The Marvel Rundown: MILES MORALES – SPIDER

This week we take a look at Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2, the second part of the ongoing “SINS OF THE FATHER” storyline by Bryan Edward Hill and artists Valentine De Landro and Nico Leon. In the Rapid Rundown, we take a look at: Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone #2!

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2

Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
Artist: Valentine De Landro (Flashbacks) & Nico Leon
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: VC’s Corey Petit

Miles Morales assumes he’s got the Spider-Man job handled, but the latest big bad who we discover is named “Revenant” is proving a difficult adversary both for him and for me. This arc’s big bad isn’t hitting it for me, and a large part of that is thanks to his uninspired design. I’m unsure if the team’s decision here was to make him look like a World of Warcraft NPC but he doesn’t fit the more urban-level, science-fiction aesthetic that I like in my Spider-Man media. Not that it matters, because his backstory isn’t that compelling. 

The issue is split into two chunks. The present-day scenario of Miles dealing with his “date” with Val takes one half. Then Jefferson’s past working with S.H.I.E.L.D to take down Martin Moore is the other half. Unfortunately Jefferson’s relationship with Martin and his taking down of the man happen in quick succession, instead of a slow build up. One second they are friends, and the next Martin is arrested thanks to Jefferson and S.H.I.E.L.D. We can see why Martin is upset, but we can’t feel his anger. However, De Landro takes an interesting approach for this flashback sequence, making the art feel like it is part of some gritty detective comic. De Landro uses shadows, dark colors, and simple backgrounds to contrast the present day. My only real concern with the art is just how jarring Jefferson looks in some of the flashbacks.

The present-day scenario is far more exciting, but feels like it loses pace and momentum thanks to the flashback interruptions. Val and Miles date is very lackluster and I don’t feel any chemistry between the two of them. I’m hoping that the decision to break up Miles and Tiana, who were also just fine overall, doesn’t bite the writers in the end. Miles is in desperate need of a romantic relationship that lasts longer than a minute and isn’t with an alternate universe version of Peter Parker’s dead girlfriend. He and Valentina definitely need more time to flourish, just like the “Revenant” needs more time to feel like an actual villain. Connecting him to Miles father may have been a smart move initially as it ties Miles intimately to the drama, but so far it isn’t working because the emotions in the drama just aren’t there. 

The action thankfully is working great. The explosive paneling between Miles and the Revenant is a lot of fun and when the action starts, it is very clear that Nico Leon is having a lot of fun. There’s a far more dramatic flair to Miles fight scenes lately, making him look far more like a shonen protagonist, which is a great decision for any fan who is more familiar with that genre wanting to get into comics. Despite that, I can’t really recommend this issue and may just say it’d be better to wait until issue three to see if the story really picks up.

FINAL VERDICT: Browse.

Rapid Rundown

• Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone #2
  In this year of corporate synergy and vertical integration between the Marvel movies and comics, we have ourselves another Spider-Man and Hulk team-up written by Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh, with art by one of my current-day favorites, R.B. Silva. In full disclosure, I wasn’t a fan of the 1st issue, it was a bit too heavy-handed with the puns all over the place, but I guess for this 2nd issue somebody sat them down and had them tone down the puns, stick to the story, and have the jokes come afterwards, which works a whole lot better for it. And that’s where the strength of the book lies, Bruce Banner turns to religion to perform an exorcism of the Hulk. Turning to a higher power is an interesting angle, one that I don’t feel like it’s been explored before with these 2 characters. Of course, we’ve seen it in Daredevil and his exploration of faith, but for characters like Bruce Banner and Peter Parker, this is something new and interesting. And then there’s the art, as Silva and color artist Federico Blee are firing on all cylinders. Silva’s dynamic styling gets a flourish from the eye-popping color. I’m not sure where this story takes place in continuity, but it works in a way that seems timeless, and I hope that the team is able to close out this series. – GC3

Read past installments of the Marvel Rundown here!And check out the Beat’s other recent comics reviews! 

Next week? The finale of the Marvel Mangaverse’s Web of Destiny in MARVEL MANGAVERSE: WEB OF DESTINY #1