Enter the Grid: Ms. Marvel #14 Review

The series continues its strong writing and characterisation, and goes back to its theme of indirectly tackling social issues, this time doxxing. 

Spoilers beyond this point. 

Ms. Marvel has been on a bit of a rollercoaster lately. From the Civil War II arc which took an awful premise and spun it into an amazing story, to the emotional release of the issue set in Pakistan, to an election themed issue that really would’ve been more enjoyable in a happier timeline. That’s been over half a year, and while most of it has been phenomenal, sometimes comic books need to slow down a bit and tell more classic comic book-y stories. 

And a villain who can both control all electronic devices with and internet connection and knows the hero’s secret identity is two delightful tropes rolled into one. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. 

Sometimes you wanna go...

Even though this appears to be the start of a lighter arc, it’s still unafraid to show the effects that the past year have had on Kamala. Rather than just going with “Kamala is playing video games and then this happens,” we understand the reason she’s playing so many video games in the first place. She’s convinced, after losing Bruno, Captain Marvel, and Iron Man, that she has nobody. Naturally she fails to realise how ironic it is that she’s undergoing this thought process while on the receiving end of a heartfelt talk from the concerned and ever perfect Tyesha. 

Kamala does have friends and mentors all around her. She’s so focused on the few that she lost that she fails to see the rest, understandably. 

The torn up Carol poster breaks me a little bit

The main plot of the issue is rather intriguing. One of the other players in her online game hints that they knows Kamala’s real life identity, so she suits up as Ms. Marvel to find out what’s going on. In her investigations, she gets attacked by the same villain who apparently has the ability to control anything with a network connection, making for some really fun action scenes, and finally, a confrontation in the Circle Q where they reveal they know her secret identity…

Like I said above, none of the aspects of this mysterious villain are particularly groundbreaking, but it’s a ton of fun nonetheless, and it’s a good start to what looks like a really good story arc. 

New favorite catchphrase!

Aranwe Quirke is a totally real, definitely not made up name. No, you may not see the birth certificate.

Poll-ite Disagreement: Ms. Marvel #13 Review

Well, this is not gonna be an easy one to review.

The appropriately numbered Ms. Marvel #13 may not be a step down in terms of quality from its predecessors, but the subject matter is honestly a tough one to fully enjoy after the results of the elections, and what has followed since.

Spoilers beyond this point

The plot is pretty straightforward. Kamala has returned to Jersey, and almost everyone is feeling a bit miserable. Except Zoe.

Honestly cannot wait to see this plot unfold properly

Suddenly, things get shaken up as her brother-in-law Gabriel shows up, suddenly transferred to her school due to a redistricting of the city.

My take away from this is that American school systems are weird. 

Kamala smells something fishy with this happening just before the local elections, and she dons her suit to team up with Mike (yay Mike!) and investigate. They do some digging, and find out that secret Hydra operative Chuck Worthy (seen earlier in the series as the man behind the gentrification project) is working with Dr. Faustus to gerrymander the election.

I love the word ‘gerrymander.’

Also, we can't call them Hydra. They're the alt-might now.

What follows in the ensuing pages is basically a lesson, albeit a well written one, on the importance of voting in elections, and the proper way to do it. A message that would’ve been a bit more appropriate on, say, November 7^th.

Is that... Bernie Sanders?

In the publisher’s defence, the relevant pages were released online prior to the election, but all the same, an earlier release for the comic would’ve been more effective.

And so the people band together, Ms. Marvel fights off Chuck’s goons, and the ideal 3^rd Party candidate gets elected. Happy ending.

G. Willow Wilson sums it up best herself.

Ms Marvel #13 is about ppl banding together to fight gerrymandering+ elect a 3rd party candidate. I wanted to try my hand at high fantasy.

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) November 29, 2016

Maybe I’m just bitter, but this is a comic I would’ve enjoyed far, far more a few weeks ago. Or in an alternate universe where things turned out a bit different. That’s not a criticism on the author, or the artist, or anyone involved in making the book, they’ve done a phenomenal job on creating another chapter in Kamala’s story.

It’s just not a chapter I’m going to be reading again for some time.

Aranwe Quirke is a totally real, definitely not made up name. No, you may not see the birth certificate.

Homecoming: Ms. Marvel #12 Review

 After the heartbreak of the last few Civil War II tie-in issues, I think Kamala, and all of her readers, needed a break from all that noise.

