Featuring 99 islamic superheroes who join forces from all over the world, it quickly became immensely popular, spawning an animated tv series, theme park, and movie. Willow wilson, an author, comic book writer and convert to islam, about their idea, she was eager to come on board as the series writer. Abdul basit ahmad i wish most muslims were as logical as you are. Mar 19, 2020 kamala khan, who debuted to instant acclaim in 2014, was marvels first muslim hero to headline her own book. Marvel and dcs muslim superheroes shatter stereotypes.
Marvel comics introducing a muslim girl superhero the new. Muslim comic book heroes inspired by allah abc news. The characters are sorted by the comics publishing house where they originated. Kamala khan is a fictional superhero appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. Buraaq has the powers of flight, super strength, and the ability to control the elements. Muhammad wished to find the true religious path to allah, god. Religion doesnt often play a major role in comic books, but having a diverse range of representation can often help people relate better too and take more from comics. Sign up to get your free e book by submitting your email, you agree to share your email address with us to receive marketing, updates, and other emails. This essay revisits this discourse and ex amines the ways in which arabs and muslims have been portrayed in the most american of all genresthe superhero comic booksince the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001. Michigan teens pen book on muslim women who are reallife heroes to empower girls bisma parvez, detroit free press published 6. The following is a mixed list of fictional west asian, middle eastern, arab, jewish, turkish, persian, israeli, and north african superheroes.
Trust us, shes not your typical 16yearold superhero from new jersey. In 2006, kuwaiti comics publisher teshkeel media premiered the 99. Oct, 2011 kuwaiti psychologist launches muslim comic book series with superheroes based on 99 virtues of allah but runs into resistance from muslims and other issues. Dc comics superman, batman and wonder woman are joining forces with islamicinspired superheroes the 99 this week. Amid growing demand, the muslim and arab world has begun constructing more of its own comic superheroes. Nightrunner is a fictional character created by david hine and kyle higgins for publisher dc comics. Muhammad would retreat to a cave in the mountains outside mecca to pray and meditate to become closer to god. Doctor fate two incarnations of the character, khalid benhassin and khalid nassour, are of egyptian descent. Mar 24, 2015 black heroes, latino heroes, muslim heroes, women heroes the new face of comics dont only appeal to the aging, primarilywhite male comic book base. Kamala khan, a muslim teenager from new jersey, is the latest comic book superhero to take up the ms. Nov, 20 kamala joins a small but growing number of muslim comic book superheroes. The xmen went from forgotten heroes in the 70s, to being topdog in the 90s. Michigan sisters pen book on muslim women who are real. Kamala khan, who debuted to instant acclaim in 2014, was marvels first muslim hero to headline her own book.
The comic book heroes begins with that first issue of the flash, an event that would alter american pop culture forever. The text and brackets below provided courtesy of a. The roster of muslim superheroes in the comic book medium has grown over the years, as has the complexity of their depictions. There is a long tradition of comic book characters. Nov 11, 20 marvel comics announced this week a new superhero comic book featuring kamala khan. The muslims is a muslim comic book meant to inspire your kids by teaching them islamic lessons in a relatable way. Muslim superheroes tracks the initial absence, reluctant inclusion, tokenistic employment, and then nuanced scripting of islamic protagonists in the american superhero comic book market and beyond this scholarly anthology investigates the ways in which muslim. It is an important book in providing the background details of the industry and also in its portraits of the creators of the various comic books. Kamala joins a small but growing number of muslim comic book superheroes. Khalid was dcs first muslim hero to headline his own book.
Nov 29, 20 and even though there have been a variety of muslim characters in comic book history before, ms. Northstar is probably the most wellknown homosexual character to comic fans because he was the first openlygay superhero. Marvel comics introducing a muslim girl superhero the. Nov 11, 20 re shes mighty, muslim and leaping off the page arts pages, nov. Originally introduced in a 2011 comic book series published by split moon arts, buraaq was created by adil imitaz and kamil imtiaz in order to combat the negative stereotypes of muslims. Black heroes, latino heroes, muslim heroes, women heroes the new face of comics dont only appeal to the aging, primarilywhite male comic book base. Sign up to get your free ebook by submitting your email, you agree to share your email address with us to receive marketing, updates, and other emails. Muhammad was a merchant living in mecca in what is now saudi arabia when he communed with god. Ramzi, a scholar and social activist, the 99 youngsters some of them. Nov 06, 2015 nightrunner is a fictional character created by david hine and kyle higgins for publisher dc comics. Comic book heroes westfield chermside, chermside, queensland 4032 rated 4. Muslim characters list of muslim comic book characters help me fill it out if you can list items. Mar 18, 20 muslim comic book superheroes tournament marvel editors note. Saudi arabias comic book fatwa no joke the president should confront saudi leaders over the ludicrous fatwa against the 99, a groundbreaking muslim superhero comic.
