Written by: Peter David
Art by: Juanan Ramírez
Colors by: Federico Blee
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Mike McKone, Antonio Fabela
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: September 28, 2022
Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #3 uncovers how Genis-Vell came to be resurrected by the Kree. Meanwhile, Rick Jones gets help from Phyla.
Is It Good?
Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #3 fills in the blanks on Geni-Vells recent return with an unprecedented explanation that sort of makes sense as long as you don’t question it. Does that explanation, and all the fallout that comes along with it, justify the cover price and guarantee readers will keep coming back for more? It’s too soon to tell, which is not positive after three issues.
In this issue, we learn how Genis-Vell was brought back to life by the Kree (minor spoiler: he’s not technically a clone), and the explanation is complicated. David explains it well enough for readers to follow along, but it’s difficult not to think David went way into left field to dream up the explanation as an excuse to put Marlo Chandler in the hands of the Kree. Right away, the issue feels complicated.
Next, the flashbacks before Genis-Vell’s death suggest that the Supreme Intelligence is behind Death’s troubles in the past, but there’s no clear connection between what’s going on in the past and what’s happening to Genis-Vell in the present.
Lastly, Rick Jones is figuring out he can hold form without the Nega-Bands, so he needs to deliver them to Genis-Vell in person, potentially with the intention of merging again. This part of the story is at least straightforward.
The struggle with reviewing this comic comes from the disconnection. David has a lot of pieces moving around in all directions with no apparent goal. If you were to ask about the plot of this arc, there’s no obvious answer. Is it to restore the Genis-Vell/Rick Jones merged entity? Is it to save Marlo from the Kree? Is it to save Death from the Supreme Intelligence? Is it to uncover a nefarious plot behind Genis-Vell’s resurrection? The point is that this comic is doing things, but none of the elements are lining up to point to a clear plot, so the net result is a lot of random happenings with tenuous connections.
The story may feel directionless, but the art by Ramírez and Blee is great. The character designs are detailed and dynamic, and Blee’s colors are striking. In all, the visuals are much better than the writing.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts:
Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #3 has plenty of interesting developments and outstanding art, but after three issues, the plot is unclear and directionless. There’s still time to build momentum in a particular direction, but this issue feels like the story hasn’t figured itself out yet.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 