Ms. Marvel #37 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Patrick Oliffe (Pencils), Serge LaPointe and Livesay (Inks), and Chris Sotomayor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve been a fan of the Ms. Marvel series for a while now, but the “Ascension” arc has left me pretty disappointed. It started off rather strong, but it quickly became unnecessarily convoluted as the twists and turns piled up. I still have hope for a strong finish however, so let me just get to the review.

The Story: Carol Danvers, using the powers that could be killing her, confronts a super-powered Ghazi Rashid to end things once and for all. And it does not end well. Dark Reign indeed.

What’s Good: I’m now glad that I stuck with the series despite my growing frustration with the current arc. The fight between Danvers and Rashid is suitably epic, features some strong character work, and ends in a fairly surprising manner. On top of that, the twists and turns surrounding “Ascension” manage to wrap up in a satisfying, somewhat incomplete, manner.

What’s Not So Good: It really bothers me when a good comic is held back by artwork that just doesn’t seem suitable for the action or story it features. The visuals in Ms. Marvel #37 just aren’t up to the task of revealing Carol Danvers’ fate. At times sloppy, at times rushed, and at times just plain inadequate, the character (and series) deserves better. That said, Oliffe and his team do a pretty good job when things slow down, so it’s not all negative.

Conclusion: With some good and some bad, the latest issue of Ms. Marvel stays above average thanks to a fairly surprising event and effective character work. I can’t help but wonder how much better things might have been with a different art team at the helm…but what can you do? It will be interesting to see where the series will go from here.

Grade:  C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #33 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Adriana Melo (Pencils), Mariah Benes (Inks), and Chris Sotomayor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Let me just get it out of the way and say how pleased I was to find the art team of Adriana Melo, Mariah Benes, and Chris Sotomayor working on Ms. Marvel again. The three of them make for one hell of a team in my opinion. It will be interesting to see what they can do with a story that is much more subdued than the Secret Invasion arc that they worked on together.

The Story: The origin story of Carol Danvers, the secret agent continues as Brian Reed continues to jump around the timeline to tell about the mystery surrounding something called “Ascension.” Unfortunately, I am going to have to leave it at that. To say much more regarding the plot is a bit difficult due to the nature of the storytelling style being used, but I will say that the issue picks up nicely from where the last left off.

What’s Good: I definitely like what Brian Reed is doing with his tale of espionage and intrigue. It provides a great glimpse into the events and people that shaped the hero known as Ms. Marvel into the character she is today. The mystery surrounding “Ascension” looks to be filled with an interesting cast and some surprising ties to the present. The main question though is whether or not Reed has the ability to really pull this story off in a satisfying manner. And an answer regarding that will have to wait.

One thing is for certain, Ms. Marvel #33 reads and looks much better than #32. The reason? The story is given some much needed breathing room and much better looking visuals. While Paulo Siqueira did a nice enough job last month, I consider Adriana Melo’s work an upgrade in nearly every way. Not only does she draw one hell of a Carol Danvers, her work is more detailed, more attractive, and just all around more visually striking.

What’s Not So Good: The issue as a whole still leaves a whole bunch of stuff up in the air regarding the plot. While it is fun to get drawn into the mystery along with the character, it leads to some confusion regarding exactly what the hell is going on. Visually, the only complaint I have is that a few scenes leave the characters looking a bit like, well, zombies. For whatever reason, a few panels show the characters without pupils and it’s quite creepy-looking. A strange bit of missing detail, yet it’s still impressive work.

Conclusion: It is still far too early to judge this story as a whole, but I like what is happening so far. Ms. Marvel fans should find a lot to like here, even if it lacks the usual superheroics.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #32 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Paulo Siqueira (Pencils), Amilton Santos (Inks), and Chris Sotomayor (Colorist)

What’s Going On: In keeping with Ms. Marvel’s recent rule of bouncing randomly from plotline to plotline, we’ve gone from Carol’s dad dying and a vow to kill Norman Osborn last issue to a flashback to her Air Force days, getting shot down over Afghanistan (presumably before the US invasion). There a nasty guy named Ghazi tortures her, trying to learn what she knows about something called “Ascension,” tying us back to that abrupt, non-sequitur epilogue to issue 30.

What’s Good: It’s a well-paced, tense story, and Siqueira’s art is terrific.

What’s Not So Good: I’ve never been a fan of torture porn—either the “Saw” type or the “24” version—and at a time when a Presidential candidate (regardless of what you might think about his politics or his choice in running mates) is a living reminder that torture is not an adventure and escape is rarely an option, the treatment of the subject in this issue seems in particularly poor taste. If you like “24” you’ll love this issue, but the amount of punishment Carol takes without diminishment of her emotional, intellectual, or even physical functions is absurd.

What It All Boils Down To: Despite my misgivings about the subject matter, this is a good issue, and this new “Ascension” arc looks interesting. I only wish Reed would tie the various threads of his tale together a little more neatly. I know what you’re thinking, Brian. You’re looking at the non-linear storyline Peter David wrote in She-Hulk and you’re thinking “I can do that.” Well, guess what: You can’t.

Grade: B

– Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

What’s Good: I really like what Brian Reed is going for with this story. Considering that the Ms. Marvel series has been quite heavy on the superhero action as of late; it is refreshing to see something a bit more down to earth. Carol Danvers’ decorated past is rich with interesting storytelling possibilities, and it’s nice to see the series finally tapping into it.

The first chapter of this new take on Ms. Marvel’s past proves to be briskly paced and surprisingly brutal. While providing only a small amount of information regarding the overall plot, it proves to be just enough to hook the reader into what looks to be a story heavy on conspiracy and deception. As for the “surprisingly brutal” stuff, this book is not for the squeamish. The torture scene is pretty intense and features a rather shocking moment that I won’t soon forget.

What’s Not So Good: I usually enjoy Paulo Siquiera’s pencils, but the art really doesn’t fit the gritty tone that this story needs to have. Everything (characters, details, settings) looks far too clean considering what happens in this book. Couple that with some annoying facial inconsistency and you have artwork that really weighs everything down. As I was reading, I couldn’t help but imagine how awesome everything would have looked if Adriana Melo was still working on the series.

From a storytelling perspective, the only real complaint I have is that things move a bit too fast. It honestly felt as though my book was missing pages or something. I can understand the need to get the plot moving, but a little more exposition or character work would have done wonders in making the book feel a bit more balanced.

Conclusion: Despite it’s flaws, Ms. Marvel #32 is an interesting, compelling start to what could easily turn into one heck of a story. It moves a bit too fast and the artwork annoys, but this one still makes an impact. Check it out.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny