Writers: G. Willow Wilson, Saladin Ahmed, Rainbow Rowell & Hasan Minhaj
Artists: Nico Leon, Gustavo Duarte, Bob Quinn & Elmo Bondoc
A remarkable milestone issue that celebrates the best aspects of Kamala Khan’s character while progressing towards an even greater future!
Ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Happy Holidays everyone! You know, with all the negativity currently going on in the world at large, I feel that it’s important for us to be reminded every so often that positivity still exists out there. And seeing as how today is Christmas, a milestone holiday that occurs only once every year, what better way to celebrate it than with review of a milestone comic issue. As such, my holiday present to you all is a review of MS. MARVEL’s 50th issue “One Night Only!”
For those who are unaware, milestone (or anniversary) comics are issues of a long-running comic series that celebrate the anniversary of said-series and its respective characters. These issues are meant to be special events, as they primarily occur when a series reaches its fiftieth or hundredth issue (or in the recent case of ACTION COMICS, its one thousandth issue…) and are often extra long or double-sized in length. To put it into a mathematical perspective, the average length of a standard single issue comic ranges from 21 to 25 pages, whereas the length of a milestone issue can range from 34 to 45 pages. Because of their additional length, the creative teams of these particular issues are under increased pressure to produce a story that’s not only high in quality but also succeeds as a celebration of the series' anniversary and characters. When these efforts are successful, you end up with truly fantastic stories like AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #400, “The Gift,” which not only told the story of Aunt May’s death during THE CLONE SAGA but also dedicated its entirety to honoring the character's legacy and the importance of her relationship with Peter Parker. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, you have AVENGERS #200, “The Child is Father To…?,” which not only had Carol Danvers being raped by a super villain but also portrayed the rest of the Avengers as complete idiots who made no attempt to comfort Carol or to stop her from falling in love with her rapist and leaving to live in limbo with him.
Something that I’ve come to notice regarding the milestone issues published by Marvel is that they tend to follow a structure similar to that of Charles Dicken’s novel A CHRISTMAS CAROL in that they tend to be celebrations of a series or characters’ past, present, or future. For anniversary stories that focus on the past, Marvel will often simply pay homage to or feature the return of classic elements from the series such as the case with X-MEN #100 having the all-new X-Men fighting sentinels disguised as the original five X-Men. Milestone issues that focus on the present tend to be more varied, ranging from being the concluding chapters for ongoing storylines, such as with IRON MAN #200 being the finale to “The Iron Monger Saga,” to standalone issues with an emphasis on character development over action like with “The Trial Of Magneto” from UNCANNY X-MEN #200. And milestones that focus on the future are usually celebratory in the manner that they set the stage for future stories, either by introducing a new characters or villains like Venom in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #300, or plot twists like the reveal of Magneto’s tragic origins as a Holocaust survivor in UNCANNY X-MEN #150. In my personal opinion, however, the best type of milestone issues are the ones that incorporate elements from not just one but all three areas of time. Stories that have the characters either reflecting or encountering elements from their past, demonstrating how they have changed and developed since their initial beginnings, as well as contemplating and looking towards their futures. These elements are all presented in the subject of today’s review, MS. MARVEL #31, “One Night Only,” which serves as the fiftieth issue of the series overall!
Now immediately you’re probably confused as to how MS. MARVEL #31 could possibly be the fiftieth issue of the series. Well the thing is, is that Kamala Khan’s series actually runs across two separate volumes. The first volume of MS. MARVEL ran for a total of nineteen issues but following the crossover event SECRET WARS in 2015, all of Marvel’s books were canceled and then relaunched with new number ones. While this strategy has made keeping track of a series’ continuity an incredibly daunting task for even long-time readers, it has proven to be a financially successful strategy since number one issues tend to sell more than their contemporaries and has thus been an ongoing practice throughout comics’ history. Following the relaunch the series ran for another thirty one issues and when you add in the previous nineteen issues from the first volume, that would make MS. MARVEL #31 the fiftieth issue of the series to be published.
