Ahead of her big screen debut in March of 2019, Captain Marvel will get a new comic book series. This series will hit shelves in January 2019, two months before Brie Larson (Room, Kong: Skull Island) portrays the heroine in the new Marvel movie. The comic will be written by Kelly Thompson and drawn by Carmen Carnero. Also joining the team is colorist Tamra Bonvillain and editors Sarah Brunstad and Wil Moss. Ms. Thompson has stated:
“You really want her to be accessible to new and younger audiences who are going to see the movie, fall in love and want to seek out other Captain Marvel stories. But you really want to respect the fans who have loved the character for decades. I think there’s a razor’s edge there.”
The story will return Captain Marvel to New York City after spending some time in space, where she will be the first line of defense against an alien threat. The comics will feature Iron Man and Spider-Woman, and perhaps other familiar heroes. Captain Marvel – also known by her alter ego Carol Danvers – was originally introduced in 1967. At that time the character of Captain Marvel was a male and Carol was his assistant. It took 10 years before she got her own series as Ms. Marvel, wearing a sexualized rendition of the male’s original costume. When 2012 rolled around she, at last, got to take on the title of Captain Marvel and got a uniform redesign by Jamie Kelvie that was much more modest but, most importantly, was inspired by her military background.
Mr. Kelvie was responsible for the uniform redesign and he has stated:
“I’d like to see more consideration for what message a female character’s design is putting across. I think we, as an industry, are getting better at it though, which is heartening.”
It will be exciting to see what new stories the comic book series can explore with Captain Marvel, especially as the call for more female heroes gets stronger.