The Death Of Captain Marvel [New Printing 2]

Captain Marvel (1968) #1, 34

by Jim Starlin, Steve Englehart, Doug Moench

As Protector of the Universe and de facto defender of Earth, the Kree Captain Mar-Vell has triumphed over foes large and small. But when Mar-Vell is diagnosed with cancer, he fi nds himself face-to-face with a foe that even his vast might can't defeat...and both he, and a universe that loves him, must rally together to accept the inevitable. Plus, look back at the seminal battle with Nitro that infected Captain Marvel years before - and, in the midst of a battle with Titan's planet-sized computer system, now corrupted by the madness of Thanos, witness the budding romance between Mar-Vell and his true love Elysius! COLLECTING: MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1967) 12-13; CAPTAIN MARVEL (1968) 1, 34; MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1979) 1-2; MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL 1: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2019

About the author

James 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.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I just want to start by saying, I read the big giant super oversized gallery edition of this book. But just like the Warlock gallery edition, it’s not on here. The first 3 issues, Marvel Super-Heroes #s 12, 13 and Captain Marvel #1, show the beginning of Mar-Vell’s adventures and the first appearance or Carol Danvers. Sent to earth by the Kree to investigate Earth’s defenses and see how the people are here, Mar-vell goes under cover and infiltrates a military base as a scientist. During this time, he feels that earth people aren’t that bad and feels maybe the Kree shouldn’t invade. But Yon-Rogg activates a dormant Kree Sentry and Mar-Vell finds himself fighting it to protect the people of earth. So his role as an earth ally begins. Stan Lee and Roy Thomas on these issues with Gene Colan on art. Great stuff with that classic old school Marvel art style. Then the middle of the book with Captain Marvel 34 and Marvel Spotlight 1 and 2. Issue 34 finds Mar-Vell battling Nitro as he has stolen a secret tank of a deadly gas from the government. The events of this issue play a pivotal role in the Death of Captain Marvel graphic novel. Jim Starlin quarterbacking this issue. The Spotlight 1 and 2 were scribed by Doug Moench and shows the final battle against Thanos’ legacy as he had left plans of action after his death. Then it’s the Death of graphic novel. This was really well done by Starlin. Coming into this, I thought it would be some big final scrap that would do him in but instead it was something I didn’t see coming. A really sad touching issue with all the heroes and some villains from earth and around the Galaxy coming to pay their respects. Overall, the book was pretty damn good start to finish.

[Dan McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sad story of Mar-Vell’s death at the hands of cancer. This was my first time reading it and I could have sworn that he got cancer from Nitro instead of the nerve gas but regardless, it was such a great story and you could tell Starlin was pulling from his own personal experience with the disease.

[Davy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a touching and sincere read! I honestly had no idea what to expect but I can tell Starlin pulled so much of this from his personal experiences and life that I can’t help but feel it as well. This story will resonate with me for a while to come.

[Bryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's quite something to read this in our current age of superhero centric world. A stunningly touching and excellently written story, with an ending that is final. Mature in it's understanding of not just the themes of death but specifically cancer. Each character is shown to react diffrently, some with brave smiles and jokes of the old days, and others simply can't handle it and are overwhelmed. This is a piece of art so poinant it goes beyond simply a comic book, or even a piece of literature. For it touches upon something so universal, anybody can sympathise with it.

[Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The additional issues added into this collection for context (Captain Marvel #1 & #34, Marvel Spotlight #1-2, and Marvel Super Heroes #12-13) ranged from classic but fairly mediocre to not very interesting but with a few good spreads. However the actual original Death of Captain Marvel TPB that made up the second half of this edition was quite good, and I'm rating this based mainly off that with the rest counting as bonus material. The writing was pretty good throughout, though sometimes going too far beyond poignant to become saccharine, and the art and especially the layouts were great. The central conceit of having a longstanding superhero die to cancer with nothing able to be done about is unique, though it would have hit harder if I'd had more of a history with the character.

[John Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story encapsulates the unavoidability of death. How even for the strongest man in the universe, an almost god like being it is impossible to escape our final fate. Such an amazingly tragic story. I love Jim Starlins writing so much and want to read more. I really can’t even express how I feel about this comic please go read it yourself. It is truly amazing.

[Caroline Kjos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really awesome collection! It's compiled of different books/stories that come together beautifully for the last chapter. It's heartbreaking and sad and so perfect.

[Juha Soininen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, heart-breaking

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about being powerless against death. It's pretty simple but it still gets the work done by giving us a tragic end to a classic character.