The Magnificent Ms. Marvel. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 3 #19 (Oct 2015). Art by Kris Anka. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Nevertheless, as I mentioned back in my review of MS. MARVEL (VOL. 8): MECCA, Kamala Khan has easily become my second favorite comic book hero of all-time, surpassing even Batman and the X-Men. Kamala is immensely relatable due to her adolescent struggles, nerdy personality, and strong desire to do good for her community and help those in need. While it is certainly important that she provides greater diversity and representation to the Marvel Universe because she is Muslim, her creators G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat perfectly understood that the character would not last if her Islamic faith was the only aspect of her personality and thus set out to make her a character as genuinely authentic and realistic as possible. Although Wilson was still initially skeptical about the character’s chances of success, she later stated in a 2016 TEDx Talks appearance that “within a few months no one was calling [Kamala Marvel’s first Muslim leading lady anymore, but] were calling her this generation’s Spider-Man.” In essence, MS. MARVEL proved to be a critical and financial sensation that defied everyone’s expectations due to her being a character that not just Muslims but all audiences could connect with and relate to. Because of the character’s unprecedented success, Wilson and Amanat knew that MS. MARVEL’s fiftieth issue (a milestone which neither them believed that they would ever reach) needed to be a special event that demonstrated how the character has enriched various peoples’ lives. To achieve this, it was decided to bring on three additional writers who would tell their own individual MS. MARVEL stories. These guest-writers include science-fiction author and poet Saladin Ahmed, the current writer of the comics EXILES and MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN; Young Adult novelist Rainbow Rowell, the author of novels like ELEANOR & PARK and Marvel’s revived RUNAWAYS series; and professional comedian Hasan Minhaj, DAILY SHOW host and the writer/star of the film HOMECOMING KING. Furthermore, each of the three stories are illustrated by different artists, Gustavo Duarte, Bob Quinn, and Elmo Bondoc, and are all separated an overarching main plot by Wilson and artist Nico Leon that focuses on Kamala struggling to have a slumber party with her friends. The final product of this creative gathering, MS. MARVEL #31, “One Night Only,” is a milestone issue that celebrates the lighthearted and somewhat goofy spiritedness of Kamala Khan’s past stories, honors the down-to-Earth traits that make her the hero she presently is today, and serves to progress and introduce plot elements and character development for future stories.
(As a brief aside, there will be spoilers for this issue throughout this review, including the ending. If you’re legitimately curious, I highly suggest stop reading this review and go out and buy MS. MARVEL #31 right now, as well as the entirety of G. Willow Wilson’s run on the series! Trust me, you won’t regret it!)
The fiftieth issue of MS. MARVEL opens on a Saturday night at the Khan residence where Kamala is preparing to host a slumber party for her best friends Nakia Bahadir, Zoe Zimmer, and Michaela “Mike" Miller. While Kamala’s mother fails to grasp the logic behind having a sleepover, Kamala stresses that it’s meant to be a special bonding experience. Their humorous spat is interrupted by her friends arrival, thus marking the beginning of what Kamala hopes to be one night free of crime fighting. A night where she can just be a normal teenage girl engaging in normal teenage girl activities. But as Kamala has been forced to learn throughout her superhero career, being “normal” is a concept that has never really applied to her life. The slumber party initially starts off strong with the girls discussing Kamala’s first kiss from the SOMETHING NEW arc as well as providing their own respective views on boys and dating.
The girl's views on boys and dating. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Nico Leon. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
MS. MARVEL #31, “One Night Only,” is undoubtably one of the best stories to come out of G. Willow Wilson’s MS. MARVEL series, second only to the MECCA arc in terms of being my personal favorite! The issue manages to celebrate the best aspects of Kamala’s character from a past, present, and future perspective whilst doing so through the voices eight distinctive creators. At its core, the issue is composed of three separate mini-stories within a larger overarching plot, each of them having their own individual writer and artist. Although this could have easily served to the book’s detriment, the creative team effectively manages to weave all four narratives into a single cohesive whole, which is a feat especially deserving of praise. The problem with having multiple creators collaborate on a single book is that their respective styles will usually clash with one another, thus resulting in conflicting tones that can easily distract the reader. Thus, collaborative books are incredibly difficult produc even for writers who share similar styles and characteristics. For instance, although C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were both Christian authors who wrote high-fantasy novels, as well as good friends with each other, the two were unable to finish a collaborative book entitled LANGUAGE AND HUMAN NATURE since they were vastly different in how they incorporated themes of faith into their works. Despite this, I feel that collaborative efforts can still succeed if the creators are able to adjust and balance their individual characteristics to match those of their partners, thereby reducing the risk of tonal shifts. One of the methods in which MS. MARVEL #31 accomplishes this is by utilizing Kamala’s slumber party as a framing device in which the other mini-stories are juxtaposed. While the main sleepover plot is written by G. Willow Wilson, the side plots feature Kamala as Ms. Marvel are all written by Saladin Ahmed, Rainbow Rowell, and Hasan Minhaj respectively. The comic makes effective use of transitions between writers by having each mini-story beginning with Kamala’s party being interrupted by some random outside force, and ending with Ms. Marvel returning home to pick up where she previously left off. Another clever touch that I noticed is that Wilson’s sleepover plot always takes place inside Kamala’s house whereas each of the min-stories take place outside, thereby making the transitions feel more natural and consistent. This is made clearer in the artistic department, with the exception of two occasions; all the bits taking place inside the Khan’s residence are illustrated by Nico Leon, but it always switches over to a different artist whenever Kamala exits the house.
