Ms Marvel Vol 8: Mecca by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 8: Mecca written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by Marco Failla and Diego Olortegui is the eight collected volume of Ms Marvel comics. I have reviewed all the previous seven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), which means I feel like I have been following and Marvel for a long time. This volume followed on from the events of the previous one (the mayoral election was particularly relevant to the first story arc) and featured the reappearance of a minor character we had met before.

The villains are at Kamala's door, and Ms. Marvel has to save a city that doesn't want saving. The malleable Ms. Marvel continues her hero's journey as an enemy from her past begins targeting those closest to her, a challenge that calls into question everything about her -- not just as a super hero, but as a human being! Who can Ms. Marvel trust when everyone in Jersey City is against her? As Kamala's life hangs in the balance, a new crimefighter moves in on her turf. Plus: Bruno may be far away at a prestigious school in Wakanda, but even thousands of miles from his former best friend, Kamala Khan, adventure still finds him!

The first story arc in the volume was three issues long and very topical. It was about silent majorities and people seizing power and abusing it. Ms Marvel suffers some existential angst brought on by a) not everyone liking her and b) some people hating her and thinking she’s making Jersey City worse. But the story also deals with issues of immigration and the ostracism of people who are different. The issues are blended between immigrants and Kamala’s family, and people with super powers who are specifically being targeted by government forces. It was a pretty powerful storyline.

In comparison, the second story arc was a lot more fun and light. It was two issues of Ms Marvel and her new friend/sidekick stopping a train whose breaks had failed, but which wasn’t actually going very fast. There were some hairy moments but there was also a lot of character development. The volume ends on a low note but since I know there’s another volume out there, I’m not too worried.

I enjoyed both stories in this volume and I highly recommend it to fans of Ms Marvel. As usual, I think it works a bit better if you’ve read the earlier comics, but it probably stands alone a bit better than some of the others. I think all the important back story is filled in with only a few minor things left a bit ambiguous for people who haven’t read the rest of the series.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2017, Marvel Comics
Series: Yes. Volume 8 of ongoing series, collecting issues #19-24 of the 2015 Ms Marvel run
Format read: Trade Paperback
Source: A Sad Physical Book Shop

Ms Marvel Vol 7: Damage Per Second by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 7: Damage Per Second written by G Willow Wilson is the latest collected volume of the Kamala Khan run of Ms Marvel. It follows on from Vol 6 which was (tolerably) set during the Civil War II event and which I have also reviewed. It collects issues #13–18 of the most recent numbering system run (the back of the trade says starting in 2015 but I think the issue numbering has restarted at least once since then).

Civil War II is behind her, and a brand new chapter for Kamala Khan is about to begin! But it's lonely out there for a super hero when her loved ones no longer have her back. It's time for Kamala to find out exactly who she is when she is on her own. Plus: it's election time! Kamala gets out the vote!

There are three story arcs collected in this volume. The first single-issue arc is about Ms Marvel encouraging New Jersey people to vote in the Mayoral election. I didn't mind this one, but politics centring getting people to vote is always strange from this Australian used to compulsory voting. I also put the comic down for a while after this issue and when I came back to read the rest and write this review I found it hadn't been very memorable.

The middle four-issue arc is overwhelmingly the dominant one in this collection and is the origin of the volume title. This story involves Ms Marvel gaming online in her down time and then having to deal with a computer-based villain. The story deals with the idea of there not being any privacy or secrets in the modern digital age, but there wasn't enough space to delve into this very deeply and the story is limited to issues surrounding doxing, more or less. It was interesting and memorable but I don't think it's one of my favourite Ms Marvel arcs. (I also side-eyed the computer stuff in it, but it fits in with the magic of the Marvel universe, I suppose.)

The final single-issue arc shows us Bruno's story who doesn't appear earlier in this volume after events in the previous volume. Bruno is going to school in Wakanda and we see him struggling to fit in as "the American" but also making friends and — most interestingly — dealing with his acquired disabilities. I really liked this arc and while I don't know how sustainable future Bruno stories will be if he continues being on the other side of the world from Ms Marvel, I hope we see more of him in the future.