When obama made his seminal speech in cairo in june 2009, reaching out to the muslim world, almutawa decided to mark that moment in comic book terms by having the 99 work with superheroes from. Gerard jones and will jacobs have written a wonderful history of comic book heroes from the silver age late 50s to the present mid90s. Created by editors sana amanat and stephen wacker, writer g. Superheroes for the muslim world may 15, 2007 are comic book superheroes compatible with islamic culture.
Kuwaiti psychologist launches muslim comic book series with superheroes based on 99 virtues of allah but runs into resistance from muslims and other issues. As a muslim american and an avid comic book guy, i applaud marvel for creating a muslim heroine, code name ms. Appears in a selftitled series published by adam comics in 2018. Jul 10, 2017 the roster of muslim superheroes in the comic book medium has grown over the years, as has the complexity of their depictions. Re shes mighty, muslim and leaping off the page arts pages, nov. We chatted with some muslim comics fans to see what it might augur for future. Four years later, it even got an official crossover with dc comics, in issues featuring batman, superman, and wonder woman. The rise of the comic book in the middle east middle. Within the marvel universe, khan is a teenage pakistani american f. Mar 17, 2017 heroes rise and fall in popularity, where the fantastic four once ruled comic book sales in the 60s, they now face obscurity postcancellation. Muslim comic book superheroes tournament marvel editors note. Comic book muslim superheroes are as much markers of religious identity, as quranic verses or prescriptive hadith. Apr, 2010 the 99, as almutawa named his creation, has everything a good comic book needsevil in the world and superheroes to fight it.
It isexcept that danas character is part of the first graphicnovel series starring superheroes gifted with muslim traits and virtues. Marvel and dcs muslim superheroes shatter stereotypes the. Its the story both of the superheroes and their alltoohuman creators. Jul 12, 2017 saudi arabias comic book fatwa no joke the president should confront saudi leaders over the ludicrous fatwa against the 99, a groundbreaking muslim superhero comic. Unlike most comics, however, its stories are told in an islamic context.
Shortly after 911, marvel introduced the burqa clad sooraya qadir, who has the ability to transform into sand. Marvel comicbook series features a muslim teenager as the title character. He is a college educator and religious studies scholar and coeditor of graven images. And even though there have been a variety of muslim characters in comic book history before, ms. Iman the adventures of iman, a muslim girlhero who uses faith as the source of her power zahra the shadow flame, a teenage girl living in united arabia with fire powers. An editorial article in the washington times discussing marvels latest muslim superheroine claimed that the comic book industry was promoting eerie lifestyles such as gay and interracial. Muslim superheroes tracks the initial absence, reluctant inclusion, tokenistic employment, and then nuanced scripting of islamic protagonists in the american superhero comic book market and beyond. Carole cadwalladr meets their creator, dr naif almutawa. Aug 26, 2014 good or bad depends on your perspective. Willow wilson, and artists adrian alphona and jamie mckelvie, khan is marvels first muslim character to headline her own comic book. Marvels muslim heritage was chosen as a reflection of what the mainstream culture is interested in, hunter said, tapping into a new market of readers. Naif almutawa, mba 03, teshkeels founder and ceo, returned to campus on may 15, 2007. Kuwaitbased teshkeel media group has attempted to answer this question by creating comic books infused with islam.
From the avuncular chipmunk, julius schwartz, to todd mcfarlane and his bloody spawn, the writers, artists, and editors have cast the heroes for generations of american kids in the mold of their own. Well, arguablygreen lantern simon baz debuted in 2012, but didnt really coheadline a book until the 2016 green lanterns series. A new comic book featuring superheroes drawn from the 99 names of allah has been launched in indonesia. Willow wilson, a comic book writer in seattle who converted to islam 10 years ago. Nov 12, 20 kamala khan, a muslim teenager from new jersey, is the latest comic book superhero to take up the ms. Muslim superheroes, villains, other comic book characters.
Muslim comic book superheroes tournament marvel huffpost. Comic books and graphic novels are covering more ground than ever, and that includes religion. The 99, as almutawa named his creation, has everything a good comic book needsevil in the world and superheroes to fight it. The 99, naif al mutawa and islamic superheroes cnn. Marvel, in mind, i focus on the ways muslims have been constructed as heroes in comic books and how that works to shape their religious identity for a popular audience. In some cases, they portrayed it incorrectly by suggesting it could be contracted by being scratched by someone who had it, while in other. Muhammad is the central prophet of the muslim faith and author of the quran. Muslim children love the 99 comics, but hardliners loathe their creator whose trial for heresy is looming. As a muslim american and an avid comic book guy, i applaud marvel for creating a. Muslim comic book excerpts number of characters in this sublist. Oct 23, 2010 dc comics superman, batman and wonder woman are joining forces with islamicinspired superheroes the 99 this week. Although the book begins in th century baghdad, its kuwaitiborn creator naif mutawa says. Naif almutawa decided to create islamic superheroes.