Captain Marvel #17: Poker Was Less Embarrassing

Captain Marvel finally finds a bit of time to rest in issue #17 as she gets together with a group of friends for a game night that predictably doesn’t go quite as planned. It’s a fun issue, but it’s forgettable fun at best.

The catalyst of the story is essentially the game everyone has chosen for their little game night, poker. When Kamala arrives and realizes it’s a game she can’t play, the friends all agree to hear her out on “something better”. This takes them to the escape room run by Nexus. The entire issue is a lighthearted romp that ultimately acts as a filler issue just before we reach the big Empyre event that will undoubtedly carry influences over into Captain Marvel’s ongoing series.

While it is great to see all of these characters together, it doesn’t really do much to prove all that worthwhile. It’s just a by the numbers one-shot that doesn’t carry consequence, but there will certainly be fans who are interested in just seeing such a great cast come together. The heart of the story mainly comes from the willingness to help friends and make accommodations, even Logan takes part in this by not wanting to upset Kamala too much. Sure, some of the characterizations are off and Captain Marvel generally takes a backseat to some of the other characters, but it’s also not an issue that is meant to be taken all that seriously.

With guest creators on art and colors in Francesco Manna and Carlos Lopez, the visuals are solid and entertaining enough. I wasn’t particularly a fan of how Logan was depicted in this issue, but Kamala and many of the others looked spot on. The Nexus brings a little humor to the issue and the visuals play well on that tone with a lot of bright colors and the spectacle of all of their powers. Clayton Cowles helps to pull everything together amidst all of the dialogue so the book still feels polished.

It won’t be the best book you’ll read all year, and it may not even be all that memorable, but if a slice of life story featuring Captain Marvel and many of her friends is something that sounds interesting, you are sure to find something to enjoy. One thing is for sure though, Captain Marvel #17 is a great chance to catch your breath just after the “Dark Captain Marvel” arc and before Empyre hits.