SPOILERS AHEAD!
Initial Thoughts
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 returns us to basics: Miles is tired of jumping from universe to universe and planet to planet, and he feels he is losing a little bit of himself the deeper he gets involved. So, he has pledged to save Brooklyn first and get to know himself and his town a little better. His priorities lie there right now, as he wants to feel closer to his hometown and his own universe. Even the girl he is crushing on is a regular high school girl, who isn't involved in all of this crazy superhero nonsense—well, at least for now. But no matter how hard he tries, someone he loves --this time his father-- is right in the middle of the trouble.
This is a nice “reboot” of sorts for the Miles Morales Spider-Man character, and I like this scaled-down version of Spider-Man. In comics and movies, Miles Morales has been synonymous with exploring the multiverse, but this issue feels more like a street-level reset that takes Spider-Man back to his roots. We shall see if this is a smokescreen for a much bigger problem Miles will be roped into, or if this will be the tone of the series. It reminds me of the “quant” start to one of the biggest comic book characters ever.
Big Ideas in a Small World
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 feels small, but not in a derogatory way. Comics nowadays tend to lean toward big, grandiose, universe-stretching stories. By constantly telling massive stories, we sometimes lose the true essence of the street-level vigilante, which is where most of our favorite comic book characters started. It’s hard to disagree with Morales’s desires. We forget he is just a child. He still wants a “normal” high school experience, and it’s not something he can ever have as Spider-Man. Staying local, as the literal friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, is as close as Miles can get to that dream. This issue sets the standard for the main theme and goal of the rest of the series.
In this first issue of this new series, writer Bryan Edward Bill writes what is a pretty accurate representation of a teen in New York City, and just young people in general. As an old fogie myself, the dialogue takes a while to get used to, but you have to remember that Miles is 16 (?) years old, and that is how a kid would talk. Something else I really enjoyed about Hill’s world-building is how big it feels, even though it's still just one NYC borough. I think that was important in setting the tone, especially since we are keeping this story local. It doesn't feel claustrophobic, and it feels big.
A Flash From the Past
There was a strong third act in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1, which unveiled the motivation behind our unnamed bad guy and connected it to Miles’s dad, Jeff Morales' past with S.H.I.E.L.D. As hard as it will be to keep Spider-Man local to Brooklyn, it will be a herculean effort to keep his family out of danger. For some reason, bad guys always go for the girlfriend or the parents. For how massive the Marvel Universe is, somehow it always comes back to the same four people. It will be incredibly interesting to see where this goes and whether this story can stay self-contained to Brooklyn or even just New York.
The villain himself (still unnamed) has a great backstory and aesthetic that creates a compelling mystery around him. The only thing we know is that this unnamed bad guy is tied to Jeff Morales’ past, and we don't know whether that has something to do with the person Jeff betrayed to get information, or someone connected to that person. For me, those breadcrumbs make me want to pick up the next issue and believe that Hill will take good care of Miles Morales.
Vibrant Art
The art by Nico Leon and the coloring by Bryan Valenza are standard Marvel artwork. Not bad by any means. Marvel has a house style, and it works very well for the stories the comic book publisher is trying to tell. It's recognizable, and it's reliable for longtime and new readers alike. One panel did stick out to me, and that is when our unnamed villain uses his kinetic energy axe to hack a police officer; it wasn't the fact that it was brutal- it's as brutal as an All-Ages Marvel comic can get-- but the way Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 was drawn and colored made the axe look and feel as though it was vibrating. That moment felt physical and really set the tone for this new villain for the rest of his arc.
I am also a big fan when the editors use a second artist to interpret flashbacks or flashforwards. Valentine De Landro was brought in to show Jeff Morales' past with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. De Landro’s art style fits the vibes much more appropriately for Jeff’s story, as it feels much more like a Noir story, much grittier, and it paints the ugly underbelly of the Marvel Street universe. Overall, a really good outing for everyone involved.
Final Verdict
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 was a smaller-scale debut of a new series with big aspirations. For the most part, writer Bryan Edward Hill and artists Nico Leon and Valentine De Landro got off to a quick, good start. Miles’ aspirations are admirable, but as we all know, having a regular childhood or life as a superhero is a lot easier said than done. A new villain is introduced, and exploring his past—tied to Miles’s father Jeff’s past work with S.H.I.E.L.D.—should give us plenty of room to explore new lore in Miles' and his family’s past. This is an exciting restart for a fan-favorite character.