The ‘Ms. Marvel’ Tumblr: An Inside Look At One Of The Most Important Books Of The Year

Next month Marvel will release the much anticipated Ms. Marvel #1, the new series from creators G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, and edited by Sana Amanat. It is a rarity in the industry: you can practically count on one hand the number of titles published at Marvel and DC combined that have starred a woman of color. Further, the new Ms. Marvel -- Kamala Khan -- is a Muslim Pakistani-American teenager, the first Muslim character to star in a monthly solo series at Marvel. As such, the title has received significant attention, and rightfully so; it's obviously early in the year, but it's no stretch to say that this may be the most important comic published in 2014.

And if not the most important, so far I'd say it's the most anticipated. Before the first issue has even hit stands, it has already received the type of media attention seldom afforded a super hero comic, and that type of attention breeds curiosity. With that in mind, Amanat has set up the Ms. Marvel tumblr, which gives people looking forward to the title a peek behind the curtain at the process of putting the book together, as well as explaining a few things you may have missed.

The tumblr not only gives you an early look at some upcoming pages of art, but it also explains a few artistic decisions you may not have noticed. For example, the first entry featured the cover to issue #1, along with a few notes about the thought process behind it:

The album cover seen round the world.

Art by Sara Pichelli, colors by Justin Ponsor.

The idea behind this image was to relay the mystery and the allure of the new Ms. Marvel, while capturing the many aspects of Kamala’s life. Note the bracelet with her name written in Arabic, while the scarf around her neck is representative of her culture and faith.

Between notes, along with sketches and process pieces by Alphonsa, cover art for future issues by Jamie McKelvie and more, the tumblr offers fans a unique look at a unique series, one that might be the most important of the year.

For more, check out the Ms. Marvel tumblr page.