I'm into a lot of fandoms- Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Studio Ghibli, Broadway musicals, Doctor Horrible, Sherlock, etc. Some more and some less, but they're all really cool. One fandom I've never really gotten into is that of super heroes; however, I discovered super hero Comics this past summer and I'm becoming a fan. And thankfully for me, there's still chances for me to discover this realm, as super heroes are still going strong in 2016- I saw Ant Man last summer:

"He's so ugly! I love him!"

and of course Deadpool this past winter:

So I enjoy them! But I'm not obsessed. the other day at Caribou Coffee there was a poll: Iron Man or Captain America?? Eh. I wrote Harry Potter for my answer. I also received flak for seeing Avengers 2 without seeing of the preceding movies. BUT. I discovered Ms. Marvel the other day- daaaang it's cool.

I've enjoyed other alternative superheroes in the past: around age 10 I loved Herobear and the Kid, a comic book by Mike Kunkel about a kid who (spoilers) has a stuffed polar bear who can come alive when poked/bopped on the nose, and together they fight X-9, the evil giant robot who is set on destroying everything.

(If you sense a theme here, in that I enjoy cutesy comics, wham-o, you hit it on the nose. Good work.)

Also, the popularity of Deadpool proves that the public approves of unconventional heroes.

Ms. Marvel-aka Kamala Khan has made a big splash since being introduced in February 2014 because she is a young Pakistani Muslim teenager- a fantastic and uncommon combination, as most superheroes are adults and are not usually religiously affiliated. I read the second issue the other day: Generation Why, and I'd like to share my thoughts on why it is so fantastic.

First off, what grabbed my attention right away was the spectacular illustration done by a collaboration of artists: Jacob Wyatt and Adrian Alphona. The drawings were whimsical, detailed, and cute, but did not reduce the BA moments that occurred, such as Ms. Marvel and Wolverine's battle against the ginormous sewer alligator.

I cannot deny that I really enjoy this comic because it is incredibly adorable: Ms. Marvel for one is a very considerate person, who feels bad knocking out/potentially killing an alligator in order to defend herself. She's a hero with a conscience, and while she can get worked up about less important things, such as an alligator, it's refreshing to see a hero who's doesn't kill with abandon.

And of course, Ms. Marvel adopts an adorable sidekick, Lockjaw, a ginormous bulldog with teleportation powers due to the "tuning fork" in his head. It's fun to see misfits accept each other- Kamala's family initially rejects Lockjaw for fear of standing out/"what will the neighbors think", but thankfully Kamala wins the argument and she and Lockjaw become hero buddies.

Kamala's religion and culture of Islam play in part in the comic book too, which is really cool; instead of being a small aspect of the book, it is present throughout the book: culturally in scenes with her family, with her teacher Sheikh Abdullah (who may know more than he lets on), in the lessons she learns from Sheikh Abdullah (who she refers to a hazrat sahib), and in the settings of the Mosque, the Islamic Masjid of Jersey City.

I enjoyed this decision to include this aspect of Kamala's character because it exposes me to a life and culture that I am totally unfamiliar with but am intrigued by because of my unfamiliarity.

"Delicious, delicious infidel meat..."

The presence of Kamala's family is really cool as well: you get a peek into her day-to-day life and her relationships outside of her super hero work. In general Kamala's family wants her to obey social norms and be less spontaneous, but most of all they want her safe, and you can see the love that exists there. I also enjoy Kamala and her big brother Aamir's relationship, he knows of her double life and looks out for her.

On a more random note, I enjoyed this comic also because of the random details that were included which I found quite amusing/awesome:

The villain is a cockatiel. ALSO. KAMALA'S HAIR BLOWS ME AWAY.

Weird animals such as this porcupine wearing Hulk hands that actually make regular appearences:

And Kamala's obessions with Gyros:

Yep. She's cool.

Comics are ridiculously expensive- IE they cost money, which I don't like spending. However, I think concerning Ms. Marvel, I can make an exception. I look forward to Ms. Marvel's future exploits in Volume #3,Crushed, which will focus on- GASP- relationships!?

Finally, to end on a non dorky, inspirational note, a quotation from Ms. Marvel, aka Kamala Khan:

"That's half of heroing. Noticing things. Noticing, and not being afraid. Because when you decide not to be afrad, you can find friends in super unexpected places.

Thanks Kamala. You da best.