Ms. Marvel is a name that hasn't been used in a few years. The original Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, became the ever awesome Captain Marvel and is now flying high in her own solo book with the same name. But what of the moniker that graced the pages of Marvel comic books for over 30 years? Well, with Marvel's "All-New Marvel NOW!" publishing campaign, a certain someone will be taking up the mantle; the one and only Kamala Khan.
Confused? Of course you are. That's because Kamala Khan is a new original character that will be debuting in the pages of Ms. Marvel in February 2014. Kamala is a Muslim-American teenager living in Jersey City, New Jersey. And like most teens, she is bombarded with problems that are burdensome; namely having her whole world in front of her, but dealing with the expectations of her parents.
"At her core, Kamala is just a 16-year-old girl, exploring the many facets of her identity when she is suddenly bestowed with super-human powers that send her on the adventure of a lifetime," says Marvel Comics Editor In Chief Axel Alonso in a press release.
The new Ms. Marvel book will be penned by acclaimed novelist and multi-Eisner nominee, G. Willow Wilson (Air, Mystic, Alif The Unseen). Art duties will be handled by Adrian Alphona (Runaways, Uncanny X-Force).
"Any time you do something like this, it is a bit of a risk," Wilson said in a New York Times story regarding how she was approached about the idea for the book. "You're trying to bring the audience on board and they are used to seeing something else in the pages of a comic book."
From early indications, the book is being quickly added to readers' pull lists. But then that begs the question: will we ever see a new Latina superhero headlining their own book? It's not like it would be the first time a Latino has starred in their own book. In fact, Marvel has two books that feature a Latino prominently in its pages.
Ultimate Spider-Man starring Miles Morales and Nova starring Sam Alexander feature two teenage Latino boys who have taken the mantle of their more notable white predecessors. With both books doing well in the Marvel Comics stable -- Miles starring in the book since 2011 and Alexander since 2012 -- the next logical step would be to get a Latina front and center.
Marvel already has female-led books on the shelf in the form of X-Men, Fearless Defenders -- both of which features an all-female cast -- Captain Marvel, and the soon to be released Elektra and Black Widow. With all of those titles, there is obviously a market for books like these. So why not introduce someone who can be a representation of 17 percent of the U.S. population?
Marvel's chief competitor, DC Comics, had one book featuring a Latino prominently: Justice League of America Presents: Vibe -- which will be cancelled in December. Besides that, DC doesn't have much going for them on the Latino front - and we won't get into the female-led books issue.
So this is Marvel's chance to get another step on the competition by introducing a new Latina superhero who can headline their own book. They have already created Reptil and Shark Girl -- a Mexican boy who can shape-shift into prehistoric creatures and a Brazilian girl who transforms into a Shark (were-shark?) respectively -- so they already have the chops to create a likeable Latina character. There are also "legacy" characters such as White Tiger and Miss America Chavez, so Marvel knows what they are doing.
Of course it all takes time and money talks. So if these books continue to do well and the new titles exceed expectations, then there will be a better chance for another female-led book to line bookshelves everywhere...this time, hopefully, with a Latina lead.
What say you? Will there ever be a Latina superhero starring in her own book? If so, who would you like to see? Sound off if in the comments section below.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
