Post by Van Plexico on Nov 21, 2007 11:38:09 GMT -5
I'm really starting to appreciate Brian Reed.
I know next to nothing else about the guy, but I do know this: He likes Ms. Marvel, and he likes Mar-Vell. My second and third favorite characters in comics. After decades of both of them essentially being absent from the comics, he's got them both rolling along again, and in a positive way. And I am happy.
And clearly Reed respects the character enough that I don't mind this semi-resurrection as much as I might have. To be honest, I was furious when Marvel had Starlin kill him. As an avid and devoted reader of Moench and Broderick's run, I wanted it to go on forever. But Starlin gave him such a great send-off, I reluctantly came to terms with it and decided that if Mar-Vell couldn't be the greatest hero ever, he could at least have one of the greatest exits.
But to get him back, and in decently good hands? Sure, bring it on.
I very much liked the first issue of the New Old CAPTAIN MARVEL.
Clearly the first thing Reed did was to come up with the connection between Mar-Vell and Alexander the Great-- each living about the same number of years, each being a great warrior, and each dying of illness in bed, rather than in battle.
Upon this spine he constructed a very nice tale that both honors old-school Marv and also fits in nicely with this new, Civil War-era Marvel Universe in which SHIELD dominates everything and Tony Stark must be a guest star in every book. (Hey, I ain't complaining about that part.)
In fact, I can't remember the last time (if ever) that all three of my favorites got so much play in a single comic.
The Church of Hala is sort of cool and makes sense, I guess. (Hey, I would join it!)
We even get a couple of actual, honest-to-goodness battles-- such a rarity in these (again) post Civil War days where SHIELD dominates everything and heroes only fight other heroes.
The only thing that concerns me for the future is that Reed's overall plotting has proven in the past to be... weak? Not necessarily, but not terribly strong, either. The second year of Carol's book was, IMO, much better than the first, so I'm hoping he's learned a bit and grown as a writer and now can really start to hit his stride with Mar-Vell.
And-- I just can't help but revel in this fact once again-- we're living in a time now where Mar-Vell is back, Carol is Ms. Marvel again (and in the right costume), Moon Knight has his own book again, and Iron Man rules the world. I feel like I should somehow be even happier than I am, but heck. For better or worse, I'll take it.
