Review: Captain Marvel - Down

It isn't easy being a superhero. They have to juggle meetings, doctor's appointments and having a social life in between saving the day. Welcome to a day in the life of Carol Danvers. In Captain Marvel: Down, Kelly Sue DeConnick and Christopher Sebela deal with the realities of being a superhero with surprising realism and much-needed humour.

Much like its preceding trade paperback, Captain Marvel: Down is a brilliant portrait of the woman known as Carol Danvers. She is ambitious and hard working as well as compassionate and intelligent. DeConnick and Sebela's familiarity with the character is to be commended. It's obvious they've done their research. Together they weave characters and narratives from Carol's past together with newly created ones. It's refreshing to see writers acknowledging the past while working towards the future. The first two issues in this collection feature Carol teaming up with former Captain Marvel Monica Rambeau. The dynamic between the two women is fiery and portrays them as pseudo-rivals. Monica's no-nonsense attitude contrasts nicely against Carol's more laissez-faire demeanour. The dialogue is strong and the action that surrounds it is even better as the pair come together in order to battle a giant robot. It's pretty epic. The issues that follow are more grounded. We get a fast-paced glimpse into Carol's life and the struggles she faces every day in order to maintain a semblance of normalcy. Highlights of these issues include some cute moments involving Carol's cat Chewie and some pretty hilarious interactions between Carol and her best friend Jessica Drew (AKA Spider-Woman). DeConnick and Sebela raise the stakes for Carol as her doctor reveals some devastating news just before she must contend with the seeming re-appearance of an old foe. The art in this collection is spectacular. Dexter Soy handles the first two issues while Filipe Andrade pencils the rest. Their art is atypical for a superhero title and, as such, it adds incredible interest to the title. Each page appears as if it has been hand-painted, giving off a soft yet expressive feel to the images. Carol looks beautiful and the action is impressive.

Once again, DeConnick delivers the goods. Captain Marvel: Down is a fantastic read with well-written characters and pulse-pounding action. Carol continues to impress as Captain Marvel. She's easy to relate to and comes across as a flesh-and-blood hero who is attainable in her characterization. Pick up this collection while you can!

Grade: A-