Ms. Marvel hasn’t lost any steam with its second volume, and the creative team has taken advantage of Kamala Khan’s new status as an Avenger to broaden the scope of the series without losing sight of the rich character drama that made the first volume a success. Kamala is becoming a bigger part of the Marvel Universe, but she’s still committed to protecting her hometown of Jersey City, which has recently come under attack by a nefarious force: gentrification. Writer G. Willow Wilson understands the issues faced by urban communities, and she’s done great work exploring the dangers of gentrification in a thrilling superhero context, primarily by making the terrorist organization Hydra responsible for the transformation of Jersey City.
Hydra has been exploiting Ms. Marvel’s image as part of their campaign, and Kamala becomes even more invested in stopping the terrorist group when they brainwash her best friend Bruno. This preview of next week’s Ms. Marvel #3 has Kamala beating down Hydra goons to save her friend, spotlighting the clean, dynamic action storytelling of artist Takeshi Miyazawa and colorist Ian Herring. While Miyazawa’s art isn’t as stylized as fellow Ms. Marvel artist Adrian Alphona, he achieves more clarity in his fight sequences with his manga-inspired layouts and composition. Herring matches the intensity of the line work with his vibrant colors, and when Kamala gets ready to fight, there’s a surge of golden light that increases the energy of the scene. This creative team has managed to keep Ms. Marvel fresh and exciting over two years, and the book is only getting better as Kamala’s profile rises.