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[Punchy]

It's no big deal, it's just the focus of the press release Marvel sent to every news outlet.

So they clearly think it's a big deal and want a cookie for it.

Yeah, it's 'Buxom Lipstick Lesbian' all over again.

[Arion]

My point is that, no matter what, Ms. Marvel is a teen superhero comic, not a comic about religion.

It will have much more in common with Nova or Blue Beetle or Ultimate Spider-Man than it will with Persepolis. All 3 of those books feature kids who are non-white (Sam Alexander's mother is hispanic, but you wouldn't notice), and they are all very similar.

People think Ms. Marvel will reinvent the wheel, but basically, what you'll have is the family members who would be angry if they found out the main character is a hero be angry for a different reason.

I'm tired of, as Jude says it, fans wanting a pat on the back for liking a comic, especially when it's months from coming out. What if it's dog-shit terrible? What will Brett White and his ilk say then? Judge a comic by it's quality, not by how representative it is.

Yeah, I had no idea Sam was part Hispanic till I read the comic.

[Victorian Squid]

The thing is, it could be written in a lot of different ways. There are many different types of young Muslim women in America, and a good writer could imagine many different takes on that part of the character.

[bkthomson]

Wilson is a good writer and I think she can manage it, Squid.

[S.F. Jude Terror]

See, I think it's an interesting concept. I'm down to read something different. I will definitely check out this book.

But at the same time, anytime Marvel or DC do something "progressive," their horn-tooting about it makes it feel sleazy, and causes some of the backlash they get for this stuff.

Regardless of how good or bad this might be on its own, it's tainted somewhat by the fact that Marvel is doing it because they think it earns them some kind of diversity brownie points, because if that wasn't why they were doing it, they wouldn't make such a big deal out of it.

But the concept looks interesting and the art looks great, so I hope it escapes the stigma of "shoehorned diversity."

[Victorian Squid]

Wilson is a good writer and I think she can manage it, Squid.

Is there some kind of wall of bad communication here?

Sure, what I was saying is there are many approaches to writing a teen Muslim woman, all perfectly good. There's no prototypical "Young Muslim Female", the people I interact with are quite diverse. Universities are full of all sorts of young women from Islamic cultures, some are quite tied to that faith in their daily lives, some barely or not at all. Some families have lived here for generations, some are children of immigrants, some are converts, some are here just to go to school, they may come from backgrounds with varying degrees of freedom especially as young women, etc, etc.

I remember you're the guy who said there'd be no difference between writing a Peter Parker who was a straight teen and one who was a gay teen.

[Rockman]

It's modern day big two comic books expecting them to do something unique and different with this concept is like expecting a unicorn to show up to your daughter's birthday party. Punchy's right it will be used in the most stereotypical fashion possible or mostly ignored otherwise. Anyone expecting insights into the Muslim religion should probably head to their local library and check out a book or two.

[Spektre]

In the interest of fair & equal treatments, are we going to get skeevy upskirt shots & impossible poses that accentuate her butt & breastesis?

To Wonder Woman: You think the bustier and granny panties are impractical to fight in? Try this burka out!

[Spektre]

PS. If her last name is Khan, it's unlikely she is of Arabic descent.

She's Indian, Pakistani, or Persian descent. "Khan" was the title that the Mongol (Mughal) rulers of Persia and Indian subcontinent took.

If you have a last name of khan, it probably means an ancestor of yours worked for the Mughal imperial court or was descended from a Mughal family.

So, Kamala is not Arabic. Her name, as well, is Hindi-ish. Kamala means "aroma" or perfume.

I have been joking for years that they have retconned various characters into a "streetwise smart Indian girl". Looks like they were listening.

[Spektre]

Killed him. Took his identity.

He's a skrull!!

[Spektre]

In an early story arc, our new heroine learns she has the power of flight and seeks out Carol Danvers, her idol, to help train her to which she readily agrees...

...until she learns her protégé has no interest in learning how to land.

(Too soon?)

[S.F. Jude Terror]

[Victorian Squid]

[IvCNuB4]

It's no big deal, it's just the focus of the press release Marvel sent to every news outlet.

So they clearly think it's a big deal and want a cookie for it.

Yeah, it's 'Buxom Lipstick Lesbian' all over again.

No, it's not. I swear this has come up like a dozen times before.
DC never coined that phrase. It was the Media that referred to Batwoman that way.

[S.F. Jude Terror]