Ms. Marvel is one of those superheroes who has always managed to fly under my radar. I knew she existed in the Marvel canon, but that was about as far as she got.

The Best of the Best, the first collection of her new solo series, caught my eye -- in part because of an eye-catching cover by fast-rising artist Frank Cho -- so I decided to give her a try. After all, with a name like that she should be one of Marvel's flagship characters, so she deserves the very best.

She didn't get it, but she may be on her way.

The Best of the Best comes in the wake of Marvel's House of M event, which I didn't read -- frankly, I'm a little tired of the glut of blockbuster mutant storylines on Marvel's plate, so I passed this one by. But, from what I can gather, in an alternate reality ruled by mutants, Ms. Marvel -- who's not one -- was the world's premier superhero. When the Marvel Universe reverted to its normal reality, Ms. Marvel retained her memory of M and decided she wants that kind of acclaim again.

To achieve that aim, Marvel must face a powerful sorceror who likewise retains House of M recollections, and she must battle alone against the alien Brood. Oh, and she hires a publicist, too.

The book has great art by Robert de la Torre, and writer Brian Reed seems to have a good handle on Marvel's new direction. Reed also gives ample attention to Ms. Marvel's civilian identity, Carol Danvers (who oddly shares a last name with the alter-ego of DC Comics' Supergirl). But the book lacks cohesiveness, seeking to establish a solid footing for Marvel's future without filling newcomers in on much of her past. Also, the character loses points when her arrogance leads to numerous civilian deaths, for which she shows little regret. It looks like she still has some growing to do.

Ms. Marvel hasn't leapt to the top of my favorites list, but with books like this she is inching her way up the Marvel hierarchy and is finally proving she may someday be worthy of her name.