I enjoyed this volume and I definitely recommend it to fans of Ms Marvel. I think it's probably also an OK place to pick up the story, but not the best starting point. As always I advocate starting at the start of the Kamala Khan Ms Marvel run for maximum Ms Marvel goodness.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2017, Marvel Comics
Series: Ms Marvel vol 7, containing issues #13–18
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Local comic book shop

Ms Marvel Vol 6: Civil War II by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 6: Civil War II written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by three different artists is the sixth volume of collected Ms Marvel comics and contains issues #7–12 with the numbering starting from 2015 (although the trade volume numbering didn't restart...). It is apparently part of the Civil War II event but, happily, makes perfect sense without having read any other comics from that event.

While CIVIL WAR II brews, the next generation of Avengers has bigger things to worry about - like a tri-state academic competition! As rival schools clash, Ms. Marvel's teammates Spider-Man and Nova are now her enemies! But when Kamala gets called to the real battle's front line, she faces a fight she can't embiggen her way out of. She's about to learn a valuable lesson: Never meet your idols! As war intensifies, tragedy strikes too close to home - and Ms. Marvel must choose between her heroes and her family. When friends become foes, Ms. Marvel struggles to put her life and Jersey City back together. Kamala will be forced to grow up fast and find her true place in the world. But will she be an international sensation...or a menace?

So first off, there's the requisite sigh for another bloody comic event ruining things. SIGH. But at least this more or less held together coherently. Except for maybe the first issue, which I think might have been a bridging one and seems, in retrospect, not very connected to the other five. The premise of the event is also not very original. It's basically minority report with Captain Marvel playing the role of wanting to stop future crime and enlisting Ms Marvel and some new randoms to help do it. There's even a psychic doing the predicting. On the bright side, the text seems at least somewhat aware of this fact, throwing in a reference to the Minority Report movie.

Around the Civil War II storyline there are two other stories being told: Ms Marvel/Kamala disagreeing with her friends (over the future crime stuff) and the story of Kamala's family migrating first from India to Pakistan and then to the US. Those two stories tie together the latter five issues in this volume and bring Kamala to dealing with the aftermath of the events of the main story. Although I did find the last part of the last issue was a bit rushed on that front. It will be interesting to see how that develops and whether it goes any further.

The real highlight in this volume, for me, was the background detail in a flashback of Kamala's grade two classroom. I was quite shocked to see children assembling a puzzle entitled "Napalm Sunrise" and reading books with titles such as "Poppa Bear is Wanted for Questioning", "Momma Bear Runs Afoul of Local Triad" and "Hobo Has No Toes". There was also boxes labelled as containing bees and (separately) teeth. And a poster about the cat of nine tails (yes, the whip). I'm not sure what to make of all that, really, but it certainly stood out.

Anyway, I'm not a fan of comic events, and this is no exception. However, this is also a continuation of Ms Marvel's story and I don't think it should be skipped out of hand if you've been enjoying Ms Marvel thus far. Therefore, I recommend it to fans of Ms Marvel. To people who haven't read Ms Marvel yet, I suggest starting from Volume 1: No Normal. This volume is certainly not a sensible place to start reading, at any rate.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2016, Marvel
Series: Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) vol 6 (counting from 2014) of ongoing series, containing issues #7–12 (counting from 2015).
Format read:b Trade paperback
Source: All Star Comics in Melbourne

Ms Marvel Volume 5: Super Famous by G Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona and Nico Leon

Ms Marvel Volume 5: Super Famous written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona and Nico Leon is the latest collected volume of Ms Marvel comics. It takes place after Secret Wars and collects issues #1–6 of the 2015 run. This volume follows on directly from Last Days, which the world didn't end, and takes place after Secret Wars. The last issue is apparently part of the Civil War II event, but not in a way that disrupts the story (in fact, I didn't even realise it was until after I'd finished it and saw the Civil War II cover).

She's your new favorite. She's everyone's new favorite. And now she's joining the big leagues. Look out world, Kamala Khan is an Avenger! But is she really cut out to be one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes? Saving the world is important, but Jersey City still needs its protector — and a development company that co-opted Ms. Marvel's face for its project has more in mind for gentrification than just real estate! Can Kamala take down the evil suits destroying her home without ruining her grades and personal life? Speaking of which, who exactly is that with Bruno? And when Kamala creates an army of automatons to help her fight crime, will she learn that too much Ms. Marvel is actually a bad thing? Get back on board, Kamala Korps, the ride is about to get wild!

