The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14 // Review
This review contains spoilers for Outlawed #1.
After a months-long hiatus, Kamala is back in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14, an intense, emotional story that takes place in the aftermath of Outlawed #1. The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14 is written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Minkyu Jung, inks by Juan Vlasco, colors by Ian Herring, and letters by VC's Joe Caramagna.
When armed mercenaries attacked a school Ms. Marvel and the Champions were protecting, Kamala was caught in the destruction and went into a coma. Because she was mistaken for a victim of the disaster, Kamala's Law was passed, banning teen superheroes, including the Champions. Now Kamala is struggling to fight her way back to the land of the living, and Ms. Marvel is going to have to fight to be a hero again.
The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14 hits so hard, especially after months without Ms. Marvel. Kamala has already been through so much during this series, including alien abduction, her father becoming gravely ill, and part of her costume becoming sentient under the alias Stormranger. Now, she's facing what may be her greatest challenge, and Ahmed handles it in a meaningful and powerful way. As she's in a coma, Kamala interacts with different versions of herself, including her childhood self and Ms. Marvel. She grapples with the very real prospect of her death and the danger her choices as a hero potentially put her friends in. Whatever she's gone through before, getting thought this is Kamala's biggest challenge yet.
`The art in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14 adds to just how emotional this issue is. Seeing Kamala lying unconscious in a hospital bed as her friends stand by begging her to wake up is a heavy reminder of just how young she is, and just how much she's already been through. And what she sees while she's in her coma is especially heartbreaking, but these panels are put together beautifully.
Jung creates what starts as a normal scene between Kamala and her friends or family before it twists into a nightmare of Ms. Marvel being unable to save those she cares about or even being the one that hurts them directly. Herring's use of flat and dark colors gives the entire issue a gloomy feel, which is only fitting for a story that's so filled with sadness and guilt. And when Kamala experiences coma visions, the use of loose and wavy linework by Vlasco is a reminder that this is a dream. Still, the color scheme stays the same, reminding the reader, and Kamala, that those dreams could become reality unless she's careful.
The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14 is a strong return from hiatus. Setting up an arc that's sure to profoundly affect not only Ms. Marvel's future but also the future of all teen superheroes in the Marvel universe.
