Ms. Marvel Omnibus, Volume 1 Hardcover – November 15, 2016

Conceived by the steadfast hands of G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, the newest heir to the Ms. Marvel moniker has made an indelible impact on the Marvel Universe—and that's an understatement at best. Collecting the groundbreaking first season of Ms. Marvel (Issues #1-19), “Garden State of Mind” from All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1, S.H.I.E.L.D. #2, and Issues #7-8 of The Amazing Spider-Man (3rd Series)—Ms. Marvel Omnibus, Vol. 1 follows a teenage Muslim-American girl who clobbers evil with wrecking-ball-sized fists and wages war against the pressures felt by young people fighting for legitimacy in a world that dismisses them as over-privileged parasites.The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, 16-year-old Kamala Khan identifies more with Jersey City than Karachi. She feels out of place in her own skin and wishes she could be as beautiful as her idol, Captain Marvel. But as the old saw goes, be careful what you wish for. As one would expect, fate answers her call. After being exposed to a strange, superpower-imbuing mist, Kamala’s dreams of being someone else are suddenly quite real. During a trippy hallucination that’s clearly a syncretization of Islamic and other religious iconography, Kamala is visited by Carol Danvers (formerly Ms. Marvel), Iron Man, and Captain America who question Kamala about the kind of person she desires to be. Captain Marvel braces Kamala for the difficult journey ahead and how it will further affect her identity. Kamala awakens to find she’s a polymorph, meaning she can contort and reshape her body much in the same vein as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic).In the ensuing issues, Kamala copes with her newfound abilities and gets her first tastes of the superhero lifestyle. But even for a girl who writes Avengers fanfiction in her spare time, it’s nothing like she expected. What’s especially endearing about Ms. Marvel aside from its loveable protagonist is how the stories dial back the superhero violence that’s so pervasive in contemporary media. Kamala is faced with teenage dilemmas that are not only beautiful but feel like a callback to gentler superhero comics. Family dynamics and culture lie at the heart of these collected stories. The presence of Kamala's kin—her overbearing mother and rigid father who refuses to let her attend parties, while her haughty and devout older brother spends his days praying instead of looking for a job, much to their father's chagrin—provides not only comedic irony but illustrates Kamala’s cultural restrictions and her frustration in trying to balance family rules against saving mankind. Growing pains aside, whenever our petite polymorph isn’t breaking curfew or school property, she’s bringing the smack-down on the feather-brained Inventor and his giant homicidal automatons—with the help of such familiar faces as Wolverine, Medusa, and even a colossal super-powered bulldog named Lockjaw. Kamala is the quintessential fangirl and it shows in charmingly funny ways, like when she’s taking selfies with a brooding Logan or squealing with delight as she snakes her ribbony arms around Carol Danvers.With Kamala’s first lines in the series—“I just want to smell it” and “Delicious, delicious infidel meat” as she salivates over the greasy BLT display at the local Circle Q—Wilson reveals Kamala’s alluring personality and makes readers fall in love with her in the space of two panels. Kamala is a normal teenage girl, though her Muslim identity is quite relevant to her portrayal, and Wilson succeeds in making the life of a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager perfectly ordinary, superpowers notwithstanding. By far, the book’s greatest achievement is ingeniously corrugating Kamala's adolescent angst and heritage into her nascent superhero identity. Kamala is as awkward as she is adorable; her struggles to abide by her parents and her faith make her universally appealing as does her tolerance in the face of classmates who don’t quite get her. These stories are uniquely fascinating in the way they weave Kamala’s diasporic life and culture with that of a planetary defender, mixing in wide-ranging social issues like bigotry, gentrification, and identity crisis.Ms. Marvel is especially powerful because the title shapes readers’ understanding of an unfamiliar culture and reveals a basic humanity that anyone can connect with. Ms. Marvel offers a positive, realistic, sympathetic portrayal of Pakistani-American Muslims. This kind of progressive storytelling is especially vital to today's intemperate climate wherein the simple act of wearing a burkini at an American (or European) beach can inspire xenophobic oppression. In a scene where Kamala cites the Qur’an about the value of helping people, it demonstrates to audiences the moral aspects of Islam and presents its words as heroic inspiration and ethical wisdom—for both Kamala and for readers. There's an affecting scene in which a troubled Kamala’s seeks guidance from Sheikh Abdullah and, to her own surprise, he offers advice that empowers her, thus illustrating the positive and unoppressive influence that religion plays in her life.Although Adrian Alphona’s quirky, fluid style differs from what you’d expect of a superhero comic, it perfectly suits Ms. Marvel’s over-the-top tone and whimsical action sequences. Alphona illustrates Kamala’s powers with incredible affectation and an almost overwhelming level of kinetic energy that teeters on the edge of cartoonish. His character designs are impeccable and Kamala’s expressive, energetic face gives life to the series. Alphona likes to pack tongue-in-cheek gags into every finely detailed panel, particularly in the form of silly signage and droll product labels. Ian Herring’s soft color palette wonderfully complements Kamala’s humorous travails and flights of fancy. The warm, muted coloring shines throughout this tome, drawing attention to Alphona’s line-work while simultaneously bringing vibrancy to the characters and stories.Nowadays, teenage superheroes are a dime-a-dozen. But there’s something genuinely endearing about Kamala; her story is funny, heartfelt, and deeply relatable. The pages of this book will not only influence the existing landscape of superhero comics for years to come, but will resonate with any readers struggling to find a sense of belonging.

While many things can be said about Kamala Khan... really they come far after her initial introduction and run of comics. When she first appeared she honestly wasn't that bad or terrible... it was after her series ended and they just kept rebooting her over and over and over then shoehorning her into other things like games, movies people started to not enjoy the character. Overexposure is bad but this is a solid omnibus. Like the Spider Gwen or X-23 it is one of the better runs to collect and keep.

