Geek Girl in Hollywood: Why Ms. Marvel needs her own show

Some people went to BBQs over the holiday weekend. Some went to the beach. I went to my local comic book store to load up on female superheroes. Okay, I went to a BBQ too, but I spent my time there talking about comic books, which will surprise no one.

I’ve been writing about the new crop of heroines (or new versions of older ones) for a while, but I haven’t had a chance to go deep into the stories. This week I got the “Ms. Marvel” trades. Not the old Ms. Marvel. The new one: Kamala Khan, created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona. She’s the first Muslim character to headline her own comic. Kamila discovers she has inhuman genes and can shapeshift. She’s a fangirl, naming herself after Carol Danvers, who is now Captain Marvel. She’s a teenager who’s dealing with real problems. She teams up with Wolverine. With all the superhero TV shows out there, there is a big, gaping hole and Kamala Khan should be the one to fill it.

There have been rumors about one — probably untrue, of course. There are also rumors about her showing up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As much as I’d love to see her on the big screen, I don’t think smashing her into a superhero film with a thousand others is going to do her justice.

In Ms. Marvel, we have a superhero similar in many ways to Peter Parker. She’s dealing with the things we’re all dealing with. Sibling rivalry. Parental issues. Boys. Appearance. Being different. I guess that’s part of the reason I want to see her on the small screen more than someone like Supergirl. I mean, she’s great. She’s also a stunning blond-haired alien with superpowers who totally fits in. Awkward job or not, she’s not that relatable. Kamala Khan is.

Marvel has a great crop of shows out there. “Daredevil” absolutely blew my mind. “A.K.A. Jessica Jones” is promising to be just as amazing. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” came back from its slump and now has scores of loyal fans. We have dark and gritty. We have dark and fascinating. I’m happy with all of it. I just wouldn’t mind seeing something different. Someone with a little light. Someone more like the rest of us.

Now, who should we cast?

Follow Jenna Busch on Twitter @jennabusch and visit her site, Legion of Leia