REVIEW: ‘Monica Rambeau: Photon’ Issue #2

Monica Rambeau: Photon #2 is an ongoing issue of a newer mini-series published by Marvel Comics. The comic is written by Eve L. Ewing with art by Luca Maresca with Ivan Fiorelli, colored by Carlos Lopez, and lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles. Captain Marvel, Spectrum, Pulsar, Photon. Fan Favorite Monica Rambeau, who has saved the universe with different names and personas, has had an amazing career over the years. She’s a character who has been in several team-ups, and yet, 2022 marked her first solo comic book series. The debut issue focused on a woman figuring out the ‘now’ of her life with literal decades of history behind her. This second issue explores a topsy-turvy situation where she is greeted by the past and a being of unknown origins.

The opening narration of this issue flows quite poetically. Monica’s short monologue feels intimate and one that is easy to follow as she wakes up and tries to make sense of where she’s now and what’s happened to her. With the appearance of a certain individual of not quite an unknown background but still a familiar figure, she learns that she has literally been hit with a blast from the past. Meeting her team of Avengers (80’s Big Hair She-Hulk for the win!) that she once led when she was called Captain Marvel comes as a shock to her system and mine as well.

The weakest part of this issue may also be seen as the strongest part. I’m not sure if The Beyonder was the right character to bring back into the fold, but their pages with Monica do prove to be the most enlightening. Carried by Monica’s energy and knowledge of her powerful presence, they are pulled from their corner of the universe to her and hope to play a part in whatever madness is happening. While I greatly anticipated Monica meeting the Avengers of yesteryear when she was still their leader, I found myself really being blown away by the pages of her and just The Beyonder.

These pages, with the two of them in bare white spaces in a pocket of time away from everyone and everything, are lovely to look at with random objects and scenery popping into existence like a bevy of potted plants to water or a projector showing old memories of Monica’s. In regards to the artwork, it is an excellent visual to set these characters in to help readers focus on them while also being a neat demonstration of The Beyonder’s prolific powers. The conversation between these two on these said pages, while casual, really speaks to the different facets of Monica. Their dialogue took me by surprise, and I think it is worth rereading.

Monica Rambeau: Photon #2 may leave some readers scratching their heads with the whiplash of events happening thanks to a certain character, but I gather that’s a part of the game plan here. With more gorgeous artwork, this second issue cements that Monica is the center of the universe with mayhem and quiet affirmations about. The cliffhanger helps pull back together a solid but slightly confusing comic that hopefully is a little more cohesive in the next outing.

Monica Rambeau: Photon #2 is available wherever comics are sold.

Carrie McClain

Carrie navigates the world as a writer, editor, and media scholar who firmly believes that we can and we should critique the media we consume. She’s a lover and fierce supporter of all things comics, manga, webcomics, manhwa, and graphic novels–find her rereading Yotsuba for wholesome vibes.