Marvel Voices: Legacy #1 came out just in time this year to celebrate Black History Month. While there still may be a way to go, Marvel has gotten much better with the diversity among the characters in their stories, as well as on their staff. The Marvel Voices anthologies began in 2020 and is used to highlight inclusivity within Marvel's Universe. It has expanded from its original platform as a podcast.
Kamara Horne, who has worked for SYFYWIRE, the Nerdist and Rotten Tomatoes, wrote a beautiful introduction to this issue, referring to herself as a "blerd" (a black nerd). I probably didn't give this issue much thought growing up, mainly because I wasn't a person of color. However, it had to be frustrating for a black or brown kid not finding any or very little superheroes that looked like them.
Some of the people who worked on this issue filled with many short stories include Victor LaValle, Karen S. Darboe, Ian Herring, Maria Fröhlich, Stéphane Paitreau, Cody Ziglar, Sean Damien Hill, Oren Junior, Dijjo Lima, Paris Alleyne, Larry Houston, Natacha Bustos, Eder Messias, Julian Shaw, J. Holtham and Jahnoy Lindsay. Appearing in this issue are Black Panther, Sam Wilson's Captain America, Misty Knight, Luke Cage, Princess Shuri, Spectrum, Cecilia Reyes, Moon Girl, Valkyrie, Blue Marvel and Starling. This issue is a great introduction into characters that someone may not be reading as of yet.
There is a great synopsis of the many changes to Monica Rambeau. In addition, there is an interview conducted by Angelique Roche with artist Brian Stelfreeze. Stelfreeze stated that "exclusion adds just as much fuel as representation." I remember Luke Cage "Powerman" being the first hero of color I picked up off the stands as a kid. I was really into that book and read it quite frequently with my Daredevil issues. I hear there is another Marvel Voices issue featuring the women of Marvel on the stands right now, which also seems like an issue I have to pick up. I applaud Marvel in their attempts to be more inclusive.