And what we get is a beautiful story about family and belonging that I can’t believe I just read in a superhero comic.

 Spoilers beyond this point.

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.

 And then, we’re in Pakistan. The blue and green color palette is swapped out for reds and oranges, and the effect is beautiful. You immediately feel those feelings of home and family, and all the warm embraces from relatives help.

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.

The Next Generation: Champions #1 Review

The most important part of any superhero team is the reason they have for existing. The Uncanny Avengers act as a crucial bridge between Mutants, Inhumans, and everyone else as tensions rise, the Ultimates solve the cosmic issues threatening the planet, and so on. And in a universe with these, and half a dozen other such teams, the (All-New All-Different) Avengers just seemed… aimless. It was a team of some of Marvel’s most popular and trendy heroes for the sake of it, without a thought as to how these characters would work together, or what their purpose would be beyond holding the prestigious title.

And that’s kind of why it flopped somewhat. Mark Waid isn’t a bad writer, nor is Mahmud Asrar a bad artist, but everything about the series felt like everyone involved wasn’t very invested in it.

Now, from the yet to be revealed ashes that Civil War II left behind, rise the Champions, a team that looks like it might have real purpose again.

Spoilers beyond this point.

The issue kicks off with Kamala in a sort of retired state, and a flashback explaining why she quit the Avengers: the other heroes being reluctant to help clean up the collateral damage their last battle caused.

It’s clearly a much deeper issue than that though, and more like the breaking point for a number of unresolved tensions, undoubtedly stemming from whatever the hell happened at the end of Civil War II. Spider-Man and Nova apparently already quit earlier, and while they are happy to see Kamala on their side again, they’re a bit more reluctant to get on board her next plan: forming their own team.

Kamala, Miles, and Sam are this generation's Golden Trio. I love it.

She manages to convince them anyway, and they set about finding some more young heroes who may be interested, namely Hulk (Amadeus Cho) and Vivian, daughter of Vision.

Viv sweeps the net for any crimes they can help stop, and they discover a group of young girls being held hostage by a human trafficker.

It’s a surprisingly dark challenge for them to take on in the first issue, and the fact that one of the captives dies during the (overall successful) rescue attempt makes it even more so.

Hulk is ready to smash the kidnapper into a million pieces, and the crowd of onlookers filming him on their phones have no problem with that at all.

But then Ms. Marvel steps in, and gives a pretty awesome, and pretty relevant speech, while we get glimpses of a bunch of different young superheroes. It’s an uplifting moment, and an excellent note to end the issue on.

Heavy handed? Yes. Necessary? Hell yes.

Overall, I have a lot of hope for this series. While the plot was fairly straightforward, Mark Waid is already portraying the characters way better than he did in ANAD Avengers, and the rapport between the main three is a delight.

One issue I have is with the timing. Civil War II is over a month away from its conclusion and a lot of the events and the overall climate in this comic is based on what happens then. Another is the art. It’s a mixed bag for me, Humberto Ramos does an excellent job of stills and backgrounds, less so with faces and action scenes. At times, the art is exaggerated to the point of annoyance. Regardless, it works for most of the issue, and the coloring by Edgar Delgado during the flashback scenes is excellent.

Have a poorly drawn Kamala face, for old times' sake.

It just feels so good to have a team with a purpose, and the fact that the purpose is making people believe in heroes again after Civil War II (both in and out of universe) makes it all the more compelling. 

Aranwe Quirke is a totally real, definitely not made up name. No, you may not see the birth certificate.

Shattered: Ms. Marvel #11 Review

Ms. Marvel #11 brings the Civil War II arc of the series to its heartbreaking devastating conclusion. It’s not all doom and gloom, there are some nice moments of levity, and some satisfying action.

Overall, it’s phenomenal. If you somehow haven’t started this series yet, I cannot recommend it more.

Spoilers beyond this point.

Well, it was always going to end this way, at least between Kamala and Carol. We knew from the beginning that she would inevitably end up on Tony’s side, and going by the covers of this issue and the last few ones, her support of Captain Marvel was not gonna end in a pretty way.

Getting everyone to sit down and watch Minority Report does seem like the best way to solve everything.

And it certainly does not. Kamala’s plan to win her over shows her desperation– anyone who’s been reading the main Civil War II series knows that a fault in her predictive justice system isn’t going to put her off. Add to that the fact that Kamala teamed up with a sort of villain (Hijinx is my favorite new character by the way­– I hope to see more of the Canadian Ninja Syndicate in the future).

