Two lives hang in the balance, and Kamala will have to make a choice as to who to help, even if that means the other dies. Your Major Spoilers review of The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #12 from Marvel Comics, awaits!
THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL #12
Writer: Saladin Ahmed
Artist: Minkyu Jung
Colorist: Ian Herring
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Alanna Smith
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 5th, 2020
Previously in Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan’s new fancy alien suit has gone haywire and is now on a manhunt for Kamala’s worst enemies with the intent to kill. Meanwhile, Ms. Marvel’s father is in the midst of a life saving surgery being performed by none other than Stephen Strange himself. Unfortunately for Ms. Marvel, her last encounter with her living suit she calls Stormranger, left her sinking into the Hudson River, with her best friend/possible love interest Bruno, rushing to her rescue.
The Choice
The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #12 opens in the hospital as Kamala’s mom is woken up by her son and Doctor Strange. He informs her of the condition of her husband. He’s out of critical condition but a lingering symptom still threatens him. Over in the river, Kamala is awoken underwater by the sound of Bruno coming to her rescue. He gets her onboard his hovercraft, where she explains that her suit is on the hunt for her old friend turned nemesis Josh, AKA Discord. Bruno devises a plan to stop the sentient suit when Stephen Strange appears and informs Kamala that her father needs a blood transfusion from her because only their shared Inhuman dna can stop his cells from dying. Against Bruno’s wishes, Kamala chooses to go after Stormranger and save Josh. She arrives just in time and saves Josh’s life. Bruno’s plan works and Kamala is able to destroy her old suit. She rushes to the hospital and performs the transfusion, but learns that she took too long and wasn’t able to prevent her father from receiving extensive cellular damage which will mean he’ll need a cane for the rest of his life. Flash forward a week and Kamala and Bruno are going on their first date, but they decide to keep their relationship a secret for the time being.
A Surprise Happy Ending?
Base on the solicitations for The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #12, I don’t think anyone could be held at fault for not expecting such a (mostly) positive outcome to this story arc. It really seemed like we were heading for Kamala’s own “Uncle Ben” moment. Even in this issue the possibility of Kamala losing someone based on her decision seemed like the most likely outcome. I personally really enjoyed how things concluded here and I contend that while some will say that this conclusion is a bit too “happy ever after” and not hard hitting, I say that we have grown accustomed to bittersweet or tragic endings and this really bucks that trend. I won’t say it’s perfect and the way Kamala acts like walking with a cane is a horrific outcome does make it feel like Saladin Ahmed was trying to wring a bit of pathos out of a pretty saccharine situation.
The End of Stormranger
It would be a shame if this is the last we see of Stormranger. Other than being an interesting idea for a villain, the spindly, bladed, final form we see in this issue is a good design that does well at visually conveying a skewed version of Ms. Marvel that chose duty over everything and Minkyu Jung deserves credit in using this books art to carry the metaphor load.
Bottom Line: A Story Arc Conclusion That Some Will Love and Some Will Hate
Whether or not someone thinks The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #12 is good will depend heavily on their opinion on conclusions. While the issue as a whole is pretty straightforward and inoffensive, the real draw of this will be to see how this story arc wraps up. 4 out of 5 stars.
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Ms. Marvel #12
Plain and simple The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #12 is a comic book that will make you feel good. Some may find the ending a bit too happy and even convenient, but it’s nice to see the hero just save the day sometimes.
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At a young age, Jonathan was dragged to a small town in Wisconsin. A small town in Wisconsin that just so happened to have a comic book shop. Faced with a decision to either spend the humid summers and bitter winters traipsing through the pine trees or in climate controlled comfort with tales of adventure, horror, and romance, he chose the latter. Jonathan can often be found playing video games, board games, reading comics and wincing as his “to watch” list grows wildly out of control.