Writer Margaret Stohl
Artist Michele Bandini, Michael Garland and Erick Arciniega
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 24, 2017
Reviewed by: Andrew McAvoy
The first main arc of Captain Marvel started off well, but I have to confess that by issue 4 I was bored rigid by the story-line that had developed. This issue sends us off on a distinct direction and dovetails in with the events just prior to the start of Marvel's latest cross-over event Secret Empire. So lets see how it fared.
The shift in direction prompted by yet another "Marvel seismic event" actually benefits this title and gives it a focus. Events open up in this book with Carol coming to terms with the loss of Bean (Carol's adopted Hala child) after the plot hatched by Dr. Eve in the previous arc.
To do that she has recruited three new Alpha Flight recruits to help bolster Earth's first line of defense and to allow her to focus on youth. Dante arrives on the recommendation of Natasha Romanoff, Glory is recruited following success at the Stark Science Expo at the University of Manila, and A'Di comes following referral from Black Panther. With no time for half measures Carol wants these three fresh recruits to be thrown in at the deep end through some tough simulation training. Little does she know how deep its going to get.
The population of the Alpha Flight Space Station are boosted much further as we see this issue become stuffed full of guest characters. There's the usual hilarity from the Guardians of the Galaxy crew, we get some obligatory Rocket snark, and the famous Groot retort. Pretty soon though its looking pretty fortunate that the station finds itself so full. The crew, newbies and guests soon find themselves hit with a full blown attack via a mass Chitauri Invasion.
Which is where we start to align with the Secret Empire story-line. Danvers experiences the sinking realization that the other Captain back on Earth (you know….the one in all the click-bait articles over the last year…the one with the shield…Steve something or other) has ditched her and her team on the wrong side of Earth's planetary defenses. Danvers is gonna need all the help she can get.
I welcomed the much needed change of direction brought about by the Secret Empire intrusion on this title. The new recruits got some funny lines, the attack and sense of peril was conveyed well, the Alpha Flight dynamic was hitting the right notes and the guest stars blended in well. The packed team also helped make being outnumbered by the Chitauri appear a little less doom-laden. The art by Michele Bandini was top notch and the writing from Margaret Stohl was snappy.
Bits and Pieces:
The last third of this title was mainly a rehash of the start of Secret Empire, and this was a set-up episode for the next wave in this series to move forward. It did however shunt things on considerably from the "abduction of Kree children story" so I for one welcome the shift, and am once again hopeful for the future of this title.
7/10
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