A review by rach
Avengers: The Enemy Within by Filipe Andrade, Scott Hepburn, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Matteo Buffagni
5.0
So, if you'd been standing outside my door last night (creeper! don't do that!), you wouldn't have heard any loud sobs, but you definitely would have heard sniffling and gentle whimpers as I read this book that contains crossover issues of Avengers Assemble and Captain Marvel, and which contains the last story arc for this volume of Captain Marvel.
If you've read my reviews for the last volumes, my raves still stand. Carol Danvers is an absolute hero, so brave, and strong, and dedicated. I love how she is written. I love how she is drawn. I LOVE how she is drawn, actually. There is only one Filipe Andrade issue in this collection, but the other artists never cease to impress me with how they capture the Captain's spirit. Scott Hepburn, Matteo Buffagni, and Pete Larraz's work in this book is all fantastic, and I love to see the different ways they interpret these characters.
Carol's ultimate sacrifice is at the heart of this book. No one expects her to sacrifice herself; they, in fact, actively try to prevent her from doing so. But when Carol realizes what's at stake, she doesn't hesitate or second guess herself. You might think I'm talking about her killing herself to save the world, but in a way, what happened is worse. Ok, it's hard to say anything is worse than being dead, but I think there are things that are, and not knowing who you are or having any memories might be one of them. Carol flew into space, knowing that in doing so would damage her brain so much that she would no longer have any memory of the people and things she loves. Yes, she knew her brain would rebuild itself, and she would survive. Yes, she is still the same person. But imagine waking up in a world where nothing is familiar, and having to be retaught all these things you don't feel like you ever knew. Imagine being surrounded by people you don't know who claim to be your best friends, and having to trust that they are telling you the truth, having to rebuild all those connects and years of memories from the ground up.
It does not sound fun. But Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, didn't hesitate.
I love (and am relieved) that the volume didn't just end with her sacrifice. Instead, we get to see Carol as she starts to rebuild her life. The best part is, despite not having her memories, or know who everyone is, she is still, at the core, herself. She still interacts with her friends in the same way, which I imagine is a relief to them as well, and is still just as heroic. This volume goes out in the best way: with Carol getting Captain Marvel lessons from her littlest-biggest fan, Kit, and inspiring a new generation of hero in Ms. Marvel.
I can't believe it took me this long to read this fantastic comic, and if you're on the fence about it, don't wait! Pick these up now! I'm happy I can get in on the ground floor of the new Captain Marvel relaunch and the new Ms. Marvel title, though I still haven't decided if, after the first issues of those, I will continue to read issue by issue or wait until trades come out, as I general prefer to do. It will definitely depend on how sucked-in I get, and my patience level.
If you've read my reviews for the last volumes, my raves still stand. Carol Danvers is an absolute hero, so brave, and strong, and dedicated. I love how she is written. I love how she is drawn. I LOVE how she is drawn, actually. There is only one Filipe Andrade issue in this collection, but the other artists never cease to impress me with how they capture the Captain's spirit. Scott Hepburn, Matteo Buffagni, and Pete Larraz's work in this book is all fantastic, and I love to see the different ways they interpret these characters.
Carol's ultimate sacrifice is at the heart of this book. No one expects her to sacrifice herself; they, in fact, actively try to prevent her from doing so. But when Carol realizes what's at stake, she doesn't hesitate or second guess herself. You might think I'm talking about her killing herself to save the world, but in a way, what happened is worse. Ok, it's hard to say anything is worse than being dead, but I think there are things that are, and not knowing who you are or having any memories might be one of them. Carol flew into space, knowing that in doing so would damage her brain so much that she would no longer have any memory of the people and things she loves. Yes, she knew her brain would rebuild itself, and she would survive. Yes, she is still the same person. But imagine waking up in a world where nothing is familiar, and having to be retaught all these things you don't feel like you ever knew. Imagine being surrounded by people you don't know who claim to be your best friends, and having to trust that they are telling you the truth, having to rebuild all those connects and years of memories from the ground up.
It does not sound fun. But Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, didn't hesitate.
I love (and am relieved) that the volume didn't just end with her sacrifice. Instead, we get to see Carol as she starts to rebuild her life. The best part is, despite not having her memories, or know who everyone is, she is still, at the core, herself. She still interacts with her friends in the same way, which I imagine is a relief to them as well, and is still just as heroic. This volume goes out in the best way: with Carol getting Captain Marvel lessons from her littlest-biggest fan, Kit, and inspiring a new generation of hero in Ms. Marvel.
I can't believe it took me this long to read this fantastic comic, and if you're on the fence about it, don't wait! Pick these up now! I'm happy I can get in on the ground floor of the new Captain Marvel relaunch and the new Ms. Marvel title, though I still haven't decided if, after the first issues of those, I will continue to read issue by issue or wait until trades come out, as I general prefer to do. It will definitely depend on how sucked-in I get, and my patience level.