WRITER: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Adrian Alphona
Colorist: Ian Herring
Kamala Khan is one of my favorite pretend people. She is smart, and brave and determined and most of all Good. It os her innate kindness and goodness that draw me to the character most strongly. She is not a cynical, dark anti hero brooding away in the night. She is a sweet kid, earning her way into a larger world. Marvel made a lot of smart choices in creating Kamala Khan, most centered around classic Marvel character design,with enough twists to make a unique and vibrant story.
Setting the story in Jersey City gave the character room to exist and grow largely outside of the demands of constant interaction with the larger Marvel Universe. This allowed Kamala to develop as a character without being shaped by the needs of events, and cross overs. She looks across the river to New York City and by extension the heart of the Marvel Universe but is not absorbed or overshadowed by this larger world. From the very first moment we meet her, she idolizes her heroes, and when she is drawn into their world she is in awe of them. But the admiration isn’t just one way, she impresses everyone she meets with her determination. Kamala Khan takes the Peter Parker model of a gifted teenager with realistic problems and relationships and updates it for the modern age.
One major theme of the book has been living up to your heroes, and their expectations. Kamala instinctively chooses the form of her greatest hero – Ms. Marvel, and tries to live up tp her ideals and standards. When she finally comes face to face with her idol, and goes on an adventure where she earns her respect, it is bitter sweet. Kamala is given horrific news – the world is ending and this time, the heroes can not stop it. To me, this is the moment when Kamala Khan becomes a true Hero.
Most people would crumble under this terrible weight, giving into despair. Kamala instead does what she can to comfort the weak, and powerless and the frightened that surround her. Her greatest moment, where she truly deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with her heroes are in simple acts of kindness, in bringing food and water to the hungry. And in organizing a pretty awesome dance party at the end of the world. This scene is a great example of using visuals to tell a story. The dance party is where the differences fade away and everyone can just simply have a moment of joy.
As powerful as the approval of Ms. Marvel is, there are more personal reconciliations and emotional gut punches to come. The separation every teenager feels from their parent, and their parents from them is real and powerful, and Kamala does not want to leave anything unresolved at the last day. She seeks out her mother and reveals her great secret, as she cannot face the end with lies between them. Her mother’s response in which she tells her she knows her secret identity, and what she has been doing and is Proud of her is powerfully stuff. Kamala is righteous in her actions, and her mother knows she is a good person. That sense of closure and peace is something all too often lacking in the real world.
The final scene of the book is between Kamala and essentially the boy next door. They both finally tell each other how they feel, but cannot be together. The responsibility of her powers and the world are too great. Instead they simply stand and talk in peace at the end of all things. The light from the terrible events in New York grow brighter and brighter in a haunting sequence reminiscent of a nuclear holocaust. The light goes from background to washing out more and more of the panels until we are left with nothing but the searing light of the end of the world.
Kamala Khan met the end of the world bravely, with love and peace in her heart, having lived a righteous life that made a difference. We should all be so lucky.