Ms. Marvel #5 – Review

By: G. Willow Wilson (writer), Adrian Alphona (art), Ian Herring (color art)

The Story: Who knew that Marvel’s Jersey City was such a happenin’ place!?

The Review: As the opening arc winds down, Kamala Khan begins to stabilize her myth, literally and metaphorically, and takes her first steps into a larger world. And it really is Kamala you’re here for. While this issue gives us our first real taste of superhero action, it’s the human aspect that sets it apart. In fact, the action actually leaves something to be desired.

As an antagonist, Doyle is nothing all that special. He’s a simplistic threat, more of an obstacle, for Kamala. Appropriately, Kamala’s failures and eventual success are not exactly moments of brilliance for the genre. While these scenes are lacking in complexity, G. Willow Wilson continues to highlight Kamala’s powers in relevant and interesting ways. There’s something nostalgic about the attention Wilson pays Kamala’s gifts and the way that a single power is used in numerous ways, rather than the other way around. Kamala’s healing, in particular, seems to be a strong consideration for Wilson. Its presence not only helps clarify how Kamala will deal with the physical demands of superheroing but also gives the title a dose of reality, as many superheroes would simply display unusually rapid healing as part of the plot’s demands. It’s especially interesting because the rules Wilson establishes actually place some useful limits on the story. By showing us the hardships of Ms. Marvel’s powers Wilson dramatically increases our ability to connect with Kamala and encourages readers to consider consequences, an overlooked area of superheroics.

Wilson also brings back the supporting cast with a vengeance. Particularly as Batman proves that superheroes can get by purely on the strength of their hero and villains, the modern superhero comic places less and less emphasis on the secret identity and accompanying trials. Nonetheless, this is where Ms. Marvel really knocks it out of the park.

While it’s a shame that Nakia is absent this go around, Bruno’s mix of support and skepticism is calibrated just right to appeal to reality without grating. There’s still clear romantic tension between Bruno and Kamala, something that could be adorable or disappointing depending on how Wilson handles it, it’s nice to finally see Kamala opening her world up to a friend, listening as well as venting.

C2E2 Report: Marvel – The Next Big Thing

 

 

Not to be outdone, Marvel had me scrambling out of the Batman panel to secure a spot in Marvel: The Next Big Thing. While the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman still rule the roost, Marvel’s made huge strides with some of their less famous characters lately and this was the place to hear about it.

Nick Lowe, our moderator and editor of Spider-Man and Moon Knight, took a moment to thank the Chicago fans before introducing the panelists. The first was Mike Marts, an Executive Editor, newly returned from DC’s Batman office. Lowe asked him what it was like to be back. Marts replied that it felt like slipping on an old shoe. Lowe was not entirely thrilled with the analogy, leading Marts to amend his statement, “A shoe that makes a lot of great movies.” Next up was Joshua Hale Fialkov, the writer of Ultimate FF. After him came Charles Soule, the writer of Thunderbolts, Inhuman, and She-Hulk, the last of which received particular applause. Then came James Robinson, writer of Fantastic Four and All-New Invaders. A trio of artists rounded out the panel; Mahmud Asrar, Wolverine and the X-Men; Ryan Stegman, Wolverine; and Skottie Young, both writer and artist on Rocket Racoon.