I have not seen a comic book as action-packed as this one in a long time. From start to finish, Ms. Marvel is kicking alien butt. As part of Marvel Comics’ current cross-title event, ‘Secret Invasion’, the story involves a shape-shifting alien race known as Skrulls, and their perverse desire to take over Earth. The characters are nothing new to Marvel Comics continuity, but ‘Secret Invasion’ is their first significant appearance in a post-Civil War world.

With so much action unfolding within this issue, it’s hard to pinpoint a clear cut storyline. This installment of Ms. Marvel contains a lot of internal monologue. Ms. Marvel works hard to motivate herself as she battles the aggressive Skrull invaders. She adopts the guise of a warrior, accepting the deaths of her enemies and actually relishing their violent defeat. Knocked around, and with her costume torn, Ms. Marvel can only fight on as she wonders about where her fellow superheroes can be found. The Avengers team is nowhere in sight.

Just as Ms. Marvel begins to get the upper hand in her drawn out battle, the Skrulls choose to appear as innocent civilians. This aspect to their powers is frightening, and the writer capitalizes on this well. Skrulls can look and sound like anyone on Earth. Rather than appearing as a gang of marauding creatures, they begin to look like scared bystanders. This allows them the advantage of surprise – and they utilize it in order to confuse and attack Ms. Marvel.

The artwork in this issue is reminiscent of some of the best Marvel Comics from the 1990s. Character are boldly illustrated and the action is intense and unrelenting. Inks are generously employed, creating a rich final product. Adriana Melo draws realistic characters, and facial expressions are achieved well. Whether it is an angry heroine flying through the air, or a Skrull being tossed into outer space, the characters look good.

Fans of Marvel Comics will enjoy the references to famous characters, achieved by the Skrull’s partial transformations. Others will not be overly impressed with a book that starts and ends in the middle of a fight, with no actual developments occurring outside of a brutal extended fight sequence. If you are a Ms. Marvel completist, or just enjoy a good fight, take a look at this issue. Otherwise, you will want to skip this unnecessary addition to the ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline.