It’s been over a decade since Miles Morales became Spider-Man, and in that time he’s flourished as a character. The Spider-Verse films, which pushed the boundaries of animation, feature him as a major character. Insomniac put its own spin on Miles with its Spider-Man PlayStation games. But it all goes back to the comics, and Miles Morales: Spider-Man #18 marks the young web-slinger’s 300th issue!
In true Spider-Man fashion, Miles deals with a major threat: his new arch-foe Rabble. In the aftermath of the Gang War storyline, the technomancer has been on the run…but her desire to destroy Miles still burns bright enough to form a new incarnation of the Sinister Six. Thankfully, Miles has help from his friends, including Starling, Ms. Marvel, his clone Shift and even the Prowler!
Marvel Comics
Looking back, this issue serves as a microcosm of Cody Ziglar’s work on the title and what makes Miles stand out from his predecessor, Peter Parker. Peter often goes on his adventures alone, while Miles is able to call on friends and family. While most of Peter’s villains tend to be irredeemable monsters, Miles is willing to reason with Rabble. But Ziglar also has room to touch upon Miles’ unique elements: in his attempts to be a more friendly neighborhood Spider-Man he can’t bring himself to lie to a bartender about his age, and he’s fiercely protective of the people he loves. It’s those elements that have made him the Spider-Man of a generation, and I love that they’re front and center.
Ziglar is joined by a host of artists, including series regular Federico Vicentini, Miles co-creator Sara Pichelli, and David Marquez alongside Luciano Vecchio (Resurrection of Magneto) and Juann Cabal (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man). This is where the book hits a bit of a stumbling block; most of the artwork will shift at a moment’s notice, leading to a few jarring moments.
To be clear, this is not a knock on any of the artists involved. Everyone turns in stellar work, from Pichelli drawing the trio of Miles, Kamala and Shift on a rooftop to Marquez’s detailed depictions of the new Sinister Six (which are comprised of villains Miles has fought over Ziglar’s run.) The real stand out is Vicentini, who draws the fight between Miles’ allies and the Six with his trademark hyper-kinetic stylings. He has also managed to capture Ziglar’s anime influences, particularly in a new use of the wall-crawler’s venom strike. Colorist Bryan Valenza is no slouch either, keeping a consistent tone across the shifting of artists.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #18 is full of everything you’d want from a Miles Morales comic, a Spider-Man comic, or just a good comic in general. All of this is thanks to the creators who contributed to this issue, and the ones who paved the path before them. Here’s to 300 more issues.
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