Comic BooksMarvel ComicsReview

Classic Review: Marvel Masterworks- Captain Marvel Vol. 3

Quick Summary

Pros: The quality of the collection dramatically improves after the first few chapters and ends up being an incredibly interesting and exciting adventure. The introduction of Thanos and the redevelopment of Captain Marvel makes the story even better. The length of the arc and the thematic elements give it additional weight. The artwork looks great.

Cons: The opening few chapters are average, at best, when it comes to quality.

Overall: Though the first two volumes of the Captain Marvel series were just alright, this volume proves that this series is capable of incredible things. It has exciting action, tense drama, solid moral messaging, and a sense of substance that makes everything land perfectly. Plus, it marks the introduction of great new characters and a general expansion of the cosmic Marvel Universe that works out incredibly well. Anyone willing to accept the beginning of this collection’s lackluster quality will find their efforts rewarded with an incredible second half. 

Story

Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 3 sees the Captain Marvel series evolve from an inconsistent chain of mostly average adventures to an incredibly entertaining cosmic odyssey. Jim Starlin launches Captain Marvel beyond the stratosphere to team up with new characters, like Drax the Destroyer, and take on new threats, like Thanos the Mad Titan. The resulting storyline has action, intensity, meaning, and an extended length that helps give the entire odyssey more weight. The only problem is that this dramatic shift in quality does not take place until about a third of the way through this book, forcing readers to trudge through a few opening chapters before witnessing this series seriously take on new life.

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The first few chapters in Captain Marvel Vol. 3 feel similar to the last two volumes, decent but not anything special. These chapters have Captain Marvel take on some exciting threats but none really stand out in a way that feels memorable. Plus, there are inconsistencies between the chapters, as different writers enter the scene and change aspects of the stories which were written before their arrival.

However, things really start to turn around when Jim Starlin takes over the plot for the series. The change is marked by the introduction of Thanos and a new direction for Captain Marvel. Thanos is an incredibly positive new villain right from the start, as his overwhelming power and general disinterest in typical villainous tropes place him far above many of his cohorts. Meanwhile, Mar-Vell’s new powers and new sense of direction dramatically increase the scope of his mission to cosmic proportions. When these two forces then go on to clash with one another, the resulting conflict is very exciting.

This exciting action is accompanied by a equally satisfying moral message. Over the course of this story arc, Starlin dives into Captain Marvel’s past in order to tear him down as a character and redevelop him from a stereotypical warrior figure into a more reserved protector of the universe, one who is willing to talk to his enemies and try to work things out before resorting to violence. It helps kick off an anti-violence theme that questions the morality of war and the way in which power corrupts. Even the arc’s conclusion, which has Mar-Vell destroy the Cosmic Cube, can be seen as a metaphoric rejection of power in favor of lasting peace.

It also helps that all of this takes place over the course of a complete story arc that stretches far longer than is normal for this time period. This arc extends through nine issues of the Captain Marvel series and then goes on to extend into a few issues from other Marvel comic books. The length of the story helps give it additional weight and gives Thanos’s ultimate defeat more substance and satisfaction. The overall effect is that this ends up being a strong and meaningful entry to help kick off Marvel’s Bronze Age.

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Art

Like the story, the artwork in the opening chapters of Captain Marvel Vol. 3 is, for the most part, pretty average.

However, once Jim Starlin takes over on artwork, things improve dramatically. Starlin’s work has the level of detail and the potential for action that a hero like Captain Marvel needs in order to look good. It also has a cosmic and psychedelic aspect to it that is perfect for launching Captain Marvel from an earthbound hero to one capable of protecting the entire universe. This develops pages that look shockingly different from nearly every other mainstream comic being published in this era. The end result is a comic book that looks spectacular and also pairs wonderfully with the story being told.

This pairing between artwork and story is extended by the fact that Starlin is both plotting and illustrating these issues. This convergence of creativity allows the artwork to reflect the story in a way that is far more subtle than most comics of this time period, with subtle foreshadowing and thematic imagery giving the entire collection a greater sense of connectivity between chapters. 

Continuity

Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 3 picks up Captain Marvel’s story from the conclusion of the “Kree-Skrull War”, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 10 (Review). Many aspects of this volume also continue the story from Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 2 (Review).

The story here continues in Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 4 (Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

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