As seems to always be the case with Ms Marvel, this was an excellent issue with a cohesive storyline. It deals with issues of gentrification in Jersey City, with the issue of the normal residence being pushed out by new developers being central to the plot. It also deals with the question of ownership of the Ms Marvel image. If she's everyone's hero and otherwise anonymous, can anyone use her likeness, for example in advertising?

On a character level, this issue also has Kamala struggling to balance everything going on in her life. Between being an Avenger and a normal teenager who has school and family commitments, there's a lot for her to fit in. Unlike for a normal teenager, the consequences of letting a few things slide or trying to fit more in are rather dire and dramatic.

As well as enjoying the story, I absolutely loved the art. There are several panels with extra detail in the backgrounds which adds amusement while reading. It was pretty rest and I was soon finding myself disappointed with the sparser panels that didn't have significant backgrounds.

Ms Marvel is an excellent comic series that you should probably be reading if you're not already. I am particularly pleased to see with this volume and the previous one that the creators have managed not to disrupt the main story and character development too much with events. Although, so far this has probably been helped by the fact that Ms Marvel hasn't been to instrumental to said events, which could change in the future (fingers crossed that it doesn't). I highly recommend this comic to all comics fans and YA readers to might be interested in dabbling in comics. I do suggest starting from the first volume, however. While this volume doesn't make a terrible entry point, it is volume five and does build on the story from the previous volume and so forth.

5 / 5 stars

First published: July 2016, Marvel
Series: Volume 5 of Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan), ongoing series, containing issues #1–6 of the second run (2015)
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Local comic book shop

A-Force Vol 0: Warzones by G Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett

A-Force Vol 0: Warzones written by G Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by Jorge Molina is a series that, having begun during the Secret Wars event, will be continuing afterwards. Hence this volume being numbered 0, presumably so as not to have two volume 1s in a row.

An all-new book featuring Marvel's Mightiest Women! In a secluded corner of the Battleworld, an island nation is fiercely protected by a team of Avengers the likes of which has only ever been glimpsed before. Fighting to protect the small sliver of their world that's left, the Amazing A-FORCE stands shoulder to shoulder, ready to take on the horde!

The whole Secret Wars and Battleworld thing remains deeply confusing after having read this volume. Perhaps a bit less confusing than in Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps. A relatively nice and peaceful area of Battleworld is guarded by A-Force, a large team of female superheroes headed by She-Hulk. There are a lot of heros that only appear in the background (or on covers...) with the main speaking/plot-driving roles going to She-Hulk, Medusa, Lady Loki, Niko, Captain Marvel, Dazzler and Ms America. And the newbie who isn't named until near the end.

Aside from the fact that the whole Battleworld thing is baffling, the plot in this volume of A-Force was all right. I mean, it wasn't bad but it wasn't that exciting either. And the culprit was hardly a surprise (but possibly wasn't supposed to be). But it was more or less a self-contained story, which I appreciate. I also enjoyed getting to know Dazzler a bit, since she's not a character I've read before. The Thor force didn't make more sense than it did in Carol Corps, but the choice of characters to Thor-ify was interesting.

The main thing that bothered me, after the general confusion of Battleworld, was actually the art. I liked how Molina drew She-Hulk's face in Dan Slott's run, but in A-Force there were just too many boobs almost falling out of costumes, and more butt emphasis than necessary. I mean, it could have been worse, of course, but I still didn't appreciate the level of sexualisation. Especially with Nico, who is under-age. The issue isn't that her costume is revealing, it's that her boobs really did look like they were about to pop out most of the time. Not cool.

Other than that, Captain Marvel had some crap dialogue, but there were a lot of good one-off quips by other characters, particularly those in cameo roles. I liked the new character too, the girl made of the night sky that you can see on the cover. She-Hulk's narration was also good and the introduction to the island of Arcadia where it's all set was actually pretty clear. (It's everything else going on in Battleworld that was confusing.)

I enjoyed A-Force and I would recommend it to fans of any of the characters I mentioned above, or of female superheroes in general. I am looking forward to reading the ongoing series which I am sure will have a less confusing background setting. I also kind of look forward to finding out some of WTF was going on in Battleworld when Secret Wars comes up on Marvel Unlimited.