Anyone else really want a spinoff?

Add to that the fact she once again battled Basic Becky (whom we thankfully haven't seen the last of, I love hating her) and called in Tony Stark himself for backup, and I think we’ve got a relationship that won’t be healed any time soon.

It gets worse though. Kamala finally stepping up and taking a stance was long overdue, but this comic isn’t afraid to show us the stakes of her delay. Bruno finally awakes from his coma, but we don’t get the tearful reunion we needed to see after her split with Captain Marvel.

The scholarships remark isn't out of nowhere– issue #7 covered how important it was to him.

 Bruno’s rage isn’t unjustified, but it stings nevertheless. We’re used to Ms. Marvel learning from her mistakes every few issues, and things reverting back to the status quo. This change is pretty big. This isn’t just anyone she’s lost, it’s Bruno. Her best friend since the second grade. The one who has stuck with her through thick and thin and, as we discover in the beautifully drawn opening to this issue, is the one who crafted her bangles into a protective vambrace.

This hurts so much.

Overall, Ms. Marvel #11 is unafraid to go where any of the other issues have, and has full on consequences, some disproportionate, others not so, for our heroine’s actions. It’s devastating, and tears will probably be shed. But overall, it’s a damn good comic.

Me too Tony, me too.

Aranwe Quirke is a totally real, definitely not made up name. No, you may not see the birth certificate.

Unraveling: Ms. Marvel #10 Review

Ms. Marvel #10 is another brilliant, heartbreaking instalment in her Civil War II saga, and I honestly can't say much more without going into spoiler territory. Just read it. Really. It’s amazing.

[Spoilers beyond this point.]

Ms. Marvel #9 was a lot about the side characters that make up her life, but this latest issue puts the spotlight squarely back on Kamala, and her reaction to everything that’s been happening, as her senses finally catch up with her.

Every month, I find myself wondering how G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Aphona are going to top the opening flashback sequence from the previous issue, and every month they blow me away. Kamala on her first day of second grade is one of the most adorable things I’ve ever had the privilege of reading in a comic book (keep you eyes peeled for Aphona's fun background details), and her first encounter with Bruno makes the sudden cut to him grown up and unconscious on a hospital bed all the more devastating.

I can't handle the adorable.

A more cynical person than me would call it emotional manipulation. I was too busy sobbing to call it anything.

Her eyes finally opened to the results of the work she’s been doing, Kamala goes off to confront “Basic Becky and the Junior Fascists,” as Bruno dubbed them in the last issue.

Apparently they skipped the morality lessons to spend time practicing that pose.

We get the typical protect/change the future argument, which is rather one sided, morally-speaking, since Becky clearly doesn’t care about collateral damage. As per the norm, verbal fights lead to physical ones, and I won’t deny it was satisfying to see Kamala take her down.

Unfortunately, Captain Marvel swoops in at that moment, and, despite everything, Kamala still doesn’t have it in her to say no to her face as she’s asked to get back to work. She instead resolves to prove that Ulysses can be wrong in her own way, and for that she needs help from a particular Canadian Ninja (never before have I been so glad to see a running joke pay off like this).

He's wearing crocs! With kittens on them!

Everything’s not ok though. Bruno’s vitals begin to crash as Kamala is visiting him again, this time as herself, and the issue ends on an uncertain note regarding his fate. It’s also worth observing that even if he survives, he’ll have lost the use of his dominant arm, which means the story has already had some very real, very heartbreaking consequences.

I can’t take this, have another panel of 2^nd grade Kamala instead.

Winged sloth!

This was definitely a darker issue than most, but one that sets up the finale for this arc amazingly. While her cohorts may not have much character, Becky herself seems to be an interesting antagonist, a darker version of Ms. Marvel (and perhaps even more sinister than that, as it happens). This is also the third meeting between Kamala and Carol in as many issues, and each one has been more abrupt and stiff than the last.

Really makes you yearn for the good old days of this:

She's just so happy!

On a side note: Carol’s completely unyielding attitude towards Kamala isn’t entirely unjustified, as explored in Captain Marvel #8.

Overall, I absolutely cannot endorse Ms. Marvel enough. Even if you aren’t reading any other comics, or are avoiding anything related to Civil War II (not something I can blame you for), read this. It's worth it.

Aranwe Quirke is a totally real, definitely not made up name. No, you may not see the birth certificate.