REVIEW: ‘Ms Marvel & Wolverine,’ Issue #1

Ms Marvel & Wolverine #1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Jody Houser, art by Zé Carlos, colours by Erick Arciniega and letters by Travis Lanham. This is part of a series of team-ups featuring Ms Marvel and a selection of heroes. In this first issue, Ms Marvel visits the Treehouse in Central Park, where she and the X-Men find themselves facing a swarm of foes.

This plot is simple but exciting, set up quickly by Houser. A brief history lesson is held about Ms Marvel and her past experiences with Wolverine before they are quickly brought together. The writer allows for a brief moment of misunderstanding that usually occurs in these team-up comics, but it is dealt with quickly and avoids being too much of a trope. The team-up comes in waves as the threat seems neverending and constantly changing the circumstances. Kamala giving little snippets of information about characters makes it easy for newcomers to get brief context on what each hero is up to without being bogged down by exposition. And by the end of the issue, Ms Marvel moves on but her story is far from over, with a mysterious and surprising foe hinted at. The individual comic does have a satisfying ending as well, essentially concluding a one-shot.

The characters are fantastically written by Houser, but the title is slightly misleading. It isn’t just Wolverine that Ms Marvel joins forces with in Ms Marvel and Wolverine #1, as a whole horde of mutants makes an appearance. Big figures in the world of X-Men show themselves and the dialogue between Kamala and all of them is delightful. At the beginning, she is awkward and starstruck as she usually is around other heroes, and the awe that she has for her fellow heroes is immensely enjoyable to read. But she also has the stature to stand alongside them and garner instant respect.

The art is both fun and brilliant. The facial expressions are big and hilarious, allowing for some overly dramatic reactions. Originally, Wolverine’s proportions appeared too wide, but it then dawned on me that it is out he is supposed to look. He is presented as short and stocky, like his stats suggest. Interestingly, Wolverine is about the same height as Ms Marvel. The designs of the other X-Men are superb, with attention paid to their attires in other books currently out. For example, Storm’s look is matching her costume in very recent issues. The battle demonstrates all of the powers in all their glory, explosive and expressive.

The colours are stunning. All of the characters have costumes that are rife with bright colours and Arciniega brings that out with a flourish. But the events in the book can also adjust the atmosphere that the colourist creates, darkening the skies as things get dangerous. The lettering is both dynamic and legible with Lanham having fun with big SFX.

Ms Marvel & Wolverine #1 is a delightful team-up issue. Whilst it clearly is leaning on the release of the Ms Marvel TV show, it is absolutely able to stand by itself as a book filled with energy. Houser breathes life into all of the characters and brings together heroes in a carefree yet engaging battle. It is an excellent jumping on point for fans of the show (despite Ms Marvel possessing her standard powers) coming into the series, but hardcore comic readers will love the attention to detail in the character histories and the awesome interactions between the heroes.

Ms Marvel and Wolverine #1 is available where comics are sold.