LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL #4/ Written by MARGARET STOHL/ Pencils by CARLOS PACHECO & ERICA D’URSO/ Inks by RAFAEL FONTERIZ & ERIC D’URSO/ Colors by MARCIO MENYZ/ Letters by VC’S CLAYTON COWLES/ Published by MARVEL COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

Carol Danvers has dealt with a lot of unexpected things in her life. Yet nothing will shake her quite so strongly as a revelation about her family and her past that will forever change her future.

I won’t be the one to spoil this latest chapter of what has been a magnificent mini-series.  I’m not sure how much of this was motivated by the upcoming film but it’s a brilliant idea, if a little derivative of Superman, and Margaret Stohl brings it about perfectly. The artwork is equally fine. It may be too late to catch up on this series, but latecomers should pick up the inevitable collected edition that will doubtlessly be out in time for the Captain Marvel movie. Suffice it to say that for once the hype about a story changing things forever is accurate and that the origins of Carol Danvers will never be the same.

 

LUCIFER #1/ Written by DAN WATTERS/ Art by MAX & SEBASTIAN FIUMARA/ Colors by DAVE MCCAIG/ Letters by STEVE WANDS/ Published by VERTIGO COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

The Devil has been given his due, trapped in some other realm. Now he is blind and seemingly mad, trying to dig his way to freedom. Meanwhile, in a different world, a cop copes with the illness of his beloved wife and an entirely different kind of hell.

The best thing about Lucifer #1 is ironically also the worst thing about it. Dan Watters’ script is easily accessible to newcomers but, apart from one off-hand reference to the events of The Sandman, there is nothing here that will be familiar to fans of Mike Carey’s excellent spin-off series, the equally impressive and far-too-short Holly Black Lucifer or even the Fox TV series! It’s also unclear where Watters is going with either of the storylines in this issue. Thankfully, the artwork by The Fiumara’s is competently executed but it is Dave McCaig’s subtle use of color that makes the finished art truly engaging. Easily the weakest of the new Sandman Universe offerings so far for how little it takes advantage of the characters and settings, Lucifer is not entirely bad enough to be worth disregarding yet.

 

SHURI #1/ Written by NNEDI OKORAFOR/ Art by LEONARDO ROMERO/ Colors by JORDIE BELLAIRE/ Letters by VC’S JOE SABINO/ Published by MARVEL COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

When her brother T’Challa disappears while on a mission in space, everyone turns toward Shuri to rule Wakanda in his place. But Shuri prefers science to politics, despite having taken up the mantle of The Black Panther before. Can she indulge her passions while still acting as the protector of her people?

Shuri #1 is everything a first issue should be. Despite Shuri not needing an introduction to most readers given her popularity in the wake of the Black Panther movie, Nnedi Okorafor’s script gives us a great one that masterfully makes the differences between Movie Shuri and Comic Shuri plain without a lot of exposition. We are shown, rather than told, how brilliant Shuri is and what motivates her, instantly winning the reader’s sympathy. The artwork is as great as the script, with Leonardo Romero showcasing the skill that earned him an Eisner nomination and Jordie Bellaire delivering her usual stellar coloring job. With a great script, amazing art and an interesting hero, Shuri is one title worth picking up.

 

UNSTOPPABLE WASP #1/ Written by JEREMY WHITLE / Art by GURIHURU/ Letters by VC’S JOE CARAMAGNA/ Published by MARVEL COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

Nadia Van Dyne and the Agents of GIRL are back, but so are the sinister super scientists at AIM! What evil plans are afoot and what do the have to do with Nadia’s dad, Hank Pym?

As a librarian, I’m well aware of the push for STEM-based programming and literature aimed at teenage girls as well as comics aimed at the same age group. Unstoppable Wasp #1 accomplishes both of these ends with style.

While some of the science lessons are clunkily added into the narrative (as when Nadia is discussing friction while showing how “drifting” works while in the middle of a driving lesson), this is no worse than the many “Flash Facts” used in the classic Flash comics that did the same thing as this series. The action of the issue is far more engaging, however, and the characters better realized. Throw in the lovely Shojo-style artwork of Gurihuru and you have one fantastic comic. With a racially diverse cast of smart girls who kick butt, certain groups will accuse this comic of tokenism and pandering, but Unstoppable Wasp is perfect for what it is – a fun book about science and sisterhood.