4 / 5 stars

First published: December 2015, Marvel
Series: A-Force, collecting all the Secret Wars issues (and preceding what will be an on-going series)
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Real life book shop

Ms Marvel Vol 4: Last Days by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 4: Last Days written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona is the last volume of the first Kamala Khan run of Ms Marvel. After Secret Wars, as with all Marvel Universe series, the numbering will reset. This volume contains the last four issues of the run, #16–19, and two issues from Amazing Spider-Man (2014): #7 & 8.

When the world is about to end, do you still keep fighting? From the moment, Kamala put on her costume, she's been challenged, but nothing has prepared her for this: the Last Days of the Marvel Universe. Fists up, let's do this, Jersey City. Plus a VERY special guest appearance fans have been clamoring for!

This is a really great volume. The four main issues in Ms Marvel: Last Days tell one continuous story, which was really great to read. I mean, I really enjoying reading longer comic story arcs and find them much more satisfying than one- or two-comic arcs like, for example, were in Volume 3 of Ms Marvel. The story is about the beginning of the apocalypse which, as is often the case with Marvel, is taking place in Manhattan. Kamala and the other residents of Jersey City see something dire happening across the river (I learnt more about NY/USA geography looking this up than I expected) and Kamala tries to help as panic breaks out.

This storyline had some really awesome moments, one of which was Captain Marvel showing up for the middle two issues, and the other of which I don't want to spoil. I enjoyed seeing Kamala fangirl over Carol Danvers and their brief team-up was great. (Although I thought it was a bit odd that Carol's outfit was a greayscale version of her usual suit.) Both Kamala and Carol have little heart-touching moments while saving a minor part of the day (the apocalypse itself is not for Kamala to fix).

I also really loved Kamala's interactions with the regular characters, which were the perfect combination of funny and thoughtful, with Kamala tying up some "what if the world really is ending" loose ends. I would still like to have seen more of Nakia, as I have said of every volume of Ms Marvel, but at least she's acknowledged here. And maybe she'll be more prominent in the next run. One can hope. Also, I continue to love the cute and amusing details in the background of this comic. Much lol. Also, also, "hipster viking".

As for the Spider-Man issues, these were much better than I expected. They fall much earlier in continuity than the Last Days storyline, and like the SHIELD issue in the previous volume, they involve a bit of "an exciting day in the life" of Kamala while in someone else's book. I love how adorable Kamala is when she's in fangirl mode. And, bonus, we get to see Silk choosing her new costume. Also, there's a nice side plot for one of the henchmen, which was both unexpected and amusing. One of the better "other issue" inclusions in a trade that I've come across.

I really loved this volume and the entire series. I highly recommend it to all fans of superheroes, particularly if the YA aspect appeals. If the YA aspect doesn't appeal, it's still a great series for readers of all comics. As always, I am looking forward to more Ms Marvel in the future, even though it will be a bit of a wait for the next trade. If you haven't read any Ms Marvel yet, now is a pretty good time to go back to the start and read the entire first run (or "season" as I saw someone on goodreads refer to it) in one go.

5 / 5 stars

First published: December 2015, Marvel
Series: Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) Vol 4 of 4, the last volume of the current run with, after this one, the numbers resetting. But with the same creators.
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Real life physical book shop *gasp*

Ms Marvel Vol 3: Crushed by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 3: Crushed written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by Elmo Bondoc and Takeshi Miyazawa is, obviously, the third Ms Marvel volume of the Kamala Khan Ms Marvel. Containing issues #12–15 of Ms Marvel and SHIELD #2 this is a bit of an unusual trade because the story that starts in #16 is tied to the Secret Wars event (it's a Last Days storyline, which means we will see the world ending from Kamala's point of view) and, I assume, could not be split up. So instead of giving us a trade with only 4 issues in it, the powers that be at Marvel threw in the SHIELD issue, which is very Ms Marvel-centric.

Love is in the air in Jersey City as Valentine’s Day arrives! Kamala Khan may not be allowed to go to the school dance, but Ms. Marvel is! Well sort of — by crashing it in an attempt to capture Asgard’s most annoying trickster! Yup, it’s a special Valentine’s Day story featuring Marvel’s favorite charlatan, Loki! And when a mysterious stranger arrives in Jersey City, Ms. Marvel must deal with…a crush! Because this new kid is really, really cute. What are these feelings, Kamala Khan? Prepare for drama! Intrigue! Romance! Suspense! Punching things! All this and more! The fan-favorite, critically acclaimed, amazing new series continues as Kamala Khan proves why she’s the best (and most adorable) new super hero there is! Plus, see what happens when SHIELD agent Jemma Simmons goes undercover at Kamala’s school!

