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