Captain Marvel #49 finishes off the “Revenge of the Brood” arc in a way that is every bit as satisfying as you could imagine –and more. But the best part of issue #49 isn’t just that the Brood arc reaches its own epic conclusion, but it almost feels like a chapter in Carol and Rogue’s lives has been finally closed in a grand and meaningful way for both women.
Binary’s death didn’t feel necessary to me in issue #48 and starting this one, I wasn’t sure how well the arc would conclude with that note having been taken. On the one hand, Carol having her own Super Saiyan moment with the Brood empress after her death was really awesome but on the other hand, her death felt unneeded. Was it worth a Super Saiyan moment alone? Issue #49 addresses said concern by using Binary’s death to give Carol much more than just her own Goku vs. Frieza moment: it gives her peace with her past struggles.
I’ve said it before, but the Brood arc crossing over with the X-Men is one of the highlights of the arc overall. Even if you didn’t know Thompson wrote for Rogue & Gambit, you could tell in these issues alone that her love for these characters is overwhelming. As an X-Men fan, I smiled so hard reading Jessica’s “nigh invulnerable” comment and seeing all these characters join up for this mission feels like every X-Men, Captain Marvel, and ’80s comic fan’s dream rolled into one. Everyone gets a moment to shine and it’s not just Carol who walks away with significant emotional development.
The Brood arc was ultimately mishandled in X-Men and was a little underwhelming, but Captain Marvel is where all the action is. The last X-Men issue had a lot to say about the moral quandaries of eradicating the Brood — something the book takes a hard stance against — so it’s a little odd to see the players of that arc (minus Jean) in this book and Carol faced with eradicating the Brood but none of the moral questions present. It’s a bit uneven, but not on Captain Marvel‘s side.
Rogue and Carol’s past trauma has been a thread that popped up throughout this entire run and to be honest, you could not ask for a better writer to handle that plot and dynamic than Kelly Thompson, who makes no secret she adores both ladies. Carol and Rogue’s heart to heart offers a great deal of growth and closure for both women. It makes Captain Marvel #49 feel like a pivotal chapter in both characters’ lives that will go down as one of the great stories for both. It’s such a great way to end that chapter in their lives and start anew, putting them on a new path for a completely new dynamic.
Sergio Dávila’s pencils bring this story to life and when the scene needs to be epic, it looks epic. When it needs to be heartwarming and sentimental, it does just that as well. Every inch of this story is brought to a new level by the artwork and together, Thompson and Dávila deliver a story that’s significant, awesome, and heartwarming.
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