The Top 10 comic books for 2017
By Alex Widen
Image by Marvel Comics
5. Ms. Marvel #14-25
What could arguably be considered one of Marvel Comics’ most influential new books nears its 4th year. G. Willow Wilson hasn’t made things easy for Kamala Khan. She began the year fighting a literal internet troll, and ended it seeing a friend become a masked villain. While she’s saved Jersey City from fascists like Chuck Worthy and Lockdown, the struggle has drained her. For the second time within a dozen issues, Kamala Khan ends the year taking a much-needed sabbatical.
What more is there to say about Ms. Marvel that hasn’t already been said? While it is a tale about a Muslim American teenage girl turned elastic super heroine, it is relatable for anyone. It isn’t just a series about Kamala punching thing, it’s a series about how she views herself, her community, and her family. In addition, she also sees how they see both her and her alter ego. Sometimes it is fun, other times it is scary, and a lot of the time it is exhausting. Yet isn’t that what life is all about?
Art for the series has been provided by Takeshi Miyazawa, Francesco Gaston, Marco Failla, Diego Olortegui, and Nico Leon. One angle that plagued this comic book was a lack of much of a rogues gallery. Yet that may be changing as of the most recent issue! Ms. Marvel certainly can use a win, and I have no doubt that G. Willow Wilson will continue to dazzle readers with Kamala’s adventures next year. It’s a comic that’s changed an industry, and is the Amazing Spider-Man for our era.