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Marvel Graphic Novel #1
The Death of Captain Marvel
The Death of Captain Marvel. One of the poignant comics ever, Mar-vell succumbs to cancer in this classic and touching story.
65 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1982
69 people are currently reading
2268 people want to read
About the author
Jim Starlin
1,334 books443 followersJames P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters Thanos and Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Death and suicide are recurring themes in Starlin's work: Personifications of Death appeared in his Captain Marvel series and in a fill-in story for Ghost Rider; Warlock commits suicide by killing his future self; and suicide is a theme in a story he plotted and drew for The Rampaging Hulk magazine.
In the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach. Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority. Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).
When Marvel Comics wished to use the name of Captain Marvel for a new, different character,[citation needed] Starlin was given the rare opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character. The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by the company itself. (
In the late 1980s, Starlin began working more for DC Comics, writing a number of Batman stories, including the four-issue miniseries Batman: The Cult (Aug.-Nov. 1988), and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family", in Batman #426-429 (Dec. 1988 – Jan. 1989), in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed. The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation. For DC he created Hardcore Station.
In the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach. Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority. Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).
When Marvel Comics wished to use the name of Captain Marvel for a new, different character,[citation needed] Starlin was given the rare opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character. The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by the company itself. (
In the late 1980s, Starlin began working more for DC Comics, writing a number of Batman stories, including the four-issue miniseries Batman: The Cult (Aug.-Nov. 1988), and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family", in Batman #426-429 (Dec. 1988 – Jan. 1989), in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed. The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation. For DC he created Hardcore Station.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
September 21, 2019
As far as I’m concerned, Jim Starlin never has to pay for a drink again for architecting what was, for my money, the first really great (and still one of the all-time best) crossover event comics in Infinity Gauntlet, a story from which the moderately fiscally successful Avengers cinematic franchise has mined more than a few plot nuggets.
I’ve been on something of a Starlin kick lately, consuming a bunch of his mid-80s Batman work, and it occurred to me that though I’ve been meaning to read it for literally decades, I’ve never gotten around to The Death of Captain Marvel. So, I finally read it. To quote the inimitable Cheech Marin in Ghostbusters 2 when he witnessed the ghost of the Titanic (and its dead passengers) arrive in New York, “Well…better late than never.”
This is intended to be a powerful, emotional story, one that pays homage to a falling (and ultimately fallen) hero, one felled not by villainous laser blasts or mighty fist blows, but, rather, and unusually for comics, the ravages of cancer. And I’m sure it would have been a powerful, emotional story…if I had ever really read Captain Marvel comics.
(One note: this is NOT the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel of more recent fame; this is the original Captain Marvel, a Kree defector who chose to save Earth rather than helping his people destroy it.)
All comics require a willing suspension of disbelief, but never more so than when they address real-world issues. To Starlin’s credit, rather than sidestepping or glossing over it, he drives straight at the obvious question of why the greatest minds on the planet—whose genius seems to surpass even that of our own Einsteins and Hawkings—aided by futuristic alien technology, no less, can’t figure out a way to cure Marvel or, at the very least buy him more time.
(I recall a similarly uncomfortable question arising when Marvel, with its heart squarely in the right place, tried to wrestle with 9/11, because superheroes stopping bad things from happening in New York is a daily occurrence in the Marvel U, so it seemed strange that they couldn’t stop a couple of non-superpowered fanatics from crashing planes into buildings, or at least have contained the damage. Then again despite heroes’ best efforts, it seems like there’s a 9/11-level event happening in New York every month in Marvel U, somewhat blunting the emotional impact of each event. So, when they attempted to show the raw emotion the heroes felt that day, a day that they failed and could do nothing but mourn alongside the rest of the country, it felt odd, though J. Michael Straczynski handled the story beautifully.)
Starlin’s rationale is that the nega bands that give Marvel his miraculous powers and have for so long kept the cancer at bay, combined with his Kree physiology, thwart all scientific and magical attempts to cure the disease. Why not remove the nega bands, then? Well, dummy, because those are the only thing keeping him alive, and the moment they come off, he’s deader than Rebecca Black’s pop idol aspirations.
