The young women of Marvel Comics are tackling a different kind of threat in the new year, and it’s not one with superpowers and a colorful costume. The opening arc of the new Hawkeye series has Kate Bishop investigating a case of online harassment, and next week’s Ms Marvel #14 has Kamala Khan dealing with some online trouble of her own as she learns that she’s potentially being cyber-stalked by one of her World Of Battlecraft guildmates. Online harassment is a major issue within superhero comics fandom, and both of these books are tackling this issue head-on with women writers that have experienced this abuse first-hand.
After getting stuck in Civil War II shenanigans, it’s been nice to see Ms. Marvel get back to smaller-scale, more personal stories for Kamala and her friends. Last year’s lackluster event has given the book a new status quo that allows writer G. Willow Wilson to take Kamala in different directions, and losing her best friend/potential love interest Bruno has taken a major toll on Kamala’s emotional stability. Artist Takeshi Miyazawa returns with next week’s issue after a short break, and he continues to do exceptional work with colorist Ian Herring. The detail he brings to Kamala and her maybe-stalker’s living spaces says a lot about their personalities, and the shots of Ms. Marvel have a triumphant quality that reflects Kamala’s growing profile within the superhero community. She’s a big-name hero now, and she’s definitely not going to take any crap from some MMORPG player that wants to kill her vibe.