Writer: Jamie McKelvie
Art: Marika Cresta and Matt Milla
Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 13th, 2022
It’s Peggy Carter and Tony Stark against the world in Captain Carter #4, as they’re attacked by an army controlled by last issue’s mysterious and villainous blonde female while simultaneously being attacked by the media, who have labelled her a traitor. How can Peggy Carter win a war where the enemies are everywhere?
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The Story
Captain Carter #4 picks up immediately after last issue, with Peggy and Tony Stark facing a surprise onslaught by a heavily weaponed army. It’s a great extended action sequence where we really get to see Peggy Carter in her element, letting her shield and fighting ability speak for her, even as Tony backs her up with his sophisticated weaponry. On this Earth, he doesn’t seem to be Iron Man yet, just a genius inventor who always has another surprise gizmo up his sleeve. He’s more Reed Richards than the Tony Start of Earth-616.
After this battle, we get to see more of Harley, computer hacker and Peggy’s friend, and Lizzie Braddock. We get a deeper look into Harley’s character and her background. It’s an interesting contrast to Lizzie’s background, both women coming from different class levels. Harley’s an interesting character, not really interested in money at all, but she’s all about revolution. She loves anarchy and helping Peggy in her fight against the government conspirators is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to her.
Peggy, Tony, Harley and Lizzie make a great team. I’d like to see Tony interact more with Harley in the future. It seems a genius inventor and a brilliant hacker could really wreak some havoc, but this issue, they barely even talk to each other.
This Tony Stark is very much like the Robert Downey Jr. version from the MCU films, always ready with a clever comeback or wry remark. Peggy’s very much like her MCU counterpart as well. Should Disney decide to do a Captain Carter film, they could life the whole film from this mini-series, and I could easily see Hayley Atwell rocking the story on screen. The dialogue, fighting style and attitude are all a reflection of Hayley Atwell’s portrayal of the character.
This book and the whole mini-series thus far seems more like a “Mission: Impossible” film than a superhero tale, and that’s totally fine, because it’s filled with all the action, paranoia and mystery you could ask for. The issue ends with a reveal of who the TRUE villains are behind the conspiracy in the government, and that was really the only letdown of the book, because the villains are very cliché and I feel the conclusion of the mini-series will just be a rehash of so many similar stories we’ve gotten in the past.
The Art
Marika Cresta’s art on Captain Carter #4 has a clean crisp style. Her characters are drawn with vivid expressions and her work shines in the action scenes, conveying a sense of dynamic motion as Peggy hurls her shield, flips, kicks and punches from panel to panel and page to page. Tony Stark’s gizmos are also drawn well, giving his holographic projectors and blasters a shimmering power.
Final Thoughts
Captain Carter #4 is a good continuation of the story, bringing in Tony Stark and adding a new dynamic to Peggy’s circle of characters. The battle scenes are great, but the revelations given this issue to the overarching story were disappointing, with predictable villains where the writer could have had much more formidable sinister villains for Peggy to overcome. Still, I’m looking forward to see what happens in next issue’s finale.