Captain Marvel #18
Recap
In the throes of war, Carol finds herself with a bold new role—and a brand-new weapon—the Universal Weapon, in fact. When a Kree soldier bombs a unified city of the Empire, Emperor Hulkling sends his new Accuser to bring down the swift and necessary hammer of justice. But what at first seems like a relatively simple directive will end up challenging Carol on a personal level she had never imagined.
Review
Captain Marvel #18 is here, attached to the bloated list of tie-ins to Marvel’s latest universe-shattering event Empyre where the Kree and Skrulls have united together and are set to take on Earth.
If you haven’t followed the Empyre event up to this point, it’s going to be rather difficult to follow along with whatever is happening in this issue. It’s a straightforward continuation of the Empyre story and doesn’t really tie into anything we’ve seen in the Captain Marvel series up until this point. Now, suddenly, Captain Marvel is an agent of the Kree and Skull alliance and acts as the Accuser wielding the hammer and everything. It’s a cool idea, but so steeped in the overarching event that it’s difficult to really enjoy as a single piece of narrative fiction.
If you are a fan of the Empyre event, this will undoubtedly be an exciting continuation. There is a uniquely interesting reveal of Carol’s half-sister that would have been infinitely more interesting if revealed outside of this mandated tie-in, but it’s still the most redeeming aspect of Captain Marvel #18. I don’t expect it to really go anywhere meaningful considering it’s place in the story, but it is still a fun inclusion and nod to Carol’s legacy. It’s focus on Carol as a badass is cool, though her motivations are wildly different than what we’ve seen in the past and the questions that surround her current position are just too unwieldy to really allow for much fun.
The artwork is impressive for what it is. There are plenty of great splash pages and Carol looks great in her new uniform wielding the hammer. Cowles takes over a lot of the pacing with some great lettering as the dialogue seeks to find some sense in explaining everything going on. Bonvillain particularly nails the colors once again with awesome space-faring landscapes and intergalactic travel. There are some awkward panels still, but not enough to distract you too much while reading.
Though it feels like an obligatory tie-in to Marvel’s latest event, Captain Marvel #18 does have some good things going for it to keep you interested. While I’m personally already asking when Empyre will be over, there are plenty of fans who will find more substance in this issue as a part of a greater overarching story.
Final Thoughts
Though it ultimately feels like an obligatory tie-in to Marvel's latest event, Captain Marvel #18 does have some good things going for it to keep you interested.
Captain Marvel #18: All About Legacy
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 4/104/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8.5/108.5/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10