Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel Teaming Up for Free Comic

Marvel Rising’ comes as Marvel is moving back into producing original content for younger readers. As part of its multiplatform initiative Marvel Rising, Marvel Entertainment will be launching a comic book series in April with a free “zero issue” centering on the younger members of the Marvel Universe.

Marvel Rising No. 0 will feature a story written by Devin Grayson, with artwork by Marco Failla, to be released April 25. The story will see Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel teaming up for the first time, leading into a special issue in June tied to Father’s Day. Future releases in the series will be penned by Grayson, Ms. Marvel’s co-creator G. Willow Wilson and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl writer Ryan North.

“Marvel Rising is a celebration of the awesome breakout heroes of the Marvel Universe,” Sana Amanat, vp content development at Marvel, said in a statement. “The animated stories build upon the great comic books these characters were born in, so we knew a Marvel Rising comic was the perfect place to tell a story fans have been waiting for! It’s about time Kamala and Doreen became super hero besties.”

The announcement of the comic follows December’s announcement of Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, a series of animated digital shorts that will lead into a feature-length special, which will debut later this year.

Marvel Rising’s comic component will debut the same month as Marvel Super Hero Adventures, based on another multiplatform initiative; both comics will see the company move back into producing original content for younger readers after a period of concentrating on older customers.