So I can’t say that making this issue my pick of the week was completely unbiased. I had been anxiously awaiting this issue to see if Brian Reed would keep me reading Ms. Marvel, a book I’ve really enjoyed. When Reed killed off Carol Danvers last month – sorry to you New Avengers readers who won’t find out until next month – I was concerned about how he’d do with Moonstone in the title role. Especially because apart from Dark Avengers, I wasn’t really that familiar with Moonstone. This only grew after seeing how static and one-dimensional Bullseye was in Hawkeye #1.

But I’d already invested plenty of time and money into Ms. Marvel, so I decided I’d stick with it. With all this in front of it; Ms. Marvel #38 did not disappoint.

In just one issue Brian Reed presents a really solid idea of who Moonstone is and what kind of “superhero” she is going to be. This meant Reed had to make this issue a self-contained story arc, and he handled the timing and plot shifts incredibly well. I have to say it was refreshing to have a genuine “How is she gonna get out of this one?” moment in the middle of a book. Even more impressive is that throughout the issue Reed keeps the reader walking the line between liking Moonstone and being horrified by her. I think this is the best issue Brian Reed has written in a long time.

And then there’s the art. Let me say this about Rebekah Isaacs: she can most certainly draw smug. Of course, she’s pretty solid at other affections too. The facial expressions and body language of every character are so precise and make their emotions so clear you might as well be in the same room as these people. Paired with Reed’s script, it gives you a great look into Ms. Marvel’s world. I’m a little disappointed Marvel didn’t try to lock Issacs up for a longer run, but I’m still quite glad she was in on the “re-launch” of Ms. Marvel.

For those who have thought about giving Ms. Marvel a try pick up this issue, you don’t need to know anything about Carol Danvers, and if I’m any indication, you don’t need to know much about Moonstone. For those Ms. Marvel fans who were afraid of someone taking Carol’s place, you’ll find out Moonstone is not that different. She’ll save the day and look good doing it, have an internal and/or interpersonal conflict to deal with and survive a plot to kill her just like Carol did, but the new Ms. Marvel is going to leave a body count as well. I’m already hooked.