Lately, comics leaks are inevitable—whether or not it’s a controlled media release forward of time or the sheer logistics of getting books in retailers’ and readers’ palms, it’s uncommon that the headline-grabbing twists of a big-two comedian make their approach to launch unrevealed. However an unprecedentedly early leak of a shock from Marvel has despatched the comics web right into a headspin.
Earlier at present, what look like closing pages from Amazing Spider-Man #26, the subsequent subject of the Zeb Wells/Jon Romita Jr. run on Marvel’s flagship Spider-Man ebook (due out in two weeks time on Could 31) hit social media. Though the photographs are relatively low quality—and one has had dialogue in its speech bubbles blurred to take away context—collectively they each reveal that the present arc of the story will see Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, die in Peter Parker’s arms.
Death is rarely shocking, neither is it everlasting in comics at this level—there’s a motive that for all of the splashy headlines an enormous title character biting it generate, the march of time and superhero logic alike typically signifies that deaths, especially the big heroic ones, are much more more likely to be overturned. Particularly so within the present world of Marvel Comics, the place Mutantkind has not solely learned how to cheat death by means of resurrection protocols, however is now, after that information got publicly revealed, providing that energy to the disenfranchised of the entire world, Mutant or in any other case. However killing Kamala Khan off seemingly out of nowhere is what has drawn specific shock and ire amongst readers.
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Even placing apart Kamala’s huge reputation apart—she is arguably probably the most profitable new character Marvel Comics has created within the twenty first century—her mainstream consciousness is bigger than ever due to the character’s transition to the world of the MCU, with Iman Vellani’s portrayal of Kamala within the Ms. Marvel Disney+ show and the upcoming team up film, The Marvels. Killing her at a time when an viewers magnitudes bigger than the common comics-reading viewers is within the character appears like a reasonably bizarre transfer from a advertising and marketing standpoint, particularly when that curiosity doubtless signifies that Kamala’s demise goes to be undone comparatively rapidly.
There’s additionally the far more murky optics of killing Kamala—Marvel’s most prominent South Asian character; alongside the likes of Miles Morales, its breakout teen character; and, in fact, a younger girl—as a part of Superb Spider-Man, to additional the story of Peter Parker. Optics which can be made all of the extra messier that Superb Spider-Man #26 is because of launch Could 31, on the climax of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Killing off such a distinguished and influentially consultant character in any respect, even quickly—not to mention not as a part of a publisher-wide occasion and even in her personal comedian, however as an alternative a ebook the place she is an rare supporting visitor character—is a transfer that’s simply as doubtless going to have followers reacting in anger as it’ll draw consideration by means of shock.
And that focus is seemingly precisely what Marvel desires to court docket, positivity or negativity be damned. As indignant followers reacted to the leak on social media at present—or bigots reveled in sexist and racist celebration—Marvel took the unprecedented transfer of addressing the leak formally. In a short tweet with an animated graphic of Superb Spider-Man #26’s cowl, the corporate merely acknowledged “Superb Spider-Man #26 spoilers are on-line. Keep away from the net (or don’t) at your individual danger.”
Hours later, Marvel formally acknowledged the express particulars, revealing that Kamala’s demise can be addressed in a follow-up one-shot subject known as Fallen Good friend: The Demise of Ms. Marvel—in fact, through a “managed” press reveal at Entertainment Weekly.
On the one hand, an informal strategy to the inevitability of main plot leaks is sort of refreshing. On the opposite, as beforehand talked about, a leak of this magnitude and potential for controversy, this far forward of publication—and seemingly from only a copy in somebody’s palms, slightly than a managed media unique or from the difficulty being shipped to retailers—is arguably extra surprising than the “shock” of the demise itself. Even when internally Marvel are doubtless nonetheless making an attempt to determine how this leak occurred, treating it from a public-presenting standpoint, particularly within the wake of a considerably aggrieved response to the information (“Amazing Spider-Man” and “Ms. Marvel” have been trending off-and-on on Twitter for a lot of the day), as an informal “see for your self or don’t” simply feels bizarre.
All that mentioned, there’s clearly lots of context lacking from the circumstances surrounding this second in Superb Spider-Man’s present story. We don’t understand how and why Kamala perishes, and we don’t know the affect, however we are able to make a reasonably educated guess, how and when she’ll return. In a world the place Mutants have cheated demise—and the place on screens massive and small Kamala is now not an Inhuman as she is within the comics, but a Mutant with related however nonetheless very different powers—there’s a definite risk that not solely will Krakoa present the trail to Kamala’s return, however, maybe much more controversially present a path to re-aligning the comics character along with her adaptation. On that entrance no less than, it’s price noting that thus far within the comics Krakoan resurrection has merely not worked like that, whether or not it’s used on Mutants or in any other case (at most it has enhanced a Mutant’s already established abilities, not radically overhauled them, however! A dialog and controversy for one more time).
The purpose is, we at present don’t know something concerning the specific route of this plot level past Kamala’s seeming demise. We’ll have to attend and see, as we doubtless gained’t get the total story on Could 31 both—however both method, Marvel is about to actually take a look at if any publicity actually is nice publicity.
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