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A review by stephen_arvidson
Ms. Marvel Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Adrian Alphona, Jamie McKelvie, Dan Slott, Mark Waid, Marguerite Sauvage, Elmo Bondoc, G. Willow Wilson, Jake Wyatt, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Jacob Wyatt, Sara Pichelli, Kris Anka, Takeshi Miyazawa, Humberto Ramos
5.0
Conceived by the steadfast hands of G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, the newest heir to the Ms. Marvel moniker has made an indelible impact on the Marvel Universe—and that's an understatement at best. Collecting the groundbreaking first season of Ms. Marvel (Issues #1-19), “Garden State of Mind” from All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1, S.H.I.E.L.D. #2, and Issues #7-8 of The Amazing Spider-Man (3rd Series)—Ms. Marvel Omnibus, Vol. 1 follows a teenage Muslim-American girl who clobbers evil with wrecking-ball-sized fists and wages war against the pressures felt by young people fighting for legitimacy in a world that dismisses them as over-privileged parasites.
The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, 16-year-old Kamala Khan identifies more with Jersey City than Karachi. She feels out of place in her own skin and wishes she could be as beautiful as her idol, Captain Marvel. But as the old saw goes, be careful what you wish for. As one would expect, fate answers her call. After being exposed to a strange, superpower-imbuing mist, Kamala’s dreams of being someone else are suddenly quite real. During a trippy hallucination that’s clearly a syncretization of Islamic and other religious iconography, Kamala is visited by Carol Danvers (formerly Ms. Marvel), Iron Man, and Captain America who question Kamala about the kind of person she desires to be. Captain Marvel braces Kamala for the difficult journey ahead and how it will further affect her identity. Kamala awakens to find she’s a polymorph, meaning she can contort and reshape her body much in the same vein as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic).
In the ensuing issues, Kamala copes with her newfound abilities and gets her first tastes of the superhero lifestyle. But even for a girl who writes Avengers fanfiction in her spare time, it’s nothing like she expected. What’s especially endearing about Ms. Marvel aside from its loveable protagonist is how the stories dial back the superhero violence that’s so pervasive in contemporary media. Kamala is faced with teenage dilemmas that are not only beautiful but feel like a callback to gentler superhero comics. Family dynamics and culture lie at the heart of these collected stories. The presence of Kamala's kin—her overbearing mother and rigid father who refuses to let her attend parties, while her haughty and devout older brother spends his days praying instead of looking for a job, much to their father's chagrin—provides not only comedic irony but illustrates Kamala’s cultural restrictions and her frustration in trying to balance family rules against saving mankind. Growing pains aside, whenever our petite polymorph isn’t breaking curfew or school property, she’s bringing the smack-down on the feather-brained Inventor and his giant homicidal automatons—with the help of such familiar faces as Wolverine, Medusa, and even a colossal super-powered bulldog named Lockjaw. Kamala is the quintessential fangirl and it shows in charmingly funny ways, like when she’s taking selfies with a brooding Logan or squealing with delight as she snakes her ribbony arms around Carol Danvers.
With Kamala’s first lines in the series—“I just want to smell it” and “Delicious, delicious infidel meat” as she salivates over the greasy BLT display at the local Circle Q—Wilson reveals Kamala’s alluring personality and makes readers fall in love with her in the space of two panels. Kamala is a normal teenage girl, though her Muslim identity is quite relevant to her portrayal, and Wilson succeeds in making the life of a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager perfectly ordinary, superpowers notwithstanding. By far, the book’s greatest achievement is ingeniously corrugating Kamala's adolescent angst and heritage into her nascent superhero identity. Kamala is as awkward as she is adorable; her struggles to abide by her parents and her faith make her universally appealing as does her tolerance in the face of classmates who don’t quite get her. These stories are uniquely fascinating in the way they weave Kamala’s diasporic life and culture with that of a planetary defender, mixing in wide-ranging social issues like bigotry, gentrification, and identity crisis.
Ms. Marvel is especially powerful because the title shapes readers’ understanding of an unfamiliar culture and reveals a basic humanity that anyone can connect with. Ms. Marvel offers a positive, realistic, sympathetic portrayal of Pakistani-American Muslims. This kind of progressive storytelling is especially vital to today's intemperate climate wherein the simple act of wearing a burkini at an American (or European) beach can inspire xenophobic oppression. In a scene where Kamala cites the Qur’an about the value of helping people, it demonstrates to audiences the moral aspects of Islam and presents its words as heroic inspiration and ethical wisdom—for both Kamala and for readers. There's an affecting scene in which a troubled Kamala’s seeks guidance from Sheikh Abdullah and, to her own surprise, he offers advice that empowers her, thus illustrating the positive and unoppressive influence that religion plays in her life.
Although Adrian Alphona’s quirky, fluid style differs from what you’d expect of a superhero comic, it perfectly suits Ms. Marvel’s over-the-top tone and whimsical action sequences. Alphona illustrates Kamala’s powers with incredible affectation and an almost overwhelming level of kinetic energy that teeters on the edge of cartoonish. His character designs are impeccable and Kamala’s expressive, energetic face gives life to the series. Alphona likes to pack tongue-in-cheek gags into every finely detailed panel, particularly in the form of silly signage and droll product labels. Ian Herring’s soft color palette wonderfully complements Kamala’s humorous travails and flights of fancy. The warm, muted coloring shines throughout this tome, drawing attention to Alphona’s line-work while simultaneously bringing vibrancy to the characters and stories.
