Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27 might be one of the wildest issues of Cody Ziglar’s run…and that’s saying something. Though he’s gotten a new suit and help from the Black Panther, Miles is still struggling with his vampiric impulses. This leads the Panther to take him to Wakanda, where Miles faces a series of trials meant to reaffirm his humanity.
In comics, there’s two different types of “wild swings”. The good ones take characters in a new direction while still staying true to their core characteristics – see J. Michael Straczynski’s run on Amazing Spider-Man, which introduced mystical elements but kept Peter Parker as his quippy, thwippy self. The bad ones feel like a creator is throwing things at the wall just to see if they stick: Spider-Man Reign comes to mind (and I wish it didn’t.)
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27 falls solely into the former category. Miles might be in another country, and he might be under the wing of another hero, but he’s still Miles Morales. And in a quiet moment, he freely admits that his newfound vampirism scares him. “I am angry. And I’m also scared,” he says, expressing how Blade turning him into a vampire during Blood Hunt ripped away a part of himself. Ziglar affords Miles depth that few writers have; he also has a great handle on Black Panther’s character, who offers some genuinely sage advice about how regrets can be a trap.
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That characterization extends to the non-superheroic moments as well. For anyone wondering “how can Miles get away with traveling to another country?” the answer is his clone/brother Shift, who is posing as him…and almost immediately gets busted by Miles’ best friend Ganke. This leads to some hilarious moments where Ganke has to teach Shift how to be a normal teenager. I’m not joking when I’d say I’d read an entire issue of this.
A new artist joins Ziglar for this arc: Daniele di Nicuolo. di Nicuolo rose to prominence via the “Shattered Grid” storyline in BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comics, and while he doesn’t draw anything as big as “every Power Ranger who ever lived”, this comic is still pulsing with energy. The best moment comes when Miles ends up chasing a thief; di Nicuolo draws a hell of a two-page spread featuring Miles going into camouflage mode and swinging down into the thief, sending her crashing to the ground.
di Nicuolo, alongside color artist Bryan Valenza, keeps the “shonen” aspect of the book that other artists have emulated. Shift’s facial expressions feel like something out of My Hero Academia, as does a piercing glare Ganke shoots him at one point. Miles’ new costume also looks gorgeous under di Nicuolo’s pencils, especially since Valenza highlights its bold black and red color scheme no matter the background. Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27 is the type of bold swing, so to speak, that creators should strive for.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27 is the type of bold swing that creators should strive for.
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