Captain Marvel has had a revolutionary remake since the Marvel Now “reboot”. She’s not so closely tied to Rogue anymore and has a whole new costume too. It’s a good thing, especially considering nearly all of the strong women in the Marvel universe are mutants. Marvel kicks off a 5 issue event with Avengers: The Enemy Within #1, is it good?
Avengers: The Enemy Within #1 (Marvel Comics)
All you need to know to set yourself for this event is this: Captain Marvel got a lesion on her brain and can’t fly or she might kill herself. She’s grounded, and looking for a friend with the help of Spider Woman. Skeletons in her closet are lurking it seems and it couldn’t happen at the worst time for our hero.
Spider Woman is hilarious in this issue.
In a lot of ways this issue is like Avenging Spider-Man or A + X as it can easily be bisected into two team ups. The first section is with Spider Woman and the second with Thor. You’ll note it’s not so much important what the characters do in this issue but what they’re saying. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick captures the voice of all the characters incredibly well and there isn’t a smidge of dialogue that comes off as forced or uninteresting.
Seriously why were pouches a thing?
Captain Marvel’s handicap due to her lesion doesn’t take much of the issue up, although it is a factor. Instead the issue spends most of its time just fleshing out the characters. Like a good buddy or cop movie it’s the chit chat that really entertains. The mystery that’s being uncovered is just okay, at least in this issue anyway, largely because the stakes aren’t revealed until the final page.
Oh Thor loves the bam bam.
I’m not too familiar with artist Scott Hepburn, but I like what I see. The characters are expressive and he does a killer job with hair and costumes. In most cases artists capture a costume to the point where it looks like a trace, but Hepburn adds a bit of his own design and flair to every characters getup. The action is also incredibly clean and interesting.
Of course her cat’s named Chewie!
8.5
- Killer dialogue
- Intriguing premise
- Story feels a little imbalanced
Chock it up to a story that’s intended to be read in 5 parts, but this issue was a bit unbalanced for my tastes. Of course when collected I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s perfect. Aside from that this is a very strong issue that focuses on character and lets the rest ride.
Is It Good?
Yes. I’m always wary of events, but this one has its heart in the right place.
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