In addition to Starlin’s titular (heh heh…I said “titular”) tale, this collection contains Captain Marvel’s first appearance (a typical Stan Lee joint, though heavier on the repetitive exposition and ham-handed character development than Stan’s much more stellar work on Spidey, Doc Strange, X-Men, etc.) and a couple of other stories, including the one that exposed Marvel to the radiation that ultimately caused his cancer. It’s…weird.
Even with those for context, I felt about as emotional as I might watching the sad sack patient of the week on Grey’s Anatomy flatline while an earnest ballad by The Fray crescendos in the background for the 714th time in its one billion-episode run. I wanted to feel the pain of Rick Jones and an all-star cast of Marvel heroes, but having never really seen ol’ Marv in action, I struggled to feel the loss with them. It was like walking in on someone else’s grandma’s funeral.
Starlin is almost always worth a read, and that’s the case here—those who were longtime Captain Marvel fans will undoubtedly be deeply affected, and others will appreciate this somber approach to a different kind of story.
I’ve been on something of a Starlin kick lately, consuming a bunch of his mid-80s Batman work, and it occurred to me that though I’ve been meaning to read it for literally decades, I’ve never gotten around to The Death of Captain Marvel. So, I finally read it. To quote the inimitable Cheech Marin in Ghostbusters 2 when he witnessed the ghost of the Titanic (and its dead passengers) arrive in New York, “Well…better late than never.”
This is intended to be a powerful, emotional story, one that pays homage to a falling (and ultimately fallen) hero, one felled not by villainous laser blasts or mighty fist blows, but, rather, and unusually for comics, the ravages of cancer. And I’m sure it would have been a powerful, emotional story…if I had ever really read Captain Marvel comics.
(One note: this is NOT the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel of more recent fame; this is the original Captain Marvel, a Kree defector who chose to save Earth rather than helping his people destroy it.)
All comics require a willing suspension of disbelief, but never more so than when they address real-world issues. To Starlin’s credit, rather than sidestepping or glossing over it, he drives straight at the obvious question of why the greatest minds on the planet—whose genius seems to surpass even that of our own Einsteins and Hawkings—aided by futuristic alien technology, no less, can’t figure out a way to cure Marvel or, at the very least buy him more time.
(I recall a similarly uncomfortable question arising when Marvel, with its heart squarely in the right place, tried to wrestle with 9/11, because superheroes stopping bad things from happening in New York is a daily occurrence in the Marvel U, so it seemed strange that they couldn’t stop a couple of non-superpowered fanatics from crashing planes into buildings, or at least have contained the damage. Then again despite heroes’ best efforts, it seems like there’s a 9/11-level event happening in New York every month in Marvel U, somewhat blunting the emotional impact of each event. So, when they attempted to show the raw emotion the heroes felt that day, a day that they failed and could do nothing but mourn alongside the rest of the country, it felt odd, though J. Michael Straczynski handled the story beautifully.)
Starlin’s rationale is that the nega bands that give Marvel his miraculous powers and have for so long kept the cancer at bay, combined with his Kree physiology, thwart all scientific and magical attempts to cure the disease. Why not remove the nega bands, then? Well, dummy, because those are the only thing keeping him alive, and the moment they come off, he’s deader than Rebecca Black’s pop idol aspirations.
In addition to Starlin’s titular (heh heh…I said “titular”) tale, this collection contains Captain Marvel’s first appearance (a typical Stan Lee joint, though heavier on the repetitive exposition and ham-handed character development than Stan’s much more stellar work on Spidey, Doc Strange, X-Men, etc.) and a couple of other stories, including the one that exposed Marvel to the radiation that ultimately caused his cancer. It’s…weird.
Even with those for context, I felt about as emotional as I might watching the sad sack patient of the week on Grey’s Anatomy flatline while an earnest ballad by The Fray crescendos in the background for the 714th time in its one billion-episode run. I wanted to feel the pain of Rick Jones and an all-star cast of Marvel heroes, but having never really seen ol’ Marv in action, I struggled to feel the loss with them. It was like walking in on someone else’s grandma’s funeral.
