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A review by monitaroymohan
NYX (2024-) #1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Francesco Mortarino
1.0
What did I just read? Like, seriously. This book was infuriating. I don’t want to cast aspersions here, but did the creative team have anyone from marginalized communities informing or consulting them? Because this is trite bull crap. This is an insult, to the characters and the reader.
You don’t have to have read the Krakoa era to understand this comic, but what this comic is saying is… questionable. We see Kamala Khan, now a mutant, trying to navigate life as a hero and a student and a daughter. Peter Parker/Spider-Man has a similar story, but you don’t see people being condescending to him, do you? You don’t see other heroes telling him he’s not ready, that he’s not a hero because he needs to go to school, so why does Kamala have to face that crap? That too from Wolverine, seriously? And Sophie Cuckoo mocking Kamala for having a secret identity — to hell with that, Sophie has no family who will be in danger if people find out who she is, but Kamala does. What is the point of this subplot, other than to belittle the Pakistani-American teenaged hero?
Then we have David Alleyne/Prodigy, he’s a teacher at Kamala’s school, discussing Krakoa and mutants. And Sophie — white, blonde, skinny, cis, able-bodied, human-passing, every-privilege-possible for a woman, that Sophie — dares to accuse Prodigy that he’s a diversity hire? That he is a sellout because he is trying to share the lives and story of Krakoa and the mutants? Is this not the same as what the bigoted racist right-wingers in the US claim everytime stories of racism and slavery are brought up in schools? So we just erase the recent past and never learn empathy and understanding for a marginalized and demonized group? This is what Sophie wants, and she’s lecturing a Black mutant about this! You can tell people of colour didn’t write this book. I am outraged.
The main story leaves me equally enraged. Anole is a bartender and is getting harassed by bigots, so Kamala lashes out and hits them? How is that smart? The violence just adds to the reputation that mutants have, even though it’s not earned. Not saying she stands there and let’s Anole take it, but she can’t be hurt that badly, so she should have protected Anole. This wouldn’t change much, but at least mutants wouldn’t be banned from the club, meaning, Anole is probably now out of a job.
The new villains, who are giving mutants a bad name are actually also mutants? They’re basically the kid Hellfire Club? Ugh, I hate this thinking so much. Marvel loves doing this. Every storyline of theirs seems to be, it’s your own people causing the problems. The system isn’t the problem, you are. This is a terrible message, because, while there are bad eggs everywhere, and while some people choose violence to solve systemic issues, the system is still the problem, the main problem. So, when you point at yourselves, you’re letting the system and the people in power, off the hook, while beating those already ground down to dust.
This book was bad. Kamala deserves better. Even the art was too afraid to make her look Pakistani. This book is afraid, and I am appalled that Marvel has put this out there knowing people will want to read it because of the beloved lead character. It’s an insult to communities who are suffering so much injustice. I don’t know how it can get better.
You don’t have to have read the Krakoa era to understand this comic, but what this comic is saying is… questionable. We see Kamala Khan, now a mutant, trying to navigate life as a hero and a student and a daughter. Peter Parker/Spider-Man has a similar story, but you don’t see people being condescending to him, do you? You don’t see other heroes telling him he’s not ready, that he’s not a hero because he needs to go to school, so why does Kamala have to face that crap? That too from Wolverine, seriously? And Sophie Cuckoo mocking Kamala for having a secret identity — to hell with that, Sophie has no family who will be in danger if people find out who she is, but Kamala does. What is the point of this subplot, other than to belittle the Pakistani-American teenaged hero?
Then we have David Alleyne/Prodigy, he’s a teacher at Kamala’s school, discussing Krakoa and mutants. And Sophie — white, blonde, skinny, cis, able-bodied, human-passing, every-privilege-possible for a woman, that Sophie — dares to accuse Prodigy that he’s a diversity hire? That he is a sellout because he is trying to share the lives and story of Krakoa and the mutants? Is this not the same as what the bigoted racist right-wingers in the US claim everytime stories of racism and slavery are brought up in schools? So we just erase the recent past and never learn empathy and understanding for a marginalized and demonized group? This is what Sophie wants, and she’s lecturing a Black mutant about this! You can tell people of colour didn’t write this book. I am outraged.
The main story leaves me equally enraged. Anole is a bartender and is getting harassed by bigots, so Kamala lashes out and hits them? How is that smart? The violence just adds to the reputation that mutants have, even though it’s not earned. Not saying she stands there and let’s Anole take it, but she can’t be hurt that badly, so she should have protected Anole. This wouldn’t change much, but at least mutants wouldn’t be banned from the club, meaning, Anole is probably now out of a job.
The new villains, who are giving mutants a bad name are actually also mutants? They’re basically the kid Hellfire Club? Ugh, I hate this thinking so much. Marvel loves doing this. Every storyline of theirs seems to be, it’s your own people causing the problems. The system isn’t the problem, you are. This is a terrible message, because, while there are bad eggs everywhere, and while some people choose violence to solve systemic issues, the system is still the problem, the main problem. So, when you point at yourselves, you’re letting the system and the people in power, off the hook, while beating those already ground down to dust.
This book was bad. Kamala deserves better. Even the art was too afraid to make her look Pakistani. This book is afraid, and I am appalled that Marvel has put this out there knowing people will want to read it because of the beloved lead character. It’s an insult to communities who are suffering so much injustice. I don’t know how it can get better.