Captain Marvel: Dark Past #4 – Never Afraid of The Fall

Captain Marvel has finally confronted the Desecrator. Their battle has left Carol trapped in a psychic realm formed from her own memories. What happens when Captain Marvel’s troubled past becomes her prison? As she fights against her own demons, Desecrator feeds on her pain. Can she survive his literal mind games and make peace with her past?

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Lucas Werneck
Color Artist: Rod Fernandes
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Lucas Werneck

Writing

Megan: After following this run for its entirety, I knew to expect a good issue. What I didn’t expect was for Paul Jenkins to give me an emotional punch to the gut. In Captain Marvel: Dark Past #4, we got to the heavy part of the story. The secrets that Eric kept to himself and the past that Carol avoided. There are many plays on the theme of not being good enough, and that shows in the tragedy of Eric’s past. All the while, heroes such as Iron Man, Wanda, and She-Hulk work tirelessly to save Carol. The juxtaposition of the heightened emotions of each scene switch flowed perfectly, highlighting the other. This was brilliantly handled by Jenkins, and he has me anxiously waiting for the next issue to drop.

Shawn: What an amazing issue from Paul Jenkins. Jenkins really took readers to the dark place that is Carol’s memory in a narratively satisfying way. Seeing Carol walk through her biggest disappointments and failures was hard. The best part of Jenkins’ approach was that it leaves this issue not only respecting how physically powerful Carol Danvers is, but also acknowledging how mentally tough she must be to deal with so many painful memories and keep going every day.

While the issue is very serious and dark at times, it is not without humor and wit. I found the exchange between Carol and Eric about Tinder to be hilarious. Jenkins finally pulls the curtain back completely and not only reveals the horror of Carol’s past but also what happened in Eric’s past to bring him to this point. This is a somber issue filled with occasional funny quips that set up the big finale of this limited series.

Art

Megan: Lucas Werneck, Rod Fernandes, and Joe Caramagna knocked this issue straight out of the park. Perfectly grasping the emotions of the story, Werneck portrays them loudly on each and every page. Whether it’s guilt, anguish, action, or blatant trauma, Werneck makes the reader feel every bit of it. Fernandes handles the colors and does so in a way that you can clearly feel the emotions of the characters. I liked how Fernandes used darker colors like blues and blacks to signify loneliness or abandonment, and the warmer colors when the action picked up. Coming to the lettering, Joe Caramagna delivers high-quality work as usual. There are so many tones from the characters in the comic, and Caramagna delivers each one with an even flow of dialogue that allows the reader to feel each of the characters’ emotions.

Shawn: What is there to say about Lucas Werneck that hasn’t already been said? As amazing as this story has been, Werneck brings it to life. As we see the steps of Carol’s past, we get to see updated versions of her classic looks in modern artistic tools, thanks to Werneck. The entire issue feels perfectly drawn as it extracts every emotion from you that it is supposed to from panel to panel.

Rod Fernandes really stands out with the coloring in this issue. I thought the sections dealing with Eric’s backstory were some of the most complex and beautifully colored of the entire issue. The subtle color changes as Carol moves through stories of her past make for a nice touch. Joe Carmagna helps do a good job moving the story along through both memories and Carol’s internal monologues.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 10/10. This comic run has no right to be this good. Paul Jenkins and the artists on the team are blowing my mind with every issue.

Shawn: 10/10. This continues to be just an absolutely amazing series. The absolute heartbreak that the creative team brought to life on these pages is astounding. The series has been phenomenal, but this issue hits you right in the gut with an emotional punch that keeps you begging for the final issue.

Overall Grade: 10/10

What did you think about this issue? Tell us in the comments below!