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CAPTAIN MARVEL #26
"Quiet Miracle"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Leonard Kirk
Inks: Robin Riggs
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Richard Starkings
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.50 US/$3.75 CAN |
Though not as associated with heavy dialogue books as Chris Claremont, Peter David does not seem like the first person you would turn to for a silent book, as his humorous dialogue is a big part of his style. However, while this book is more than a little inaccessible for new readers, it will be a treat for regular readers of the book, and it's a turning point for the characters as well as an appropriately touching tale for the holidays. Working with his regular collaborators on Supergirl, David has turned in a silent story that Captain Marvel fans will get a
kick out of.
However, while the silent storytelling has hurt the accessibility for some titles, it pretty much demolishes it for Captain Marvel. If fans haven't
been following the title, and particularly if they haven't read the previous
issue, I can't imagine they'll get anything out of this issue but a strong sense
of confusion. New readers may want to wait for next month's "Time Flies" to try
the book out.
For those who know what the
golden armbands signify, and that Rick Jones is old and has been in a deep
depression about it, though, this issue is a winner. Rick's desperation comes
through quite well in the visuals, and David even manages to pull a few gags out
of suicidal tendencies or Rick's down-and-out circumstances.
Kirk and Riggs turn in a top-notch job, possibly more impressive than their work on Supergirl. The combination is shadowy and perfectly matched to the story, which is by turns dark and inspirational. Their work reminds me of the combination of Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger on Shockrockets, a mixture of soft and detailed human
faces and bodies and a great deal of shadows and light.
The big surprise of this
issue, though, is... well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a big surprise. Suffice
it to say, I never expected David to tackle this story element in a silent
month, and I certainly wouldn't have expected it to be quite so touching and
effective. Though David is known for his dialogue and his use of language, he's
clearly learned a thing or two about storytelling in his many years in comics,
and he is just as capable of a silent tale when his artistic collaborators are
up to the job.
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