Voices That Count
A Comics Anthology by Women
The comics anthology Voices That Count features nine stories that illuminate the challenges of being a woman in today’s world.
This is an English translation of a Spanish publication. While the women involved in writing and drawing it hail from a single country, their stories have global significance. Their personal experiences include underdog successes in the face of patriarchal bias and oppression, a battle with anorexia, and efforts to promote women’s pride and equality in Uganda through soccer. Most are told in a traditional sequential art style, but the book also features illustrated poems, song lyrics, and a prose piece that’s accompanied by a handful of striking images.
The art styles and techniques vary from literal to impressionistic, but always fit the mood of a given segment, whether the piece was written by the artist or is the product of a collaboration. The storytellers are not limited to experienced comics creators; they include political analysts, journalists, and media personalities, giving the collection a scope representative of a wide swath of society.
Though several stories make the undeniable point that further progress toward equality and fairness must be made, this is an optimistic book. Voices That Count is an inspiring and informative graphic collection that shows that hope and determination can conquer many obstacles.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
