MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY- Marvel’s Voices: Legacy (2022) #1 REVIEW

I just really want everybody to take time and give this special comic book a good read! This week, I’ll be departing from my usual line-up of reviews. This time around, I will jump from the usual series that I cover and focus on a very special and meaningful issue that Marvel is gifting us readers all around the world. This one has a nice treat for Spider-Man fans. And next month, a “Women of Marvel” Special will be released as well, and it looks like it will be starring Black Cat.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

Published:

February 16, 2022

Writer:

Natacha Bustos, Victor Lavalle, Cody Ziglar

Penciler:

Natacha Bustos

Cover Artist:

Chris Cross

WE’VE DONE IT AGAIN! ANOTHER STAR-PACKED VOICES SPECIAL GRACES THE STANDS FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH! Stormbreaker Natacha Bustos makes her writing debut with a gorgeous tale of Wakanda! Superstar novelist Victor LaValle writes Moon Girl like you’ve never seen her before! Jessica Jones and Cloak & Dagger TV writer J. Holtham explores the legacy of Sam Wilson, Captain America! Amazing Spider-Man scribe Cody Ziglar visits Marvel’s black heroes through the ages in a celebration highlighting Luke Cage’s 50th Anniversary! And there’s so much more to come, including an incredible lineup of new and established artists. Marvel’s Voices is the program for every fan – don’t let this one pass you by!

ASSEMBLE!!! AND YEAH, YOU TOO, SPIDER-MAN!

PROS:

• The short story that features Spider-Man and Starling is nothing ground-breaking or life-changing, and maybe that is exactly the kind of story we sometimes need, as fans. The topic of it all is still very relevant, and the central theme is still great power and great responsibility. But the favorite catchphrase is dealt with in a somewhat lighter, funnier manner, with Spider-Man and Starling making a bet on whoever can reach the Baxter Building faster. Miles has a mental run-through of what it truly means to be responsible with the power that one is given, only to come to the conclusion that by going along with the bet means that he will support a small business by buying dinner… which is a form of responsibility. I can ride on that logic, that works for me!
• I always enjoy stories where the heroes learn or remember how to have fun. Starling teases Miles that all his time with the Avengers has made him boring, and this is actually a good reminder for us all to not take life so seriously all the time. It is also a wake-up call to just go out there, have fun with your friends, celebrate life, love and family.
• I really enjoyed reading the introduction by Karama Horne, a culture journalist, content creator, blerd and professional geek. You’ll find her work at SYFYWIRE, the Nerdist, Rotten Tomatoes and many others. She talked about how it wasn’t until high school, when someone showed her Spider-Man Annual #16, and her eyes opened to the diversity of the larger superhero universe. She said that the particular comic was special because Monica Rambeau, Captain Marvel at that time, was the hero featured on the cover. She explained “I was stunned, seeing this Black woman, someone who looked like me, not just in a comic but also on the cover of one.” She went on to describe how she questioned why she never had heard of her, were there more characters like her, and such, before she was rudely interrupted by her classmate grabbing the comic back and saying she is not a “real Spider-Man fan” anyway. And years later… now she is hugely successful and literally THE introduction for a very special comic book… her classmate must regret all that attitude as we speak. It was amazing to learn that a Spider-Man comic is what triggered her interest in comic books and its diversity… and now we have come a long way as Marvel’s Voices aims to paint the full picture of diversity of the Marvel Universe. The comic also provided very interesting history lessons along the way!

CONS:

• Without giving too much of a spoiler, the major con for us Spider-Man fans is that our favorite wall-crawlin’, web-slingin’, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man only gets a really small and tiny portion of the entire volume. It is a cute, little story, but way too short for my taste, especially given the length of the issue and the impression Marvel gave that Spider-Man will be getting a meatier story.

FINAL GRADE: A

Like I said earlier, this may not be the normal review that I do, considering the most recent series that I have been covering, but I just wanted to spread the love and the good word about this impactful comic being brought to us by Marvel. Which of the many stories in this one was your favorite? Let me know in the comments!