I like new characters, they're easier to get into than someone who has 60+ years of back history you need to learn in order to really understand the character (not to say I don't like well established characters as well, Batman is my favorite character ever). Marvel introduced a new series in February titled Ms Marvel, which revolves around the like of Kamala Khan and her newly acquired super powers. Now for the veteran comic book readers out there you are probably saying "Hey, Ms Marvel isn't a new character!", and you'd be right. Ms Marvel was the old moniker Carol Danvers used before she took on the title of Captain Marvel. Passing down or claiming a no longer used name is a common practice in the comic book world (how many Robin's have there been now?) and is a way for writers to introduce a new character without having to start at absolute square one.
Kamala Khan is a first generation Pakistani American teenage Muslim girl who suddenly finds herself with superpowers and chooses to emulate her idol Captain Marvel (another great series I'll have to talk about later) and become a superhero. There are only two issues out right now, but to give you an idea as to how well they are selling Marvel have already ordered a second printing of issue #1. The first issue introduces Kamala, a 16 year old girl who is nerdy and charming and trying to find a balance between her religion/family and being a teenage girl in America. I haven't been 16 in a while, but I found her incredibly relatable in her geekiness and social awkwardness. She's personable and funny in her sassiness, while not being to over the top.
While the second issue was a bit slow for my taste, the series is off to a great start and really shows us the internal struggle many heroes face as they first start out. Kamala seems to slowly be coming to terms with both her new found powers and what that can mean for her life now. Add in some family issues and she's got a lot of things to juggle. I'm looking forward to the next issue, hopefully the pacing picks up just a little bit but keeps the emotional connection with the readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment