Written by: G. Willow Wilson
Art by: Jacob Wyatt
Publisher: Marvel
With the newest issue of Ms. Marvel, we are introduced to an exciting new story arc that is certainly not going to disappoint readers. It’s a wonderfully paced issue, where Kamala Khan’s adventures as a new superhero and her teenage life are intertwined with expert care.
In the beginning of the issue, we see that Kamala Khan is becoming more acclimated with her powers, and she’s even taking on some pretty hilarious forms to hide from the bots the Inventor has sent out to track her. Even while she’s off trying to rescue the world and save people, she still has her home life to worry about.
The fact that Kamala Khan is a Muslim teenager is an important part of her character, it’s not just a gimmick to increase diversity in Marvel’s line-up. The prospect of having to meet with Sheik Abdullah privately almost seems more terrifying to Kamala than fighting the Inventor. Fortunately for her, Sheik Abdullah had sound advice and sent her on a spirit quest to find a mentor to help her through the changes in her life, and her new mission to help people. This is a great bit of foreshadowing, and it ties in well with how the issue ends.
Kamala’s real anxiety about dealing with her family, school life, and religion is what makes her such a great, relatable character. While she may have acquired superhero powers, she’s still just a nerdy kid from Jersey City. Wilson makes this clear by showing us that the comic book store employees know her by name and know she’s pulling “Magical Pony Adventures,” having her fangirl over the Avengers all the time, and by including a really fantastic panel that’s an appropriation of the doge meme when Kamala meets Wolverine.
The Wolverine and Kamala pair up is really entertaining. From her telling him all about her fan-fiction and calling them “twinsies” to Wolverine stating that this is “the worst day of his life,” the dynamic between the two of them had me rolling. Wilson’s dialogue is really the best part of the comic, and I am excited to see more of these two.
Jacob Wyatt did a great job of picking up on Adrian Alphona left off in the art. It’s a seamless transition between artists, and he still captures Kamala Khan’s essence. He does draw her without irises in a lot of the panels with her mask on, but it mirrors Wolverine’s face, so I was almost wondering if it was just a physical reaction from Kamala being so excited to meet him.
Overall, Mr. Marvel’s team is continuing to deliver a great comic that’s accessible to a wide variety of readers, although it does seem to be directed to a younger audience. Even though Ms. Marvel has had multiple iterations, this one definitely appeals to the masses, and is an excellent example of how Marvel is creating diverse characters that are interesting and real.
