The magnificent Ms. Marvel has been at the center of a lot of attention this past year. From being unceremoniously killed off in Amazing Spider-Man and then resurrected as a mutant-Inhuman hybrid in the Hellfire Gala, to Kamala Khan’s starring role in this year’s The Marvels film, 2023 was huge for Ms. Khan. Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed collects the acclaimed 18-issue run of Magnificent Ms. Marvel, a delightfully engaging, emotional, and action-packed series that works even better in a single volume.
Saladin Ahmed’s writing so perfectly captures Kamala’s voice, picking up right where Ms. Marvel’s creator G. Willow Wilson left her, but beautifully showing the growth and development of the young hero. From her friendship with Bruno to dealing with her father’s sickness, and struggling with the impact of Outlawed, Ahmed writes Kamala as a true teenager dealing with the everyday struggles of adolescence and heroism. One of my favorite additions to Marvel canon from Magnificent Ms. Marvel is the introduction of Fadi Fadlalah, or Amulet, a Lebanese American hero with an awesome legacy and an epic power set.
Marvel
The art in Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed is simply gorgeous, with Minkyu Jung, Joey Vasquez, Juan Vlasco, Ian Herring, and Joe Caramagna’s illustrations bringing Ms. Marvel’s world to life in vibrant color and enthralling action scenes. Jung and Vasquez show emotion and turmoil so successfully on their characters’ faces, which is especially important in a book featuring Ms. Marvel, whose family struggles and interpersonal battles always mean there will be intense internal struggles throughout the series.
Kamala’s friendship, and almost relationship, with Bruno is finally explored deeply in this series, and while their romance barely begins, it is satisfying to see the two friends address the massive elephant in the room and come out the other side still friends. Ms. Marvel’s intergalactic romance with certified alien hottie Cheb Hura is a blast to read, especially seeing her parents’ reactions to the hilarious flirting between the two heroes. After the Khans’ return to Earth, Yusuf Khan’s admission of his sickness to Kamala is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching, leading to meaningful cameos from both Iron Man and Doctor Strange.
Marvel Comics
I am glad that they included the summary of Outlawed before the Magnificent Ms. Marvel tie-in comics, or else casual readers hoping to just read a Kamala Khan tale would have been very confused. It is an important tie-in for Kamala’s emotional growth as a hero, and her interactions with Dum Dum Duggan are a true delight, showing just how infectious Ms. Marvel’s values and passion are. One of the only things I didn’t love about this series was Stormranger, the villainous Kree battle suit that bonded to Ms. Marvel. I just didn’t feel like it worked great as a villain, and perhaps Marvel has agreed because Stormranger hasn’t been seen since its debut years ago!
The beginning issues of Magnificent Ms. Marvel do a lot of long-term plot building, and Ahmed is great at referencing moments from past issues and bringing characters back. While this format might not have paid off as well when released in smaller volumes, as a full collection of the series, it works beautifully, setting up Kamala’s emotional and heroic arc in a meaningful and deliberate way. I wish there were some more bonus materials in this volume, but it is a truly huge trade paperback, at 18 full issues, so it is still a joy to get the full-page variant covers shown in the back of the collection.
Ms. Marvel will always be magnificent, and Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed is an absolute wonder, proving how worthy Kamala Khan is of being a respected hero, and the beautiful conviction within her heart. The balance between action, heart, and visually arresting art makes the entire collection a joy to read, and it feels like a wonderful mix of classic superhero comic joy and wonder, told through the modern lens of Kamala Khan. Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed is ideal for fans of Kamala Khan, emotional yet grounded adventures, or bewitching art, and would make a lovely addition to anyone’s comic collection.
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