Review: ‘Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant’ #1 is Kamala Khan in Her Purest Form
From her controversial death in Amazing Spider-Man #26 earlier this year, to her resurrection and the revelation that she was a mutant and an Inhuman, and nearly dying again at this year’s Hellfire Gala, there’s been much ado over Marvel’s plans for Kamala Khan over the past few months. And while I won’t let Marvel off the hook for how they’ve handled things, I also won’t hold it against the series’ writing team of Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada for picking up the pieces. And wow, did they deliver with MS.MARVEL: THE NEW MUTANT #1!
Instead of diving right into the mechanics of how or why she’s a mutant, Vellani and Pirzada spend a lot of this debut issue focusing on the things that have always made Kamala utterly relatable and endearing — the relationships she has with family and friends, her innocent nerdiness and sense of humor, and her unwavering quest to be a positive example for whichever group she’s categorized into by society. Vellani and Pirzada present Kamala in her purest form and it’s such a breath of fresh air to see writers capture the essence that made her one of Marvel’s most popular new heroes of the last decade.
What’s different, and perhaps most notable, about Vellani and Pirzada’s story compared to the other recent arcs mentioned above, and even those that came well before them, is theirs is done entirely with Kamala as the center of attention. Yes, she’s now an X-Man. Yes, she’s now working to infiltrate Orchis for the greater good. But we get to see Kamala’s own thoughts, work face her own fears, and come to grips with who she is as her own individual.
Vellani and Pirzada's writing is amplified by artists Carlos Gómez and Adam Gorham's designs, including Kamala’s awesome new costume which is the perfect blend of her original Ms. Marvel look and a more traditional X-Man uniform. Gorham’s beautifully visualizes Kamala’s dream sequences which guide you along the internal doubts and struggles in Vellani and Pirzada’s script. Joe Caramagna’s lettering adds depth to scenes that tie everything in wonderfully.
However, the standout visual aspects of the issue is Erick Arciniega’s color palette for skin tones. There are far too many comic books out there where far too few shades are used to depict what’s really an infinite spectrum in Kamala’s multi-cultured world. Kamala isn’t just “brown” here, her coloring actually makers her look Southeast Asian. Each other non-white character also has their own skin tone to make them feel unique and not part of a monolithic race.
MS.MARVEL: THE NEW MUTANT #1 oozes charm from start to finish. The script is a love letter to the titular teen heroine from two people who care for her deeply and it’s complemented by top-notch visual art. Vellani and Pirzada have started something that has the potential to be very, very special.
Rating: 9/10
