Deadly Troubadour

I think this will be my last review of Ms. Marvel. Yeah.

Ms. Marvel #3

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Art: Adrian Alphona

Color Art: Ian Herring

Publisher: Marvel

So far I’ve reviewed issues One, Two and Three and each time I’ve said pretty much the same thing: the art is gorgeous, the writing is lacking. This issue is just more of the same. The dialogue feels stilted and artificial. Its been one cliche after another. Nothing that original, nothing that impactful. The only thing in issue four that sounded natural was the all too brief scene between Kamala and her mother. Outside of that, not so much. Honestly, the story and characterization are so not to my liking that it is starting to color how I see the art. That delicious meal of Alphona and Herring is being soured by all that Wilson.

Two things disappoint me about being disappointed with Ms. Marvel. The first is that this type of story is generally so much in my wheelhouse. Teenage superheroes having to navigate family and friends while learning how to use their powers? Sign me up. That a story that lines up so much into the sweet spot of superhero fiction I like and then just consistently misses the mark makes me hang my head.

The next is that this is a book about a young woman of color. How many women headline a book and how many of those aren’t white? Its not a long list. Also, Kamala Khan is a muslim and a very positive representation of muslims. Too many scaremongers and overly biased news channels depict muslims as the boogeymen of the world. A comic that serves as a counterbalance is a great thing. But, filling that void that void and gorgeous art is all Ms. Marvel has going for it. I need good story, good characters, and good dialogue to keep me coming back. Wilson isn’t delivering that in my eyes.

I’ve looked at other review, and there are a lot of folk who like this comic. Good for them, but I’m not seeing what they see. I’m going to finish out this arc, but I think this is going to be the last issue I review. I’m redundantly repeating myself over and over again. It isn’t that fun to write and probably less fun to read. If the arc finishes out in a way that turns everything around for me, I will gladly say so. Otherwise radio silence from here on out in terms of Ms. Marvel.