Women of Marvel #1 is a fun, zingy journey through the Marvel universe via its many female characters. While some stories don’t sing as loudly as the others, the overall package is quite enjoyable.
Women of Marvel #1
Charlie Jane Anders (Introduction); Carola Borelli (Art); Erica D’Urso (Writing, Cover and Art); Melissa Flores (Writing); Shawnee Gibbs (Writing); Shawnelle Gibbs (Writing); Giulia Gualazzi (Art); Stacey Lee (Writing); VC’s Ariana Maher (Letters); Julia Marchiso (Colors); Jodi Nishijima (Art); Brittany Peer (Colors); Ruth Redmond (Colors); Rebecca Roanhorse (Writing); Angélique Roché (Writing); Rachelle Rosenberg (Colors and Cover); Victoria Ying (Writing)
Marvel Comics
March 22, 2023
Brought to life by an all-female team, Women of Marvel is a sprightly, fun comic for fans of any age. Though some of the stories here require prior knowledge, the issue is still an entertainingly breezy read.
The framing story, “What a Girl Wants” (Roanhorse/Borelli/Redmon), begins with Jennifer Walters in a courtroom defending each heroine against charges of emotional distress and property damage brought by an initially-unknown client. Via videotape, Jennifer shows why each defendant is innocent. Story by story, we cover one wild night out, each vignette featuring a mini-superteam of female characters. Along the way, Jennifer butts heads with Buck Bukowski, leading her to turn into her alter ego, She-Hulk.
“Sing Your Heart Out” (Ying/Nishijima/Peer) follows Silk and Black Cat out for a night of karaoke. They’re having lots of fun, but it turns out the person in the next room is Mysterio, whose mellow evening is completely disrupted by their choice of music. Havoc ensues when he uses his powers to mess with them. Victoria Ying’s writing is an issue stand-out; this is hilarious and has some top-notch jokes. Between the sight of Mysterio trying to croon “On My Own” and Felicia and Cindy’s asides you’re bound to get a laugh. And Jodi Nishijia’s art is gorgeous – the action panels jump off the page with vibrant, violent (but not bloody) motion. The antic level of liveliness captured here is very unique.
“A Starling Rescue” (Flores/Lee/Rosenberg) features America Chavez, Kate Bishop, and Lucky the Pizza Dog on a rescue mission. America has heard that a superhero named Starling is being held prisoner and decides to go on a quest, believing it’s someone she once knew and loved. But things are much more complicated than they seem. This is a fun way to showcase Marvel’s multiverse, and the looming hint of Kate and America getting closer is a delight.
The final story, “Energy Vampires” (Gibbs/Gibbs/Gulazzi/Marchiso), sees Kamala Khan team up with Monica Rambeau to take down Kamala’s ex, Kamran, while Kamala’s in New Orleans on a class trip. It takes wit, strength, and their combined powers to turn the tide. There are some great panels in which Monica deals with her daily life that are bound to make readers smile, and Kamala’s attempt at balancing school and “work” is always relatable. Monica and Kamala interacting is also huge plus, providing readers with an excellent cross-generational friendship.
The overall package here is a delight, with my favorite parts being the sprightly framing device and the hilarious opening scene. The art is uniformly good, and the writing is top-notch. I have to give a special shout-out to VC’s Ariana Maher for her lettering — she knows how to convey anger, lilting music, humor, and a whole laundry list of tone changes, which is always hard to do.
A few extras are thrown in, including a fun, brief aside about Janet Van Dyne’s sense of style from Angélique Roché, accompanied by Wasp paper dolls drawn by D’Urso and Rosenberg.
If you happen to be in love with Marvel, and have an affinity for its heroines, then you’re going to have a good time with Women of Marvel #1.
