REVIEW: The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14, OUTLAWED

Taking place after the shocking events of Outlawed #1, The Magnificent Ms Marvel #14: OUTLAWED  is written by Saladin Ahmed, with art by Minkyu Jung, inks by Juan Vlasco, colors by Ian Herring, and letters by VC’s Joe Caramanga. After a disastrous skirmish with their enemy at her school that causes Congress to pass an act banning underage superheroes, Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel, and The Champions face a new challenge they’ve never faced before. Found at her now half-destroyed school, and mistaken for a regular civilian, Kamala finds herself in the hospital in a coma, unaware of everything that has transpired.

This is the first Ms. Marvel comic I’ve reviewed for But Why Tho? I wasn’t expecting to find one of my favorite heroes in a coma, of all situations. But in this scenario, the creative team makes a unique introspective issue, conveying Kamala’s various fears and insecurities. It’s an emotionally charged psychedelic issue, putting you, the reader, on a scary and engrossing adventure through Kamala’s mind. The ultimate result, in how it gets you to know Kamala and her relationships with her loved ones, is both mesmerizing and emotionally painful.

Reading The Magnificent Ms Marvel #14 OUTLAWED, from the jump, the mood is one of heartbreaking shock. Shock at the situation our young heroine now finds herself in, with her life as a superhero almost entirely changed. Heartbreaking in watching her friends and family members pray for her recovery. We, the reader, know that our main hero will be ok, but reading the reactions of her family and friends, only some of whom know her secret identity, is truly heartwrenching. The only critical note here is the much shorter writing her friends, Nakia and Zoe, get in comparison to Bruno and her family in expressing their love and concern for Kamala, with more anger directed at The Champions.

But Ahmed overall does very well at writing Kamala’s family and friends, who both worry about her and are angered about the situation that has put her in the hospital. The anger at The Champions for messing up is painfully palpable and feels justified. We know they’re the heroes, but we also know heroes aren’t exempt from blame. Here, the writing does a lot of justice to their sincere frustrations with superheroes, raising a topic that was addressed in another Marvel property, namely Captain America: Civil War, but this time for the comics and with younger superheroes.

The art and colors by Jung and Herring are fantastic. The way they create swirls, mist, and shadows in the dream world is particularly striking. In both Kamala’s dream world and the real world, there is such a vibrant and active use of colors. All of the panels are richly lighted, showcasing the characters brilliantly in their varying appearances.

The lettering by Caramanga is excellent. Each of the word bubbles pops distinctly against the texture of the comic art, letting you easily read what the characters are saying. The placement of the bubbles is consistently smart, letting you still be able to enjoy the richness of the art from the page.

In all, The Magnificent Ms Marvel #14: OUTLAWED is an incredible read. Despite the premise,  there is a lot of action here to take in as we go on this dream journey with our hero. With overall excellent and emotive writing from Ahmed, incredible pictures by the art team, and an interestingly unique premise, it is the start to perhaps Kamala’s most daunting challenge yet.

You can read The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14: OUTLAWED, on September 9th, 2020, wherever comics are sold.