INFORMATION
Goodreads: Super Famous
Series: Ms. Marvel #5
Source: Library
Published: 2016
Summary
Eight months have passed since the world almost ended, and Kamala’s life is more than she can handle. What with saving the city, dealing with Bruno’s new girlfriend, joining the Avengers, and trying to keep up her math grades, what’s a teenager superhero to do?
Review
Though I love Ms. Marvel and enjoyed this volume, it still felt a little uneven. Volume 5 picks up eight months after Volume 4 (with that plot line presumably wrapped up in another series, so all readers of this series get is “Well the world didn’t end!”) and it simultaneously tries to move forward while feeling like it’s treading old ground. The idea that Kamala is overwhelmed with her powers and unsure how to balance her superhero life with her civilian life has been covered before. It seems she has learned little.
So the stories mostly deal with her running all around the city and doing everything badly. She’s losing her friends. She’s not even aware Bruno is dating another girl. Her image has been co-opted by a company for a gentrification project. Her brother keeps asking for her help and for her presence, but she thinks he’s not important when the city needs saving. But she’s so stretched thin she can’t even superhero properly anymore. She’s a mess and it’s not entirely clear why. Why is she ignoring her friends and family who care about her? When did she decide these relationships are no longer important? And why is she surprised her friends are starting to think they don’t matter to her?
These matters are not fully explored. Other important issues get glossed over, too. For instance, in the last installment, a major character gained super powers–but that’s never mentioned at all. And one of the storylines involves clones of Kamala overrunning the city, but no one finds this odd. No one questions why clones of Kamala of all people are destroying everything. Even Kamala’s family don’t question the presence of a clone in their home or the clone that threatens their family celebration. It’s just all presented without commentary.
I was entertained by this volume and I enjoyed entering Kamala’s world once more. However, I was disappointed that some of the storylines didn’t receive the attention I felt they deserved. Maybe next time.
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