G. Willow Wilson (author), Adrian Alphonsa (illustrator), Marvel Comics (publisher)

> Review by Carolyn Marcille

Kamala Khan is my new hero(ine). Kamala is so singularly exceptional that she would probably be my heroine even if she didn’t inherit her powers in Issue One, simply because she is a wonderfully realized and believable character. With Ms. Marvel, Marvel Comics has given us a young, female, Muslim superhero. This is a revolutionary action, especially given the undeserved prejudice and misrepresentation the Muslim community in America currently suffers. The artwork in Ms. Marvel is beautifully rendered, round and soft and dreamy, with fine lines and delicate expressions. The artists create a homey cultural enclave not unlike the ones where young Kamala Khans all over America live, down to the traditional carpets in the mosque Kamala attends. Ms. Marvel is a treasure trove of gorgeous imagery, but my favorite images of Kamala are when she is without powers, but moving. The set of her body is purposeful and confident; just by looking at her, you can tell she is a smart young woman who is determined to make her own way in the world. Ms. Marvel is exceptional because it not only presents Kamala as a realistic, young Arab American woman who loves superheroes; it shows her as being worthy of becoming a superhero.