When the son of a family friend moves into the neighborhood, it appears that Kamala has been bitten by the love bug. That affection seems to be destiny when the young man is revealed to also be an Inhuman. Sadly, Ms. Marvel will have to learn the hard way that just as there are good Inhumans, there are some rotten apples in the bunch too.
Speaking of things not being as they seem, Loki- looking younger, hipper, and apparently on the side of good and not evil, arrives in Jersey City. (OK- When did this happen?) The former god of mischief's task, appointed by his mother Frigga, is to discover if there are any more threats from Ms. Marvel's arch-enemy, the Inventor. But in classic Marvel fashion, a battle between Ms. Marvel and the reformed Asgardian trickster breaks out before the two are able to realize that they are both fighting the same side for once.
On paper, Ms. Marvel/ Kamala may seem to be the least Marvel-like superhero title currently out. The title's star is Muslim, she's Afghani, and she's a she. But this is probably the one modern Marvel title that is written consistently in that classic Marvel House of Ideas style. Let's compare Kamala with the character that defined the classic style of Marvel, the one, the only Peter Parker!
Both began their careers as teens. Both are outsiders mostly for being geeks. But they are both brilliant nerds and rely on those smarts to save the day. Both teens come from working-class families and that makes things like costume repair a pressing concern when money is tight. Plus, with the two being in high school, a large number of their adventures take place in public education both as students and superheroes. And of course, there's the fair share of unrequited love and teen angst.
Are you sure Stan Lee isn't writing this series?
Lastly, for you fans of Agents of SHIELD, this volume contains a Ms. Marvel team-up with Phil Coulson and Agents Simmons. One of the students at Kamala's school is selling stolen super-villain tech. With SHIELD on his tail, the seller is quickly apprehended. But one of his stolen wares got mixed in with some of the food in the high school cafeteria. Thus, the ever popular pizza day is going to be one that Ms. Marvel's teammates will remember for years to come.
I'm already a fan of this series and thanks to the bonus SHIELD issue, I'm a big fan of that series too. (I've been wanting to read it but on the fence as to whether it's worth $4 to find out. It is!) The quality of the new Ms. Marvel keeps getting better and better. This series deserves some Eisner Awards and a Hugo or two. For those of you feeling that it's unpatriotic to enjoy a book like Ms. Marvel, I say it's Un-American not too.
The Khan's are a typical immigrant family in that they keep their old world traditions alive while being proud to become Americans. Yes- Kamala's mom and dad are afraid that their daughter will be Americanized by their new homeland, but they are just as fearful that their son will fall in with the wrong Islamic crowd (in other words militant.) Plus, I don't know of any decent parent that doesn't want to lose their child to a growing ever so dangerous world of sex, drugs, crime, or death.
And no- this book is not some secret ISIS training manual or propaganda for luring kids into becoming followers of Islam. If you are that concerned, maybe you should read this book with your child. It will show an interest in things they like, such as reading comics. Plus, you can then be ready to answer or further research any questions about Islam or the war on terror that might pop up afterward.
A quality series that keeps getting better with one of the single best issues of 2015 (SHIELD #2) inside.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
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