Women of Marvel #1 is Like a Warm Cup of Cocoa in Our Spoiler Free Review!

Women of Marvel #1 is a 56-page one-shot in celebration of all things well, women. Comics legend Louise Simonson kicks off this massive issue with an introduction and a call to action to increase representation in comics. This collection features stories and artwork from some fresh faces and fan favorites. From X-Men to Avengers, this book has something for everyone.

Credits: NATASHA ALTERICI, SOPHIE CAMPBELL, NADIA SHAMMAS, ELSA SJUNNESON, ANNE TOOLE & MORE! (W) ELEONORA CARLINI, JOANNA ESTEP, SKYLAR PATRIDGE, KEI ZAMA & MORE! (A) • Cover by SARA PICHELLI

So, I’ll be totally honest with you, I wasn’t expecting a lot from this giant-sized Women of Marvel book. I’ve become a particular kind of jaded during late-stage pandemic, and I thought nothing could puncture that cold, hard exterior. Then I get an advanced preview of the book and I began to wonder if maybe there is some hope left in the world. Women of Marvel #1 is a delightfully fun collection filled with action, silliness, and joy. Fine. I’ll say it. It made me happy.

What makes the collection wonderful is its variety and levity. There are massively different art styles, different approaches to humor, character, and pacing… You name it, no two stories are alike. Thank god for that. The variety demonstrates how truly skilled these artists are at their craft. It’s all done without making the reader feel as if they have to know everything about these characters or their history. Of course, it’s just as fun if you do.

The collection opens with “Mani” by Mariko Tamaki and Peach Momoko. It’s a single page and it doesn’t need any more than that. Brevity is a skill of the gifted and confident. It’s such a wonderful encapsulation of Lady Deathstrike, and it’s an absolute mood. I don’t know how else better to put it. The entire collection has style, it’s got a vibe..The collection never loses touch with its core reader, someone fresh, fun, and forward-looking.

These stories remind me of the joy of doing well, femme as shit things and not feeling bad about it. Writer Nadia Shammas on She-Hulk legitimately made me laugh. Her work in “Wild Rhino Chase” alongside Skylar Patridge and Triona Farrell is a light-hearted affair. Shammas channels, well, everyone when we see a grateful rescuee fawn over She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) and her incredible biceps. And Sophie Campbell reminded me of the singular joy of making a new friend with a story about Marrow and Feral in “Give a Cat a Bone.” The collection doesn’t apologize for being feminine, nor does it try to ‘prove’ the worth of these characters by showing they are ‘just as good as the guys!’ Instead, these stories are simply allowed to exist, without explanation or justification. 

Some of the stories in this collection feature tongue-in-cheek references to what it must be like to be feminine in a world of machismo (I’m talking about the universe these superheroes belong to and our own, in case anyone needed that spelled out). Thing is, it’s not heavy-handed. It’s funny in an authentic way. It’s not contrite and it’s not someone trying to write for an audience they don’t have any real connection to. The collection isn’t seeking to moralize or bring us back to some second-wave feminism, and thank god for that. It’s efferscent in its approach. It is real in the way that like, yah? How would Medusa Amaquelin, Queen of the Inhumans tame her hair? Why, with a giant velvet scrunchie of course! The one-shot is like drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Do you need it? No. But damn you’re happy to have it.

Comic and video game writer Anne Toole, along with Kei Zama and Ruth Redmond give us one of the most heartfelt stories in the bunch. In “Saturday Morning in Harlem” we get a brief, but wonderful interlude with Misty Knight. A reminder that we don’t have to fight alone. I hope it’s a reminder that no one deserves to have to take on battles by themselves. That one may seem a bit too sacarhine but you know what, after a week of absolute hellish news, I’ll take that reminder.
I’ve tried to provide a brief, spoiler-free look at what you can expect from Women of Marvel #1 but really, all I have to say is this: if you are looking for some lightness in your life, do yourself a favor and pick it up.