Genre: Graphic Novel

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson

Posted August 14, 2014 by Michael @ Knowledge Lost in Graphic Novel / 14 Comments

Title: Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal (Goodreads)
Author: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Adrian Alphona, Sara Pichelli
Published: Marvel Comics, 2014
Pages: 120
Genres: Graphic Novel
My Copy: eBook

Buy: Amazon, Book Depository (or visit your local Indie bookstore)

The new series of Ms. Marvel brings about an exciting new direction for Marvel Comics. Kamala Khan is the fourth character to take on the name Ms. Marvel and for the first time ever, we see a Muslim headlining the pages. Co-created Sana Amanat (editor), G. Willow Wilson (writer), and Adrian Alphona (artist) the new Ms. Marvel was created out of the need for a strong Muslim superhero. However, this is not only a hero that deals with struggling with their superpowers but a minority struggling to fit in with the American culture.

The comic depicts a 16 year-old Pakastani-American Muslim in New Jersey struggling with fitting in, family, religion, school and all the normal teenage struggles. Then one day she has an encounter with Ms. Marvel and she confesses that she wishes she was like her. This wish was granted and now Kamala has to work out not only what it means to be a Muslim woman in America but how to use her new shape shifting powers.

“This is not evangelism. It was really important for me to portray Kamala as someone who is struggling with her faith. Her brother is extremely conservative, her mom is paranoid that she’s going to touch a boy and get pregnant, and her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor.” – G. Willow Wilson

What I found exciting about the new Ms. Marvel is the way this series tries to break the stereotypes. As a teenage Muslim living in America, Kamala has all these ideals and stereotypes projected onto her and she has to navigate through it all and work out who she is. Ms. Marvel represents everything she wants to be; a strong, beautiful woman standing for good. However when she becomes Ms Marvel she quickly realises that being a superhero doesn’t solve the struggle of a misfit. This new Ms. Marvel series isn’t just a struggle with new found powers; it is the everyday struggles she faces. Kamala slowly works out that her new powers, religion or heritage is not what defines her but they do play important roles in the person she wants to be.

“As much as Islam is a part of Kamala’s identity, this book isn’t preaching about religion or the Islamic faith in particular. It’s about what happens when you struggle with the labels imposed on you, and how that forms your sense of self. It’s a struggle we’ve all faced in one form or another, and isn’t just particular to Kamala because she’s Muslim. Her religion is just one aspect of the many ways she defines herself” – Sana Amanat

Interestingly there are a few mentions where Ms. Marvel is referred to as Captain Marvel, unfortunately I don’t know the back story of this but I think it is a positive step. Ms. Marvel was originally created as the female counterpart to Captain Marvel. The move to turn Ms. Marvel into Captain Marvel means that the female superhero is no longer considered the counterpart but a strong and dominate hero in her own right.

You may noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything about the art work and this is because I’m new to reviewing graphic novels and have not learned how to talk about art yet. I hope to learn to critically analyse the art but for now I’m leaving it out of this review, not because it is bad but because I don’t know what to say apart from it being good. No Normal is the conclusion of the first arc (first 5 issues) and I’m really looking forward to seeing where this series goes. I think it is fresh and exciting change for the better in the world of comics.

Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick by Matt Fraction

Posted June 4, 2014 by Michael @ Knowledge Lost in Graphic Novel / 4 Comments

Title: Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick (Goodreads)
Author: Matt Fraction
Artist: Chip Zdarsky
Published: Image Comics, 2014
Pages: 128
Genres: Graphic Novel
My Copy: eBook

Buy: Amazon, Book Depository (or visit your local Indie bookstore)

Suzie thinks she is a regular girl, living a normal life with typical teenage problems, but she has a very unique gift; when she has an orgasm time stops for a while. She calls this ‘The Quiet’; it is a time where she reflects on her life and the world without any interruptions. She can do anything and it soon becomes a solitude for her to escape the world around her. After having sex at a party she soon discovers her gift in not so unique, she finds herself in ‘The Quiet’ with her recent sexual partner Jon.

The two become close as they discuss their shared ability; no longer are they the only one that can stop time. As you can imagine they have so many questions but both are still trying to work out mysteries of this power. As they spend more time together, eventually they decide they could use this ability for personal gain. They can freeze time and rob a bank; there would be no one to stop them, or so they think.

I first discovered Matt Fraction when I read Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon and find his writing style appealing. He explores the more human side of a superhero or one with the ability to stop time. Sex Criminals had gotten a lot of good reviews and it sounded wacky enough to try. It is a bawdy and brazen sex comedy with a rather dated aesthetics. Artist Chip Zdarsky really brings a very seventies vibe into the graphic novel. The fashion and hair remind me of the era and ‘The Quiet’ has a technicolour vibe to it.

I suspect they (Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky) are paying homage to the 70’s as an era of free love and sexual freedom or they are both products of that generation. Either way, it seems to work well with the story. Sex Criminals is a rather odd series but I do enjoy the way it explores the world of these characters through sex and stopping time. It is pushing the boundaries of the comic world, exploring real life people and sexuality in a superhero kind of way. It did earn a banning from the Apple store for its efforts but was also named one of Time Magazine’s top 10 graphic novels for 2013.

Mini Review: Graphic Novels (Fables, Batman & Hawkeye)

Posted October 12, 2013 by Michael @ Knowledge Lost in Graphic Novel / 0 Comments

I’ve been reading a few graphic novels in the past month or two and I have really struggled to work out how to review them. I thought maybe I could just give a quick mini review of the ones I’ve read recently. I just discovered Comixology (I know, late to the party) and their mobile app is great. I never thought reading a comic on a phone would be a great experience but they have nailed it. So you might see a few more reviews of graphic novels in the future.

Fables: Legends in Exile I really love the concept of Fables, the Fabletown community (all characters from different fairy tales) living in New York. The Big Bad Wolf is a hard-boiled detective that is on the case to find out who killed Rose, Snow White’s sister. While the art has a real 80’s feel to it, it is the story telling that makes this a great graphic novel. I expect to be reading a lot more from this series.

Batman: The Killing Joke I’m not a fan of art style in Alan Moore’s graphic novels but I really do enjoy a good Batman comic. This is a dark, comical and sadistic read, almost like an origin story for The Joker. If you are a fan of Alan Moore or Batman, this is a must read, this is The Joker that Heath Ledger modelled his role after in The Dark Knight.

Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon Hawkeye is one great superhero and he doesn’t have any superpowers. In fact most of my favourite superheroes don’t have superpowers (The Punisher, Batman) but unlike them, Hawkeye isn’t doing this for revenge. Most people know that there are two Hawkeye’s (Clint Barton and Kate Bishop) and Matt Fraction (the author) has an interesting approach to including both of them. This is more of a look into the personal lives of Hawkeye rather than a superhero adventure, highly recommend this and will be continuing this series.

If anyone knows of some good graphic novel series I should try, please let me know. If you have not really tried a comic before and don’t know where to start, check out my First Steps post on that topic. On a final note, another great thing about the Comixology app is the free comics, good way to try a series (normally offer issue one or a previewer) without spending any money.