Comics
Review: “Ms. Marvel” #1
Marvel Comic’s fourth Ms. Marvel incarnation, Kamala Khan, is a 16-year-old, Pakistani-American hailing from Jersey City. She’s an exceptionally unique character for several reasons. Firstly, she’s Marvel’s first Muslim character to headline their own comic and I point this out for good reason, it plays a fundamental role in issue #1, possibly the entire series. Second, she’s extremely meta. She writes Avenger fan fiction and worships Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel, the character she ends up embodying. Lastly, she’s a walking contradiction. An innocently fierce, obediently strong, and shielded teen with a heart of gold yet a loveable stubborn streak.
WRITTEN BY: G. Willow Wilson
ART BY: Adrian Alphona
PUBLISHER: Marvel Universe
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: February 5, 2014
“Ms. Marvel” #1 took me back to the days of being the misunderstood teenager, fighting with parents and their strict rules, reading comics and doing very uncool things on the weekend. Hell, it took me back to yesterday when I decided to rearrange my Frankenstein’s Monster figurines. I may not be 16-years-old anymore but the sentiment that Wilson’s writing conveys is universal, everyone is misunderstood in some aspect of their life. And everyone wishes they could escape their own reality by becoming that which they admire the most.
After sneaking out to attend a party she is absolutely prohibited to attend, Kamala realizes that Bubblegum-Blondie and Jocky-Jock aren’t as nice as her naïve mind would have her believe. After being tricked into a sip of alcohol—immediately spat out—and told she smelled like curry, she rushes away from the beach party just as an eerie blue fog cloaks the partygoers. As it eventually envelops a frustrated and distraught Kamala, she begins her descent into somewhat of a hallucination. Thinking that the little bit of alcohol she spat out is making her drunk, she doesn’t seem hugely shocked when Danvers’ Captain Marvel, Captain America, and Iron Man appear to her.
It’s not until Captain Marvel asks Kamala who she wants to be in life that things get really real, real fast. Because Kamala wants to be Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers before she became Captain Marvel), and although Captain Marvel grants that wish like a genie in a bottle, she leaves behind some ominous parting words, “It is not going to turn out the way you think.” Leaving you to wonder at the fate of this young Ms. Marvel. Is it possible we have a future villain on our hands?
Kamala’s not bitten by a radioactive spider or merges DNA with a superhero. She is simply, as Captain Marvel puts it, totally rebooted. I suspect this is going to be an incredible series for young and old Marvel readers alike. Kamala is relatable and authentic, inimitable and intense. She has a chance to be something in life that we all secretly wish we had. But the real fun will begin when Captain Marvel’s words start hitting home. It is not going to turn out the way you think.
Some of the overt stereotypes (all across the board) were a little obvious, causing the story line to feel simplistic. I would have loved to see a little more dimension in both Kamala and the peripheral characters. But regardless, the themes of “Ms. Marvel” #1 plant themselves deep in our chest because we’ve lived them before. And perhaps that’s why stereotypes are utilized. Conceivably, if Wilson continues with this familiarity the comic will truly stand the test of time.
Rating: 4/5 Skulls
Review by – Bree Odgen
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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