Captain Marvel Versus The Apocalypse In Captain Marvel #2
by Josh Davison
The world just saw Captain Marvel return and suddenly disappear into an invisible barrier surrounding Roosevelt Island. No one else can get onto the island, and no one knows how or why. However, the island looks fine from outside the barrer. On the inside, however, Spider Woman, Echo, and Hazmat have been caught in a dystopian nightmare. The Nuclear Man has established a kingdom on Roosevelt Island, and all men have disappeared. Only the women are free, and they’ve set up a resistance against the Nuclear Man. While it may seem only to have been locked down for a few hours on the outside, Nuclear Man has been running the island for weeks on the inside. He has an army of robots that have kept the women in check. However, Captain Marvel may be able to turn the tide.
Captain Marvel #2 goes for post-apocalyptic warfare in its second issue, with Captain Marvel and her allies suddenly locked in a conflict with Nuclear Man and his robot army.
It’s a bold turn for the second issue of this hotly anticipated series for sure, and it’s good to see characters like Spider Woman, Echo, and Hazmat come back for a bit.
The feminist subtext is plain text here, as Nuclear Man is a raging misogynist, and it’s literally only women who are able to stop him. It’s not particularly deep, but it makes for a good “Hell yeah, girl power!” narrative– and Captain Marvel is a good platform for those.
The dialogue is quite good, and there are a lot of solid one-liners. Kelly Thompson is an excellent dialogue writer, and she knows how to balance the humor with the serious moments.
The setup can lag a bit in parts, but, once things kick off in the second half, Captain Marvel #2 turns very exciting. We get to see Carol cut loose, and I’m definitely here for that.
Carmen Carnero’s artwork is amazing. Her detail and expression work is stunning, Captain Marvel herself strikes a powerful figure, and the “Mad Max-ification” of Spider Woman, Hazmat, and Echo’s costumes is great. Tamra Bonvillain’s color work is well-balanced, vibrant, and impactful too. This is a great-looking comic all around.
Captain Marvel #2 is an interesting and exciting second step for this series. We get to see Carol cut loose on a sexist douchebag and team up with some of her friends from around the superhero community. The artwork if phenomenal, and the book earns an easy recommendation. Give it a read.
Captain Marvel #2 comes to us from writer Kelly Thompson, artist Carmen Carnero, color artist Tamra Bonvillain, letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles, cover artist Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts, and variant cover artists Carmen Carnero and Chris Bachalo.
