Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artists: Partha Pratim & Federico Vicentini

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Federico Vicentini & Richard Isanove; Ario Anindito; Mateus Manhanini

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 28, 2023

 

Despite Hobgoblin’s help, Rabble still struggles to talk to machines. She scavenged technology from A.I.M. and Beyond but can't repair what Spider-Man broke. Can the talented weapon designer find the key to restoring her powers?  Let's ignite our venom-sabers, leap into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17, and find out!

 

Story

Rabble invades her next target: Roxxon Tech Depot #32-B. Searching the company’s records alerts Security to her presence, and they send guards to apprehend her. If only Rabble's ability to talk to tech wasn't so wonky!

 

Shift and Ms Marvel help Miles fight the new D-Lister Zip Zephyr. The Olympian revels in his ability to channel wind. Unlike Gust, Zip has yet to comprehend the consequences of his actions. The Gang War prompted New York citizens to overturn Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Law. Don't expect the blowhard baddie to repay the city by joining Agent Gao’s Cape Killers. 

 

Benjamin Rabin killed Miles’ friend, Ms. Marvel. Rabble destroyed Miles' home and threatened his family. After two Body-Shaming remarks about Shift in two issues, Miles and Ms Marvel work to boost Shift's ego. Helping others with their mental health reminds Miles he's late for his therapy session. So it's time to thwip the friendly skies in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

The Gang War cost Agent Gao her job. The voters spoke, and superhero Mayor Cage can do what he wants. Agent Gao knows that for every superpowered individual who tries to help others, a dozen like Zip Zephyr revel in their power and seek to better their own lives at the expense of others. She deployed superpowered people in a supervised and responsible manner with her Cape Killers crew. Don't expect Agent Gao to accept being seconded to Vice quietly in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

The biggest story in this issue is Miles' ongoing battle with stress. Trauma affects our psyche in countless ways, and Dr Kwan reminds Miles that there are no cures for mental health. At least this time Miles patrols the city while sharing his concerns instead of hiding in Misty's headquarters. Managing his stress and priorities gives Miles an idea. His plan may be unrealistic, as Starling points out. Still, Miles is an optimist. If he can help another soul in torment, Miles is going to try!

 

 

 

Art

Electricity crackles around masked Rabble as she swoops through the Roxxon Tech Depot on her glider. Bullet casings fly as fire blossoms from rifles. Energy swords slash. Blood sprays. Lights glow from the silhouette of her weaponized exoskeleton. Clouds frame Rabble's return to the sky, her drones in close pursuit.

 

Partha Pratim & Federico Vicentini’s loosely drawn double-page spreads feature sharp angles and convey movement. Zip Zephyr's windy backpack hurls a car into the air. Miles thwips webs at the Olympian that evoke throwing stars. Shift may not ace Ms Marvel's exercises. Still, her joy shows as her enormous fist raps against that of Miles’ clone in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

Bright foregrounds dazzle while backgrounds fade. The sky outside compliments the shoulders of Agent Gao’s white jacket, shirt, and slacks. The distant light-yellow skyscrapers compliment Luke Cage's shirt, a reminder of who rules this city. Dr Kwan’s blue and yellow clothes suggest that, like Luke Cage, she’s more concerned with effectiveness than adhering rigidly to a rulebook. Curiously, Brian Valenza casts Miles’ memory of Rabble in yellow. To what extent did Fisk’s law propel Raneem Rashad down her dark path?

 

Cory Petit thwips uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17. The large, thin font grows bold for inflection and turns lavender during Rabble’s tetchy Tech Talks. Miles' thoughts appear as white letters in red narrative boxes. Roaring rifles and swishing swords accompany Rabble’s ruckus in Roxxon. Displaced air and brutal takedowns remind upstart Olympians that New York City is not their playground. Shift and Ms Marvel's fist bump likely pumps up Miles. Isn’t it great when your friends get along?

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Heroes decide to convert a supervillain, and a public servant decides the ends justify the means in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.