Kamala Khan is adjusting to being a mutant, but can anyone really get over the hate people have? Find out how she manages in Ms. Marvel: New Mutant #2 by Marvel Comics!

MS. MARVEL: NEW MUTANT #2

Writer: Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada
Artist: Carlos Gomez and Adam Gorham
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Editor: Jordan D. White
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 27th, 2023 

Previously in Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan is both an Inhuman and a mutant. She can morph her body and has taken on the moniker Ms. Marvel because she is a fan of Captain Marvel. Now learning that she is a mutant, she has had a crash course on anti-mutant sentiment. While the other X-Men are hiding, Kamala infiltrates the Orchis-funded tech program at Empire State University while dealing with her identity crisis that presents itself in recurring nightmares.

Ms. Marvel: New Mutant #2 begins with another nightmare when she sees a Silver Surfer in a Doctor Strange costume. She wakes up in her dorm room, having fallen asleep beside Bruno in her bed, and her roommate jokingly mentions that they can use the room if they need it. Kamala goes to her classes but sees an anti-mutant protest and a mob harassing another person who came to counter-protest. She calls Synch and laments her troubles but is attacked by drones tracking the communication signal. She is saved by Iron Man, who reveals he married Emma Frost. Emma reminds Kamala that being a mutant/X-Men puts a target on her back.

When she returns to campus, Bruno has taken up the offer for a free room and prepares to run a program that can track her dreams. Meanwhile, Nitika Gaiha reveals the drones were a trap and that one is now implanted in Kamala’s scalp.

As I read this, some of these concepts are really on the nose. Ms. Marvel: New Mutant #2 plays into the most common X-Men tropes but also the most common freshman in college tropes. From falling asleep with the platonic best friend to the implied “exile” of the roommate, placed together with the mutant protest trope where the X-Men must be better than those who hate them. Sometimes, the book felt like a walking cliché. But I kind of liked that. Some media that I watch use those tropes heavily to influence their narrative arcs, and there is a reason why it works. But the plot and momentum would fall flat if Kamala Khan were weaker as a lead character. So, the creative team does well balancing the strength of the character with the clichés of the plot.

Artistically, there weren’t many standout images. Kamala’s power set is usually dynamic on the page, but she didn’t get a chance to showcase her abilities that much. Despite that, the character designs in the dream sequences were very engaging. Good work overall.

I really enjoyed this book, as I often enjoy watching or reading media that uses college as a backdrop to address problems. While the pacing may feel a little slow, as not much happens in this issue, the comic has solid tension-rising actions leading us well into the next comic issue. With that in mind, Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan gets 4 out of 5 stars.

---

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

Ms. Marvel: New Mutant #2

80%

80%

Decent Middle Issue

Ms. Marvel: New Mutant #2 presents a lot of clichés that work well due to the strength of the title character.

• Writing

  8
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  8
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
  0