Ms Marvel #1 (2014)

Ms Marvel #1 starts off strong with solid pacing and witty dialogue from G. Willow Wilson, and fine art from Adrian Alphona. Wilson gives Kamala Khan and her supporting cast some depth, dodging the easy stereotypes in favor of characters whose motivations are believable. Kamala and her family are Muslim, but rather than being defined by their religion, their main focus is the classic immigrant struggle of assimilating to a new culture while maintaining their heritage. Kamala, having been born in the United States, even identifies more with American culture, and spends the issue pushing against the restrictions imposed on her by Islam and her father. I enjoyed every page until the last one, which is either a misstep or a bait-and- switch and I’ll wait for issue #2 to see where it goes, but despite that, Ms Marvel #1 was an impressive start, and I’m looking forward to more of the series.