Starlin is almost always worth a read, and that’s the case here—those who were longtime Captain Marvel fans will undoubtedly be deeply affected, and others will appreciate this somber approach to a different kind of story.
July 15, 2016
After collapsing after a routine fight, Captain Marvel reveals he has terminal cancer and perhaps three months to live. In his last days, he records his memoirs and gets his affairs in order.
Captain Marvel, the Protector of the Universe, is stricken with cancer and none of the super heroes and scientists in the Marvel Universe can save him. This is his swan song.
For a book written in the early 1980's, this holds up very well. Captain Marvel is on his way out and his friends come to say goodbye. This was a touching read. Spider-Man and Rick Jones had some emotional moments and a single man-tear welled up when a Skrull gave Captain Marvel a Skrull medal of valor out of respect.
As Captain Marvel fights the disease, he recounts his memoirs, giving a condensed account of his super hero career and battles with the Kree, Skrulls, Thanos, and others.
Man-tears were a near thing at the end of this one. Super-heroes die all the time. Mar-Vell is one of the few that has actually more or less stayed dead. After reading this, I'm glad they didn't cheapen the story by bringing him back. Four out of five stars.
Captain Marvel, the Protector of the Universe, is stricken with cancer and none of the super heroes and scientists in the Marvel Universe can save him. This is his swan song.
For a book written in the early 1980's, this holds up very well. Captain Marvel is on his way out and his friends come to say goodbye. This was a touching read. Spider-Man and Rick Jones had some emotional moments and a single man-tear welled up when a Skrull gave Captain Marvel a Skrull medal of valor out of respect.
As Captain Marvel fights the disease, he recounts his memoirs, giving a condensed account of his super hero career and battles with the Kree, Skrulls, Thanos, and others.
Man-tears were a near thing at the end of this one. Super-heroes die all the time. Mar-Vell is one of the few that has actually more or less stayed dead. After reading this, I'm glad they didn't cheapen the story by bringing him back. Four out of five stars.
February 24, 2025
To understand the concept of 'Death' in the Marvel Universe and the connection Thanos has with the entity that manifests the metaphysical concept of 'death' you should read this excellent GN. Really sets in motion so much that becomes part of the Thanos mythos; this book is very hard to find in high grade because of the black trim of the cover.
August 29, 2019
Nowadays main characters dying or having multiple famous characters in the same issue are de rigueur. When this book was written it was not so. I did factor that in when reading it.
Captain Marvel has cancer. That's the long and short of it. This issue acts as a summation of his history and origins, followed by his interesting self-reflections and his farewells and a final "fight" against Thanos which has much symbolic value. Starlin's story is one that is strangely emotional and a classy "farewell" for an obviously beloved character. It has aged well.
The art also is quite good. Ahead of its time in many ways and I rather enjoyed it. From the big-picture ideas about life and death to a great rehash of Captain Marvel's illustrious career, this is a graphic novel that has a little of everything. I enjoyed it quite a bit and it was a nice change from the current modern comics.
Captain Marvel has cancer. That's the long and short of it. This issue acts as a summation of his history and origins, followed by his interesting self-reflections and his farewells and a final "fight" against Thanos which has much symbolic value. Starlin's story is one that is strangely emotional and a classy "farewell" for an obviously beloved character. It has aged well.
The art also is quite good. Ahead of its time in many ways and I rather enjoyed it. From the big-picture ideas about life and death to a great rehash of Captain Marvel's illustrious career, this is a graphic novel that has a little of everything. I enjoyed it quite a bit and it was a nice change from the current modern comics.
June 14, 2021
I’m a sucker for sentimentality and boy, did this story have that in spades.
I felt that death and loss was dealt with respectfully. Plus, seeing the varied ways people handled Mar-Vell’s news was good to see.
I got teary eyed more times than I thought I would and to me, that’s a sign of a good story done well.
I felt that death and loss was dealt with respectfully. Plus, seeing the varied ways people handled Mar-Vell’s news was good to see.
