Captain Marvel #5: Get Up. I Dare You.

How can I best put this? Captain Marvel is a BADASS! Issue #5 in Kelly Thompson’s run puts Carol in the leadership role she is destined to be in and delivers a nearly nonstop action-packed conclusion to the first arc!

This arc has been a relentless war against Nuclear Man and his forces (with a dash of misogyny) so it is enjoyable to watch the fighting come to a head in Captain Marvel #5. As Rogue joins the fight and we discover Som is the bomb planted by Nuclear Man, Carol assumes the role as leader and begins calling all the shots to bring the battle to an end. Watching her rally her forces and lead them to victory is awesome, but Rogue shares the spotlight uniquely well in the issue.

This is something I’d like to touch on as the first arc comes to a close. looking back on the cast of characters that have been so prominent like Spider-Woman, Hazmat, Echo, She-Hulk and now Rogue we see a trend of truly well written characters that work well with Carol as an individual. This speaks to writer Kelly Thompson’s understanding of Captain Marvel and how to bring in supporting characters who will make her story heartfelt, but also relatable.

The conclusion of Nuclear Man’s dome was interesting to say the least. I wasn’t sold on Som being used as a battery until the full page showing Rogue draining his energy before he detonated. It’s a visual that drives home the theme that has been brought up so often about overcoming toxic behavior and it’s also just really well done!

The artwork from Carmen Carnero and Tamra Bonvillain is the driving force of this action-packed issue, and they don’t pull any punches. It’s a spectacle all the way until THAT kiss and the dramatic cliffhanger. At the end of a literal war, seeing Rhodey was an emotional moment for Carol and as a reader. But are things finally getting better between them? This was a great moment, but unfortunately with the War of the Realms tie in coming up next, we may not find out for some time…

All in all, this was a fantastic arc from a talented creative team. As an added plus, this arc will most likely only get better in the collected trade format, so don’t miss out!