I don’t think a character has had so many reinventions of their original identity as Captain Marvel, which makes their identity a bit fluid, if not malleable. Enter Captain Marvel: Dark Past, a new five-issue miniseries from Paul Jenkins and Lucas Werneck, where Jenkins said, “With such a rich and complex past… there is a ton of material for me to mine.” Time to revisit Captain Marvel in a new light, but does the first issue achieve that and more?
Captain Marvel: Dark Past #1 opens with Carol reflecting that others think she focuses too much on the future, which then transitions into a great double-page splash of key past moments. The future and the past are all in play in this issue, and this opening sets that up nicely. Soon, she’s joined by Tony Stark, and the two get coffee. Fans not in the know get a nice reminder of Carol’s seventh sense, as well as a flashback to when Carol’s father lost his temper when she was younger. All building blocks for the issue.
From there, the issue dives into an action sequence involving the Wrecking Crew. Powered up with some kind of cosmic energy, they’re a decent match for Marvel’s two leading heroes. The action is easy to follow, with cool energy effects throughout, and a good dash of stakes. For the superhero crowd, the action scene delivers.
The rest of the issue is quieter and more self-reflective. Based on the team-up and the tease of another team-up, this is going to be a team-up book through and through. It’s nice to see a superhero like Carol let her hair down with another hero like Spider-Woman, and remind us these are relatable people. Werneck does a great job with pacing and storytelling in these quieter scenes, and the fabulously rich colors by Rod Fernandes are a standout. Lighting is key throughout the book, and it never lets you down.
Now that’s a punch!
Credit: Marvel
As far as plotting goes, the issue feels a little like a tug-of-war. Details and action speed things up, while the opening with Tony feels like the brakes are hit a bit too hard. The quiet scene of reflection at Carol’s mom’s grave feels sorrowful and heavy, yet it runs a little long, only to transition to a page devoted to a slow pan into Carol’s apartment, where she sleeps. It ends up making portions of the issue feel light on content, as a more cinematic and slow approach is taken. In comics, a gutter between panels can span decades, so the slower effect feels a little wasteful.
Between the flashbacks and where the story is headed, Captain Marvel fans are likely going to be very intrigued as to where this is going. This isn’t a flash-in-the-pan miniseries idea, but something that could have major ramifications on Carol’s future. It’s unclear how at this juncture, but you can start to make some assumptions based on how Jenkins is scripting things.
Captain Marvel: Dark Past #1 sets up an introspective and potentially pivotal chapter in Carol Danvers’ story. The issue leans heavily into reflection, sometimes at the expense of pacing, but the emotional grounding and strong visuals keep it engaging. More importantly, the hints of larger ramifications give this series real weight, suggesting it could shape Carol’s future in meaningful ways. It may start slow, but there is a clear sense that something significant is building beneath the surface.
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