The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #6: Life is Just Hard

Recent events have seemingly caught up with Kamala in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #6, where she is forced to confront the fact that her Father has an incurable sickness while still trying to be the magnificent hero she is expected to be.

This is a tough review to write, mainly because what unfolds in this book is a heart wrenching story about a hero who is forced to endure so much every day, but is now confronted with the possibility of losing one of her closest family members, her Abu. The groundwork for these events was already woven into previous issues, but it was masked by Kamala’s judgement about a possible affair. It turns out, the other woman Kamala saw her Father with was the doctor who was working to diagnose his sickness.

After the cosmic events of the prior arc that saw Ms. Marvel obtain a new Kree nanotech costume, the story grounds itself in very real drama and consequence that even the most brilliant heroes in the Marvel Universe cannot stop. The utilization of Iron Man in this issue perfectly aligns with that message as well. Some things are simply out of our control. Kamala is obviously struggling to deal with the onset of emotions this situation brings, but being Ms. Marvel doesn’t allow much time to adjust. Before long, she’s confronting yet another villain who has singled her out.

This moment brings about one of the most heartfelt moments in the series so far, just as she is defeating Deathbringer she realizes a tough truth about what’s going on and says “I’m not being singled out by God. Life is just hard.” This is a pivotal moment for Kamala, and sets her up to be the brave hero she needs to be not just to protect those around her, but to be there for her family. This is a story about finding the strength to continue forward, even when things seem to be at their darkest. For a heroes like Kamala, the struggle can be very different because of the life they lead.

The artwork continues to impress, especially with all of the rather dramatic character reactions shown this issue. There isn’t much spectacle other than a brief fight with Deathbringer, but that’s okay, because this issue is about more than just fighting bad guys. There is a real emotional toll being explored that gives both this series and Kamala as a character a true sense of relatability.

Overall, this issue shows just how far the creative team is willing to take this character into turmoil for the sake of a great story. It’s not another casual hero punching bad guys, it’s full of raw emotion and more importantly, consequence. While it might not be very new-reader friendly, fans of Kamala will certainly want to check this one out.