I got teary eyed more times than I thought I would and to me, that’s a sign of a good story done well.
June 16, 2009
I'd heard this was a really powerful story, but I knew next to nothing about Captain Marvel and didn't have much interest in the character. However, I spotted this at a comic shop sale and decided to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did. I really thing the 80s-era Marvel graphic novels have produced some of the greatest writing about these characters. The length is just right for telling a complete, self-contained story in the pre-decompression style of the time, and the bigger pages and advanced coloring techniques really do wonders for the art. God Loves, Man Kills remains my favorite of these graphic novels that I've read, but the original New Mutants comes close.
And then there's this, The Death of Captain Marvel. In what could easily have become a cheesily melodramatic scenario -- a hero is dying! -- Starlin manages to craft a surprisingly subtle (for comics) tale of death and grief and acceptance. The various reactions to the Mar-Vell's death from different characters all feel very real, as does the hero's own struggle to accept his fate. Plus, I can see how it was very subversive, at the time, to show a hero dying, not in battle or in noble sacrifice, but of a normal, common disease like cancer. The questions raised, and partially answered, here -- why DON'T the huge science brains in comics spend time curing diseases? -- are fascinating, and deserve further exploration in less-focused texts. But for what it is, The Death of Captain Marvel is an excellent story.
And then there's this, The Death of Captain Marvel. In what could easily have become a cheesily melodramatic scenario -- a hero is dying! -- Starlin manages to craft a surprisingly subtle (for comics) tale of death and grief and acceptance. The various reactions to the Mar-Vell's death from different characters all feel very real, as does the hero's own struggle to accept his fate. Plus, I can see how it was very subversive, at the time, to show a hero dying, not in battle or in noble sacrifice, but of a normal, common disease like cancer. The questions raised, and partially answered, here -- why DON'T the huge science brains in comics spend time curing diseases? -- are fascinating, and deserve further exploration in less-focused texts. But for what it is, The Death of Captain Marvel is an excellent story.
April 27, 2020
Death has been overdone and so poorly written in comic books nowadays, that it has lost all of its impact. All the dead characters are resurrected and are merely killed to boost up sales, rather than to create a beautiful and emotional story.
Most deaths do occur because the characters are killed by another supervillain or while protecting the innocents. This is certainly not the case in this graphic novel. Captain Marvel dies of cancer in this one. The significance of him having cancer, is that it signifies that beneath all the masks and costumes, lie mortal men and women, who are no more vulnerable to diseases than we are. It makes the heroes relatable to some extent.
Jim Starlin has written a heartwarming story and done his best to pay respect to the character and his legacy, before biding him farewell. The symbolism used with Thanos, before Mar-Vell sees the light beyond the tunnel, was exceptionally clever and beautiful.
Most deaths do occur because the characters are killed by another supervillain or while protecting the innocents. This is certainly not the case in this graphic novel. Captain Marvel dies of cancer in this one. The significance of him having cancer, is that it signifies that beneath all the masks and costumes, lie mortal men and women, who are no more vulnerable to diseases than we are. It makes the heroes relatable to some extent.
Jim Starlin has written a heartwarming story and done his best to pay respect to the character and his legacy, before biding him farewell. The symbolism used with Thanos, before Mar-Vell sees the light beyond the tunnel, was exceptionally clever and beautiful.
June 9, 2022
The Death of Captain Marvel was fantastic. He's probably the only character Marvel has actually left dead. He's not brought down by Thanos or some other big, bad villain, but cancer. Something most families have had to deal with. It's tough seeing Mar-vell waste away as he waits to die. It's tragic. It's poignant. All the Marvel heroes of the time come out to say goodbye. It's everything you could want in Marvel's first original graphic novel.
August 27, 2015
As a person recently in remission from cancer after initially receiving a terminal diagnosis, I won't pretend that I have any objective ness when it comes to reviewing works in which cancer is a central theme. That being said, I've always liked this graphic novel. Besides it's historical importance for Marvel, not only as the company's first graphic novel but as an example of one oft he few times they've killed a character and left them dead, it's simply a good story. Starlin's art is very nice, and this isn't nearly as overwritten as so much of his 70's work with Mar- Vell. It's explores death pretty well and it's a moving story. It still stands up pretty well.
