Ms. Marvel #45 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Philippe Briones (Artist), and Ikari Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The War of the Marvels has been entertaining enough so far, but a part of me wishes that Brian Reed had let Karla Sofen truly take over the series for a couple more issues.

The Story: Karla Sofen and Carol Danvers throw down one more time. Meanwhile, Catherine Donovan tries to figure out just what the hell is going on as her physical abilities amplify depending on the situation.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Ms. Marvel #45 is all about two things: The mystery that surrounds Catherine Donovan and the fight between the Marvels. Both parts have some positives, but unfortunately, they also have some pretty big negatives that threaten to overpower the good stuff. Allow me to explain.

As the War of the Marvels begins to draw to a close, Brian Reed throws in a twist that is sure to divide his audience. On the surface, it seems like a huge deus ex machina. And while it could definitely be considered to be one, it does sort of work in a strange way because it brings some dangling plot threads back to the forefront. The main problem is that the Catherine Donovan reveal is so weird, so bizarre that it’s pretty hard to really accept. That, my friends, is why the deus ex machina charge holds weight.

The big fight scene is something of a mess. While I like Philippe Briones style and the unique color work by Ikari Studios, the fight, as a whole, is poorly executed. Body proportions seem out of whack, faces are inconsistent, and the various poses do not tell the story or flow of the battle all that well. In addition, the banter written by Brian Reed just isn’t up to par. While some of it is enjoyable, it makes you think that Reed might be running out of banter dialogue (“fat Ms. Marvel” – Really?!).

Truth be told, the artwork is actually problematic throughout the entire comic. And for the same reasons it’s problematic during the action scenes. That said, it’s not all bad. Briones delivers one hell of a cool Iron Patriot and there is an impressive level of detail to a few scenes.

Conclusion: Ms. Marvel #45 is the weakest chapter of the War of the Marvels so far. The twist is something of a “wtf” moment and the artwork, though it has its merits, is pretty rough.

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #41 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Sergio Ariño (Artist), and Emily Warren w/Christina Strain (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Yeah, it’s weird… But I’m digging the current Ms. Marvel arc quite a bit. A deceitful, morally shady “hero” that’s standing in for the real hero? Storyteller jar babies? Colorful cosmic looking entities that may or may not be parts of a “dead” hero?! That’s good stuff people!

The Story: Everyone (as in Deadpool, Ms. Marvel, the New Avengers, and the multi-colored cosmic entities) wants to get to the M.O.D.O.K./Storyteller babies.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Frantic, funny, clever, and full of action, Ms. Marvel #41 delivers in ways that matter most as the series heads into the War of the Marvels arc. Brian Reed, who has been setting up the pieces and building momentum for the return of Carol Danvers, brings everything to a head in a way that makes great use of nearly every aspect of the story he’s been weaving. If I have any complaint about the way Ms. Marvel #41 plays out, it’s because Deadpool’s appearance feels rather tacked on and somewhat unnecessary. The Merc, as expected, has some entertaining lines, but there just isn’t a whole lot for the character to do.

The artwork in the latest issue of Ms. Marvel is something of a mixed bag. While the vibrant, striking color work by Emily Warren and Christina Strain compliments Sergio Ariño’s work well, it tends to overpower what Ariño does from time to time. Also, Ariño seems to have a bit of trouble with Ms. Marvel, as she looks inconsistent or awkward at times. Thankfully though, Ms. Marvel is really the only character I have any complaint about. Ariño’s Spider-Man looks great and his Wolverine looks impressive as well.

Conclusion: It’s always nice to see a series gain and maintain positive momentum heading into a major arc. Bring on the War of the Marvels!

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #40 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Sana Takeda (Artist), Luke Ross (Pencils on pgs. 1-3 & 17-22), and Rob Schwager (Colors on pgs. 1-3 & 17-22)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve been enjoying the new direction of Ms. Marvel a whole lot. It’s a nice blend of new and old that works far better than anyone could have expected. While I’m not so sure about how Brian Reed is setting up the future of his series, I’ll let things play out a bit longer before I really make a final decision on it…

The Story: Deadpool gets hired by A.I.M. to retrieve the “storyteller” babies that Karla Sofen (the current Ms. Marvel) got control of in the last issue. Meanwhile, the mysterious glowing figure battles Ms. Marvel and a few of the other Dark Avengers for control of the babies.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: In the latest issue of Ms. Marvel, Brian Reed keeps the series moving at a breakneck pace. While the odd storyline is pushed to the side in favor of explosive action and character work that should help people become more familiar with the current Ms. Marvel, there’s still enough plot development to keep it from being completely overwhelmed by all the punching, flying, and energy blasting. Oh, and for those of you wondering, Deadpool, Spidey, and Wolverine actually serve something of a purpose, are well written, and aren’t simply tacked on for the sake of selling a few more books (though I’m not sure I’d call any of the guest stars truly necessary to the plot).

