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A continuation of the Marvel’s Voices series, “Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1” kicks off new stories featuring characters of Indigenous ancestry.
Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1 is a continuation of the Marvel’s Voices series, most specifically Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices series, which debuted in 2020. Spotlighting heroes of Indigenous descent, Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1 is another solid entry in this ongoing series.
Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1 features several of Marvel’s Indigenous heroes — the supersoldier American Evil, the troubled young medium River who communicates with ghosts, and the ethereal mystic Snowguard. The short stories tailor the character’s superpowers, personality, and place in the world, into witty tales with the signature quippy dialogue and fast pace of Marvel Comics. However, there is a lot to love in Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1 beyond the action-packed scenes so emblematic of the Marvel Universe. Indigenous folklore, mythology, and tradition factor strongly in these stories.
Each story in Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1 has a specific flair and genre focus that suits its featured hero. “Snowguard: The Tuurngait’s Song,” written by Nyla Innuksuk, is a fantasy epic that puts Arctic mythology front and center — including the creepy child-napping Qualupalik sea witches, the mystical anthropomorphic spirits called the Tuurngait, and Amka’s lineage as a shaman. Its fantastical tone is enhanced by artist Natasha Donovan’s gentle linework and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg’s dreamy, ethereal palette choice.
“River: A Friend In Need,” by powerhouse writer Rebecca Roanhorse, is a tragic, creepy horror story that’s rife with paranormal antics and drama. The story focuses on a troubled child hero who sees ghosts and his malevolent but charming spirit companion who has a “special” way of doing him favors. In contrast to the previous tale, this story features darker, lurid lines and black placements from artists Shaun Beyale and Belardino Brabo. The story’s colors, courtesy of Morry Hollowell, wouldn’t look out of place in Donnie Darko.
Out of this impressive crop of stories, “American Eagle: Not Dead Yet,” written by Steve Paul Judd, and grittily brought to life by artists David Cutler and José Marzan Jr. and colorist Paris Alleyne, is the strongest. The story stars an aged American Eagle in a shockingly low-tech future and addresses contemporary themes surrounding Native American cultures. However, American Eagle’s story — grappling with aging and losing strength, power, and relevance — is heartfelt. It has the benefit of being longer than the rest of the entries, giving readers a bigger glimpse at this hero, his personality, his abilities, and his bittersweet but victorious return to form.
While Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1 is packed full of stories, showcasing the talents of its many writers and giving many Native American heroes their much-needed exposure. However, this variety is a detriment at times. There’s a lot of content and characters to cover, but not a lot of time to do so in thirty-six pages. Snowguard’s story finds resolution too quickly. River’s story also suffers from its brevity — though it does nail its tense cliffhanger ending. Even the fun bonus story at the end, featuring the Kickapoo Tribe’s Captain America, Joe Gomez, is only three pages. Even though American Eagle’s story is ten pages, it under-stays its welcome. The comic’s first story, “The Unexpected,” by writer Tim Perry and colorist Brittany Peer, reads like a beautifully rendered but awkward exposition. The story introduces the issue’s heroes and paves the way for their future adventures in comics, but this too is hurt by its limited pages.
Marvel’s Voices: Heritage #1 contributes much-needed Indigenous representation in comics — both in terms of characters and creators — and overall delivers quality content that deserves more room to grow in future stories.
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