Ms. Marvel

[Omar G.]

The first issue is out and it's really good. The hype around it has been over it being the first Muslim female superhero, but it doesn't feel like the hype has diminished the product. Already, Kamala feels like a real teenager, not an adult's idea of what a teen would sound like. 

Very promising start, y'all should pick it up.

[radishcake]

It's on my list! Did you read any of Kelly Sue Deconnick's run of Captain Marvel?

[Omar G.]

I did not!  I'm not new to comics but I'm pretty behind on most superhero-related stuff. What was that one like?

[TravisNelson76]

Ms. Marvel was indeed pretty great.  And not only because of the welcome diversity it represents.

Can any of you fill me in a bit on the context of the thing?  I'm assuming that Ms. Marvel is a character that's been around awhile and is now being... re-booted or something?  Or are there other Ms. Marvel's out there in the current universe?  

[Omar G.]

That's a good question and I have no idea. I'm reading it completely cold.  Anyone have some insight on what we should expect/know about Ms. Marvel?

[Chip]

I think this is correct:

Carol Danvers has been called Ms. Marvel for the most part since she was introduced in the 1970s. In the recent series by Kelly Sue Deconnick she took on the name Captain Marvel for this first time. This has traditionally been a male hero, so it was kind of a medium to big deal to readers. Some stuff happened (spoilers) and that series has ended for now, although I'm sure she is still popping up  in Avengers comics.

That left the Ms. Marvel name available. Elsewhere in the Marvel Universe, some comic stuff happened and a bomb went off releasing something called terrigen mist which caused any human that had DNA belonging to the race called the Inhumans to go into a cocoon and then be released with new super powers supposedly based somehow on their personality.

That's the back story of what is happening to Kamala in the first issue. 

Edited February 19, 2014 by Spynotebook

[TravisNelson76]

Thanks, Spynotebook!  Both for the information and the hilarious phrase "some comic stuff happened."

[radishcake]

@Spynotebook nailed it! Also any comic by Kelly Sue Deconnick is worth picking up. There is a Spider-Man / Captain Marvel crossover that she did that I love.

[Omar G.]

Good background!

[halgia]

As a non-comics person, I just read this and my main reaction is: wow, comic issues are really short! I mean, I enjoyed it, but that was the equivalent of five to ten minutes of a TV show, and these come out every two to four weeks (and cost two or three bucks a pop)?

[Chip]

Comics are expensive now. They have gotten shorter, usually 22 pages of story, and sell for $2.99 - $3.99. Back when I was a single man and at my height of comic reading, I would routinely spend around $150-$200 on comics a month for about 80 books. If you pre-order them online or tell your local comic shop that you read something regularly, you can usually get a discount on the paper ones. I don't think this discounting exists in the digital landscape.

The collected trades seem like a much better deal.

Based on dollars per enjoyment minute, comics are up there. 

[Omar G.]

Yeah, I hear that a lot that comics really spread things out now and are really short in general. I feel like a lot happens in a single issue of Saga, so maybe that's more a DC/Marvel thing.

[Omar G.]

Went to my local comic book store and Issues 1 And 2 were completely sold out and only second printings of #1 were available. Second printing already scheduled for #2. Apparently this one's flying off the shelves.

[jellysalmon]

I got my hands on Issue #2. It was more origin story focused and didn't have as much charm as the first issue, but that's because Kamala spends less time interacting with her friends and family and more time dealing with these new abilities. I'm curious how they're going to implement her powers. It's not my favorite, but I can get behind it if used in fun ways like Elastigirl in The Incredibles.

[halgia]

Yeah, I liked #2 fine (luckily digital copies don't sell out!). As I said earlier, this is the first comic I've ever read issue-by-issue, but I have high hopes that once it really gets going it'll be great.

[Danny Franks]

I think this is correct:

Carol Danvers has been called Ms. Marvel for the most part since she was introduced in the 1970s. In the recent series by Kelly Sue Deconnick she took on the name Captain Marvel for this first time. This has traditionally been a male hero, so it was kind of a medium to big deal to readers. Some stuff happened (spoilers) and that series has ended for now, although I'm sure she is still popping up  in Avengers comics.

