Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #4 Review

Written by: Peter David
Art by: Juanan Ramírez
Colors by: Federico Blee
Letters by: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover art by: Mike McKone, Antonio Fabela
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: October 12, 2022

Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #4 converges the past and the present when Death possesses the bodies of people in Genis-Vell’s circle. Now as then, the Supreme Intelligence will deploy its most powerful soldier to ensure Death is under Kree control.

Is It Good?

Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #4 may be the best issue in the series so far. The action is hard-hitting, the stakes are through the roof, and Peter David cleans up the disparate narratives in an issue that flows sequentially and smoothly.

David’s script spends most of the page space on the past when the Supreme Intelligence sent Shatterax to take Death (in the body of Moondragon) into custody. Captain Marvel wasn’t in the mood for blind compliance, so the two engage in an impressive fight. Shatterax wins the battle, only to be zapped away by a mysterious woman who wipes the short-term memory of everyone present.

Now, Genis-Vell confronts Ren-Varr for keeping Marlo in containment, and it soon becomes clear that Marlo is the new host of Death, and the Kree have big plans for her.

Do you see how much better and easier to follow the story becomes when the narrative isn’t constantly flip-flopping between the present, the past, Earth, Hala, and the Halvacenter? Now that the focus is narrowed and simplified, the story unfolds with more clarity and enjoyment. The characters have emotional stakes, now increased when Genis realizes what’s happened to Marlo. We get a very clear understanding of how Shatterax compares to Genis during their fight in the past, and when Genis confronts Ren-Varr in the present, all the flashbacks elevate the importance of the fight in the present.

Ramírez and Blee turn in some darn fine artwork in this issue. A good chunk of this comic is an all-out superpowered brawl, so the art team has a chance to flex some wow muscles, and they deliver. The action is thrilling and energetic, so you’ll get your money’s worth if you want to see superpowered powerhouses duke it out.

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 #4 may be the best issue in the series so far. The timeline-hopping is focused and simplified to let the story breathe, and the character interactions balance with plenty of big-fisted action.