The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #2 follows immediately from our last issue. It’s a fun read, but offers little in the way of surprises.
The book picks up with Kamala rushing to discover what happened to her parents, and how she can rescue them. With some help from Bruno, she follows the clues, ultimately leading to a revelation…at least for her.
The Writing
At the beginning of the first issue, it’s directly stated that there’s an interplanetary “chosen one” aspect to the story. While it’s an interesting direction, the result of providing that foreknowledge is that a lot of what comes before ends up feeling like a prologue. And, that seems to be the dominant sense here.
Much of the appeal in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #2 is (unsurprisingly) focused on our titular character. Watching Kamala work is always fun, as the character has an inherent charm and warmth. It’s also interesting to get Bruno’s perspective on the situation via narration. That said, the book doesn’t offer too much outside of that. There’s a brief encounter with a former foe that doesn’t really impact the plot. Other than that, the book leads to where it’s already projected to go.
Where we leave off reveals her role in the larger story, opening the door that gets the broader narrative underway. While not intensely compelling on its own, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #2 keeps up the reader’s interest, making you want to keep reading and see what will happen in successive issues.
The Artwork
The artwork by Minkyu Jung and Juan Vlasco is still strong overall in this issue. The pencils retain the same sense of dynamism present in the first issue, and action sequences have plenty of energy. In terms of layout, though, it’s a bit fragmentary, not always flowing with tight cohesion. However, when Jung pulls back into a larger illustration for emphasis, it’s well-motivated.
The bulk of The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #2 is fixed on Kamala and Bruno. While the former is very expressive and well-drawn, Bruno’s facial expressions and movements are points that fall a little flat. More often than not, we see him with a stony, stiff face that clashes with the tone of the scene.
Ian Herring employs the same softer colors seen in the first book. Here, as much of the episode takes place at night, we see more vibrant, purplish and greenish hues dominate, giving it an interesting look.
Final Thoughts
The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #2 does what it needs to in order to move the story. It’s not an incredibly exciting issue on its own, but it promises some interesting stuff is right around the corner.
