Writer: Saladin Ahmed / Artist: Javier Garrón / Marvel Comics
The hunt for Tombstone leads to an unlikely encounter. At the end of the last issue, Miles ended up crossing paths with Starling, another hero from Detroit. Without giving too much away, you’ll come to learn that she has serious beef with Tombstone and an unlikely connection to Spider-Man. She’s also Miles latest superhero team-up of the week.
It’s like writer Saladin Ahmed is challenging himself to see how many awkward encounters Miles can have with the rest of the heroes in the Marvel universe. To be honest, I am starting to get a The New Scooby-Doo Movies vibe with the rotating cast of heroes guest-starring in this book. However, the guest-star-of-the-week feel is actually enjoyable, as the characters Ahmed pairs Miles with complement him well.
Ahmed uses Starling to not only create a pretty badass superhero but to contrast with Miles in more ways than one. Starling’s beef with Tombstone is strong. It basically shapes how she goes about being a hero, which is a sharp turn from the way Miles does things. She’s more aggressive, less awkward, and has no qualms about permanently putting bad guys down. It’s understandable, though and, clearly, not the way Miles does things. It’s interesting to see him deal with someone who has the exact opposite thoughts on how criminals should be punished.
Despite Starling’s more violent tendencies, she seems to have a better handle on just how to deal with life. Miles also has a lot going on in his life lately. Issue after issue, all of his personal problems seem to be piling on. The Spider-Man curse is in full effect. Miles still doesn’t know how to handle things, however, and it shows. His life is starting to unravel and his issues with trust are only going to make things worse.
Saladin Ahmed is truly beginning to shape Miles as a character. I love how his story is being told: with some humor, great characters, and situations that really put Miles to the test as a superhero. Most of all, it feels grounded, which just makes the writing all the better.
8.5 Falling Tombstones out of 10
Reading Miles Morales: Spider-Man? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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