THE MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL VOL. 2: BAND OF SISTERS

by Margaret Stohl

Michele Bandini (Illustrator), Margaret Stohl (Script Writer), and Elizabeth Torque (Illustrator)

Collects The Mighty Captain Marvel (2016) #5-9. As SECRET EMPIRE begins, Captain Marvel faces the Chitauri! The savage alien fleet has nearly reached Earth space, and it's up to Carol Danvers to stop it. But taking on an entire armada is a tall order even for our mighty hero and the crew of the Alpha Flight Space Station. Can Carol find a way to inspire her ranks - including her battalion of young cadets - to rise to the challenge? As Alpha Flight puts its plan into action, an enemy from Carol's past rears its head, threatening to ruin everything! Stretched thin battling a horde of Chitauri, keeping Alpha Flight afloat and fighting off a raging monster inside her, will Captain Marvel ever get a little time to unwind? Not when Earth's fate rests in the hands of a few cadets.

• ISBN10: 1302906062
• ISBN13: 9781302906061
• Publish Date: 26 December 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Marvel
• Imprint: Marvel Universe
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 112
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781302906061

Reviews

The volume was ok, you can skip it if not reading Secret Empire event. It wasn't a bad read but it was just tied into the mess that is Secret Empire.

I like seeing Carol try and find her way, but she has a tendency to take all the blame on herself when things go wrong. I liked the ending, we don't get to see Carol have a girls night often, but the only bizarre part to me is the Jessica Jones joke about how she's not a good babysitter, when she has a kid.

At the end Carol goes off to find her place again, which sounds like she's headed back into space. I can't wait to see how new direction, but at the same time, I can't of liked seeing her in charge at the space station. There were a few side characters that I liked seeing.

I just want Carol to find her place in the universe and learn to realize that not everything that goes wrong is her fault.

I am excited to go read the next series of books on Captain Marvel and leave this whole Secret Empire mess behind.

[Quirky Cat]

The second volume of the Mighty Captain Marvel has finally released, and I couldn’t be happier! There are probably a few things to be aware of, before you start reading (other than knowing it’s going to be fun). This plot ties in pretty heavily with both the Captain America: Steve Rogers plot and the Secret Empire plot. I’m a bit behind on both (ie: I haven’t read any of Secret Empire yet) and I understood the main points that were going on. I think most of it is pretty self-explanatory, as long as you know the main twist in the Captain America series (and on the off chance that you don’t, I’m not spoiling it for you).
While waiting for this volume to come out, I started hearing some rumors that the series was going to be cancelled (plenty of other series have been, so I can see why people would think this). I spent some time digging online, and so far I haven’t been able to find any confirmation of this, so I’m going to hope it isn’t true. The reason people are concerned is that Captain Marvel was not listed in the March solicitations, but we know for a fact Countdown to Infinity War is, and I think it’s reasonable to assume they might be pausing other printings (specifically those involving characters in it) for this purpose? Hopefully? Even if (please note the if here) it is cancelled, it’s likely they’ll reboot the series (again) as we approach the movie release. Hopefully if that happens they can keep Stohl on board (because I adore her).



So I should spend some time talking about the actual comic and plot now, huh? This was a pretty intense one, so buckle up and get ready! Captain Marvel and the rest of Alpha Flight are desperately trying to help get the Earth’s safety nets up and running. This includes what is literally a giant shield covering the Earth. Unfortunately there are some hiccups with the shield, such as it being turned on while they’re outside, along with a whole Chitauri army. Not my idea of fun, but then again, I’m not as badass as Captain Marvel.
The reason why the shield gets stuck in the on position has to do with the Captain America twist I was talking about earlier (again, if you don’t know I’m not going to spoil it for you). Carol’s reaction to what has happened is so raw and riddled with guilt. It helps to show just how much she puts on herself. She is still feeling emotionally beat up from Civil War II, and now this? It’s a lot to take, to say the least. She blames herself for not seeing it coming (even though nobody else did either, so I don’t know how she could have), as well as for not being down on Earth helping out. My heart is wrecked thinking about how much pain she must be in right now.
Back to the Chitauri army bit, pretty intimidating, right? Thankfully Alpha Flight has the backup of the Guardians of the Galaxy as well as the rest of the Ultimates 2 (remember, Captain Marvel is a member of that team). Unfortunately that means they are also trapped on the outside of the shield. So not that great, all things considered. Side note: if you want to see more about the shield and the Chitauri fighting, go read the Ultimates 2 series, they cover it a bit.
The other part that I found particularly noteworthy? Alpha Flight officially has their own Cadet crew. Granted, it’s only three teenagers at the moment, but they’re pretty impressive kids, if I may say so. We have a S.H.I.E.L.D trained student, a Wakandan graduate, and the daughter of two astrophysicists (incidentally she also designed and built her own prosthetic legs, which are stunning and practical). Normally I think the whole superhero getting one (or more) kids following them around and helping out (aka a sidekick) thing is pretty lame/overdone, but this was an interesting twist on it, so I’m okay with it. Especially because the lot of them are brilliant, as opposed to clingy and hero-worshipping. That helps.
I can’t wait to see what the next volume has in store, hopefully it releases sooner rather than later. In the meantime I’d suggest that those that are curious (like myself) go and read up on the Captain America and Secret Empire plots, to help kill some time if nothing else.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks