It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted anything, but this week’s post was a bigger project than others. Free Comic Book Day was May 6th and for the last week or so, I’ve been reading and reviewing some of the comics I picked up. I only did three of them, so if you want a part two, please be sure to let me know. You can most easily reach me on Twitter or Instagram, plus there’s some extra content on there!
Marvel’s Voices #1
Marvel’s Voices is a collection of stories from the different Voices comics. If you enjoy any of these, you should check out the full comics! They also have great stories about different communities in our world, so be sure to check them out if that interests you.
“Bad Chemistry”
By: John Jennings, Paris Alleyne, Erick Arciniega
This story is original to this issue and takes place in Chicago, Illinois. It tells the battle of the hero, Ironheart, and villain, Khem. Ironheart sort of reminds me of Iron Man. She has an armored suit that looks similar to his with a voice-activated mask, except hers is called N.A.T.A.L.I.E., not J.A.R.V.I.S. Khem has a bunch of different powers, including being able to shoot poison gas from her suit and being able to turn water into gold. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, where Ironheart goes off to continue fighting Khem, but we don’t get the rest of the story. Overall, this is pretty well-rounded for a short story. We are introduced to the new characters and their abilities and see them fight, and I’m sure we’ll see a continuation of their story in future issues of these comics.
“The Tuurngait’s Song”
From Marvel’s Voices: Heritage (2021) #1
By: Nyla Innuksuk, Natasha Donovan, Rachelle Rosenberg
The second story in this book is much shorter. It takes place in Nunavut, which is a northern Canadian territory. This story tells of the Qalupalik, which are sea witches who hide under the ice and kidnap children who get too close. Recently, the Qalupalik have been coming closer and it’s up to Amka Aliyak to help. Amka is already a superhero, but one of the elders, Rosetina, empowers her to seek guidance from the Tuurngait. Tuurngait are spirits that guide and help people of the Inuit religion, which is the religion of Amka and her village. When she meets the Tuurngait, Amka realizes she is stronger when she remembers the traditions that came before her. In the end, the Tuurngait descend from their mountain and help banish the Qalupalik. This story is also pretty well-rounded, although it does move at a relatively quick pace. The story could definitely be expanded, but I think the version in this issue is perfect for a compilation of short stories.
I Am Stan
This comic gives us a look into what it was probably like at Marvel Studios back when Stan Lee was just another employee there. It shows how he and others came up with the characters we all know and love, like The Hulk, Thor, and Spiderman. This comic is just an excerpt from the full book, which comes out on September 12. Overall, I think this is a fun way to get to know the man who arguably built the Marvel Universe. I would definitely recommend checking out the full book if you’re interested in learning more about Stan Lee.
Judgement Day
In Judgement Day, the stage is set for Judgement Day. The epic event will put the Avengers, the X-Men and the Eternals on a collision course as a war brews between two of the three powerhouse factions. The two pages at the beginning show the ancient origin of the conflict between the X-Men and the Eternals, as well as the Avengers’ longstanding role in it. Judgement Day also contains “Let’s Talk About Krakoa,” a short story from writer Gerry Duggan and artist Matteo Lolli that will lead right into this year’s Hellfire Gala. Across this preview’s two pages, X-Men villain Moira MacTaggert explains how Krakoa came to be, her role in it, and her sinister intentions for it – just before she promises to stoke the flames of war between the mutants and mankind.
While these are just previews, they’re still super interesting. The preview of “Judgement Day” gives a lot of background, which is good for newcomers who know a little, but want a deeper dive into the lore of the MCU. This one is from 2022, so you may not have come across it at your local comic shop. If you found this one interesting, I encourage you to check out the full comics!
Casual Comics Guy 
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