The visuals in Ms. Marvel #40 look pretty great all around. That said, it’s incredibly jarring to go from Luke Ross and Rob Schwager to Sana Takeda and then back to the first art team. Ross’ style could not be more different from Takeda’s and, as a result, the latest issue of Ms. Marvel never feels like a cohesive package.

Luke Ross handles all of the Deadpool, Spider-Man, and Wolverine stuff. His Spider-Man is fantastic, though his Deadpool, while expressive, looks a bit off. As for the Wolverine scene, Ross handles “He who appears far too much” rather well, even if the action of the scene seems a bit tame compared to what’s seen earlier in the book.

Sana Takeda once again makes Ms. Marvel feel unlike anything else that Marvel puts out. Her style is lush, rich, beautiful, and well suited to the type of action that Ms. Marvel delivers. Sure, her style isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely something I’m a fan of.

Now even though I’m a big fan, that doesn’t mean that I can ignore some of the flaws of Takeda’s work. My biggest complaint is that the some of the action is too explosive for its own good. It makes pages feel rather cluttered and panel progression more difficult to follow than it should be. Also, what’s with Ms. Marvel’s breasts getting larger as the pages go by?

Conclusion: Be sure to give Ms. Marvel #40 a shot. It looks mighty fine, advances an interesting story, and gives Karla Sofen the spotlight the character deserves.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #39 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer) and Sana Takeda (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I became a fan of Karla Sofen (Moonstone) back when she was part of the Thunderbolts, so it’s nice to see her finally playing a larger role in the Marvel universe.

The Story: Ms. Marvel stops a meteor from crashing to earth and then reports to Norman Osborn about her assignment involving the terrorist group A.I.M. As it turns out, the reported events and the actual events are quite different from each other. Also, a mysterious being appears, speaking an alien language…

What’s Good: I’ve got to hand it to for Brian Reed for successfully weaving the stories of Carol Danvers into the life of the new Ms. Marvel. What Karla uncovers during her investigation into A.I.M. pulls a number of elements from Ms. Marvel’s recent past into the present in a way that creates an interesting scenario for the series as it moves forward. While the story being developed is, admittedly, pretty strange, I think it’s something that will prove quite entertaining; considering Karla’s villainous past and the position she currently holds.

Another thing worth mentioning is how effective Reed’s storytelling style is throughout the issue. By using the mission report to Osborn as a framing device, Reed adds a bit more to Sofen’s personality and devious nature. She does things for her own reasons, yet knows how her current situation forces her to act a certain way. It creates certain “character study” moments that elevate the book as whole.

The artwork can’t really be considered to be anything but divisive. While I personally like Sana Takeda’s manga/anime style (hence, it’s in the “What’s Good” section), I’m well aware that some people are going to be instantly turned off by it. That said, there’s no denying how great some of the panels and pages look. The page showing A.I.M.’s meteor crashing to earth is absolutely stunning. Also, I think Takeda’s artwork goes a long way towards helping Ms. Marvel #39 stand out from the Marvel pack. There simply isn’t any other Marvel book that looks like it does.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I like Sana Takeda’s work, the smaller panels look quite weak. They seem oversimplified, rushed, and absolutely dominated by the colors. Thankfully, the number of small panels is kept to a minimum and does little to hurt an otherwise good looking book.

An additional “Not So Good” thing is how quickly Brian Reed moves into combing the old Ms. Marvel with the new. Another issue or two to establish Karla Sofen as both a character and as the new Ms. Marvel would probably have added a bit more depth to the series.

Conclusion: I’m definitely a fan of the new Ms. Marvel. Karla Sofen adds a lot to the series, as does Brian Reed’s intriguing storyline.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny