Ms. Marvel 4: Last Days

Comic Info

Ms. Marvel (3) #17

Reprints Ms. Marvel (3) #16-19 and Amazing Spider-Man (3) #7-8 (December 2014-December 2015).  Kamala’s world is ending…figuratively and literally.  While Kamala tries to deal with her first break-up involving Kamran, the universe is facing a potentially life ending threat by the appearance of another dimension above New York City.  Kamala learns that Kamran isn’t finished with her and that he is going after her family.  Kamala must face her fears (while teaming up with her idol Captain Marvel), and hope that the world can survive.  Plus, Kamala finds herself on an adventure with the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

Written by G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel Volume 4:  Last Days ties into the Marvel Comics Last Days event series which tied in with Marvel’s Secret Wars storyline.  Following Ms. Marvel Volume 3:  Crushed, the collection features art by Adrian Alphona.  The collection also features the two issue Ms. Marvel-Spider-Man team-up from Amazing Spider-Man (3) #7-8 (December 2014).  Issues in this collection were also collected in Ms. Marvel Omnibus—Volume 1, Ms. Marvel—Volume 2, and Secret Wars:  Last Days of the Marvel Universe.

Ms. Marvel is one of those “breath of fresh air” comics.   It finds a nice balance between the overly action comics and the teen melodrama.  I like the character and the adventures, but the comic does have many of the problems that comic books suffer from today.

Ms. Marvel (3) #18

Ms. Marvel isn’t really allowed to live and grow.  The character (and the Marvel Universe) is constantly being sucked into big event series or oddly missing from big event series.  While Wilson tries to keep the character somewhat isolated, the stories have to involve things like Secret Wars because it is going to affect the whole universe.  This comes crash down on Wilson in this volume which kind of truncates the storylines set up in previous books because the comic is forced to adhere to the big events storylines.  I feel that this inclusion/exclusion was better balanced in series before the nearly yearly cycle of event series really took off fifteen to twenty years ago.

The Spider-Man/Ms. Marvel team-up is fun in that Ms. Marvel’s comic reads closer to an older Spider-Man comic with Ms. Marvel trying to balance being a local superhero, a secret identity, and her protective family.  I am also a sucker for the old Marvel Team-Up and Two-In-One so team-up books are an easier sell for me.  It feels rushed and not enough substance, but it is good to see the character interact with other Marvel characters.

Ms. Marvel is a comic that continues to evolve and change as the issues role out.  I think there is a ton of potential for storylines and I do wish Wilson would look back on older Spider-Man to try to get the pacing down (or what Marvel will allow the pacing to be).  With the Secret Wars hitting Marvel Universe, Ms. Marvel could continue on as normal or be altered…the series relaunches after this collection.  Ms. Marvel 4:  Last Days is followed by Ms. Marvel 5:  Super Famous.

Related Links:

Ms. Marvel 1:  No Normal

Ms. Marvel 2:  Generation Why

Ms. Marvel 3:  Crushed

Ms. Marvel 5:  Super Famous