Skip to main content

Matt vs. Ms. Marvel




Besides Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel's other great success in 2014 was the launch of  the new Ms. Marvel comic series. Ms. Marvel, the newest incarnation of the titular hero stars Pakistani-American Kamala Khan. Kamala Khan is a Muslim high-schooler from Jersey City who gains superpowers upon encountering a mysterious gas. While I am weary of Marvel's other attempts at 'diversity', Ms. Marvel is an interesting series in both tone and art style. In a medium often accused of one-dimensional characterization, and gender objectification, Ms. Marvel oozes personality, and creates a world which feels far more real than the rather cardboard Gotham City. The comic art is drawn in a way that gives the comic a somewhat grungy feel that one can reach out and touch it. The cartoonish style matches a hero who's primary power is shape shifting.   The series has also been a critical and financial success for Marvel and Kamala Khan proves to be a worthy entry into Marvel's pantheon.

The first few issues set up the world well, introducing of to Kamala's family, friends, and culture. The issues touch on race, religion, and culture but includes them in both a tasteful manner and in a way that reinforces the overall narrative. Kamala has to balance school, family, and her late-night extracurriculars all while learning to control her new powers. So far the comic series has been allowed to exist in its own bubble, Marvel's other heroes exist but are generally off-screen. However given the company's love of crossovers, I feel that this is short lived. The most recent stories featuring Wolverine is a clear example of this I am often torn when entertainment media adds new characters to increase diversity because often it is done in a way to fill some non-existent quota or as a gimmick.How ever the writers of Ms. Marvel actually creates decent characters who are defined by the personalities and actions rather than their minority status. I fully recommend this comic series to anyone looking for a break from the grim-dark that Marvel and DC publish on a near constant basis.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Matt and the Joker's Five Way Revenge

    Last year saw the passing of acclaimed comic book writer Denny O'Neill. O'Neill had a long history with many DC Comics superheroes as a writer and editor and is best known for revitalizing the character of Batman among others starting in the 1970s. I decided to pick up a copy of one of the more famous Batman issues of this era, Joker's Five Way Revenge which was written by O'Neill and drawn by Neal Adams. The story featured in Batman # 251, was released in November, 1973. While I am gaining a better appreciation for 1990s comics, I largely avoided avidly reading 1970s issues due to their seemingly dated nature and tropes. After reading this issue, I had some thoughts on both how the character and mythos of Batman has evolved over time and a greater appreciation for a more grounded Dark Knight. In Joker's Five Way Revenge, the Joker is seeking revenge for a presumed betrayal by killing members of his former gang and Batman is striving to stop him. By the time t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Matt Vs. Sonic Colors

The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has gone through many changes over its two decade existence. From its birth on the SEGA Genesis and transition to 3-D on the SEGA  Dreamcast to its struggles throughout the last decades, many wondered if Sonic would ever be good again. Since Sonic Adventure  2, I have played several newer Sonic games including Sonic Heroes and Sonic and the Secret Rings however theses titles were mediocre at best. A new game would be announced raising fan expectations and the final product would be a disappointing mess and this same cycle continued for years. Sonic Colors for the Wii and along with Sonic Generations for the Xbox 360 and PS3 helped change this perception. Sonic Colors' plot is fairly basic, Sonic and Tails visit Dr. Robotnik's interstellar amusement part and have to rescue the aliens that the doctor has captured there. The overall tone of the game is similar to those of Saturday morning cartoon shows with voice acting that fits. Unli...
Post a Comment
Read more

Matt Vs. Noah

The film Noah starring Russell Crowe in the title role is an intriguing film and caused a variety of emotions both during and after I saw it. From protests from Christian groups and scientific debates Noah was a large source of controversy across very diverse groups of people. I can tell that the movie takes certain liberties with the Biblical text and certain scenes show the clear influence of the Lord of the Rings trilogy but the basics of the story are abided by. The movie has a distinct visual style at points especially in the scenes detailing Creation and the Fall of Man. While the CGI effects could have been better overall, I felt that the creation scene was particularly memorable for its fusion of biblical Genesis and evolution theory. God tells Noah through a series of dreams and visions that due to the depravity and corruption of man, he will destroy the world a start anew.  He instructs Noah to build an Ark to save the innocent (the animals & his family) fro...
Post a Comment
Read more