English language
Published Jan. 1, 2014 by Marvel.
"Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City -- until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York!"--
Aww man, I really love this. Wilson is a breath of fresh air, and so are all the characters she creates here.
Just lovely -- engaging, plausible writing about an incredibly implausible situation. Such a fantastic identity to explore for a superheroine, and gorgeously illustrated.
I finally started Ms Marvel and oh how brilliant she is. I knew I was going to like it when it opens with her sniffing bacon sandwiches (because obviously she can't eat them). As well as her gaining powers (she wishes to be like Captain Marvel) the comic looks at what it's like to be young Muslim woman growing up in America, with its clash of cultures.
It also pokes fun at superhero tropes. I'm not the biggest fan of superhero comics but I will definitely continue reading about Kamala Khan.
This book made me remember what there was to love about comics. It's a really warm and sympathetic look at the the competing tensions of adolescence, living as an immigrant in a culture that doesn't respect yours, loving your parents but not wanting what they want, wanting to be popular, loving things that don't love you back, all of those things.
A great view at some 'normal' people in the Marvel Universe as one of them undergoes a transformation and becomes superhuman. The fact that she's a person of color and a Muslim makes it even better.
Looking forward to reading the other volumes that are out there.
Had a delightful time reading this (relatively) new addition to the Marvel Universe. Out of all the confusion coming out of the Terrigen plotlines, Kamala Khan is a breath of fresh air. A young girl deeply rooted in her family, friends, school and community, who isn't afraid to help others if needed or call for help if needed.
The inclusion of the intimate habits of her family and her mosque truly make the character and I look forward to the many, many adventures she will have. An excellent addition to any parent's library and a longtime fan of Marvel.
Two things make this for me: Good storytelling and good art. I like that I get to read something with a diverse cast as well, but I'm somewhat thrown that such a thing was rare enough to overshadow the basic niftyness of the telling/showing. So, while I'm waiting for ages to have something like this be common enough to be normal I'll go with: Whatever you read it for, enjoy the craft that went into - this is very well wrought without being brandishing its topics like weapons, even while its creators are pretty clearly well aware of what they're working with.
A fine, comfortable read.
I liked the plot and characters but the dialogue could have been written better. The art was good unless the scene was zoomed out in which case the characters had goofy smiley faces...
Along with Hawkeye, this is one of the most charming series Marvel currently has running. Kamala is a believable character and her growth seems realistically gradual. The art is top-rate as well.
The new series of Ms. Marvel brings about an exciting new direction for Marvel Comics. Kamala Khan is the fourth character to take on the name Ms. Marvel and for the first time ever, we see a Muslim headlining the pages. Co-created Sana Amanat (editor), G. Willow Wilson (writer), and Adrian Alphona (artist) the new Ms. Marvel was created out of the need for a strong Muslim superhero. However, this is not only a hero that deals with struggling with their superpowers but a minority struggling to fit in with the American culture.
The comic depicts a 16 year-old Pakastani-American Muslim in New Jersey struggling with fitting in, family, religion, school and all the normal teenage struggles. Then one day she has an encounter with Ms. Marvel and she confesses that she wishes she was like her. This wish was granted and now Kamala has to work out not only …
The new series of Ms. Marvel brings about an exciting new direction for Marvel Comics. Kamala Khan is the fourth character to take on the name Ms. Marvel and for the first time ever, we see a Muslim headlining the pages. Co-created Sana Amanat (editor), G. Willow Wilson (writer), and Adrian Alphona (artist) the new Ms. Marvel was created out of the need for a strong Muslim superhero. However, this is not only a hero that deals with struggling with their superpowers but a minority struggling to fit in with the American culture.
The comic depicts a 16 year-old Pakastani-American Muslim in New Jersey struggling with fitting in, family, religion, school and all the normal teenage struggles. Then one day she has an encounter with Ms. Marvel and she confesses that she wishes she was like her. This wish was granted and now Kamala has to work out not only what it means to be a Muslim woman in America but how to use her new shape shifting powers.
“This is not evangelism. It was really important for me to portray Kamala as someone who is struggling with her faith. Her brother is extremely conservative, her mom is paranoid that she’s going to touch a boy and get pregnant, and her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor.” – G. Willow Wilson
What I found exciting about the new Ms. Marvel is the way this series tries to break the stereotypes. As a teenage Muslim living in America, Kamala has all these ideals and stereotypes projected onto her and she has to navigate through it all and work out who she is. Ms. Marvel represents everything she wants to be; a strong, beautiful woman standing for good. However when she becomes Ms Marvel she quickly realises that being a superhero doesn’t solve the struggle of a misfit. This new Ms. Marvel series isn’t just a struggle with new found powers; it is the everyday struggles she faces. Kamala slowly works out that her new powers, religion or heritage is not what defines her but they do play important roles in the person she wants to be.
“As much as Islam is a part of Kamala’s identity, this book isn’t preaching about religion or the Islamic faith in particular. It’s about what happens when you struggle with the labels imposed on you, and how that forms your sense of self. It’s a struggle we’ve all faced in one form or another, and isn’t just particular to Kamala because she’s Muslim. Her religion is just one aspect of the many ways she defines herself” – Sana Amanat
Interestingly there are a few mentions where Ms. Marvel is referred to as Captain Marvel, unfortunately I don’t know the back story of this but I think it is a positive step. Ms. Marvel was originally created as the female counterpart to Captain Marvel. The move to turn Ms. Marvel into Captain Marvel means that the female superhero is no longer considered the counterpart but a strong and dominate hero in her own right.
You may noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything about the art work and this is because I’m new to reviewing graphic novels and have not learned how to talk about art yet. I hope to learn to critically analyse the art but for now I’m leaving it out of this review, not because it is bad but because I don’t know what to say apart from it being good. No Normal is the conclusion of the first arc (first 5 issues) and I’m really looking forward to seeing where this series goes. I think it is fresh and exciting change for the better in the world of comics.
This review originally appeared on my blog: literary-exploration.com/2014/08/14/ms-marvel-vol-1-no-normal-by-g-willow-wilson/
