Captain Marvel #12: In the End, I’m the Hero.

Okay. WOW. Spoilers ahead to say the least…

Captain Marvel #12 is a bold step in a dark new direction for Carol, putting the now questionable hero in a position unlike anything she has seen before. The issue raises more than a few questions, but none quite as succinct as the one in the title page that asks…

But what the hell is she now?

What the hell indeed! Carol is a full fledged supervillain in this latest issue of Captain Marvel and before we dive into what that means or why she’s doing it, let’s take a moment to reflect on how much she has been through lately. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a writer put a hero through their paces in such a way. Kelly Thompson has shown an adept understanding of Carol Danvers and with that, we’ve found her at both her lowest and highest points as a hero. This truly is a dark time for the character.

But why? We don’t see the manipulator for ourselves until the final pages of the issue where this new behavior is revealed to stem from Vox Supreme. For those who might not be familiar, this is the villain that was featured in Donny Cates’ Death of the Inhumans in 2018. This is the characters’ first appearance since that uniquely heart wrenching series and I fear for what that means for Carol. She’s obviously being leveraged to behave this way, but what could make her take such drastic measures? Beheading the God of Thunder isn’t exactly something to be taken lightly.

All of these brutal events take place at near-lightning speed thanks to a quickly paced book. The action sequences overtake most of the issue, but I get the feeling that’s just going to be the nature of this arc. There isn’t a lot of dialogue, but it’s selective importance emphasizes the tidbits of information we are given. The visuals are simply gorgeous. With Lee Garbett’s illustrations, the series stays true to the established aesthetic while also pushing it in an enjoyable new direction. It’s absolutely dark, but it still feels like a Captain Marvel book which is nice.

There is really only one takeaway from a book like Captain Marvel #12 and that is to be patient and enjoy the ride. This will develop as it needs to and the creative team has shown themselves capable of pulling off a great story. New readers might be particularly interested in this issue as it is the perfect jumping on point. So, it’s time to sit back and watch the dark mystery unfold to discover the truth about Carol’s new incredibly violent and twisted mission.