Ms. Marvel #41 Writer: Brian Reed / Artist: Sergio Arino

After the stellar work from last issue this issue promptly reminds us of the up and down nature of the series. The plot has always been ridiculous and the story only succeeds when it concentrates on fights and Moonstone's characterization. Sadly, this issue tries to make sense of the utterly silly plot and flounders because of it.

Removing the focus from Moonstone is ultimately where this issue goes wrong. The best part of the her run on the series has been seeing her take advantage of the heroic spotlight. We don't get to see her sass Osborn, murder in cold blood, or scheme her way to power at all. Instead we're forced to see her panic at the thought of Ms. Marvel coming back. That's not the Moonstone I've grown to love in the past few months.

Rather than showcasing Moonstone, Brian Reed spends a majority of the issue on the ridiculous plot. First off all, I never knew Ms. Marvel was actually gone. I thought the last story arc, The Death of Ms. Marvel, was just a metaphor for Moonstone's rise. Also, Ms. Marvel is a regular in New Avengers and has appeared in a few other comics. Well I guess she did "die" and the MODOK babies and light entities are responsible for her return. How? I still don't know and I really don't care.

Thankfully, Sana Takeda's shiny manga art doesn't corrupt this issue, but Sergio Arino isn't much of an improvement. At his best, he draws some decent panels, but at his worst, his work is disproportionate. Half of the pages have Moonstone short and stubby and Spider-Man as a Thanksgiving Day float. Also, his fight scenes are hideous looking and boring to follow. Lastly, his style is too shiny and cartoony for my taste. I wish Luke Ross would take over as the permanent artist.

If the trend continues, the next issue of Ms. Marvel will be great. This one, however, was silly and bad-looking. Ms. Marvel's "death" never really carried any weight, so her "resurrection" doesn't mean anything nor makes for an interesting story. Hopefully, with both Marvels being in one comic, Reed can focus on their differences and really shine with their characterizations in the upcoming War of the Marvels story.