I picked this comic up for two reasons: one, I’m a huge fan of Captain Marvel. Carol is, hands down, my favorite true superhero, so of course I’m compelled to read anything and everything I can about her. Second, the cover art by Alex Ross is so incredibly pretty that I might just have to display this comic on my wall so that I can continue admiring it. Which, of course, is no surprise to anyone familiar with Ross’ work.
Despite this, the existence of the Marvels Snapshots series had somehow eluded me. I did some quick research, and what I learned is that the Marvels Snapshots series, which began in March of 2020, show the tales of superheroes through the eyes of ordinary people and focus on how those superheroes have inspired and influenced people in their day-to-day life. The series has eight installments, of which Captain Marvel is the final issue.
Written by Mark Waid with art by Claire Roe, the Captain Marvel issue is told from the viewpoint of a character named Jenni, a pink-haired high school aged girl with big ideas about how to better the world through social rights activism. Despite having good intentions, however, her brand of activism has led her to suspension at school and a lecture from her mom. It seems that no one understands that Jenni just wants to be make the world a better and more equal place, and that somewhere along the way, even she’s lost track of who she is.
Unable to sleep that night, Jenni sneaks out of her bedroom window and pedals her bike to the beach, where she sees a team of heroes fighting a heroic battle. Among the heroes are both Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) and Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers).
After the battle subsides, Jenni has a chance to speak with both Ms and Captain Marvel, after a little bit of adorable and relatable fangirling. When Ms Marvel asks Jenni to tell her about herself, Jenni replies that she's “nobody” and that her mom would freak out if she knew where Jenni was right now. Kamala smiles and tells Jenni of her own home life and her strict parents and how it was Captain Marvel that inspired her to be who she wanted to be.
It’s now Carol’s turn to tell Jenni about her own childhood, specifically her abusive father who believed in strict roles for boys and girls and only allowed Carol to do “girl things”. When he told her that there was no money to send her to college and that “women can’t be astronauts - they don’t have the physique”, Carol joined the Air Force and, well, the rest is history.
Although the storyline isn’t groundbreaking, the comic leaves you with the belief that you have the power to be whomever you want to be, which I think is a good and wholesome message. It shows a very human element to both of the main heroes in this story, and it’s nice to see them share their relatable pasts. I particularly think that this would be an excellent comic for a younger fan, particularly young girls, because of its message.
If you’re interested, a hard cover collected edition of all eight issues, curated by Kurt Busiek, will be available on April 28th, 2021, and can be pre-ordered now through Diamond. In it, you will see snapshots from the lives of Marvel heroes throughout time, where you will “witness the lives, loves and losses of the everyday people caught up in the adventures of Spider-Man, Captain America, the Avengers, Captain Marvel and more!”
Angela “LaLa” Rairden is an avid fan of comic books, Star Wars, and most things nerdy. A cosplayer, she loves to attend comic cons dressed as her favorite fictional characters, particularly Harley Quinn. Although her day job is at a grocery store, writing has always been her true calling. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she is currently writing her first novel.