The new Champions (absolutely no relation to the 1970’s team) is continuing to come together. They have their membership established, as far as we know, but they are still working things out like who’s in charge, which comes up over and over this issue. Personally, I’d probably vote for Ms. Marvel, but who knows what’ll happen.
Ms. Marvel’s first story arc in the rebooted Marvel Universe ends this issue. Her image has been used for a shady housing development without her consent. That’s bad enough for the young hero, but there’s a lot more going on then meets the eye. Bad enough that the creepy takeover of the area is being backed by Hydra, but their resident mind-control expert is bad news. The people under his control have had purple glowing effects. Purple plus mind control in the wake of the Jessica Jones series will probably have people thinking Kilgrave the Purple Man, but that’s a nice fake. As was revealed last issue, the baddie in question is Dr. Faustus. Despite a goofy name, Faustus is a very dangerous foe and expert in the field of mind control.
After the chaos of the Secret Wars, not much has changed for Kamala Khan, the current Ms. Marvel. She’s still in school, still fighting the good fight, and trying to balance being a superhero with the other parts of her life. Her mother is aware of her secret and is something of an ally now, which was a really nicely done reveal a little while ago.
This was a rare kind of issue, especially these days. With the Battleworld event coming, it really is the end of the world, and Kamala knows it. Most comics would have some kind of non-stop action-fest with maybe some self-pity thrown in. Instead, as her world ends, Kamala spends time with her friends and family, never even putting on her costume. It was a character-driven story that was very well written. Kamala’s heart is so clearly both in the right place and absolutely huge.
The world is ending in the Marvel Universe, and their various titles are doing their “Last Days.” In this case, Ms. Marvel gets to meet her hero, Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel/Warbird/Captain Marvel), the heroine that inspired Kamala. They work together, trying to save who they can as the end comes closer.
I’ve got to admit, I had a lot of doubts about this title when I heard about it. But I’ve been enjoying it a lot, and it’s because of a very fine line they manage to walk. It’s not a book about a “Muslim hero.” it’s a book about a young hero who happens to be Muslim. It’s a subtle distinction, but it’s there, and it makes all the difference.
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