December 23, 2012
The new-ish hardcover release of The Death of Captain Marvel packages Captain Marvel #34 and Marvel Spotlight #1-2 with the original graphic novel. I've read a handful of these 80s Marvel graphic novels. They're all short, though significantly longer than a regular issue, with extra attention paid to the art. X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills is another in the line.
As expected, the title graphic novel has the death of a Marvel superhero, Captain Marvel, not from violence but from cancer. I was pretty impressed with the way the story was told. It had rather more subtlety than I was expecting, and some very moving and effective moments. I'm thinking of Rick Jones's angry rant at the brilliant and helpless scientists of the Marvel universe, or Spider-Man getting overwhelmed at Mar-Vell's bedside and having to leave the room. It's a little hampered by the length (I think a longer book might have done a better job of delving into some of the deeper issues) and the conventions of 80s superhero comics.
Captain Marvel #34 did end up being important, since it details how Captain Marvel got cancer. Marvel Spotlight #1-2 seemed kind of useless, though. It does show Marvel on Titan, and it does briefly show many of the Titan characters who show up in the graphic novel, but other than that, they didn't add much.
As expected, the title graphic novel has the death of a Marvel superhero, Captain Marvel, not from violence but from cancer. I was pretty impressed with the way the story was told. It had rather more subtlety than I was expecting, and some very moving and effective moments. I'm thinking of Rick Jones's angry rant at the brilliant and helpless scientists of the Marvel universe, or Spider-Man getting overwhelmed at Mar-Vell's bedside and having to leave the room. It's a little hampered by the length (I think a longer book might have done a better job of delving into some of the deeper issues) and the conventions of 80s superhero comics.
Captain Marvel #34 did end up being important, since it details how Captain Marvel got cancer. Marvel Spotlight #1-2 seemed kind of useless, though. It does show Marvel on Titan, and it does briefly show many of the Titan characters who show up in the graphic novel, but other than that, they didn't add much.
April 4, 2018
One of my all time favourites!
Loved this as a kid. Loved it with every single one of my re-reads through the years.
You like cosmic stuff? It's a MUST!
You like Captain Marvel? It's a MUST!
You like Starlin? DUH!
It's about the life and times of Mar-Vell. And of course the death of Captain Marvel as well.
Really miss Mar-Vell... wish they'd bring him back, yeah Carol is great and all, but I miss him and always wanted him to be back. I loved every single issue of his when I was a kid and re-reading now all the Thanos stuff made me reminiscing his series and the times I'd read back in the days. Oh well..
WE NEED THE ORIGINAL CAPTAIN MARVEL BACK MARVEL!!!!! BRING HIM THE FUCK BACK!
ALSO since we're on the subject, WE NEED THE ORIGINAL NOVA BACK TOO. What the fuck is that with a fucking kid for Nova.. fuck that shit and bring back the original one with which we grew up with DAMMIT.
Rant over.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Loved this as a kid. Loved it with every single one of my re-reads through the years.
You like cosmic stuff? It's a MUST!
You like Captain Marvel? It's a MUST!
You like Starlin? DUH!
It's about the life and times of Mar-Vell. And of course the death of Captain Marvel as well.
Really miss Mar-Vell... wish they'd bring him back, yeah Carol is great and all, but I miss him and always wanted him to be back. I loved every single issue of his when I was a kid and re-reading now all the Thanos stuff made me reminiscing his series and the times I'd read back in the days. Oh well..
WE NEED THE ORIGINAL CAPTAIN MARVEL BACK MARVEL!!!!! BRING HIM THE FUCK BACK!
ALSO since we're on the subject, WE NEED THE ORIGINAL NOVA BACK TOO. What the fuck is that with a fucking kid for Nova.. fuck that shit and bring back the original one with which we grew up with DAMMIT.
