No Normal (Ms. Marvel Graphic Novel #1)

Gr 9 Up--Two series openers offer gender inclusivity, in creators and content, into the mainstream superheroes comic book world. These stories showcase how both main characters undergo a process of self-identification and searching for a role within their own respective worlds. In Ms. Marvel, which collects issues #1-5, Wilson introduces readers to Kamala Kahn, a Pakistani American teenage girl from New Jersey. In this adventure, she initially transforms into Carol Danvers's Captain Marvel, a white superheroine who Kamala admires and is responsible for giving the teen the power to evolve. Kamala encounters external and internal transformations to accept and create her own persona as a teen and as a superheroine. Captain Marvel, which contains issues #1-6, offers new adventures with the infamous Carol Danvers, who was orginally introduced as Ms. Marvel in the 1970s. In her writing, DeConnick portrays a self-determined and bold character who is committed to her heroic duty. Here, Captain Marvel is on a mission to save a girl and to return her to her planet, which then shifts to a story of discovery, critique of diplomatic relations, and a special appearance of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Both illustrators, Alphona and Lopez, imbue the proceedings with vibrancy and showcase the now official aesthetics of Ms. Marvel's and Captain Marvel's outfits. VERDICT Fun and much-needed comic series that defy the typical oversexualization and damsel in distress archetype of women in comics.--Sujei Lugo, Boston Public Library, MA