Ms. Marvel #18

Previously, in Ms. Marvel #17

One of my favorite issues of Ms. Marvel was #12, when Kamala spent a month in Karachi with her extended family. Pulling your story out of its normal setting without missing a story beat is something you can do when you’ve created such layered characters, as Wilson has done here. She’s done it again with this issue, which takes place completely in Wakanda.

Bruno is indeed a fish out of water as he struggles to find himself while attending Wakanda’s Golden City Polytechnic Prep. Though part of the reason he left was to get away from Kamala, his best friend is never far from his mind. And daydreaming is the last thing he needs as he struggles to keep up with the school’s advanced curriculum and Wakanda’s customs.

The one friend he’s made is dorm mate Kwezi, who enlists Bruno’s help in impressing a fellow classmate. Kwezi’s ambitious plan involves Bruno (on crutches and therefore seeming harmless to the guards) providing a distraction while Kwezi breaks into a laboratory. What better way to impress a girl than with the most precious material in the world? Kwezi attempts to steal a chunk of unrefined Vibranium, but he’s underestimated the lab’s security system. He and Bruno soon find themselves making a dangerous rooftop escape.

They’re saved/caught by none other than Black Panther, who just so happens to be Kwezi’s uncle. Kwezi’s true use for the Vibranium is a hi-tech brace he’s working on for Bruno. Bruno’s injuries and current disabilities have also played into his insecurities in his new home. While the brace won’t permanently fix Bruno, it’s an amazing gesture that will certainly improve his quality of life for some time. This is probably the main reason Black Panther lets them go with just a warning.

I’m curious how Bruno’s experiences in Wakanda (plus the brace) will change him, and how those changes will manifest in his relationship with Mike, and, of course, Kamala. Come home soon, Bruno.