The book is amazing. First arc of ms marvel before they end marvel now with secret wars. Great for anyone just starting comics and for veteran readers. Highly recommend the omnibus for super fans or people wanting a good chunk of good reading of a young new superhero. Plus it’s an origin story.But I do have to mention I have reordered this book THREE times before actually just settling with the least terrible conditioned book. Amazon randomly ships certain books in backs and that majorly messes up books and will cause damage for collectors and the OCD types. Just beware you are playing package lottery with amazon.

This was an incredibly fun read, as it had a new character with new powers, making it not just a cheap rip-off of a previous hero, making this character unique. Her struggles with living like a normal kid caught between two cultures becomes even more difficult with the introduction of superpowers, and the drama that entails feels like the kind of stuff you'd see in Spiderman. I've only read this one but I bought the next one, and if she gets a good rogues gallery, and they don't make it so she is in high school forever, she's going to be THE hero of the next generation! (or this generation I guess, next would imply later on down the line. Whatever, she's really cool)

This was my first experience with Ms. Marvel, but if you're looking for a solid starting place with the series, this is it. The artwork is gorgeous throughout, and G. Willow, the writer, obviously concurs with Shakespeare that brevity is the soul of wit. I've read my fair share of loquacious comic characters, but Kamala Khan and her companions are funny without making you feel like you're reading a comedian's TV stand-up special transcript. The story opens with a familiar coming-of-age tale to which everyone can relate, but it quickly grows into something much more (without getting into spoilers), and just like Chekov on the Enterprise at the height of the Cold War, Kamala Khan is the perfect, adorable, strong, and grounded antidote we as a country continue to need 15 years after 9/11.

This comic was good from the start, but it just keeps getting better. The longer G. Willow Wilson writes Ms. Marvel, the deeper her grasp on the character, her world, and the perfect tone for her stories gets. Adrian Alphona brings a wealth of life and detail to the book's world when he's drawing it. Though he hasn't drawn as many issues as I might like, the other artists have all done solid jobs, and Ian Herring's warm, slightly faded colors help maintain a cohesive look.As a Muslim American superhero, Kamala Khan was historic from day one, but now she's become *the* hero for our times.

A great series, I purchased for a middle schooler who loves this series. Some adult information but nothing too shocking. I enjoy that the heroine comes from a background that many Americans are unfamiliar with. I believe Khamala is a great role model.

Pretty good overall, artwork is ok and the writing is decent with interesting social themes. Though I would like to see it focused more on the actual cultural oppression muslim women experience in their own communities rather than it being so critical of the west in our relationship with the ideology of Islam. And as with most of marvels' omnibus's the quality of the binding and paper is top notch.

I had heard about Ms. Marvel, I had seen a couple of covers, but I had no idea of what the story was about. I was not disappointed ! This a a really cool comic book. It's funny, it's packed with action, it's surprising, and it has great writing !Now I just need to find the Omnibus vol. 2.

This is great to have the entire first run of Ms Marvel all in one book. Its awesome! Ms Marvel is definitely one of the most fun stories out there right now

Just a great origin story in the tradition of Spidermab

I gave this 3 stars only because of the condition of the omnibuses inside cover(s). Yes Plural.Please note that I purchased this item last year in 2019, so the printing may have been corrected, but I did purchase & then proceed to go through a fair few number of returns & replacements.A rather embarrassing 6 replacements/purchases according to amazon! Though all within a certain period last year (July to October 2019).As you can see from the photo, there was a repeated problem with what seems to be a glue stain from the binding. Though I hope it has been corrected. There was a point where I received a replacement before I'd sent a return (hence two items side by side) so props to amazon customer service. Thankfully I didn't have to repay each item.However after the 6th or so book arriving with the slight, ugly inside cover damage I requested a refund. I couldn't be sure of a problem with the entire batch amazon had. I mean I did go through 6 books, so I was fairly certain about the stock they had at the time.If this relatively small cosmetic damage (but it is an omnibus & i'm personally a bit of a stickler for quality) is not an issue for you and it has been resolved in the new batches being sold, then I highly recommend the book having read the issues previously. I mean I did try quite hard to get ahold of a pristine condition book, so that should tell you something about the regard I have for it.A modern day re-telling of the classic Spider-Man archetype. If you've ever enjoyed a Spider-Man story you're sure to enjoy this (unless you're into classic parker luck). This book features a very fun character & story. A real nice sense of whimsy & fun, that coming-of-age superhero tales can sometimes miss, but not this book. The art & writing are great.

Just so as to be clear - the comic itself is very very good. At the time of the publishing of the first 20-or-so issues that this comic collects, it was one of the genuinely freshest comics and probably one of the best introductions of a new character since Spider-Man - easily 5 star stuff.That being said, the format of the comic doesn't feel right. The comic collects just about 20 issues of Ms Marvel, and is the lenght of half a normal omnibus edition. On one hand, it was probably a good idea on Marvel's side to put out collectible and hard-cover content on Ms Marvel in order to establish her as a serious character and facilitate the rejuvination of the Marvel roster; but on the other... It just feels a bit like a money-grab. I have read the whole thing in an evening and you shouldn't be able to do that with an omnibus (unless you're reading Young Avengers or the Superior Foes of Spider-Man, but these are just short story arcs and are fully justified for being short). The omnibus just isn't long enough and there was other material that could have been included in it. This being a short book is offset a bit by the lower price, but still, price is never constant.That being said, the edition itself is gorgeous. As can be expected from the Marvel Omnibus editions, the art, the binding, the paper are all top notch.