The Good
I think the cover to CAPTAIN MARVEL #2 really sums up what this issue is all about -- on it we see Carol Danvers dressed as Captain Marvel flexing her muscle. That's pretty much what this issue is all about. I think that writer Kelly-Sue Deconnick is doing a great job portraying Carol as this very no-nonsense, hard headed soldier who is strong and uses her strength first and foremost to her advantage. There's really no difference between the way she's written and the way some male characters we see are written; and in this situation, I think that's a good thing. I just hope she doesn't start sounding like a complete meat-head. Not that there's anything wrong with being a meat-head...
There's a great sense of progression in her character between the first issue and issue #2. At first we see a Captain -- a soldier -- who is uneasy about taking up the mantle of Captain Marvel out of respect for Mar-Vell, the former Captain Marvel. By the end of issue one we see she's grown more comfortable with the idea of taking up that mantle, and here, in issue #2,that's something that is fully realized.
Right off the bat Carol is dealing with a situation that is completely unexpected -- she's thrust into a predicament that she doesn't know how to act in and she's not exactly thinking about the repercussions of her actions. All she's really got on her brain is how is she going to whoop some Prowler butt. The pacing in this issue is good and this does seem like a fun way to start her ongoing series, having said that, I did have some problems with this issue.
The Bad
While fun, the dialogue isn't that compelling. I'm not particularly fond of the dialogue of some of the supporting characters that appear in this issue. Additionally, I'm not convinced that Carol Danvers wouldn't know what to do in the situation she is faced with.
The next problem I have with this series so far is that it doesn't really speak to me. I don't feel excited about what's happening next in this issue. I don't feel like I am totally intrigued and interested in the events and the goings on that we see here. One issue in and she's already thrown back in time? I don't know how compelling that is, at least right now.
The Verdict
One thing that DeConnick is doing right is getting you to really root for the character in this series. While I'm not crazy about the way her series has launched, I am hoping it begins to pick up. I am finding that I am interested in Carol's character. She's a little bit masculine and has a hard edge about her that makes her stand out from a lot of other female characters, and I like that. I am hoping that things pick up, however. I also really enjoyed the art in this issue a lot. I think it matches the pacing of the series.