Rant over.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
June 17, 2017
Mar-vell dies
The title says it all, but it is how he lives and dies that makes the story. Starlin's work is amazing.
The title says it all, but it is how he lives and dies that makes the story. Starlin's work is amazing.
July 6, 2017
Amazing work by Jim Starlin, writing a poignant and satisfying ending to a character whose legacy he helped create, all whilst pouring himself into every panel. A true work of art.
June 15, 2024
“It’s hard to accept that this world is going to go on without me.”
surprised it’s taken me this long to read this. pleasantly surprised at how good it was for a character i know little to nothing about.
surprised it’s taken me this long to read this. pleasantly surprised at how good it was for a character i know little to nothing about.
June 13, 2021
A very touching and human story that unfortunately too many people have to face in their own lives. Although dead is never really dead in comics, this story helps show that one can either acquiesce or rage against the end. The way Mar-Vel chose to confront his end further demonstrated why he was one of the finest heroes in the early Marvel Universe.
November 29, 2024
I honestly never got around to reading this one back in the day, in part, because it so difficult to get ahold of for a reasonable price. First, it sold initially for $5.95 - a lot back then. Second, as the very first graphic novel comic from Marvel, this one carried a lot of interest among collectors. Third, it was the death of a major Marvel hero and, thus, a key-event book. So, if you did not find it out in the wild upon publication, you had to get ready to pay through the nose for it.
Of course, from the cover and title, there are no real spoilers here (for a forty-year-old comic) that Captain Marvel dies. Yes, no fake out, no imaginary story. It happens. And it is a poignant tale in that how he dies was not your typical manner in a super-hero comic. This was a real-world topic: cancer.
Starlin had a long history with the character, and it shows through his writing and art on this tale. If a reader did not know Mar-Vell's story, no worries. It is covered here as the cosmic champion narrates the key moments of his past while facing the inevitable.
If I had read this when I was seventeen when it came out, I likely would have been blown away by it. This was a very radical concept for comics - super-heroes facing very realistic, mortal moments. At the time, I had only experienced death a few times (both my grandfathers) so this would have been very heavy stuff. Reading it today, when I have close to six decades under my belt (and thus closer to considering my own mortality) and having dealt with the deaths of many family members as well as friends of my own generation, my approach to the subject matter is quite different. I have wisdom and experiences to draw upon. So, in some ways, this comic falls a bit flatter than it would have had I read it back in the day.
Still, it is a milestone and worth a read, especially for fans of this classic character.
Of course, from the cover and title, there are no real spoilers here (for a forty-year-old comic) that Captain Marvel dies. Yes, no fake out, no imaginary story. It happens. And it is a poignant tale in that how he dies was not your typical manner in a super-hero comic. This was a real-world topic: cancer.
Starlin had a long history with the character, and it shows through his writing and art on this tale. If a reader did not know Mar-Vell's story, no worries. It is covered here as the cosmic champion narrates the key moments of his past while facing the inevitable.
If I had read this when I was seventeen when it came out, I likely would have been blown away by it. This was a very radical concept for comics - super-heroes facing very realistic, mortal moments. At the time, I had only experienced death a few times (both my grandfathers) so this would have been very heavy stuff. Reading it today, when I have close to six decades under my belt (and thus closer to considering my own mortality) and having dealt with the deaths of many family members as well as friends of my own generation, my approach to the subject matter is quite different. I have wisdom and experiences to draw upon. So, in some ways, this comic falls a bit flatter than it would have had I read it back in the day.
Still, it is a milestone and worth a read, especially for fans of this classic character.
May 14, 2023
A bitter farewell to a major character like Captain Marvel from such a realistic death, cancer.
And it's really solid. A bit too much explaining about who Captain Marvel is, which I assume was done simply incase you never heard of him before. But I feel like it throws ALOT at you and if you aren't fully invested it could be a lot. But the main focus, about him coming to terms with his death, is very touching and some really great moments. Overall a 3.5 but I'll bump it to a 4.
