#comic stuff

This time not a chibi one, but still my comic style. Just experimenting with my ipad and trying to create new stuff in addition to my chibi project. (By the way I really like this Lewis’s photo I found yesterday )

Ms. Marvel: No Normal (Vol. 1)

G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

May 23, 2022

Possibly my favourite comic character introduction of all time. For many, many reasons, Kamala Khan will always have a place in my heart, as she has from the moment I first met her in 2014, breathlessly reading that first issue on the train.

There is so much to love in this first volume. Wilson has done a spectacular job of imbuing Kamala with humour and heart and making her relatable in way that is so nuanced and specific it crosses age, ethnicity, etc. (Having said that, as an Indian person myself, seeing a family like Kamala’s warmed my heart so much. I’m stunned at how much Wilson gets right, though I’m sure Sana Amanat’s editorial feedback proved crucial.)

Of course, the place where this comic truly comes to life is in panel after panel of gorgeously rendered art by Adrian Alphona. It’s lush and inviting, a perfect entry point for new readers, while serving Kamala’s story perfectly. It’s bright and stretches and contracts. It’s beautiful to behold altogether. I love the ways in which her teenage mannerisms are captured because it really does speak to the gawky awkwardness of that age and the unique physicality of her powers.

Launching a new character is hard enough. But to do so to universal acclaim, and achieving the kind of staying power that Ms. Marvel has earned is incredible. Re-reading this proved how well that first arc works and the way it sets up Kamala’s world and wider journey. There is so much to love about this first volume. What Wilson, Alphona, and the rest of the creative team have done is nothing short of marvellous.