And what we get is a beautiful story about
family and belonging that I can’t believe I just read in a superhero comic.
One of the biggest qualms a lot of heroes
had with predictive justice, Kamala included when she came to her senses, was
the fact that it involved profiling. It’s kind of fitting, in a weird way, that
one of the last things to happen to her before managing to escape from it all
is this:
 |
| I'll admit, I once thought Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Salman Khan were all one big acting family like the Baldwin brothers |
As per the rules of drama, Bruno happens to
be getting on his flight to Wakanda at the same time, another reminder of the
life Kamala is leaving behind. It’s an easy trick to add some extra emotion to
the scene, but it works.
Now, I’ve never personally been to
Pakistan, but my family is Pakistani in origin. As such, it’s kind of hard for
me to believe how much they nailed the dynamics in this kind of family. I could
go on for ages about how relatable this is and, by extension, how this is one
of the many reasons diversity matters.
 |
| I can't think of much else to say beyond how relatable this is |
All’s not peaceful at the Khan household
though. Water cartels have been blowing up hydrants so they can sell at a
higher price. Looks like a job for… nope, Ms. Marvel is taking this month off.
It’s not what she’s here for.
 |
| I'm honestly shocked at the accuracy of this. And crying. Just a little. |
But a talk from her new friend, Kareem, and
a hydrant outside the family house being destroyed finally compels her to take
action. Of course, she left her costume back in New Jersey, so…
 |
| Hell yes. |
I honestly would’ve been content with this
issue having no superhero action whatsoever, but I’m not complaining. We get
some awesome Ms. Marvel action as she chases down and destroys the thieves’
water truck. She’s feeling pretty good about herself
until she’s interrupted by Laal Khanjeer, the Red Dagger, a local superhero.
 |
| Spinoff! Spinoff! Spinoff! |
It’s a pretty clear message for Kamala:
Things are not always going to be simple and straightforward, and sometimes
there’s no clear solution to the problem. You just need to do what you can, and
hope for the best.
This was a lovely comic. While there are
references to the preceding issues, it’s a relatively self-contained story. Not
only is it a great exploration of Kamala’s family and culture that has only
been hinted at before, it also has a nice character arc within it that helps
her get back on her feet, and the introduction of an awesome new superhero I
hope to see more of soon.
 |
| I mean, it's super obvious who he is, right? Right? |
The art is done by newcomer to the series
Mirka Andolfo, and she does an excellent job capturing the characters and
locations without getting overly stylized. The colors by the usual suspect Ian
Herring are phenomenal, easily giving each setting a different feel through
different color schemes.
Once again, Ms. Marvel proves why it
deserves to be my favorite comic of all time. I don’t think I’ve ever identified with any
fictional character this much before, and I’d just like to thank G. Willow
Wilson again for bringing her to life.
The issue also includes a bonus adventure starring Red Widow. As someone not overly familiar with the character, it was a fun, if forgettable, read.
Aranwe Quirke is a totally real, definitely not made up name. No, you may not see the birth certificate.
