Comic Book Review: Captain Marvel #17

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you end a series.

As sad as I am to see this iteration of Carol Danvers’ comic series end (a reboot is coming soon), it’s going out by playing on all the strengths its had. And trust me, there were weaknesses. (I gave the previous issue zero out of five atoms!)

Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick (That’s her, front and center on the cover with ravishing red hair) brings her A-game to this finale, namely Carol’s fascinating supporting cast and natural, snappy dialogue.

There’s a hint that she had more stories to tell but this still feel whole and complete. There’s even a new villainous plot thread introduced and resolved and it feels satisfying.

Filipe Andrade’s art has graced this series in the past and his exquisite work finishes it up in a lovely fashion. As with DeConnick’s writing, Andrade’s artwork also sums this series up at its best. It was never the most mainstream book, which may have been its downfall. Instead, it tended to drift more toward the indie side of things. It may not have been the most accessible to casual fans, but I dare anyone to read this issue and argue that it’s not beautifully rendered.

I don’t often give credit to those outside of writers and illustrators, but Jordie Bellaire’s coloring HAS to be mentioned. The colors in this issue are stunning in that they convey different times of day just by the color schemes. Absolutely masterful!

So in some ways, I feel Marvel didn’t quite accomplish what they set out for with this book… basically a Marvelized Wonder Woman. Instead, what they wound up with as an all too human, flawed but completely empathize-able female hero, not drawn by cheesecake illustrators, but more daring indie-style artists. It may not have sold as well as was hoped. (That odd faux hawk mullet probably didn’t help.) But this run was, for the most part, pretty solid and pushed some boundaries.

And this was a truly perfect way to wrap things up. Looking forward to the next phase of Carol’s career! #CarolCorps