Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: avengers, Diego Olortegui, G.Willow Wilson, kamala khan, Marvel Comics, ms marvel, red dagger, the champions

Ms. Marvel #23 Review: Team-Up With Red Dagger

Kamala's brother is in the process of moving out, and a new guy has transferred into her class. She's still coping with Bruno moving to Wakanda, but that will have to wait for later because a train's breaks have malfunctioned.

It looks like a job for Ms. Marvel, but she's also joined by Laal Khanjeer (or the Red Dagger). Can the two learn to cooperate quickly enough to keep the train from crashing?

As much as I love Ms. Marvel, it's pretty clear from the outset that this is not a comic intended for someone in my age group. Much of the run time is dealing with high school issues like the hot new kid and coping with feelings that you know are petty, but you have them anyway.

That's not to say that I don't know what any of this feels like. I mean, just look at Kareem; he's freaking gorgeous. I remember what all of this felt like in high school, and I remember it feeling super important. However, things like making money, trying to afford an apartment, and the possibility of nuclear war being sparked by Twitter and Elton John references have made all of it seem less relevant.

Kamala Khan is a really endearing character though. Ms. Marvel is freaking awesome, and that helps carry me through the issue. I care about her high school problems because I care about her. That allows for all of this to feel more cohesive for me.

The comic is often quite funny too. Ms. Marvel is quick with the quips, and the potential disaster of a 25/mph train (a literal slow motion trainwreck in the making) is balanced by the humor of how silly the threat seems at the outset.

What also helps is the art of Diego Olortegui. It has a very distinct manga-esque style, but it's also very detailed and textured in a way that most manga are not. The comic looks great through and through, and some of that texturing is thanks to the coloring work of Ian Herring.

So, is this an earth-shattering threat? No. Does it comprehensively ponder the realities of social issues or the human condition? Not to a great degree. Is it aimed towards adults? Not really. However, it is a fun, charming read with a fantastic main character and great dialogue. I do recommend it; it adds variety to your pull list. One might say it adds some…diversity.

It'll be okay. You can read that word every once in a while and not perish from the shock.

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