I'd say "Come at me, bro," but I have a feeling you're gonna do that anyway.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been a while since I read a book that was such pure fun.

Kamala Khan is a Muslim teenager in Jersey City. She wants to fit in among her classmates and do all the things that they do, but it's practically impossible while she's under the watchful eyes of her strict and protective Pakistani parents. When she unintentionally acquires shapeshifting superpowers, her struggle to define her identity only becomes more complicated.

I think Kamala would be relatable to almost anyone who's felt like an outsider or who's attempted to reconcile different value systems. As I'm also the offspring of immigrant parents, I found myself nodding in sympathy during almost all of Kamala's interactions with her family, from the uncomfortable to the affectionate. Beyond Kamala, the entire cast of characters is well-developed. Each one brings something unique to the story and evokes the reader's interest in different ways.

The art is full of luminous color and I loved the attention to detail in the different settings. The pacing of the story is pretty much impeccable, which made me want to read the entire thing in one sitting.

Amid all that joyfully fast-paced action, there are spine-tingling moments of quiet, deliberate, uncompromising bravery - moments when Kamala makes decisions that shape her into a true hero. Her heroism is driven by an intermingling of the values that she was raised to believe in, and an innate willingness to defend those in need.

"Whoever kills one person, it is as if he has killed all of mankind. And whoever saves one person, it is as if he has saved all of mankind." When I was a little kid, that always made me feel better. Because no matter how bad things get, there are always people who rush in to help. And according to my dad, they are blessed.

The only reasons that I'm not giving this book a full five stars is that 1) the writing is decent, but at times not as polished as it could be, and 2) the villain remains vague, and the conflict between him and Kamala isn't developed much - I assume that's being saved for future volumes.

All the more reason that I can't wait to see what Kamala does next.

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