Graphic Novel Review: Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson (Author) and Adrian Alphona (Artist)
Publication Date: October 30th, 2014
Format: Owned, paperback
Rating: 4/5 stars
Part of a series? Yup! 
Goodreads
Buy links: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository 

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York! 

If you know me, you know I'm Marvel obsessed, so when I found this new Ms. Marvel graphic novel on Goodreads I had this huge "OMG I want!" moment. I'm not even a big comics reader; I usually skim them, so this was an impulse buy for me. Now that I've read it, I am so pleased to say that I have been converted to a graphic novel liking (possibly even loving) person. Yay! 

This was a really quick read because 1.) It's a thin book and 2.) It's a graphic novel, so there aren't a lot of words. Sometimes short, quick reads don't have a lot of substance, but that was not the case with Ms. Marvel. There were lots of great and important things going on, the superbly amazing illustrations being only a part of it. 

Let's talk about the beginning of the Great and Important Things going on here: the cover. Oh hey, the MC is a person of color, and there's an actual person of color on the cover! The Important Things continue because the MC, sixteen-year-old Kamala Khan, represents two cultures that aren't widely understood today. She's a Pakistani Muslim who's worried about not fitting in because kids at her school don't get her differences. Sound familiar?

"Maybe putting on a costume doesn't make you brave. Maybe it's something else."

Not only is Ms. Marvel: No Normal a story about a girl learning to grow into her new superpowers, it's also a story about self-discovery and acceptance. This graphic novel is a triumph for diversity, and I can't wait to read the rest of the installments in this series! I highly recommend it. 

(Also, if you couldn't already tell, this is my Dive Into Diversity pick for this month! Check out this post for more information!)