It was bound to happen that Marvel’s Voices, Marvel’s primo anthology series that features emerging talent celebrating diversity and different walks of life, would get an X-Men edition. One of if not the most important representation that often serves as a metaphor against discrimination. It’s about time. Running 50 pages long, Marvel’s Voices: X-Men #1 features six stories, extra features like interviews, and more!
For more on Marvel’s Voices: X-Men, read X-Men Monday!
This collection has a lot to love, starting with Vita Ayala’s heartfelt and inspiring introduction. Connecting with their childhood, we get a sense of how impactful X-Men was on their lives and its importance in comics and pop culture. It’s a reminder that comics matter largely because they reflect the people that read them, especially at Marvel Comics, where the credo “the world outside your window” is taken seriously.
Angélique Roché continues to bring insightful interviews to Marvel’s Voices line, and this time she’s interviewing Whilce Portacio. The co-creator of Bishop among other things, the questions are good and the answers genuine. It’s a meaty interview that’s well worth a read. Carving out the extras is a nice insight from the creators on what the X-Men and mutants mean to them. Don’t skip it!
The first story in this collection is “The Stolen Night” by Raphael Draccon and Carolina Munhóz featuring Gambit and Rogue. This story has a pretty great fight sequence for Gambit, an epic reveal of Manacle on one page, and some cool power effects from color artist Michael Wiggam with inks by Jethro Morales. The story is simple enough, with a romantic edge that calls back to a specific moment Gambit and Rogue shared. It’s a good one for longtime fans.
Following this is “Team-Building Terrors” by Srah Kuhn and Jorge Corona which has Jean Grey and Emma Frost checking out an amusement park. Kuhn highlights the empowering nature of both heroes, who start things off with a bit of competition until a villain pops up. Corona’s art is super fun and leans into the wacky nature of the park and the villain. Fans of both heroes will love what Kuhn does with them.
Solem’s backstory is revealed in this tale.
Credit: Marvel
“The Man with No Shame” by Al Ewing and Gustaffo Vargas takes place during Pride on Earth, and Arrakko mutant Solem questions it. Kobak mentions on Arrakko, it wasn’t about who a mutant loved but how they could fight. This kicks off Solem’s story of how he was imprisoned, and it was due to a lover who felt spurned. As someone who wishes we’d get more Solem stories, this was a revealing one that ended in an intriguing way. To see two Arrakki mutants seemingly about to fight only to be flirting the whole time is a nice representation of the warring culture of the Arrakki.
“Cryo-Therapy” by Jay Jurden and Witlon Santos is a nice fight comic that creates creative ways for Iceman and Storm to fight each other. The dialogue reminds us their abilities are not unlike each other and Iceman even admits he was a bit jealous of Storm when she came onto the scene. This leads to a nice bar scene with Storm admitting something to Iceman, and it ends in a nice endearing sort of way. These guys are family, after all. They were fighting for fun and clearly have a history.
Creative fight moves are aflutter in this tale.
Credit: Marvel
Next, Greg Pak and Daniel Bayliss feature Jubilee in “Hollywood Ending.” Yuriko is taking her to the mall Jubilee used to hang out in, but there’s a surprise waiting for her. It’s fun fight comics stuff, but at its core, it’s also about forgiving and forgetting so we can move on. A nice moment, especially for a usually venomous and warring type like Yuriko.
Jay Edidin and Nina Vakueva take on Mystique and Destiny in “Evil Mutants.” The two discuss their pasts and where they feel most comfortable. The story reaffirms these two are lovers that deeply understand each other, and their home is with each other, nowhere else. Edidin’s use of the word “passing” is also moving, and many will connect with this story after reading it. Vakueva’s brief montage of how Mystique and Destiny couldn’t be their true selves, not even accounting for being mutants, is well done as well.
Closing out the stories is “Through the Years” by Jan Bazaldua and Marcelo Costa. This story recounts moments in X-Men history via a scrapbook. Xavier is thinking about how they got here and their past antics. It’s a nice way to wrap up the collection as it revisits key moments while celebrating in a meaningful way the deep history of the X-Men.
I sound like a broken record, but Marvel’s Voices continues to shine with the X-Men in deeper in this edition. Each story brings a little something, be it fun, adventure, or meaningful reflection. Marvel Comics represents the world outside our windows, and Marvel’s Voices: X-Men continues to feature an important and historically ignored corner of it.
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