And it's really solid. A bit too much explaining about who Captain Marvel is, which I assume was done simply incase you never heard of him before. But I feel like it throws ALOT at you and if you aren't fully invested it could be a lot. But the main focus, about him coming to terms with his death, is very touching and some really great moments. Overall a 3.5 but I'll bump it to a 4.
January 6, 2026
This is one of those rare stories with a classic status in western mainstream comics that completely justify the hype around it, a rewarding and surprisingly touching meditation on the inevitability of death and the tragedy of terminal illness.
January 13, 2013
When I first read this in 1982, I had no idea that they were reprints, so they were new to me.
Some of Marr-vell's friends and a couple of his enemies show up to pay their respects to a dying Super-Hero struck with cancer.
Now, this was back in the day where when an hero (or more likely one of his supporting cast) died, they stayed that way... well for a least a while, unlike in these days, when they die and are back in action a couple of months later in a big "Ressurection" story. So yeah, I had taken this story seriously.
Although aimed at a more "mature" audience with its glossy paper, magazine-sized format and its exhorbitant price, the story was still pretty much the usual comic-book fare. After all, that's what the writers were used to writing and I suppose they had trouble making the jump to an older audience.
The story hardly stands the test of time, but for the time at which it had been written, it was pretty much some of the best American stuff out there.
Some of Marr-vell's friends and a couple of his enemies show up to pay their respects to a dying Super-Hero struck with cancer.
Now, this was back in the day where when an hero (or more likely one of his supporting cast) died, they stayed that way... well for a least a while, unlike in these days, when they die and are back in action a couple of months later in a big "Ressurection" story. So yeah, I had taken this story seriously.
Although aimed at a more "mature" audience with its glossy paper, magazine-sized format and its exhorbitant price, the story was still pretty much the usual comic-book fare. After all, that's what the writers were used to writing and I suppose they had trouble making the jump to an older audience.
The story hardly stands the test of time, but for the time at which it had been written, it was pretty much some of the best American stuff out there.
March 4, 2013
I read this in 1982, when I was on vacation in New York, from Hong Kong. I remember buying it at a B. Dalton Booksellers on Fifth Avenue and reading it on the plane from NY to London. It was such a major event, as a thirteen year old, to be reading about the death of a superhero. I mean, they were superheroes and they didn't die. More than that, though, was how clever the story is. Captain Marvel doesn't die in the heroic throes of combat saving the world. He dies, equally heroically, but without glamour because of cancer. It's very real and the reactions of the other superheroes are equally as honest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2016
Probably the first big name super hero to die. Great story and art. Very recommended
June 25, 2016
A superhero succumbs to cancer...friends and foes gather in his last moments to pay homage...unlike any other superhero comic I have read...
February 25, 2022
That was surprisingly touching.
A quite mature (if pedantic) meditation on accepting mortality.
A quite mature (if pedantic) meditation on accepting mortality.
September 19, 2019
Still holds has a great read!
May 18, 2024
Pase años intentando leer este cómic y entré escases de impresión y su precio tan alto estuve esperando y sin saberlo se añadió a mi colección en un momento más que indicado.
He leido una cantidad ridícula de cómics y ninguno me había hecho llorar como este.
Ver a un Kree, enemigo declaradisimo del capitán marvel entregarle una medalla de honor por ser un rival digno, enfrentarse una última vez a Thanos e irse, no peleando ni salvando el mundo, si no rodeado de sus seres queridos fue la catarsis necesaria que necesitaba a poco más de 8 días del fallecimiento de mi abuela.
Uno quisiera que la muerte fue rápida, indolora y en paz, pero en la muerte no hay batallas, solamente el recuerdo de una vida bien vivida.
Gracias Capitán Marvel, por permitirme despedirme y hacerme saber que mi abuela también tuvo una vida llena de pasión y gloria.
Descansa en Paz Mamá Lila.
He leido una cantidad ridícula de cómics y ninguno me había hecho llorar como este.
Ver a un Kree, enemigo declaradisimo del capitán marvel entregarle una medalla de honor por ser un rival digno, enfrentarse una última vez a Thanos e irse, no peleando ni salvando el mundo, si no rodeado de sus seres queridos fue la catarsis necesaria que necesitaba a poco más de 8 días del fallecimiento de mi abuela.