Transitions between different artists. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Nico Leon and Gustavo Duarte. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
While it’s certainly impressive that the creative team manages to connect all of their stories together into a larger single work, the individual plots themselves are all great and are each reflective of the fundamental elements that make up Ms. Marvel’s mythos. And while it was probably unintentional, I personally feel that the three mini-stories individually highlight elements that are symbolically reflective of Ms. Marvel’s past, present, and future. The first by Saladin Ahmed and Gustavo Duarte focuses on Ms. Marvel helping the Inhuman’s teleporting dog Lockjaw chase a cat that transports them distant planets with warring alien factions.
Ms. Marvel plays intergalactic chase with Lockjaw. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Gustavo Duarte. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Ms. Marvel comforts "Skunk Girl." From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Bob Quinn. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Ms. Marvel decides to lighten the load. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Elmo Bondoc. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
While each of the guest-writers' plots are great in their own right, it is the main overarching plot by G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon involving Kamala’s sleepover that is the most important since it encapsulates what is essentially the overall heart of the series: Kamala Khan herself and the relationships she shares with her supporting cast. Since the start of her series, the character has always been centered around the adolescent struggles of wanting to fit in according to society’s standards whilst overcoming this mindset by learning how to accept and embrace themselves and others for who they truly are. While Kamala has always felt different due to her Islamic faith, geeky personality, and acquisition of Inhuman powers, she’s always relied upon two sources of strength that have contributed to her evolution as a hero: her family and her friends. While Kamala’s parents endowed upon her the desire and moral obligation to do good for her community, Kamala’s friends have served as beacons of guidance and encouragement, especially whenever the stress of her mission becomes too much to bear. The latter idea is the central focus of ONE NIGHT ONLY, as Kamala’s primary purpose for hosting a slumber party is for her to become more open and intimate with her friends. This is effectively demonstrated at the start of the sleepover when Kamala confesses to her friends about having shared her first kiss with the Pakistani vigilante Red Dagger two issues prior, and how it caused her to undergo spiritual crisis since she still harbors feelings for her childhood best friend Bruno. But while Nakia, Zoe, and Mike are all too eager to try and help Kamala sort out her feelings, she is unable to listen to them as she’s repeatedly forced to awkwardly push them aside whenever an interruption involving Ms. Marvel occurs. This repetitious cycle ultimately leads to the issue’s stand-out moment where, after dealing with interruption after interruption, Kamala returns upstairs to her friends while holding her costume in her hands, stating to them that she is in fact Ms. Marvel.
Kamala reveals her secret identity. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Nico Leon. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
This scene is easily my favorite moment of the entire issue! It further underscores the importance of Kamala’s relationships with her friends while simultaneously shattering an age-old superhero cliché. One thing that I’ve always admired about MS. MARVEL has been the series’ ability to challenge outdated stereotypes. This has been apparent since the series’ first issue which featured a scene of Zoe questioning whether or not Nakia would be honor killed if she removed her hijab to which Nakia replied that her father actually wanted her to take it off.
Nakia challenges Zoe's bigotry. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 3 #1 (Feb 2014). Art by Adrian Alphona. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
In regards to Ms. Marvel, I'll admit that I was a little disappointed when Wilson made the decision to keep Kamala's identity secret from her friends and family (with the exception of Bruno) at the start of the series. I was hoping for the book to follow the route of the Jaime Reyes' BLUE BEETLE series by revealing her identity to her loved ones right off the bat. But while Wilson too initially fell prey to the secret identity trope, the entirety of ONE NIGHT ONLY is dedicated to portraying how having a secret identity has been proven to be more burdensome than beneficial to Kamala and her relationships. While Kamala originally decided to keep her superhero life secret out of fear for her loved ones would react, the costs of living a double life became increasingly apparent to her as the series progressed. This was especially evident in the CIVIL WAR II tie-in arc when Kamala put Ms. Marvel’s needs above those of her friends, which resulted in Bruno ending their lifelong friendship and the two not reconciling until the issue directly preceding MS. MARVEL #31. ONE NIGHT ONLY further emphasizes this, as every time Kamala’s sleepover is interrupted she gradually realizes that her secret identity has prevented her from participating in her friends and family’s lives (as well as her own) from plans going the way she had hoped and from broadening her relationships and expressing her true self to those she cares about the most.
