Aaannnnndd, we're back!
Busy few...months? Eek.
During that time the sub has been growing in strength so, here, I give an official welcome to our new subscribers. Welcome!
I also dropped a special 'nerd-out' edition of the Earth's Mightiest Book Club for the most recent issue, check that out here. Alongside the spoiler thread to discuss what went down - that's right here. I'll make sure that the spoiler threads are up promptly going forwards, rather than merely sporadically. Thompson seems to be just warming up, and I can't wait to see what she has planned.
In other news, I've decided to carry on my comic book shenanigans by doing throwback editions of the Book Club. I'm re-reading Carol's entire back catalogue so it seems like the perfect time to spotlight a few of my favourites. So, keep an eye out for that if you're interested.
But for now, let's cast our minds back to October 17 2012 and the release of Captain Marvel #5. (SEVEN YEARS AGO).
Here we go!
https://i.redd.it/d18z9hj58xp31.jpg
Published: October 17, 2012
- Writer: Kelly Sue Deconnick
- Penciler: Emma Rios
- Cover Artist: Terry Dodson
Carol lives every 99ers dream - going toe-to-toe with some of the best pilots in American history! But has Captain Marvel turned thief!?
https://i.redd.it/plx592gt8xp31.jpg
The Story
Following on from the events of the last issue, Carol finds herself face to face with her mentor Helen Cobb. Of course, it isn't long before both women have a little friendly competition to test the other's flying (of the non-superhuman variety) abilities. Because, of course they do.
Is Carol wearing a Hala star helmet here? Ha.
One fake out later ["Helen Cobb, you rotten little cheat!"] and they're back on the ground, with Carol enjoying an oddly not-really-nostalgic-as-it's-happening-in-the-past tour around some of her favourite haunts. Namely, in this case, The Whiskey Tenor Flyers' Club, which Carol is eager to see in its prime. Helen, to be expected, is all wit and confidence, a nice reflection of her influence on Carol. Here she's almost trying to keep up with Helen's flair. It's a funny scenario all round as Carol is caught up in it all, doing her best to keep her cool and not 'fangirl'. This is, after all, a sort of dream for her and these are the people she's read about, spoken to/about, learned about. She's living the history that shaped her, experiencing all of it first hand. She's in the trenches again, but this time the battlefield is of a more political nature. All good stuff.
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This issue really is about Helen's role in Carol's life as a mentor and an idol. And in that, Kelly Sue nails it. The dialogue is all fiery and emotional, with Carol donning her Avenger-honed role as an observer whilst still being at the very centre of events. Again, naturally.
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While the action is a little less overt here than in the previous four issues, the pace is still unrelenting, making full use of the rather limited page count in a single issue. A lot is covered, but it's done in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. It's linear. Easy to follow.
Moving on: Helen's interrogation of Carol ["You're better'n me and I ain't ever heard of you. So I'm askin' again - Who are you?] is interrupted by the news that the Astronaut program that Helen and her cohort fought so hard to attain was cancelled. Cue Helen and Carol going to NASA directly to retrieve the artefact they bought from Helen to set up the program. It's all very mysterious.
It's also one of my favourite Carol moments...right here:
https://i.redd.it/omj72abscxp31.jpg
That's Carol Danvers. Protector of Dreams.
And here I take back what I said about a lack of overt action. Helen, awesome tornado that she is, soon disrupts the peace and throws a brass knuckle'd punch at a guard. (You know how people think Carol punches her way out of problems? I think Helen has her beat). A few threats later, a couple more punches and Carol and Helen find themselves surrounded by armed guards.
Cue Carol once again weighing up her actions; take action, potentially damage time. Or don't take action, and potentially cause something more awful to happen. There's no competition in her mind. Take action.
https://i.redd.it/mm0vb2nfdxp31.jpg
https://i.redd.it/6e80nvnhdxp31.jpg
Subtlety thrown aside and a brief "What the hell are you?" later, and the time-travelling plane reappears to do what it does best. Throw people through time.
To, as it turns out, one of the most important moments in Carol's life.
https://i.redd.it/984a2wwqdxp31.jpg
And that's where we leave off. Amaazzing.
The Art
Brief mention to the kickass cover by the Dodson's - one of my absolute favourites. (So much so that I stuck it in one of the sidebars images).
Now I know some of you will be mourning the loss of Dexter Soy here and I also know that Emma Rios's art seems to split the fandom. But, surprise surprise, I like it. It's kinetic in a different way than Soy. The colour palette is somewhat muted, more like pastels than the popping, deep colour of issues past. I feel like it fits the setting, capturing the era. There's a weird almost art-deco-esque quality that I can't really put into words. A throwback to comic stylings of the past. There's something almost frantic about it as well, a sort of desperation that captures the oft-emotional exchanges peppered throughout the issue.
What I will say is that it is hard to distinguish Helen from Carol at times - both being blonde here and the art style being as stylised as it is. The trick is realising that Carol often wears red, which I didn't pick up on right away (and, of course, Carol's hair is longer). Maybe I'm alone in that, and of course, this is Rios's first issue.
And there we go. Another kickass issue.
NEXT UP
Captain Marvel (2012) #6
Published: October 31, 2012
- Writer:Kelly Sue Deconnick
- Penciler: Emma Rios
- Cover Artist:Terry Dodson
Synopsis: A battle through time! The shocking conclusion! - Guest appearance by the classic Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell! - And an All-New Captain Marvel?!
-----
Issue 5 is collected in the following trades.
Collected in: Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: In Pursuit of Flight (released January 1st 2013)
ISBN-10: 0785165495
ISBN-13: 978-0785165491
&
Captain Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Hero Vol. 1 (released June 28th 2016)
ISBN-10: 9781302901271
ISBN-13: 978-1302901271
ASIN: 1302901273
As usual, don't worry if you can't totally keep up with the biweekly posts. I'll be leaving them up and keeping an eye on them, so please do feel free to run through at your own pace. (Please tag me in as well! I'll take any opportunity to discuss the comics).
I highly recommend a Marvel Unlimited subscription when it comes to reading some of the back issues, or a library, or your local comic book store.
Signing off!
Submitted October 01, 2019 at 03:53PM by TheLadySif_1 https://ift.tt/2nqOaVr
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