The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18 // Review
The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18 is written by Saladin Ahmed, drawn by Minkyu Jung, colored by Ian Herring, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna. The Magnificent Ms. Marvel marks not only the end of this comics run but 75 issues overall of Ms. Marvel solo content.
To establish some sort of normalcy after the attack by a dragon (Outlawed #1), Coles Academic High School is holding their homecoming dance. Kamala is looking forward to having fun with her friends and getting to feel like a normal teenager for the night. But when you’re a superhero, a villain can attack when you least expect it. With Stormranger showing up unexpectedly, Kamala’s homecoming dance won’t be quite so perfect.
Since issue #1, Kamala’s grown so much as both a normal teen and as a hero. Throughout the series, Ahmed does a wonderful job of showing Kamala’s growth as a process that isn’t always linear. Sometimes she would take a step back before moving forward. And that made her feel real. She wasn’t always winning, but she was trying to improve. And in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18, Ahmed writes Kamala’s voice sounding more confident and self-assured. She’s no longer trying to do everything herself. She’s learned that it’s okay to ask for help.
With so much happening in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18, from moments with Kamala’s family to a school dance to a fight, there’s plenty for Jung to illustrate. And he doesn’t disappoint. The art is just fun to look at. The characters have such expressive faces and body language, both in and out of fight scenes. And the showdown between Ms. Marvel and Stormranger is a visual treat.
Herring uses color so well in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18. While Kamala is with her family and friends, the overall tone feels lighter and happier. Its brightness reflecting her mood. And when she’s fighting Stormranger, the colors get a little darker, adding to the intensity of the scenes.
Caramagna really knocked it out of the park with the lettering in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18. The speech bubbles and text boxes don’t get in the way of the action. And it’s easy to follow who is saying what, even during scenes with a lot of dialogue.
The entire run of The Magnificent Ms. Marvel was a wonderful time filled with laughs, tears, and everything in between. It’s sad to see it end, but the creative team did a fantastic job of wrapping everything up in a way that felt natural and conclusive for this period of Kamala’s life. Reading The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18 felt like saying goodbye to a friend. Well, maybe it’s less of a goodbye and more of a “see you later” since Kamala will appear in Champions #5 along with some of her superpowered allies. And hopefully, she’ll be back starring in her own series sooner rather than later.