 

And as a big fan of Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, Carol is the only person I've been okay with taking on the mantle. Because she gained her powers and became Ms. Marvel in the first place, due to her connection to Mar-Vell. It's fitting that she should take his name. Seeing her in the role is less jarring for me than seeing Noh-Varr or Genis Vell passed off as copies of the original.

Mar-Vell has the (probable) distinction of being a superhero who died of natural causes, having succumbed to cancer in The Death of Captain Marvel, written by Jim Starlin as a way of dealing with his own father's death. And he's stayed dead, despite the odd 'out of time' or Skrull imposter storyline.

Ms. Marvel as a Muslim woman is a cool idea, but she's not the first. Marvel have introduced Muslim heroines before. Dust, of the New X-Men, and Faiza Hussain, of MI13, were both characters I liked a lot.

[Mars477]

I think this is correct:

Carol Danvers has been called Ms. Marvel for the most part since she was introduced in the 1970s. In the recent series by Kelly Sue Deconnick she took on the name Captain Marvel for this first time. This has traditionally been a male hero, so it was kind of a medium to big deal to readers. Some stuff happened (spoilers) and that series has ended for now, although I'm sure she is still popping up  in Avengers comics.

 

Actually, there have been two female Captain Marvels before Carol.  The first is Monica Rambeau of NEXTWAVE fame, a black New Orleans police lieutenant with energy morphing powers who now goes by the codename Spectrum (I think), and Phyla-Vell, a more recent Kree cosmic-level hero who suffers from a bad case of Bury Your Lesbians at the hand of Thanos.  The original Captain Marvel, named Mar-Vell (because of course) died in the 80s, and has been brought back a few times only to get killed off again ever since.

Carol's Captain Marvel series was relaunched last month and sees her again venturing into space.  I really liked the first issue, and #2 comes out this Wednesday.

[Monty]

Picked up the first three issues of Ms. Marvel. And I liked them!

[Crim]

Picked up the first three issues too and they were good. Evil cliffhanger though. :D

[jellysalmon]

This book is so fun. 

 

Two great sequences from the latest issue.

 

 

[halgia]

Yeah, I didn't love this one. The fanfic bit was cute, but the doge-speak felt a little more try-hard than, say, G.M.-O.'s cereal in the background or whatever, even though it's really basically the same thing.

I guess as a non-X-Men reader, (a) I'm not excited to have him pop in (though I guess regular readers aren't necessarily either), and (b) compared to Jack,an in the movies, he just kind of looks dumb.

I did really like that the imam or whoever was unexpectedly supportive, though.

[Dandesun]

Aside from the fanfic thing, I could have lived without Wolverine. But I hate him. I can live without him, period.

 

This whole death storyline that's coming up doesn't excite me because I can't believe that Marvel would dare keep Wolverine out of every single book they publish for more than three months.

 

What I would love to see happen is for Wolverine to stay dead as long as Jean Grey has... even before they brought her in as Teen Jean. But I definitely know that ain't happening.

[WTActualF]

OMG!! A thread for Ms. Marvel! Previously.TV you know me!

 

I'm using Ms. Marvel's collection as a gateway comic book for my Marvel-obsessed 10-year-old niece. Despite the fact that I'm "over" Wolverine in pretty much every way possible, I still loved Kamala's arc with him. Probably because he reminded me more of WATXM Wolverine, and I like(d) him in that series. Not reading the "Death of…" but will get around to it once it hits Marvel Unlimited.

 

That said, Ms. Marvel's my current favorite solo book right now. 

[readster]

I love this series. Great to see others reading it.

[rmontro]

I think Ms Marvel is one of the heroes that would work well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, once they move on to another phase, or extend it further.  She has a unique feel to her, and stands out among the crop of "newer" heroes that have been created.

I haven't read her series, but I've been reading Champions, which she is a major part of.  She's the leader and basically the face of the Champions.  I enjoy the book, although at times I feel like I'm getting hit over the head a little too hard with the "tolerance" message.