As I've mellowed in my old age, I've come to grudgingly accept most of the elements of
Geoff Johns' Captain Marvel reboot--and that's a good thing, since the movie's trailer makes it appear that it will be virtually a direct panel-by-panel adaptation of that take.
But there's
one thing I'm still hung up on:
That damn "
magic crackle" in the lightning bolt on Marvel's chest is just too freakin' distracting.
Like most other
nu52-era costume designs, the whole suit is a little too
fiddly and
armor-y--do we need metal boots and a oddly shaped metal belt?
And fine, he's magic-based. But that constant
Rorschach-swirl of energy on his chest, and the constant flickering of lightning and smoke around him, constantly draws attention away from whatever we're supposed to be looking at in the panel. As I said, it's
distracting as hell.
And that applies just as much to his foster-siblings when they power up:
I mean,
look at that!
No wonder the first issue was delayed a week, and issue #2 has been bumped back 5 weeks (5--even before #1 comes out,
you're more than 5 weeks behind?!?!?!!!). I pity the artist who is required to draw all that
fiddle-faddle in every damn panel.
I mean,
DC has taken what was one of the simplest, cleanest, most satisfying set of costume designs...
...and turned it into a light show that gets in the way, even during what should be a simple conversation:
And really, do we need
Mary Marvel looking like an out of control
Electro every time she uses her powers?
So DC, please, a little help here. Tone done the crackle and lightning--before you drive poor
Dale Eaglesham to drink!
From Shazam! #1 (2019)
