I wasn’t going to write about Ms. Marvel. Kamala Khan has held that role for more than three years now, and she has been discussed by many pop culture critics. Since I try to avoid things I think most people already know about, I’ve told myself that I shouldn’t bother with the “new” Ms. Marvel.
But sometimes I’m reminded that things that I think almost everyone knows about are not, in fact, as popular as I imagine them to be. Ms. Marvel is well-known in the geek community, but lots of people don’t keep up with comic books. In all probability, many of my readers know little to nothing about this superhero. So when I read the latest Ms. Marvel volume, Civil War II, I decided not to resist the impulse to write about it.
Khan is a Pakistani-American living in Jersey City. She’s a typical teen geek; she loves Captain Marvel (the former Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers) and Iron Man, and she writes fanfiction. After being exposed to the Terrigen Mist, she gains her powers: primarily the ability to change her body size — “embiggening,” shrinking or stretching all or part of her body at will — and the ability to heal quickly. Over time, and with mentoring from different heroes, she takes on the role of protecting Jersey City. She also joins the Avengers.
There are so many reasons I love Ms. Marvel. I revel in her unabashed geekiness. I enjoy watching her deal with typical teen problems and grow both as a person and as a hero. I also appreciate how Marvel has created a positive Muslim character; I think she is badly needed today. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very diverse city. One of my close friends was a Muslim. Her family, immigrants from Bangladesh, warmly welcomed me into their home. I’m glad that Kamala represents the positive experience with Muslims that I had with my friend and her family.
Although Ms. Marvel has been dark from time to time in the past, particularly in the Last Days volume, it was generally a light-hearted comic aimed at a young audience. Civil War II is darker. Like last decade’s Marvel Civil War storyline, Civil War II crosses over several comic books. The focus of the conflict is a debate over the use of precognition to arrest criminals before they commit their crimes. Yes, the story has been told before — there’s even a nod to Minority Report when one character mentions “that one movie with that short actor.” Still, it’s well-told here. (I should note that I’m not really into crossover storylines like this, and I have only read Civil War II as far as it appears in Ms. Marvel comics.) Ms. Marvel has to think through the ethics of arresting people before they are to commit a crime, and she endures the agony of having to take a stand against one of her idols. This volume is thoughtful, beautiful, and heart-breaking.
There are only six collected volumes of Ms. Marvel comics to date; there will be seven as of Aug. 1. Since you can still digest all of the new Ms. Marvel comics easily (as opposed to all of the Wonder Woman comics), I recommend you start with volume 1, No Normal, and go from there. If the series seems too light or childish for you, you might want to jump ahead to Civil War II. Ms. Marvel was never bad, but in my opinion, she is getting better and better.