The price of living a double life. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Nico Leon. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Another aspect about Kamala revealing her identity that I absolutely loved is how Wilson presents Nakia, Zoe, and Mike as having already known. This revelation beautifully struck accord with me. While the comic does provide logical explanations as for how they knew, like with Kamala “not [being] very good at hiding” her secret identity or it being “extremely guessable,” it just makes sense from a purely human perspective.
Kamala's friends explain how they knew. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Nico Leon. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Nakia, Zoe & Mike want to help Kamala. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #31 (Jun 2018). Art by Nico Leon. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Aunt May reveals she's always known Peter is Spider-Man. From Amazing Spider-Man #400 (Apr 1995). Art by Mark Bagley. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
What makes this plot twist with Kamala's friends further emotionally resonate with the reader is that Wilson appears to have been building up towards this moment as early as the LAST DAYS tie-in arc when Kamala revealed her identity to her mother, to which her Ammi replied that she already knew and was proud of her daughter. In regards to Nakia, Zoe, and Mike, Wilson provided three separate scenes in which each respective character implied that they knew or discovered Ms. Marvel’s true identity. The first was with Nakia during the ELECTION DAY issue, when she helped assist Ms. Marvel in protesting against HYDRA member Chuck Worthy from running for mayor by encouraging people to vote. Initially it made little sense for Nakia to be actively helping Ms. Marvel since in previous issues she held a grudge against her. However, there is a panel in the issue where Nakia is seen in the background with her jaw dropped in awe after Ms. Marvel gives a speech about voting.
Nakia figures out Kamala's identity. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #13 (Nov 2016). Art by Mirka Andolfo. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Zoe alludes to knowing Ms. Marvel's identity. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #16 (Mar 2017). Art by Takeshi Miyazawa. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
Mike hints at knowing Ms. Marvel's identity. From Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 #27 (Feb 2018). Art by Nico Leon. Copyright © Marvel Entertainment. |
In large measure, MS. MARVEL #31, “One Night Only” stands tall as my second favorite MS. MARVEL story and as one of the best milestone stories to be published by Marvel. The issue wonderfully celebrates Ms. Marvel’s anniversary through the collaborative efforts of eight creators while never feeling messy or cluttered. It encapsulates all of the elements of Kamala’s past, present, and future that have made the character so appealing, but most especially it reflects the growth and development of Kamala and her relationships with her friends over the course of fifty issues. It was recently announced that following February 2019, G. Willow Wilson will be leaving MS. MARVEL after having written sixty issues and that the series will be relaunched in March as THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL with writer Saladin Ahmed (one of the guest writers featured here) at the helm. While this does sadden me, I simultaneously understand and sympathize with Wilson’s decision as she feels that she’s contributed all she has to offer to the series and that it’s time for her to move onto future projects. And just as MS. MARVEL #31 stresses the importance of progressing towards a brighter future, I wish both her and Ahmed good luck in their respective endeavors. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
“I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”
-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
I, too, like it when a series gives a look into the past, the present, and the future. You reference a title "The Child is Father To…" This is a quote from a poem by William Wordsworth. The complete line is "the child is father to the man." It is a paradox., a seemingly contradictory statement. However, the truth that it holds is that what a person does today lays the foundation for who he becomes in the future. That is what a good series does. It lays the groundwork for a credible story and then continues to build on that story. Sometimes by expanding plot lines, sometimes by introducing new characters. That eight different writers could collaborate on a series and still maintain the "best elements that compose Ms. Marvel’s past, present, and future" is a tribute to the quality of the original story. They have held true to the quote "the child is father to the man." They have embraced the story - its past, present, and future - and allowed it to continue to survive and teach with their contributions.
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ReplyDeleteA Texas boy trying to lecture real Muslims what is a good Muslim representation and how they shouldn't have any disagreement otherwise they are bigots, how convincing.
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