(Panini Books)

Fresh from a sabbatical at home in which she discovered her alien origins (See The Life of Captain Marvel), Carol Danvers is back in New York and looking to re-establish her place in the world. That includes her friendships with Jessica (Spider-Woman) Drew and Tony (Iron Man) Stark, but also rekindling her relationship with former War Machine James Rhodes following his return from the dead in a new cloned body (comics, right?!).

But her plans are disrupted following an attack by vintage Fantastic Four villain Mahkismo, a sexist powerhouse now operating under the less obvious nom de guerre of Nuclear Man, who catapults her into an apocalyptic wasteland he has created out of Manhattan's Roosevelt Island.

With an energy barrier keeping her trapped and cut off from the rest of NY, Carol discovers time is operating at a faster pace on the island, and she soon allies herself with a pocket force of women holding out against Mahkismo's robot army in the face of apparently insurmountable odds.

Alongside Spider-Woman, the martial artist Echo, and former Avengers Academy student Hazmat, the Captain resolves to free the island's civilian inhabitants through any means necessary, but she soon discovers that they aren't the only superheroes trapped within the barrier. The consequences of this revelation will have repercussions for Carol which will lead her to making a deeply personal sacrifice...

The creative team of writer Kelly Thompson and artist Carmen Carnero have crafted a perfect entry point for new fans of the movie hero, while staying true to her history over the past few decades. Fun without being irreverent, action-packed when needed but with warm moments of characterisation to off-set the battle scenes, this is a perfect example of how to tell a great superhero story. Highly recommended to any fans of the genre.