Binary #1: When You Wish Upon Two Stars…

It’s been ten years since the X-virus was leashed against the human world, and Carol Danvers, once called Ms. Marvel, Warbird, and Captain Marvel, now returns to the name Binary! Not only does she have her own powers, but she’s also the host of the Phoenix. Bequeathed these powers by Jean Grey as she passed, she uses the gifts given to her by the Phoenix to keep the people from her hometown safe from the virus, but after 10 years do the townspeople appreciate Carol, and her unending role as the town’s protector? Or is it time to cut the strings, and let them go?

Stephanie Phillips is hot off her recently concluded Phoenix series, where she chronicled the adventures of the resurrected Jean Grey, and put her into an intergalactic setting, where she went head to head with some of the biggest names in Marvel’s cosmic hierarchy, dusting off some relics, like the Dark Gods, while also featuring more popular characters, like Thanos, and his Black Order, and Gorr the God Butcher. Following up with a story involving her resurrected sister that nearly destroyed all of creation, it caught the attention with some of the biggest beings, like Eternity, Infinity, the Living Tribunal, and more.

Phillips put Jean on a galactic stage that we’re just not used to seeing her on, so having her jump on this book where she’d put Carol into a more terrestrial setting, effectively grounding this character who’s as equally suited for a galactic setting as she is on a more grounded, earthbound adventure, which is what we got here. The story takes place in two very different places, and unfortunately it’s kind of confusing on how we got here. If you haven’t read the Age of Revolution specials yet, you’ll be confused by what’s going on here. Other than that, I quite enjoyed the issue. Stephanie has a good handle on who Carol is, and the set up for what’s coming has me equally entertained.

Carol’s under a great deal of stress here, and it looks like it’s meant to be intentional. There’s a malevolent character that’s looking to tear Carol down, and destroy her image with those that are still being protected by the dome Carol’s placed around the town. The forces working against her are definitely targeting her, using one of the strongest tools one can use to sway public opinion: disinformation, and name calling. Both seem to be working, as the added weight seems to be putting cracks in her foundation,and it’s working. There’s a snake in Eden, and it’s going to bring Carol, and the rest of the town will follow suit. Who is this shrouded villain? What are her abilities? Will Phillips nail this ending?