This volume starts with a one-shot Valentine's Day issue, in which Teen Loki wreaks some havoc at the school dance. It was amusing but with all the set up — for the Loki side of things in Asgard, as well as for the Ms Marvel and friends side — it was over too quickly. We did get to see more of Nakia, which I liked because I don't think she's in nearly enough of her. Since Bruno is the only one who knows about Kamala's secret identity, there's a lot more of him around and not enough of Kamala with her female friend. So more Nakia for the win. She didn't make much of an appearance in the remaining issues, however.

The second storyline was a three issue arc mainly about the first boy Kamala has a crush on and basically everything that can go wrong when you're a superhero with a crush. And I do mean everything that can possibly go wrong in that scenario. But it was another amusing storyline that made me laugh several times, especially when things were going well. I was a little disappointed that everything had to fall apart, but it would not have been a sustainable storyline, so I suppose that makes sense. There was also a very interesting parallel drawn between supervillains and terrorists, which I'll leave for you to read in full.

And finally there was the SHIELD issue. I was concerned at first that it would be yet another comic story for which I didn't have the full background to understand but it actually turned out to be quite accessible. So long as you have a passing acquaintance with the SHIELD TV show (or I suppose the earlier comics, though this is the second issue of a new run that, I think, is more closely tied to the TV show than the earlier run, I could be wrong on that last point) this comic is completely comprehensible. Simmons goes undercover at Kamala's school, the shady business she and Coulson are there to stop explodes (figuratively) and Kamala saves the day and fangirls over SHIELD. It was another fun read.

I am continuing to enjoy this Ms Marvel series. I am looking forward to the next volume, although not without some trepidation given that everything is going to be turned on it's head. (I've seen some of the art though and it looks awesome. Ms Marvel meeting Captain Marvel? YES PLEASE!) If you've been enjoying Ms Marvel so far, definitely pick up this latest volume. If you haven't read any of it yet, I recommend starting with Issue #1 / Volume 1 (No Normal) since that will also give you the origin story.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: June 2015, Marvel
Series: Ms Marvel, Vol 3 of ongoing series containing issues #12–15 of Ms Marvel and SHIELD issue #2
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Non-Amazon online book shop

Mystic by G Willow Wilson

Mystic: The Tenth Apprentice written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by David Lopez is a four issue series about two orphan girls in a secondary fantasy world. It's basically what I'm used to getting out of a fantasy novel, but in comic book form. (And hence obviously much shorter.)

TWO TEENAGED WIZARDS. ONE DESTINY.
Can their friendship survive their greatest test?

The Limpet Hall Orphanage for Girls in the impoverished slums of Hyperion is no place for two young girls to grow up. But Gisells and Genevieve have always taken care of each other, waiting for the day they will be released from the servitude of the orphanage--and secretly daring to study the Noble Arts, magical skills only available to the aristocracy. When they're caught after hours in the library of the tyrannous Mistress of Limpet Hall, they have no choice but to take to the streets and forge their own paths. With new, incredible powers gleaned from the magical technology once forbidden to them, one girl will take up the massive burden of saving the world, and the other will direct all her efforts to tearing it apart!

The story is about two orphan girls living in a crappy orphanage in a gas-lamp fantasy style of world. Technology is powered by aether and aether must be collected by magicians, all of whom of from the noble class. When the two girls sneak into the apprentice-choosing ceremony, one of them answers an open question and is unexpectedly chosen to train at the palace, while the other is kicked out onto the street.

It has magic, revolution, bitchy rich girls, betrayal and the saving of civilisation as they know it. So basically, everything a good fantasy story needs. I enjoyed the story and the art, which conveyed what it needed to without objectifying anyone. The characters were well designed and fun to read about. It's hard to say much more about it without spoilers.

Mystic is a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and complete comic book story. I especially recommend it to fantasy fans. If you usually read fantasy books, it might be a good place to enter into the realm of comics, if superheroes aren't quite your thing.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2012, Marvel
Series: Mystic, complete series, issues #1-4
Format read: Digital 
Source: Marvel Unlimited

Ms Marvel Volume Two "Generation Why" by G Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

Ms Marvel Volume Two "Generation Why" by G Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona is the second volume of collected issues in the ongoing comic book series. I have previously reviewed Volume One here.

