I am reviewing a bunch of comics in the next few reviews because of biting off more than I now realize I can chew.
See what happened was: Last year I got a copy of Nimona for Christmas, read it, liked it a lot, and then put it in my classroom library. A bunch of students borrowed it and read it and loved it. And even though I know next to nothing about comics and graphic novels, I get lots of questions about recommendations. So I am gonna hit up whatever I can find from the library during spring break and report back and not lose any of my fake and disingenuous cool points.
Step 1: Captain Marvel vols 1-2
Vol 1:
So I don’t know anything about Captain Marvel. Well more to the point, I now know a few things about Captain Marvel. One of the reasons I shy away from comics that run in series like this is that I get intimidated by back stories that go back 60 years and changing up the story because of retconning and new writers and temporary runs. But here’s what I know.
The aesthetic, the tone, and the story reminds me a lot of Fifth Element, Guardians of the Galaxy (duh, Veeters), and Star Wars…and and Mass Effect (even though that is entirely humorless). Also, there’s a lot of parallels to Saga now that that’s been coming out. There’s no “who did it first” because all of it steals from previous materials anyway.
This is an entertaining, goofy, interesting comic that does not make a whole lot of sense and like me, bites off more than it can chew. It takes on lots of different worlds and cultures and sets of politics and gives them all short shrift, but because it’s funny and it’s flippant, it works. It’s the exact tone of Marvel film universe….NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! ENJOY THE RIDE!
Vol 2:
I think this one is more a set of short stories and flashbacks. It’s less epic, but a lot funnier. It also has the flerken, a race of cat-like tentacle monsters that might be evil, might be neutral, and according to Rocket Raccoon, might be sexy.
In addition, there’s a Christmas issue, which, since I have only just started reading this comic, feels a little too early for me to care too much about that.
What this whole thing feels like to me is a new tv I like. I mean like the experience of liking a new tv show. There’s a push and pull between moving the narrative forward or playing in the world. Christmas issues play in the world, while epic stories move the narrative. This volume is somewhere in between. And like Saga, jumps time, feels a little random, but because it’s handled well, it’s readable.
The art is a lot of fun. It’s full of energy and life and while the flow isn’t always super direct, there’s a lot to take in.
Will I tell my students about it? Yes.
You know we love graphic novels around here. We also love giving recommendations. So if you ever want suggestions, you are among the right people. I would highly recommend Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Squirrel Girl, and Ms. Marvel. You should look at Matt Fraction’s run of Hawkeye, starting with My Life as a Weapon. It may or may not be appropriate for your students.
That is funny because I have six volumes of Ms. Marvel out now and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur on hold.
I sacrilegiously am not really a fan of Squirrel Girl, but my nephew loved it and I did tell my students about it.
Thank you!
Patsy Walker, AKA Hell-Cat! is my second-favorite series after Saga, which will always be my favoritest graphic novel series in the world. You should also check out American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (my husband has taught this to his high school students before), Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (for older high school, I think), and Brian Selznick, if you haven’t. Selznick is a bit young for the high school crowd, but his work is gorgeous. I get lost in his charcoal-esque drawings and hybrid of pure art and pure text. More mature works I recommend for college-age and beyond are Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen. Have fun!!!