Nowadays, teenage superheroes are a dime-a-dozen. But there’s something genuinely endearing about Kamala; her story is funny, heartfelt, and deeply relatable. The pages of this book will not only influence the existing landscape of superhero comics for years to come, but will resonate with any readers struggling to find a sense of belonging.
The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, 16-year-old Kamala Khan identifies more with Jersey City than Karachi. She feels out of place in her own skin and wishes she could be as beautiful as her idol, Captain Marvel. But as the old saw goes, be careful what you wish for. As one would expect, fate answers her call. After being exposed to a strange, superpower-imbuing mist, Kamala’s dreams of being someone else are suddenly quite real. During a trippy hallucination that’s clearly a syncretization of Islamic and other religious iconography, Kamala is visited by Carol Danvers (formerly Ms. Marvel), Iron Man, and Captain America who question Kamala about the kind of person she desires to be. Captain Marvel braces Kamala for the difficult journey ahead and how it will further affect her identity. Kamala awakens to find she’s a polymorph, meaning she can contort and reshape her body much in the same vein as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic).
In the ensuing issues, Kamala copes with her newfound abilities and gets her first tastes of the superhero lifestyle. But even for a girl who writes Avengers fanfiction in her spare time, it’s nothing like she expected. What’s especially endearing about Ms. Marvel aside from its loveable protagonist is how the stories dial back the superhero violence that’s so pervasive in contemporary media. Kamala is faced with teenage dilemmas that are not only beautiful but feel like a callback to gentler superhero comics. Family dynamics and culture lie at the heart of these collected stories. The presence of Kamala's kin—her overbearing mother and rigid father who refuses to let her attend parties, while her haughty and devout older brother spends his days praying instead of looking for a job, much to their father's chagrin—provides not only comedic irony but illustrates Kamala’s cultural restrictions and her frustration in trying to balance family rules against saving mankind. Growing pains aside, whenever our petite polymorph isn’t breaking curfew or school property, she’s bringing the smack-down on the feather-brained Inventor and his giant homicidal automatons—with the help of such familiar faces as Wolverine, Medusa, and even a colossal super-powered bulldog named Lockjaw. Kamala is the quintessential fangirl and it shows in charmingly funny ways, like when she’s taking selfies with a brooding Logan or squealing with delight as she snakes her ribbony arms around Carol Danvers.
With Kamala’s first lines in the series—“I just want to smell it” and “Delicious, delicious infidel meat” as she salivates over the greasy BLT display at the local Circle Q—Wilson reveals Kamala’s alluring personality and makes readers fall in love with her in the space of two panels. Kamala is a normal teenage girl, though her Muslim identity is quite relevant to her portrayal, and Wilson succeeds in making the life of a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager perfectly ordinary, superpowers notwithstanding. By far, the book’s greatest achievement is ingeniously corrugating Kamala's adolescent angst and heritage into her nascent superhero identity. Kamala is as awkward as she is adorable; her struggles to abide by her parents and her faith make her universally appealing as does her tolerance in the face of classmates who don’t quite get her. These stories are uniquely fascinating in the way they weave Kamala’s diasporic life and culture with that of a planetary defender, mixing in wide-ranging social issues like bigotry, gentrification, and identity crisis.
Ms. Marvel is especially powerful because the title shapes readers’ understanding of an unfamiliar culture and reveals a basic humanity that anyone can connect with. Ms. Marvel offers a positive, realistic, sympathetic portrayal of Pakistani-American Muslims. This kind of progressive storytelling is especially vital to today's intemperate climate wherein the simple act of wearing a burkini at an American (or European) beach can inspire xenophobic oppression. In a scene where Kamala cites the Qur’an about the value of helping people, it demonstrates to audiences the moral aspects of Islam and presents its words as heroic inspiration and ethical wisdom—for both Kamala and for readers. There's an affecting scene in which a troubled Kamala’s seeks guidance from Sheikh Abdullah and, to her own surprise, he offers advice that empowers her, thus illustrating the positive and unoppressive influence that religion plays in her life.
Although Adrian Alphona’s quirky, fluid style differs from what you’d expect of a superhero comic, it perfectly suits Ms. Marvel’s over-the-top tone and whimsical action sequences. Alphona illustrates Kamala’s powers with incredible affectation and an almost overwhelming level of kinetic energy that teeters on the edge of cartoonish. His character designs are impeccable and Kamala’s expressive, energetic face gives life to the series. Alphona likes to pack tongue-in-cheek gags into every finely detailed panel, particularly in the form of silly signage and droll product labels. Ian Herring’s soft color palette wonderfully complements Kamala’s humorous travails and flights of fancy. The warm, muted coloring shines throughout this tome, drawing attention to Alphona’s line-work while simultaneously bringing vibrancy to the characters and stories.
Nowadays, teenage superheroes are a dime-a-dozen. But there’s something genuinely endearing about Kamala; her story is funny, heartfelt, and deeply relatable. The pages of this book will not only influence the existing landscape of superhero comics for years to come, but will resonate with any readers struggling to find a sense of belonging.