Marvel Voices: Identity by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
These Voices anthologies from Marvel have been consistently excellent and this is no exception. Many of Marvel’s most interesting new characters are Asian, such as Ms Marvel, Silk and the Agents of Atlas, and so it’s good to see them get the spotlight here. But it’s not only Marvel’s Asian characters that are the focus here, but their Asian creators too.
Anthologies are always hard to review, as some stories will resonate with readers more than others, and which ones do or do now will vary from reader to reader too. But everything here is very strong, and you’re likely to find new characters and creators to love that you weren’t previously aware of.
There is vast diversity within the Asian community itself, and that’s fully on display here, with characters and creators from Korea, China, Pakistan, the Pacific Islands and more. The book really works well to dispel the myth that there is any one, singular “Asian” culture.
I particularly liked the way that the Ms Marvel story explored the way in which second generation immigrants can sometimes feel that they don’t belong either in the country their parents settled in or the one in which they settled. And I also liked the way the story about Silhouette explored many aspects of identity, as she’s not only biracial but also disabled. It’s good to see that kind of intersectionality explored.
Marvel are to be commended for their Voices series, I just hope that once it wraps up they can continue to give a voice to a diverse range of characters and creators.
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Random Ramblings Of A Ragamuffin 