In print for the first time, fans can pick up Marvel’s Voices: Community today, which collects the two Community editions of the series plus Reptil #1. All told, there are over 20 stories with interviews, extra insight from creatives, and more. It’s a bonafide mixed media experience featuring a diverse group of creators, giving them the opportunity to tell stories using diverse characters in an anthology paired with interviews and more. It’s a celebration of not only comics, but culture as well.
There’s a lot to enjoy in this collection. Running over 184 pages, it’s a treasure trove of stories featuring often underused characters that continues the high bar set by the previous seven iterations of Marvel’s Voices. This book largely reads like a taste tester featuring characters that haven’t popped up for some time, giving characters like Ghost Rider a bit more focus than usual.
When it comes to the 2021 edition, there’s a reoccurring theme of one-page food-focused stories in this collection that are well done. Edgar Delgado tells a story about making tacos, Karla Pacheco and Vanesa R. Del Rey use Ghost Rider to talk about making tortillas, and Nico Leon and Felipe Sobreiro have Reptil make tamales. Sprinkled throughout the collection, these one-page stories utilize the title character well while reminding us food is an important feature of any culture.
There are quite a few stories here, and some will likely resonate with readers more than others. There’s a good variety as far as types of stories in part due to length since some tales are much shorter than others. In general, the art can feel a bit simpler, especially for superhero comics, but the art is never bad or half-baked. They aren’t all perfect either, with a story or two missing the mark or not quite capturing the heart and soul of a character.
There are standout stories aplenty, like Alex Segura and Alba Glez’s story “Homecoming” which features Sunspot taking out some racist goons. They connect with the character’s roots and personality well. Glez’s art captures Sunspot’s youthfulness and José Marzan Jr. supplies good inks with colors by Cris Peter. You can get a bit more insight into this story by reading the X-Men Monday that featured Segura.
Kicking off the 2022 edition is an introduction by Hector Navarro, who rose up in the ranks of Marvel Studios films like Iron Man 3, hosts the podcast El Rey Nation, and co-founded the famous YouTube channel Heroes Reforged. He relates how important Spider-Man was because you couldn’t see his skin tone–he could be anyone and any race under that mask–and how his pride and love of Marvel is similar to his pride in being Latino. It’s a good introduction that reminds us how vital representation means to kids and adults alike.
A dope opening story with Nova.
Credit: Marvel
Kicking off the comics portion of the stories is Fabian Nicieza and Paco Medina’s “A Small Mercy,” featuring Sam Alexander’s Nova. It’s a great opener and a good story in its own right. Nestled in the narrative is the concept of refugees being mistreated and not even heard. One can see the connection between this story and the American border with Mexico. Medina’s art carries a clean, appealing superhero look that makes it top-tier in quality. Walden Wong backs him up on inks with Ceci De La Cruz on colors, giving it a bright pop that only the Marvel cosmic universe can deliver.
Also collected here is Reptil #1 by Terry Blas and Enid Balám. The story follows Humberto Lopez who has powers activated by a Fossilized Amulet that allows him to change into prehistoric animals. It’s a charming first issue that leans into Humberto’s family as well as a new villain.
There are a lot more stories I haven’t touched upon, but know there’s a great mix here that the editors should be proud of curating. Ultimately this series realizes Marvel’s promise to show the world outside our window featuring important characters, and the future of comics through its creators. Marvel’s Voices: Community is exceptional at creating awareness of Latinx culture while connecting superheroes to real-life situations that involve racism, acceptance, and identity.
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