Who is the Inventor, and what does he want with the all-new Ms. Marvel and all her friends? Maybe Wolverine can help! Kamala may be fan-girling out when her favorite (okay maybe Top Five) super hero shows up, but that won't stop her from protecting her hometown. Then, Kamala crosses paths with Inhumanity for the first time - by meeting the royal dog, Lockjaw! Every girl wants a puppy, but this one may be too much of a handful, even for a super hero with embiggening powers. But why is Lockjaw really with Kamala? As Ms. Marvel discovers more about her past, the Inventor continues to threaten her future. The fan-favorite, critically acclaimed, amazing new series continues as Kamala Khan proves why she's the best (and most adorable) new super hero there is!

This volume focuses on Kamala learning about her powers and, more importantly, who she is as a superhero. The volume starts with Kamala investigating a suspicious sewer and meeting Wolverine, over whom she proceeds to fangirl. She also starts to realise that she might have taken on more than she can handle alone. Nevertheless, she refuses to back down from her impending confrontation with The Inventor.

We also learn about other character who are keeping an eye on Ms Marvel and some mysterious things going on in the background that Kamala doesn't know about (and that the audience doesn't learn much about, although it's possible there were references to other Marvel comic series that I missed). There was a particularly touching moment when Kamala's parents force her to go talk to the Sheikh because the are concerned about her. Kamala expects to get a tedious lecture, but instead gets some valuable advice. And of course, there's the main event that the subtitle is alluding to. Teenagers have been going missing since Volume One and Kamala had vowed to rescue them.

I am continuing to enjoy Ms Marvel and will definitely be picking up Volume Three when it comes out (in June, according to Goodreads). If you haven't read any Ms Marvel, I definitely recommend starting at the start with Volume One. This is a great comic book series that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to almost anyone.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: April 2015, Marvel
Series: Ms Marvel ongoing series, volume 2, including issues #6-11
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Purchased at a physical comic book store (in Perth)

Ms Marvel Volume One "No Normal" by G Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

Ms Marvel Volume One, "No Normal" written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona is, as the name suggests, the first volume of collected issues of the new Ms Marvel (2014) ongoing comic series. It includes issues #1–5 and material from All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1 (whatever that is... I'm not entirely sure).

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!

No Normal is basically the origin story of the new Ms Marvel. Kamala is an ordinary muslim girl until one night when, leaving a party she'd snuck out to, she's caught in magic/mutagenic fog which gives her a hallucination of Captain Marvel and also magic/superpowers. Equipped with the sudden power to change her body into whatever (humanoid?) size/shape she wants, Kamala semi-accidentally rescues the mean girl from drowning while disguised as Carol Danvers' version of Ms Marvel. And then she runs away in shock/confusion.

Most of the volume is Kamala dealing with her new powers and trying to come to therms with what they mean for her. She's a teenager still in high school and her parents are quite over-protective. She's technically grounded for most of the volume and, unsurprisingly, her parents are concerned at her sneaking out, not knowing that she's become a superhero (although I imagine that piece of news would also be concerning to them).

In the end, Kamala chooses a costume (with a little help from her friend to make it happen) and works out who she wants to be as a person. I liked that she ended up confiding in one of her friends, but I'd actually really like to see her other, female, friend's reaction to the news. Hopefully that will be in Volume Two, which I've already picked up and will read some time in the next few days.

I also really loved the art and the background jokes/references in a lot of the panels. If you pick this one up, I highly recommend stopping to have a closer look at what's happening in the background. There was a lot that made me snicker.

This is my first comic book exposure to a traditional (as far as that word applies) Marvel superhero. I really enjoyed how the cultural background brought somethign new to the story, instead of having it be just another anglo white girl with stereotypical teenage girl problems. Not that Kamala's problems are completely out there, but at least there's a bit of variety.

I would recommend this comic to pretty much anyone with even a passing interest. It's funny and sincere and I enjoyed reading it a lot. I'm definitely intending to keep up with the story for the time being (as it comes out in trades).

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2014, Marvel
Series: Yes, Ms Marvel ongoing, Volume 1, containing issues #1–5
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Purchased from a real life comic book store