Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 doesn’t just end the most recent story arc, “Webs of Wakanda”. It also ends a pretty wild ride for its titular web-slinger, as he’s taken part in a war against New York’s gangs, dealt with new arch-enemy Rabble, and been transformed into a vampire. Now, the Spider-God Anansi has claimed Miles as his champion – but in typical godlike fashion, he intends to make Miles earn his humanity via a battle with the Black Panther!
Hero vs. hero fights tend to be hit or miss for me; done right they can be compelling, done wrong they can be infuriating. Cody Ziglar and Daniele Di Nicuolo do it right, via the interesting wrinkle of having Anansi weaving a story. Every good story puts its hero through their paces while also having them learn a lesson; Ziglar, through Anansi, does the same with Miles. The ending of the book also hints that Anansi might be sticking around for a while.
Ziglar also showcases the power of storytelling by featuring a tender moment between Shift and Miles’ mother Rio – or I should say, his mother. Shift has been one of the best additions to Miles’ supporting cast, and I love how Ziglar has been utilizing him in this latest arc. Hopefully it means that Shift will continue to play a bigger role in the future; his brotherly bond with Ganke is screaming for more focus, if you ask me.
Marvel Comics
The majority of Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 is a fast-paced, ferocious fight scene – and Di Nicuolo draws the hell out of it. From panel to panel, his artwork is a thing to behold. It’s graceful in its fluidity, ferocious in its display, and awe-inspiring in a moment where Anansi decides to up the heat on Miles. Di Nicuolo also deserves praise for how he handles both combatants, as Miles is extremely graceful while Panther is more methodical.
Bryan Valenza also deserves credit for his color work, especially with how he depicts the plane of existence that Miles and Panther are fighting upon. It starts out white, with reddish-purple fading in, and the entire ground sprinkled with stars. Every so often, another color intrudes, whether it’s Anansi’s own webs –depicted here as glowing green tendrils – or the crackling golden energy of Miles’ venom saber.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 brings its latest story arc to a close with a triumphant flourish, closing one chapter in the young web-slinger’s life and setting up the next. It’s the kind of story that Anansi himself would be proud to spin – and in a way, he did.
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