Look Who's Evil Now (Captain Marvel #12 Review)
CAPTAIN MARVEL #12
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Lee Garbett
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillian
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Mark Brooks
Publisher: Marvel
Rating: 9/10 Still Would Want To Meet This Hero
Wow. The first issue of The Last Avenger has finally arrived in the Captain Marvel series and I am just blown away after finishing this read. Ever since the tease for Carol’s darker look started hitting the web, I’ve been very curious about what would lead to this moment in the current issues. Over the last few issues, we’ve watched Carol lose favor from the public due to her heritage while also losing her powers and be stuck watching a new hero take the stage. I was sure that this would be what led to Captain Marvel’s dark turn, but Kelly Thompson caught me off guard with an awesome final battle against Carol and her antagonist, all while delivering an emotional moment that had me choked up. Things seemed to be on the rise again for Carol, which left the question of what would be the shift in her alignment coming up. Spoilers coming in hot!
Thompson starts this issue off swinging as an unsuspecting Thor finds himself coming to blows with a mysterious assailant. Anger turns to shock as his hammer comes down and a helmet comes off, revealing Carol as the enemy! With us as the reader being thrown straight into the action, the time for talking has passed as Thompson eases back on the dialogue in this issue for Garbrett and Bonvillian to dominate the pages. It’s a world tour slugfest as Carol and Thor punch each other all over the globe. Each page is filled with large panels, double-page spreads, and incredible splash pages that just lend in on showing how big not only this fight is, but this dark turn Carol has made.
The intensity of the fight in this issue is so awesome, I had to read it again and look in awe as Garbett really puts the strain in both characters expressions, showing how much power they are putting behind each blow they deliver. Bonvillain’s colors make this issue pop. They are bold and bright for a darker toned story that works well. I wouldn’t have it any other way as Captain Marvel has always felt bold and colorful to me on each page and despite this brief villainous phase, it’s a good look. Speaking of a good look, this new outfit she is sporting is amazing (I know that isn’t really a review but I just want to get that out there). With everything so large on the pages, Cowles takes advantage of the openings these two fighters are leaving like an expert boxer and fits the dialogue in nicely while also putting in some great sound effects for these titans clashing.
As much as I could watch Garbett draw these two duking it out, we need to have a winner and the one is obvious, it’s Carol! With Thor defeated, our Captain sheds some tears before making sure to show the deed was done to her master, who is… I can’t spoil that! All I can say is that I didn’t see it coming and I am super excited about what the next issue brings. This issue left me with so many questions and I am looking forward to how Kelly Thompson brings the photon blasts next issue. If you haven’t been checking out the Captain Marvel series already, this is a great time to be doing so.