Kamala’s life quiets down for a moment, but after a vacation, things take a decidedly peculiar turn. What is happening to Jersey City? Find out more in Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit #1 from Marvel Comics!

MS. MARVEL: BEYOND THE LIMIT #1

Writer: Samira Ahmed
Artist: Andrés Genolet
Colorist: Tríona Farrell
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Lauren Bisom
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 22, 2021

Previously in Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan leads a busy life. She is Jersey City’s superhero, but she also has her normal day-to-day life as a teenager. Most recently, everything got even more complicated as she was declared a villain. But finally, things have quieted down a bit, and she has time for a little vacation.

A TALE WITH A DECIDED TWIST

Ms. Marvel #1 opens in Chicago where Kamala visits her cousin Razia who is young, cool, and a brilliant physicist. Over a breakfast of doughnuts and muffins, Razia talks about her current research into the possibility of wormhole travel to other dimensions. This leads into a discussion of the ramifications of a Multiverse. Kamala ponders her powers and speculates for a moment on what other Ms. Marvels in other universes might be like.

Razia heads to her lab, but not before she gives Kamala some suggestions for sightseeing on her last day. Kamala stops by the Bean, enjoying being able to spend a normal day like a normal person. It isn’t until she drops her phone that she realizes it is after lunchtime – and Razia did not meet her. Instead, Kamala goes to the lab where she finds her cousin unconscious and someone in a trench coat sneaking around. She interrupts them and grabs the cube they stole. Suddenly she sees a multiverse of potential Kamalas. The intruder gets away, but Kamala neatly puts the cube back where it belongs.

There is not much time before her flight home. She reports the theft and calls an EMT for her cousin. By the time Kamala gets home, Razia texts her to tell her everything is okay. And home seems pretty normal too. Kamala’s parents are enjoying a Bollywood film, and old classic that has them reminiscing. She’s a teen, and even a little parental romance is too much for her. She heads to the kitchen to get a snack.

Then she hears singing. She heads back to see if her father really is singing, and suddenly it is as though they have all ended up in a Bollywood movie. What a fun – and unexpected – start for a new arc!

BRIGHT AND EFFERVESCENT

The art of Ms. Marvel #1 is a delight. It is a lot of fun to see her with her cousin, being able to be her regular self. Kamala is a bright young lady, and I enjoy seeing the excitement both she and Razia have when they talk about Razia’s work. I also liked the scenes at the Bean which played around with the reflections in the sculpture itself. This tranquility also sets of the tension and mystery of the encounter with the intruder at the lab.

But I must say what I truly love in this issue’s art is the scene after she gets home. Suddenly all the colors become much more vivid. Kamala’s parents’ outfits have changed and are also quite colorful. Rose petals drop from the ceiling. And everything keeps getting bigger. She goes out into the street, right into a huge dance number. She changes into her Ms. Marvel costume and even that has been translated into Bollywood style, and it is gorgeous and wonderful and someone should cosplay it. The craziness of the whole scene just keeps building.

BOTTOM LINE: OFF TO AN ENTERTAINING START

Ms. Marvel #1 starts out with the seed of a serious plot and then takes a deft shift in tone. It’s over the top and a little goofy, but Kamala manages to maintain a solid grip on reality. I really enjoyed this as the start of a new arc.

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