By Ariel Baska — Words matter. So too, does representation. From the first words of the introduction of from Nic Stone, the imperative of this week’s Marvel’s Voices - Legacy #1 is clear. Not simply to celebrate Black History Month, but to celebrate the Black experience, by lifting superheroes sky-high, and with them, all the children delighted to see representations of characters that look like them, families that sound like theirs, and a reality that comics can both reflect and transcend. At the same time, this issue elevates the audience as a whole, an audience of many colors and creeds that needs to know, unequivocally, that Black Lives Matter, on the page and off. 

So it is quite fitting, then, that the first story in this book from John Ridley and Olivier Coipel is titled, “Words Matter.” Featuring a young Miles Morales, he edits his own script  as he describes himself and his work as a superhero. This story is short, but cuts right to the heart of the book’s thesis statement. Representation that marginalizes is no representation at all, and when words seek to push you to the outer edges of your own narrative, it’s time to rewrite the story.

Mohale Mashigo and Chris Allen’s “Decompression,” on the other hand, is a story of Ironheart, Ms. Marvel, Shuri and their friendship, high-powered fights, but also the tremendous range of roles Black women can play. Subtle nods within the frames, like busts of historical figures looking on in the background, or Octavia Butler’s KindIred on the bookshelf, give the impression of the generations of excellence these women are descended from, and their tremendous multipotentiality.

In “Panic at the Supermarket” by Stephanie Williams and Natacha Bustos, the talented writer of one of my favorites of last year, Living Heroes (a bootleg mashup of the sitcom Living Single and X-men), lends comedy and love to the story of Monica Rambeau and her mother. I very much appreciated the inclusion of Black women’s stories in this book, but the strength and the invisible bonds between a mother and daughter were affecting, particularly coming from Williams, whose light and playful style makes the relationship more real. Who knew that placing Thor in the midst of some supermarket silliness would lend real pathos to the proceedings?

Tochi Onyebuchi and Ken Lashley tell the first story where the artwork is really given the space to shine. Domino’s night out gambling in “Good Luck Girl” works well as panels of threats build on top of one another. At the same time, Ken Lashley and Juan Fernandez work well in concert together making Domino gleam in all her monochromatic glory. 

“A Luta Continua” or “To the Ongoing Struggle” by Nnedi Okorafor and ChrisCross raises the level of sophistication of this book. She brings the story of Venom to Nigeria, and brings awareness to both the history of the End SARS protests there, and in so doing, points out how the twin causes of police brutality and government corruption affect black bodies the world over. The lens of the audience is off-kilter though, as if Venom is already there from the beginning, looking at odd angles at this story of perverted justice. By placing Venom at the center of this protest, and on the side of the people, within the story and the book, anything immediately becomes possible in the face of incredible odds. As portrayed by ChrisCross and Rachelle Rosenberg, the protests look all too recognizable, but the fantastical form of the symbiote is another form of powerful representation.

In “Night Time Bodega Run” by Danny Lore and Valentine de Landro, Blade helps the local community fight off older relatives who have turned into vampires. This story is expressionistically drawn by Valentine de Landro and colored effectively with a limited palette by Dan Brown. In some sense, this closing tale is an allegory of the younger generation that must choose whether or not to reject the older generation, as new information comes in, in the form of a wise old badass Black vampire. The parable is shockingly effective, however you choose to take it, and the epilogue provided by Angelique Roche rounds out this fitting end to this collection.

If I have a complaint with this comic, it’s that I want more of it. Nearly every story I read here felt like it could benefit from more — more room to breathe, more editorial support, more space to support the platform. It’s great that Marvel is including commonly-excluded voices here, but this inclusive effort should not be limited to just February. I would love for these tremendously talented creators to have the space to tell stories year-round. These legacies and these voices need to be celebrated and valued for their vitality and importance to the world as a whole.

We all must decide how we want to live going forward, and whose are the voices we will listen to, and what words we will use to describe our lives. Words matter, representation matters. The story is the thing that tells us who we are.

Overall: A fitting collection to celebrate storytelling and representation, that holds up the Black experience and wraps a blanket of context and love around the heroes of some of Marvel’s most beloved comics. 9/10

Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1

Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1
Writers: Ho Che Anderson, Danny Lore, Mohale Mashigo, Nnedi Okorafor, Tochi Onyebuchi, John Ridley, Stephanie Williams
Artists: Chris Allen, Olivier Coipel, ChrisCross, Valentine de Landro, Sean Damien Hill, Ken Lashley
Colorists: Dan Brown, Natacha Bustos, Juan Fernandez, Laura Martin, Rachelle Rosenberg, Le Beau Underwood
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN MIGHTY MARVEL STYLE!
Black Panther. Storm. Blade. Falcon. Ironheart. Luke Cage. Spectrum. And so many more. Marvel's incredible legacy of black heroes gets the star treatment in this action-packed special! New and established creators take on their favorite heroes in a dizzying array of stories designed to inspire and uplift! The Marvel's Voices program is your #1 stop for "the world outside your window" - don't sleep on this one!
Read It Digitally: Marvel’s Voices - Legacy #1 via comiXology
Read It In Print: Marvel’s Voices - Legacy #1 via Amazon

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Ariel Baska has had many past lives, but right now she’s hosting Ride the Omnibus, parked at the intersection of pop culture and social justice.