Last we left our heroine, she was having a rather bad day… the kind of day that could be her last. Can our new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, recover from this deadly incident and start superheroing again? Or will this early outing as Ms. Marvel be her last? Is it good?
Ms. Marvel #4 (Marvel Comics)
Kamala is bleeding out after being shot in her first attempt at stopping a robbery. This could be the end for her if she doesn’t figure out a way to recover fast. Even after that, she’ll have to find the robber, someone she knows from high school (and friend to her little brother Bruno). Tough first day on the job, huh?
Last issue, I stated that I hoped the comic would start picking up the pace. Ms. Marvel #3 was rather slow going plot progression-wise and not much was happening. This issue though… is sort of the same thing. We are still getting out the rest of the origin story for our new Ms. Marvel, learning her new powers alongside her and witnessing how her family and friends around her react. The story does seem like it is heading somewhere exciting for the finale issue of the arc next time around, but honestly, this comic felt like it could have condensed at least one of these issues along the way.
Notwithstanding, the writing by G. Willow Wilson still remains solid overall. The characters remain interesting and what happens in this issue can really shake things up with the relationship between two characters. The dialogue isn’t too bad and there are still some good character moments and bits of humor to help with the experience. It’s a quick read but the storytelling and structure are fine and not flimsy. The story continues with that Inventor subplot briefly mentioned last issue and with the way this issue concluded people should be interested to see what happens next. All in all, good in the writing department even if the story is going at a snail’s pace.
The artwork by Jamie Mckelvie still looks great for the book overall as well. The characters are still nice, distinct, and appealing looking. The layouts are easy to read and follow, even if the panel boxes are inexplicably skewed at times. The world and backgrounds are distinctly alive and never blank or empty. The action in the end is nice and flows reasonably well from panel to panel. I personally think the opening page with darker colors and fading world looks great with depicting the eeriness of Kamala being shot and not being able to do anything. Just a solid looking book like usual.
Is It Good?
Ms. Marvel #4 is a good, but still rather slow issue of the series. The writing and artwork are appealing like usual, but the story really needs to pick up the pace, especially with the end in sight. Here’s opening it can with the next issue.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
