The current run of Captain Marvel has quickly become one of Carol’s best stories to date, filling the pages with great character work and witty writing. The New World introduces one of the most exciting story arcs of the series, giving Carol a bold new challenge to face.
The opening issues are some really great Carol/Rhodey interactions, that in hindsight, hurt quite a bit knowing where this arc takes the couple. Carol and Rhodey simply work together and these opening few issues do a lot to prove why. Some of the best parts of this story don’t even revolve around Carol (though Thompson does write a great Carol), it’s about her supporting cast. Jessica Drew, Rhodey, and Hazmat have been great in this title, but New World ups the ante by giving Carol a group of future revolutionaries to fight with side-by-side.
Have I mentioned how good Kelly Thompson is at writing Emma Frost? Because she’s easily one of the strongest Emma writers in recent years, and it’s a shame Thompson isn’t on an X-book to write more of her. The bits with Emma and Illyana are as heartwarming as they are heartbreaking, showing a broken down Illyana and a motherly type relationship with a character who wants nothing more than to help her. Emma’s wit is great here, her voice is perfection, and the times Thompson delves into her character inner workings are fantastic.
The other revolutionaries are show stealers too, from grown-up Gerry Drews to Rhodes. The team has great chemistry with one another and it’s a shame if readers don’t see more of these neat characters moving forward — especially with the threat of Ove still looming.
Ove is an incredibly interesting character. From his parentage to the many lies of his that Carol unravels, Ove’s story keeps readers on their toes with ease. Thompson is masterful with her cliffhangers and plot twists, both of which are on perfect display in the New World story arc. The revelations about Ove’s life are brilliant. The way Thompson seamlessly weaves in some interesting character work for Ove’s dead father and his relationship with his mother are some of the best parts of the story.
Image: Marvel Comics
New World works so well because Kelly Thompson understands Carol incredibly well. It’s never stupidity nor recklessness that gets Carol caught in over her head as she usually is, but rather it’s her propensity for heroism and drive to do the right thing. That martyristic quality of hers follows her into her personal life, a known commitmentphobe who, as a result of this arc, is finally forced to fight for what matters in her life. It’s clear that Thompson has plans for Carol and Rhodey moving forward, and this arc lays the groundwork for Carol to grow as a character and move past those self-destructive tendencies she has. Can she get him back? Hopefully. The work being done here is fascinating and has the possibility to be extremely good in future stories.
The final showdown with Ove is a bit disappointing as it doesn’t live up to the work done in the previous issues, but it’s still enjoyable in its own right. It also sets the stage for future Ove arcs moving forward, something that Carol’s current foray into magic is preparing her for. It’s clear the story in New World will have massive implications moving forward.
The art in New World knocks it out of the park, providing visually enjoyable panels from start to finish. Thompson was just the writer for this story, and Garbett was the perfect artist as well. If you’ve enjoyed Thompson’s run on Captain Marvel thus far, this is a can’t-miss addition to your collection.
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