meant on your opinion, but for"classic" Marvel, I think Patrick Broderick (IMHO, a widly underrated penciler) also did a great job. Amazingly enough, I'd take him over Adams in my top three.


Peace

Broderick's Marvell vs Thor issue #57 and the Death-Grip issues #55-56 were some of his best work, I liked the issue you referenced as well. The whole Titan arc # 57- Marvel Spotlight #3, might be the 2nd best arc of the run, behind Starlin's classic run.

[EmeraldGladiator]

I love the original Captain Marvel one of Marvel's original cosmic characters. I would say that Marvell is the one character most writers (besides Starlin) wants to write but he has reached Uncle Ben status because Starlin considers his death his masterpiece and doesn't want it messed with. Which is funny because Warlock and Thanos have been resurrected as many if not more times than Jean Grey. However Mar-vell is only used to tease and boost sales. Secret Invasion, Civil War the return, Thanos Imperative, Chaos War (ect, ect)whenever dead characters are mentioned they always tease Marvell but it always a red herring to boost sales. I personally have bought several of these book while I feel if you had substituted in Warlock instead I don't think the needle would move at all.
I love Genis-vell as well but he too gets the short end of the stick because of a beef between PAD and Joe Q. Guess who won and what character was blacklisted and destroyed. See his inclusion into Thunderbolts where the character wasn't used besides changing the name and trying to forever remove the character from the playing field.

All to give the mantle to Carol Danvers (who I liked as Ms Marvel) the mantle of Captain Marvel. Trying to push the character at every turn, yet it never takes off as much as TPTB would like. Now she is leading a faction in Civil War. The character has never been that primal in the Marvel universe. They put her on multiple teams in the hopes of one of the books taking off...Still waiting. It feels a bit like when in Pro Wrestling the writers/bookers try everything they can to get a wrestler 'over' (popular) but the character never really takes off. Sort of like Moon Knight. I don't hate Carol per se but Joe Q and crew's agenda and Starlin's stubbornness is keeping two of my all time favorite Marvel characters off the canvas for decades. I know it was done in part to keep ownership of the name from reverting back to DC and Shazam, however if Joe Q and Starlin weren't so stubborn in the first place the title could rest on the proper characters. All that being said screw the name just bring Mar-vell and Genis back and give them new ranks. Commander and Corporal Marvel would suffice.

Just bumping this because Marvel seems to be at it again. Saw in a comics blog site that Marvel is teasing yet another original Captain Marvel (Mar-vell) return. Which would be great if it were true but since they have pulled this stunt to boost sales on numerous Marvel mini series, I will believe it when I see it. This needs to stop.

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More likely it heralds the return of Quasar
Captain Mar-vell vs. Quasar & Drax the Destoyer by David Yardin

[EmeraldGladiator]

which is funny because the site that brought it to my attention mentioned Mar-vell by name then again they probably realize that Mar-vell would generate more attention to the article than Quasar or Nova. But if blogs realize this, then why doesn't Marvel Comics???

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To me, the above depicted Captain Marvel look, was to have been applied for the look for Shield Agent Avril Kincaid instead;
This look is to me godawful

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To me, Neal Adams made every single marvel comic series in the late 60's and 70's he was put on worthwhile.

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I'm also giving respect to Kurt Busiek for caring enough to write in.
Not surprising that every marvel comic series Thunderbolts, Avengers, Iron Man and marvel comic character The original Thunderbolt members, Tony Stark, Warbird he wrote were to my liking.