Ms. Marvel Volume 6: Civil War II by G. Willow Wilson

Summary from Goodreads:

While CIVIL WAR II brews, the next generation of Avengers has bigger things to worry about - like a tri-state academic competition! As rival schools clash, Ms. Marvel's teammates Spider-Man and Nova are now her enemies! But when Kamala gets called to the real battle's front line, she faces a fight she can't embiggen her way out of. She's about to learn a valuable lesson: Never meet your idols! As war intensifies, tragedy strikes too close to home - and Ms. Marvel must choose between her heroes and her family. When friends become foes, Ms. Marvel struggles to put her life and Jersey City back together. Kamala will be forced to grow up fast and find her true place in the world. But will she be an international sensation...or a menace?

Review:

Everyone needs to read these. Seriously, it is so simple. Go to the library.  Pick them all up. There are 6 volumes now. They’re all super short, fast paced, and un-put-downable. This is one of those crazy cool examples of comic books imititating real life. Nothing pleases me more than getting this perspective of a teen Muslim girl/world saver. I need more girl heroes like Kamala. The world needs more girl heroes like Kamala.

Sometimes, having a little background knowledge of other heroes comes in handy. This one is clearly connected to a certain Captain America story arc. It’s tying in to the current Avengers storyline (Spider-Man has a cameo in the science competition!) But, you also don’t need to know all that stuff. Really, what it comes down to is a Muslim teen nerd saving the world.

There are 3 great things about this particular installment. 1) The ties in to current politics. 2) Kamala as a character, learning that the right thing isn’t always clear and sometimes you need to chose the wrong decision to learn what the right one is. And 3) All the pieces/flashbacks of Kamala’s family’s history in Pakistan. I have to admit my knowledge on the history of Pakistan is rather limited. But this section was by far my favorite. The journeys and stories of Kamala’s immigrant mother and grandmother were so strong and powerful. You don’t need a cape to do something heroic.

This of course then ties in to what is happening right now with immigration in this country, with a certain travel ban (that currently does not include Pakistan). And I can’t help but make comparisons to current day immigrants, refugees, and people who want to come to America for a chance at a better life.

There’s also a huge chunk of this installment that deals with Kamala figuring out who to listen to: her friends and steadfast allies/sidekicks or her role model/hero, Captain Marvel. Kamala knows when she makes the wrong decision and tries to fix things, but life isn’t always easy and some times good people get hurt. The whole thing ends with Kamala visiting family in Pakistan and learning another important lesson: not to judge things in new places too quickly.

This is one of my favorite installments of this comic. The lessons and connections are so much stronger than before. The character development and the family history really stood out for me. I loved learning about Pakistan. I loved the ever-present inner struggle Kamala has with her religious family and background meshing with her super hero calling.

And like I said, more and more people need to read this! If you like comics, graphic novels, girl heroes, strong girl main characters who can kick serious butt, any Marvel movie…I can almost guarantee your love for this. I give it a 10/10.