Marvel Comics announced a new Ms. Marvel today: the teenage shape-shifter Kamala Khan. She will star in her own series starting up next year, exploring the life of a teenage Muslim superhero living in New Jersey. I would like to say we live in a world where this sort of announcement would be beloved by all, but we don’t, but to hell with those people. This is awesome news.

She’s also got a good fashion sense

As detailed in an article today in the New York Times, Kamala Khan is a teenage girl growing up in New Jersey who is not only both Muslim and Pakistani, but is also a huge fan of the superheroine Captain Marvel. When Kamala discovers her own super-powers – which include being able to change her shape – Kamala decides to become a hero, and she decides to use Captain Marvel’s old superhero name, Ms. Marvel.

The comic will be written by G. Willow Wilson, herself a convert to Islam, with art by Adrian Alphona. I’m not familiar with either of their work, other than Alphona’s brief run on Runaways. Either way, I’m definitely picking up this series.

“This is not evangelism,” Ms. Wilson said. “It was really important for me to portray Kamala as someone who is struggling with her faith.” The series, Ms. Wilson said, would deal with how familial and religious edicts mesh with super-heroics, which sometimes require rules to be broken.

Sounds good to me! I fully support and look forward to any and all attempts to make a more diverse superhero lineup. Though, of course, it’s not just going to be about growing up as a Muslim-American. Wilson told the Times that she wants to focus on the general experience of growing up a teenager. This one just happens to be Muslim and have super-powers.

Though I’m not sure what’s up with the porcupine with Hulk Hands