While Kelly Thompson’s Captain Marvel run has been pretty excellent overall, The Last of the Marvels was on track to be one of the weaker arcs of the run. This week, issue #34 put a new spin on the story and delivered what is probably the best issue of this arc so far.
The problems in the previous installments revolved around the other characters not being used wisely enough, namely Phyla, Kamala, and Monica. And issue #34 doesn’t exactly rectify that completely, but it does use the characters in its cast this time around quite well. Those characters are Carol, “Mar-Vell,” and Phyla.
The bits with Carol and Mar-Vell hit the emotional spots where it needs to, with Carol wondering if the person she’s fighting is really Mar-Vell or not. And, of course, with that thought in place, there’s also hope — and hope can be a dangerous thing when it clouds judgment, as Carol once again learns.
Image: Marvel Comics
Carol’s always been a bit reckless, a bit impulsive, and leads with her heart, and this issue showcases that quite well. Sergio Davila’s art is good and it really excels at capturing the emotion where it needs to, like the panel above.
Carol’s inner monologue is great — her hope for Mar-Vell to actually be here and her frustration with herself when it turns out its not him are all really good character stuff. But perhaps some of the best parts of the issue come at the end where Phyla-Vell comes in and saves the day. I had lamented in the last two issues that the other “Marvel family” characters weren’t being used that well and were hardly agents in this story, more “damsels in distress” for Carol than anything. Phyla getting in on the action was nice to see, and it gave me hope that maybe Monica and Kamala can get their own justice in this arc too, being major players as they deserve instead of being folks Carol needs to save.
“Last of the Marvels” still falls short in its premise of honoring the legacy of the mantle because of how characters like Monica and Kamala are handled. Hopefully, this story does get to involve more of them (and Phyla) to really touch on the concept of what Mar-Vell’s legacy is. Having all these characters interact and fight side by side could be awesome and actually really unique for all of them. The idea of Mar-Vell’s legacy and what it means to hold the “Marvel” title is just such a cool concept to explore and it’s one this arc still hasn’t truly fully done.
The Marvel legacy is more than just Carol. It’s full of wonderful and diverse characters with rich histories of their own — and we hardly ever get to see them all interact with each other.
Captain Marvel #34 is a step in the right direction for an arc that’s been ultimately slightly disappointing. Davila’s art hits the emotional beats where it needs to and Thompson’s writing gives the story the push it needed as well. Hopefully, the rest of the arc continues this upward spiral and fixes its issues.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login