Captain Marvel #38 // Review
It's been about a month since readers have last checked in with Captain Marvel, and I think we can all use a quick reminder of what happened. Binary came back to Earth with Carol and started getting her bearings, learning how to use her powers and how superheroes act. She even started getting to know Carol's group of friends; everything was going smoothly. Then Carol disappeared.
In the immediate aftermath of Carol's disappearance, Captain Marvel #38 follows Binary as she attempts to fill Captain Marvel's shoes as a hero while also adjusting to living around humans. Captain Marvel #38 is written by Kelly Thompson, drawn by Álvero López and Juan Frigeri, colored by Jordie Bellaire, and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles.
Despite Carol herself going by Binary in the past, this version of Binary is unique. Or is she? Certain citizens believe that Binary is Carol Danvers readopting her old persona, and this causes Binary to question her own identity. Carol saw Binary as having her own identity, as do Carol's friends. But self-doubt is a foe that can take out even the mightiest of heroes.
In Captain Marvel #38, Binary spends time with Spider-Woman and Hazmat, learning everything from how heroes sometimes do smaller tasks like rescuing cats from trees to the meaning of metaphors. These moments help build Binary's character, turning her into a solid presence in the story.
Binary is a delight to follow. She is naive about many aspects of her new life, but she's so earnest in her positivity and desire to help people. An earnestness that can only come from being freshly introduced to life on Earth, not having been disillusioned or hurt by the various ways that a superhero's ideals often don't play out in an imperfect world. Thompson makes the reader want to protect Binary from the inevitable heartbreak she'll experience living like a human.
The art of Captain Marvel #38 is top-notch. There are montage sequences following Binary's adventures and citizens commenting on the new hero. The decision to make these sequences a collection of small panels pays off. The art team shows a significant passage of time, enough for Binary to settle in and make a name for herself without taking too much space within the book.
There is a distinct change in the art style when the comic jumps from Binary's story to Carol's. This change coincides with a shift in the storytelling as these scenes are predominantly visual with very little dialogue. The art style of "Somewhere Else," as Carol's exact location is still unknown, is more stylized. Though no less beautiful than the rest of the art. The colors in this section especially stand out; muted in tone, they're smooth, giving these scenes an otherworldly feeling. Wherever she is, Captain Marvel doesn't appear to be on Earth as we know it.
Captain Marvel #38 isn't the first time in Thompson's run that's seen the hero visit an alternate location or timeline. Nor is it the first time a new character has been introduced (Lauri-Ell in Captain Marvel #18). But Thompson has previously used these plot points magnificently and does so again in this issue. Readers will be looking forward to seeing where the story takes Binary and Captain Marvel.
