REVIEW: ‘Marvel’s Voices: Legacy,’ Issue #1

Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1 is an anthology one-shot published by Marvel Comics that places the spotlight on several of its Black heroes, in honor of Black History Month. Most importantly, each story in the one-shot features a creative team with Black writers and artists.

The one-shot consists of six different stories, each focused on a different hero. “Words Do Matter” features Miles Morales and is written by John Ridley, illustrated by Olivier Coipel, and colored by Laura Martin; “Panic At The Supermarket” features Monica Rambeau and is written by Stephanie Williams, illustrated by Natacha Bustos, and colored by Rachelle Rosenberg; “Decompression” features Ironheart and is written by Mohale Mashigo, illustrated by Chris Allen and colored by Rosenberg; “Good Luck Girl” features Domino and is written by Tochi Onyebuchi, illustrated by Ken Lashley, and colored by Juan Fernandez; “A Luta Continua” takes place in the Venomverse and is written by Nneedi Okorafor and illustrated by ChrisCross with colors by Rosenberg; and finally “Nighttime Bodega Run” focuses on Blade and is written by Danny Lore and illustrated by Valentine De Landro, with colors by Dan Brown.

Of all the stories, “Words Do Matter” hit me right in my heart and made me to shed tears. I’ve spoken at length about how much Miles meant to me as a fan of Spider-Man and as a Black comic reader, and Ridley and Coipel perfectly capture in three pages why he is such an important character. Ridley is no stranger to tackling heroic legacies, having written The Next Batman for DC while Coipel has illustrated multiple Spider-Men in the original “Spider-Verse” storyline. Together, they’re the perfect fit for Miles and I wouldn’t mind seeing them tackling more Miles stories.

The other standouts are “Panic At The Supermarket” and “Midnight Bodega Run.” Admittedly, I never get tired of seeing Blade staking vampires, but Lore and De Landro inject their story with a vibe that’s similar to Vampires in the Bronx and it rules, especially since that film made a reference to the first Blade movie.

“Panic At The Supermarket” is a welcome slice-of-life comic, with Williams perfectly capturing the relationship between Monica and her mother Maria. It’s also fun to see Thor and She-Hulk along for the ride, and their reactions to something as simple as a grocery run was charming to see. Bustos also has an animated vibe to her art that felt like I was watching a cartoon short, especially when Monica shifts into her electromagnetic form and zips around the store.

Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1 is a love letter to Black heroes, as well as Black comic book readers. If you have a favorite Black hero, chances are they’re represented in this one-shot. It is a must-read, not only for Black History Month but for all comic fans. Hopefully we continue to see more one-shots like this in Marvel’s future for other characters and creators of marginalized identities.

Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1 is available wherever comics are sold.