Captain Marvel is trapped in a world of familiar faces where nothing is the same.
CAPTAIN MARVEL #126
Writer: Margaret Stohl
Artist: Michele Bandini
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What You Need to Know: As Captain Marvel was preparing to go find her friend Bean, the Kree child she befriended. The shapeshifter Mim stole an unknown device from Project Pegasus and a vial of Carol Danvers’ blood. Mim meets up with Dr. Eve and both escape into space with Captain Marvel and Alpha Flight in pursuit. But a cosmic explosion separates Captain Marvel, Alpha Flight, and both Mim and Dr. Eve escape.
What You’ll Find Out:
Mim and Dr. Eve are in search of some powerful gem while Captain Marvel awakens, drifting in space. Carol, attempts to contact Alpha Flight to find out if they’re ok and stumbles onto a reflection instead. Before she can attempt to figure out what’s going on, she sees her space station. It’s fixed and like brand new but something is off the moment the station addresses her as “corporal.” Carol heads inside to find “Zeta Flight,” with a Puck, full of hair and preferring to be called Eugene. Kawasaki and Sasquatch, not quite the same and Brand is apparently their mascot.
Before Carol can process what is going on around her, they’re attacked by a squadron of quintets and their leader, the Widower. The Widower shoots down Captain Marvel and confronts her. Confusing the situation more for Carol, saying she had planned to cut her crew and the Widower out of their “cut” for some heist they’re planning. It becomes clearer and clearer that this isn’t Captain Marvel’s world and she’s stuck in some dark reflection of the world she came from.
Stranded in a mirrored universe, Carol can only assume her way out is to find Mim and Dr. Eve. Coming to the conclusion that she must convince Zeta Flight to follow her lead. Meanwhile, Dr. Eve and Mim have found what they have been searching for. Before they can make off with their prize, however. They are gunned down by a sniper who turns out to be Peter Quill, Lord Starkiller.
What Just Happened?
Stohl seems to like throwing Captain Marvel into awkward situations and attempts to get as much humor out of it as possible. Going even so far as to mention that Carol has blown up her base twice and then put a dent into what Carol assumed was her third base. The more I think of it and think back on the beginning of this series. It almost reads like a movie out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it makes me wonder if this is the attempt to get people used to what’s about to come when Captain Marvel hits the big screen. Either way, it’s fine but the more this story goes, the less important Bean becomes. And yet that’s how this entire new arc started was with Captain Marvel having express desire to find her friend. Honestly, this story would have been better off if Bean was never mentioned and it was just about chasing Mim and Dr. Eve. Since Bean was the main focus at first, it can take the reader out of what’s going on since the question in the back of their mind can keep popping up, “(w)hat about Bean?”
Bandini is a solid artist and can give you great panels. Bandini has a lock on details this issue in which I felt was lost in the last few issues. Arciniega, can really brighten the page and give beautiful colors as well that compliment Bandini. And it really works well this issue as the humor and pacing match along with what Arciniega and Bandini can give. Where I felt the last two issues had a darker tone, their art didn’t fit the story. But on this issue, everyone is in better sync. And that helps make the story much more enjoyable when the art and writing fit perfectly.
Rating: 7/10
Final Thoughts:
The “gem” Mim and Dr. Eve were after looks to be an infinity stone. If that’s the case, this story veered way off from what was initially anticipated. Again, the story is fine but the precursor is what threw this way off balance at first. Going from finding a friend, to ending up in a mirror universe, to possibly being involved with an infinity stone. Hopefully, now that everything is seemingly set in motion, the story will flow better from this point out. Misdirection isn’t a bad way to tell a story and in fact, can really help when it comes to surprising moments you didn’t see coming. However, it just didn’t play out that way and it hurt the story this time around. Captain Marvel is still a good book with a great writer and equally great artist. And in this case, I would just forgive and move on as the saying goes. “No one is gonna hit a home run every time they’re up to bat.”