Although only just over a year into the stories of Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, the character is nonetheless already somewhat of a staple for the company and even for the industry.  It takes a different approach to the telling of the life of a superhero, with some similar mixed in to a lot of unfamiliar.  Not so common are female heroes, even less so are Muslim heroes, but the title manages to combine the two together in a story which is neither stereotypical nor pandering.  Truth be told there are moments when the character is exposed to pressures which would not be true of every young woman from a Muslim family, but then so too is there a bigger message here beyond that of typical superheroics.

This is illustrated well in this issue.  In the past when Peter Parker dreamed about kissing Mary Jane Watson, it was she was out of his league, and it made the reader root for the dorky kid that everyone laughed at.  The same holds true in this issue, as Kamala seems almost to be on the verge of her first kiss, but there is more to it than even that.  For her sneaking away in the middle of the night holds a stigma which is beyond what other characters in similar situations had faced.  If Spider-Man sneaked out for a midnight kiss, then it would be of note only for the character development, but in this case such an act would be an embarrassment for her family.  It is because her heart’s desire is a bit enigmatic that this story falls back a bit to ground.  Instead of pursuing a different avenue, the story here takes a very predictable turn, both with Kamala and with Bruno.  Throw in also that the events of the Inhuman series have to be followed as well to have a full grasp of what is going on here, and the issue ends losing most of its momentum.

This is still a series to watch, but also should maybe be a warning to others trying to copy its success not to venture down a road which seems too familiar.  There is very little which is familiar about this series on its surface, but as soon as this plot starts to roll out it seems very similar to a lot of stories that have come before, and even without an update to make it seem more modern.  This particular issue is thus a bit of a letdown after the previous issue, using its formula of the new and modern and mixing it up with a retread.

Story: G. Willow Wilson  Art: Takeshi Miyazawa 
Story: 8.2 Art: 8.2  Overall: 8.2 Recommendation: Read