Title: Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Outlawed
Creators: Saladin Ahmed (Author), Minkyu Jung (Artist), Joey Vazquez (Artist), Juan Vlasco (Artist), Ian Herring (Color Artist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer)
Genres: Comics, Superhero
Pages: 144 pages
Publisher: Marvel
Review copy: Hoopla digital library app
Availability: Available now!
Summary: There’s a new hero in Jersey City! Introducing Fadi Fadlalah, a.k.a. Amulet! What secrets is this gentle giant hiding? Is he friend or foe? Why is he showing up now, just when Kamala has gotten her life back on track? And is this town big enough for both of them?! Then, while recovering from a traumatic ordeal, Ms. Marvel finds herself an unwilling martyr for a movement she hates. If she wants to reclaim her narrative, she’ll have to wake up first! The anti-teen-hero task force, C.R.A.D.L.E., is scouring Jersey City to apprehend its young protector – and that isn’t the only problem on Kamala’s plate. Several of her family members support the new law – and if they discover her secret identity, it’s game over for Ms. Marvel!
Review: I’m on the record as a huge fan of the Ms. Marvel series. I was over the moon when I found out there would be more of Ms. Marvel, with a new series publishing over the last few years. I’ve previously really enjoyed volumes 1 and 2 of the new series, Magnificent Ms. Marvel (here’s a review of Volume 2), and I was definitely looking forward to Volume 3.
I’m glad I picked up Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Outlawed. The art continues to be stellar — action-packed, dynamic, and just a lot of fun, which is perfect for a hero like Kamala. The dialogue is fresh and keeps you reading. Kamala’s relationship with her family continues to be the heart of her story, and I loved seeing more of them. My absolute favorite part of this volume was getting to meet Amulet, the new superhero in Jersey City. I’d seen sketches of Amulet on Twitter, and was not disappointed by his character.
Meeting Amulet was the high point of Volume 3, but the story that followed was not for me. The plotline of Kamala becoming the face of an anti-teen-hero movement and Ms. Marvel being pursued by C.R.A.D.L.E, a task force of “super-cops,” involved some cliche story twists that I’m just not a fan of. Characters made out-of-character decisions that left me baffled. Overall, while still full of heart, humor, and impactful themes, this storyline was disappointing.
To be fair, it sounds like the last volume was caught up in a series cancellation and a crossover with a separate storyline, which might have resulted in more restrictions and difficulties in wrapping up the story. Despite my misgivings about the final story arc of this volume, I’ll be sorry to see the series go. More of Ms. Marvel is never a bad thing, and I hope Marvel will change their minds and give this superhero another chance. This latest Ms. Marvel series run was a delight to read overall, and I hope to see more in the future.
Recommendation: Borrow it someday, particularly if you’ve been following the Ms. Marvel series!