Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal

I love Willow Wilson's work. After borrowing both CAIRO and ALIF THE UNSEEN from the library, I purchased copies of my own. CAIRO sat for weeks on my dining room table specifically so I could pick it up and start all over again.

The story here is fresh, funny, satisfying and unexpected, ironically exactly what we've come to expect from Ms. Wilson. I love Kamala's family, her friends; oh, to be tall, cool and regal like Nakia. The promising premise delivers on every level through Kamala's struggles, which are, all at once, universal, personal and teenage. I am better for having experienced MS. MARVEL.

So why not five stars? I found myself oddly out of touch with the artwork. I wasn't immediately immersed in this world as I had been with CAIRO and had difficulty following some of the panels. After future re-reads, that disconnect may fade and I'll update my review accordingly.

For now, I highly recommend MS. MARVEL and hope she and Kamala continue to find a vast and welcoming following.

This series gets a lot of attention (and rightly so) for being progressive and featuring a young Muslim heroine. But in a lot of ways, this is a very traditional Marvel superhero story. Kamala Khan is a lot like young Peter Parker, a nerdy outsider who's life gets even more complicated when she suddenly acquires superhuman powers. Over the course of this first volume, she slowly figures out how her powers work (some very funny sequences here), and struggles to balance crimefighting with school and family obligations, while trying to keep her secret from her over-protective parents. A familiar story, but told with a lot of charm and wit, and very stylish and attractive artwork.

If I had any criticism, it would be that this volume is awfully thin -- it reprints 5 issues, plus a short teaser -- and ends before we get to see Ms. Marvel take on her first honest-to-gosh supervillain. But I definitely enjoyed the ride, and I'm looking forward to watching this spunky young heroine continue to grow into her role.

I understand people's complaint of the new Ms. Marvel reinforcing racial and religious stereotypes, but this shows a loving side to a commonly misunderstood group of individuals. The colors and drawings were wonderful, and I'm very happy this was my introduction into the Ms. Marvel line.

Don't read many American comics/graphic novels (more of a Manga fan) other than mostly Star Wars books put out by Dark Horse but decided to give this series a shot since I have read nothing but rave reviews. This iteration of Ms. Marvel really takes the premises of a superhero to a new level. It's more about finding out who you are instead of changing yourself to fit others standards or expectations. If there is any hero to compare this series to it would be the early days of Spider-Man but in many ways it is deeper.

I had a hard time getting into this volume. While it was well written, and the art is fantastic, I didn't seem to connect with the story. The drama between Kamala and her family never felt real, which made the rest of the story hard to connect with. Overall it was a good read, but could have been better.

I had a hard time getting into this volume. While it was well written, and the art is fantastic, I didn't seem to connect with the story. The drama between Kamala and her family never felt real, which made the rest of the story hard to connect with. Overall it was a good read, but could have been better.