Uno quisiera que la muerte fue rápida, indolora y en paz, pero en la muerte no hay batallas, solamente el recuerdo de una vida bien vivida.
Gracias Capitán Marvel, por permitirme despedirme y hacerme saber que mi abuela también tuvo una vida llena de pasión y gloria.
Descansa en Paz Mamá Lila.
June 28, 2025
spoilers i guess but nothing you couldn't probably figure out from, well, the name of the book.
one of the most contemplative and outright sad comic books I've ever read. the whole thing is loaded with a depressing sense of inevitability. we read the title of the book. there's no punching and kicking our way out of this one.
every page of this was touching in a different way. i will always be made very emotional by a surprisingly enormous and diverse group of people come to meet with (and soon mourn) a dying man one last time. all of them united by a shared love, and their communal mission to make this man's last living moments surrounded by friends.
tragic and beautiful, both in its narrative and its stellar art. immaculate use of thanos. 10/10 graphic novel (though if we're splitting hairs, i don't know that I'd count 60-odd pages as a 'novel' but that's how it's classified).
one of the most contemplative and outright sad comic books I've ever read. the whole thing is loaded with a depressing sense of inevitability. we read the title of the book. there's no punching and kicking our way out of this one.
every page of this was touching in a different way. i will always be made very emotional by a surprisingly enormous and diverse group of people come to meet with (and soon mourn) a dying man one last time. all of them united by a shared love, and their communal mission to make this man's last living moments surrounded by friends.
tragic and beautiful, both in its narrative and its stellar art. immaculate use of thanos. 10/10 graphic novel (though if we're splitting hairs, i don't know that I'd count 60-odd pages as a 'novel' but that's how it's classified).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2018
Pequeño clásico de la melancolía orientada a nerds de los 80.
November 4, 2024
Made me appreciate Captain Marvel a hell of a lot more
February 14, 2021
(Width must be 0-400, Height must be 0-1000, alt is a description of the image. All three are optional, but recommended.) La vida es solo un preludio de la muerte. Es inevitable. Nos iguala a todos. Memento mori. En el caso del superhéroe conocido como el Capitán América, irónicamente, su fallecimiento condujo al personaje al olimpo de los grandes. La muerte del Capitán América es una de las mejores novelas gráficas del Universo Marvel y, con ella, Jim Starlin se despidió de aquel antiguo guerrero kree que decidió defender a los humanos en vez de esclavizarlos y se enfrentaría no solo a su propia raza, sino a grandes adversarios como el mismísimo titán loco, Thanos.
Siempre he pensado que las obras artísticas poseen la capacidad de transformarse a medida que nosotros lo hacemos. No es lo mismo leer cierto cómic en una etapa de tu vida que en otra. La primera vez que leí La muerte del Capitán América lloré sin que una enfermedad tan brutal hubiese tocado a mis seres queridos más cercanos; cuando la releí, esto sí se había producido y tomó nuevos significados.
Siempre he apreciado del Universo Marvel su capacidad para centrarse en la parte humana de sus personajes. Sí, tienes aventureros espaciales, tipos capaces de pegarse a las paredes y lanzar telarañas, gente con superarmadura…, pero, al final, aunque eso nos gusta, lo que realmente nos hace empatizar con ellos es la humanidad que poseen, aquella de la que fuesen adalides los primeros grandes creadores de la compañía: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, etc. Ya los Cuatro Fantásticos representaban a la humanidad de los primeros superhéroes y ese leitmotiv ha continuado e impera en historias como La muerte del Capitán Marvel, todo un triunfo del mundo de las viñetas.
Antes de que se pusiera de moda el asesinar a superhéroes para elevar las ventas, esta historia representó uno de los enfoques más humanos que se han hecho de un personaje tan fascinante, pero también del propio mito del superhéroe. Hay cientos de historias sobre orígenes, pero pocas sobre finales reales y, a la vez, tan humanos como el que rodea el fin del Capitán Marvel.
La crítica continúa en el blog
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