Magnificent Ms Marvel

by Saladin Ahmed, Joey Vazquez, Mikyu Jung, Juan Vlasco, Ian Herring, & Alex Arizmendi
collects Magnificent Ms Marvel #7-12
main series reviews: volumes four | five | nine | ten
magnificent ms marvel reviews: volumes one | two

Saladin Ahmed continues his run on Ms Marvel with volume two! This arc wasn’t as much of a home run as the debut, but Ahmed does a nice job both moving Kamala forward while also drawing extensively from her previous stories.

Kamala is very much our generation’s Peter Parker, and echoes of that parallel come up often in Stormranger. Kamala’s day trip with her buddies Nakia and Zoe is derailed; Kamala is pulled between her responsibilities and talking to Bruno about their relationship; and when her new alien tech suit becomes sentient, Kamala must choose between saving its target or staying in the hospital to help her dad.

These emotional dilemmas are where the story really shines – not because they’re echos of Peter, but because they show us who Kamala is. Ahmed and his artist team heighten the suspense, reveal Kamala’s emotions and reactions well, and she has to live with the very real consequences – positive and otherwise – from her choices. Those consequences create real investment on behalf of the reader, move the story forward, and continue to reveal Kamala’s character.

The story falters with the villains of the story, several of whom are from Ms Marvel’s earlier stories. While it’s great to see her building a rogues gallery, these “villains” – it’s almost too kind to call them that – were relatively shallow when G Willow Wilson introduced them, and we don’t get much more of that from Ahmed. I forgot about these characters and probably will again when they make a return.

Joey Vazquez’s pencils open the second volume of Ms Marvel, and while his style is highly polished and consistent, I didn’t like how he rendered Kamala’s face. Since the beginning she’s had a distinctive nose shape and brow line, and some artists choose more creative license with this; to me, it’s a necessary part of her look. Minkyu Jung, the regular artist for volume one, takes over midway through the book, and it’s honestly a welcome return. His pencils are gorgeous and feel very true to Kamala and Jersey City; Jung might actually be my favorite Ms Marvel artist behind Nico Leon.

spoilers this paragraph: We also see a long awaited step forward in Kamala and Bruno’s relationship, and all I can say is – finally! (But the cover of them kissing left a lot to be desired.) Though Bruno might have chosen the wrong time to declare his love for Kamala, it’s so sweet to see him support her as Ms Marvel and through her father’s illness too, and they make a great couple. Ahmed referenced a conversation between Kamala’s brother Aamir and Bruno way back in volume 4 (I discussed it in the review here). I’m thrilled Ahmed is going to continue this conversation – minorities being in relationships with those outside their minority groups is a complicated issue, and seeing how Kamala’s family reacts will be interesting to say the least.

Even though this wasn’t the strongest Ms Marvel story, there are important character developments and some emotional resolutions as well. Ahmed and Jung have a strong handle on character and pacing, and above all what makes a Kamala story unique and so enjoyable. Looking forward to volume 3.

by Saladin Ahmed, Mikyu Jung, Juan Vlasco, and Ian Herring
collects Magnificent Ms Marvel #1-6
main series: volumes four | five | nine | ten
magnificent ms marvel: volume one

An all-new series of (Magnificent) Ms. Marvel is off to a very strong start! To be honest, I was a bit wary of Ahmed taking over – G. Willow Wilson handed over the reigns at the top of her game, and I wasn’t a fan of Black Bolt – but from the opening pages to the closing Zelda reference at the end, I’m all in for Kamala’s new adventures.

Ahmed, penciller Mikyu Jung and inker Juan Vlasco, as well as colorist Ian Herring (a longtime Ms Marvel colorist!) retain all the essential parts of Kamala – she’s just as headstrong and kind, fiercely loyal and a big fan of video games. Her Muslim identity is just one of the many parts of her.

This opening arc is a space story leaning heavily into fantasy. Just as Kamala’s father learns his daughter is Ms. Marvel – and as we all could have guessed, he’s not happy about it – Kamala is visited by aliens, telling her that she is the Destined One who will save their planet!

Space fantasy is a new kind of story for Ms Marvel – it’s fun, nothing groundbreaking and the aliens themselves are more or less forgettable. The real core of the story is Kamala and her family – in this case, the ones who tag along for the adventure. Kamala’s family, both biological and chosen, has always been the heartbeat for the Ms Marvel series, and Ahmed was wise to keep that narrative thread the whole way through. Several people closest to Kamala even narrate a few issues, showing Ahmed’s clear depth with these characters even in his first volume with them. Shooting Ms Marvel into space removes her from school and most of her secondary cast, but it still introduces new readers to Ms Marvel’s tone and heart, while moving some things forward.

Speaking of which, the emotional reveal in the final issue is somewhat predictable if you were paying attention, but seeing Kamala learn the truth was still emotional and well done. This will force Kamala to grow in ways she’s never had to before, and it’s a bold, smart choice by the team. Plus, this final issue also sees one of the most heartfelt Iron Man cameos I’ve ever seen.

Jung, Vlasco and Herring’s art is consistent within Ms Marvel’s world and the art team does a lovely job contrasting New Jersey with Saffa, an ethereal but believable alien world. Even though Nico Leon remains my favorite Ms Marvel penciller, Jung still faithfully adapts Ms Marvel’s characters well – and gives her a really cool new suit.

spoilers this paragraph. I’m most curious to see if Kamala will take advantage of her parents’ Men in Black-esque memory wipe, or choose to reveal who she is again? Especially since she now has limited time to do so with one of them. Considering the stress about to fall on her family, my guess is this will become a big question for her. I hope this takes center stage rather than extending her will they/won’t they with Bruno. A relationship can still be interesting once it’s in “they will” territory! Aargh!