By Alex Thomas
[Editor's Note: Alex Thomas comes to us through his blog, Pipedream Comics. More like this article can be found on its website.]

Marvel unveil new Muslim-American Ms Marvel character as part of Marvel NOW

Marvel Comics are never ones to shy away from a ground-breaking storyline or character and this February they are set to continue that trend with the debut of an all-new, Muslim Ms. Marvel as part of the company’s next Marvel NOW! initiative.

Ms. Marvel will center on 16-year-old Kamala Khan, a Muslim-American teenager living in Jersey City, New Jersey. “At her core, Kamala is just a 16-year-old girl, exploring the many facets of her identity when she is suddenly bestowed with super-human powers that send her on the adventure of a lifetime,” says Marvel Comics Editor In Chief Axel Alonso.

Written by G. Willow Wilson (Air, Mystic, Alif The Unseen) whose writings about modern religion have appeared in the New York Times’ Magazine and The Atlantic with art from critically-acclaimed artist Adrian Alphona (Runaways, Uncanny X-Force) Ms. Marvel #1 blasts off this February and will be available via ComiXology and the Marvel Comics app!

Valiant to debut Unity crossover event

This week Valiant Comics are set to unveil their first epic crossover event with Unity #1 which sees a host of Valiant’s most powerful characters combine forces to take on the mighty X-O Manowar. One of the most critically acclaimed publishers on the market right now, Valiant Comics returned in 2011 resurrecting classic 90s characters like X-O Manowar, Harbinger and Ninjak for a 21st century audience.

Written by Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Justice League of America) with art from artist Doug Braithwaite (Justice, Journey into Mystery) Unity sees X-O Manowar (aka Aric of Daria) return to earth after conquering the evil Vine home world complete with the descendants of his visigoth tribe to set-up his own kingdom on earth. However Toyo Harada, the world’s most dangerous man, has other ideas and forms an elite group to take down the mighty X-O Manowar.

As with all Valiant Comics titles, each issue of Unity is available via ComiXology as an exclusive digital edition with exclusive bonus material.

By Saffron Sheri Alexander

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Naruto is one of the more popular manga series over here in the Western world. And I’m sad to say that after running for nearly 15 years, the story seems to be drawing to a close. The main villain has been defeated and as far as I can tell…that’s it folks. And I can’t help but feel severely under whelmed.

I’ve been following Naruto for about six years now, so it’s safe to say that I’ve become extremely attached to this blonde ninja with whiskers with a penchant for wearing bright orange clothes. I’ve become attached to all the characters actually, even the one’s I hate *glares at Sasuke*, so I always knew that when the manga finally came to a close I would feel kind of upset. But I expected it to be a satisfied sort of feeling of sadness. I expected to close the final volume of the manga with a teary smile, knowing that the characters I had come to love had gotten the story they deserved. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening as of lately.

By Alex Thomas
[Editor's Note: Alex Thomas comes to us through his blog, Pipedream Comics. More like this article can be found on its website.]

Marvel to launch new Daredevil Infinite Series in 2014 from Mark Waid

Marvel’s Infinite comics have gone from strength to strength in 2013 with titles like Wolverine: Japan’s Most Wanted, Ironman: Fatal Frontier and Guardians of the Galaxy. With big name creators like Brian Bendis, Kieron Gillen and Jonathan Hickman writing A-list characters, the Infinite comics are now much more than just a novelty. That trend is set to continue in 2014 with news that Mark Waid and Peter Krause are set to produce an Infinite version of Daredevil in the new year with the series Daredevil: Road Warrior.

Launching in February, Road Warrior is set to debut after the climactic events of Daredevil #36 which will see Waid’s run on the series come to an end. “Matt’s beginning a whole new chapter in his life following the events of Daredevil #36, and he’s excited but apprehensive at the same time,” Waid said in an interview with Marvel.com. “You can be a Man Without Fear and still be a little worried about where the next paycheck is coming from. Daredevil: Road Warrior is a coast-to-coast adventure/chase with thrills aplenty.”

Daredevil Road Warrior sees Waid unite on Daredevil with longtime collaborator Peter Krause with whom he produces the series Insufferable for Waid’s digital only imprint Thrillbent. With the wealth of experience that both men have in producing cutting edge digital comics this should be the first must-read digital comic of 2014.