Will Captain Marvel Reign Against Vox Supreme in Captain Marvel #16?

This is it. Captain Marvel versus Vox Supreme with all the strength of the Avengers behind her in this barnburner from Kelly Thompson, Lee Garbett, and Tamra Bonvillain.

Cat Purcell: I started out super nervous about this arc as I generally loathe “good guy gone bad” plotlines. But each issue Thompson and her team built from the last continued to build my excitement and trust. I’m feeling so very ready to see what they’ll bring to the table next.

Christina Eddleman: It’s no secret we’ve really enjoyed Thompson’s run of Captain Marvel. At face value this story arc may have left some readers apprehensive, but it’s been a delightful read. I’m excited to dig into its conclusion.

Science Experiments

CP: That opening page with the shot from above and then Carol struggling against her suit and Vox was comic book artistry. It snapped me back to everything that had been happening recently, but also flashed into my memory all the other times in other runs Carol has been poked and prodded and questioned about who or what she really was.

CE: If a superhero hasn’t had their body and/or mind controlled by an evil entity, is it even comics [Ed. Note: Nope.]? Garbett’s fights are beautiful, but Carol as a strange Avengers-style Frankenstein’s Monster is the most gorgeous trainwreck I could not look away from. I can only imagine what this green goop might have done to anyone else Vox Supreme may have used it on.

CP: Did not see the Avengers literally assembling within Carol’s body coming. I might need a break from strange goo and Captain Marvel, but it did give me a huge chill up my spine seeing those faces on her body. That being said, her ability to cope with the different Avengers and then the very reason she could pull and lift Mjolnir was epic.

CE: The results of this chemical spill makes me question Vox Supreme’s ultimate goal for this quest for a super-race to replace the Kree. The Supreme Intelligence is already basically a bunch of brains in a jar, and it created a bunch of brains in a Carol? Gross. This is truly a fine example of silly villainy (my favorite sort).

Power of Friendship

CE: While Carol is an incredibly capable hero, she’s been anything but isolated in her solo title. She is still an Avenger and still needs her friendships. While this arc has seen her both attack and place her trust in her teammates, we also see some other friendships come into play in this issue (I always love those Spider-Woman cameos).

CP: Yes, if anything, Thompson’s run has hammered home the need for others and that pure self reliance doesn’t compare to the strength of a group there for each other and the world in hard times.

CE: I am always a sucker for times when a hero’s ability to trust in their friends is ultimately the edge that leads them to victory. Plus, friends showing up is a great way to keep us immersed in the Marvel world. Crossovers in solo titles are just the best. We even got a bit more Blue content, just as I hoped.

CP: Ah yes, please inject Blue’s grin while saying Oh’Kay directly into my veins. It’s pure. I agree, this is the best way to do Crossovers as it doesn’t make me feel the overwhelming need and pressure to get all the other tie-in issues. I can if I want, but it’s not required reading. It’s fun reading [Ed. Note: Big fan of little crossovers here.].

That’s a Wrap!

CP: We were absolutely right about sound being a key, but that’s not much of a surprise. It’s also no surprise that the avengers weren’t just playing board games while in the singularity.

CE: While I expected Vox Supreme to be a little more difficult to stop, I love Thompson’s neat wrap to this arc. It gave me many things I anticipated: a sound-based solution, Carol kicking butt, and teamwork. It also gave me pure comic-book fun: Carol wielding Cap’s shield and Mjolnir, an epic fight scene, and a heroes-fighting-heroes fake-out that showed us just what Carol’s capable of.

CP: I see what you mean, it was wrapped up (ba-dum ching) so tightly. But I would hope that giving this team nothing but space and time to solve this problem would be short and successful. Seeing each of the Avengers swoop in and rescue the kree kids swelled my heart with joy.

CE: Thompson has done a nice job with the pacing of this story. It hasn’t felt rushed or incomplete, but I’m ready for more. This issue felt a bit like a season finale of a show that was uncertain of whether or not it would get renewed. Perhaps this is due to the upcoming Empyre tie-in (no one likes a story disrupted by a tie-in), but I feel so uncertain of what to look forward to next. Although, “Game Night” has definitely piqued my interest.

CP: Despite being hesitant, I think I might have to say this was one of my top 3 Captain Marvel arcs ever. The plot and reveals were paced well. I was torn between feeling like I knew where this was going and not having a clue. It was a fun and intriguing ride from start to finish. With all the cameos, any Avengers fan will be sure to enjoy these issues.

CE: Overall this arc is a beautiful, self-contained story that is true to Carol’s character and a genuinely fun read. Thompson’s run has been phenomenal, and I hope she is given the space post-Empyre to craft even lengthier stories because this is a run I hope to see continue for a good long while.

Marvelous Musings

Cap handing Carol his shield? I think I got something in my eye, yes that’s definitely what’s happening. *sniffle*
Totes keeping my red flame hair for cosplaying Captain Marvel for FCBD In may after this issue. – Cat
Carol. There is PUKE. ON. MJOLNIR. – Mom Thor representing here
A full page of Carol and Chews the cat is just sweet, sweet goodness.

Christi Eddleman is the world’s first Captain Kate Pryde cosplayer and co-host of Chrises On Infinite Earths.

Cat Purcell is a Career Services Librarian, cosplayer, artist, and massive coffee consumer.