Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artist: Federico Vicentini

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Federico Vicentini & Richard Isanove; Derrick Chew; Luciano Vecchio

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 17, 2024

 

Miles' clone Shift isn't breathing. The Cape Killers are killing Miles' friends. He wanted to help the talented weapons designer, but she didn't share his interest in a talking cure. She'll take away everyone he loves unless he kills her. Can his friends deflect attacks from Rabble's super-powered Cape Killers until Miles incapacitates or kills her? Can he even do that? Let's ignite our venom-sabers, leap into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19, and find out!

 

Story

Agent Gao made the Cape Killers a deal they couldn't refuse. They use Rabble's powers to take down Spider-Man, and she erases their criminal records. With the sun setting on Gao’s Cape Killer program, it was their last chance to snag a Get Out Of Jail Free card. High-Tail and Taskmaster agreed readily enough, but Scorpion and Gust took more convincing. Still, who could resist the thrill of wielding more strength and speed?

 

Rabble proves more ruthless than Miles expects. She has one goal in life: to kill Spider-Man. She doesn't care how much collateral damage she causes and who lives or dies, provided she ends his life. But she also views death more fondly than life. Her mother is dead. Her father doesn't recognize her. Only her machines feel like family. So in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19, Rabble evokes Robert Oppenheimer's famous paraphrase of Bhagavad Gita 11:32.

 

While Rabble yearns for death, it's harder to discern Agent Gao's motives. She's made excuses for her obsession, but neither Spider-Man deserves her hatred. Like Rabble, suffering has twisted her into someone she no longer recognizes. Someone who enslaved her team before Rabble usurped her control.

 

In Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19, Miles faces the prospect he's long dreaded. The clock is ticking until Agent Gao and the Cape Killers die. Until they die, Miles' friends are in danger. Rabble can turn his superpowers against him. So Miles must push past his pain to put Rabble down, even if it means killing her. To paraphrase Scorpion: it's time for this Spider-Freak to stop pulling his punches.

 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19 reminds us of Miles' essential goodness. As his uncle Aaron says, Miles sees the best in everyone. Ziglar's story challenges us to be more like Miles. Perhaps we won't gain the respect of villains. But who knows? We may find that people we initially regarded as enemies become allies or friends!

 

 

Art

While Spider-Man faces off against Rabble, Starling tries to resuscitate Shift, Gao pummels Prowler, and Rhino rises above the smoke caused by the furious fighting. Yet Federico Vicentini primarily focuses on Miles and Rabble, matching eyes for eyes, blow for blow, and her energy sword versus his thwip. Her drones seek an opening as Rabble's strike leaves a streak of white and provokes a splatter of red. Miles' venom blast is a trail of yellow that leaves drones sparking and smoking and Rabble reeling.

 

As Spider-Man and Rabble bang against walls, floors, and ceilings, Bryan Valenza’s brilliant coloring can’t escape the chaos, as intense light limits Miles’ vision to Black And White. Yet colors return to Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19 as the camera turns to Team Spidey and the Cape Killers. Sadly, we don't see Ms. Marvel until the end. Misty's there with Mayor Cage. Somehow, I suspect that Agent Gao won't be joining the NYC Vice Squad after all.

 

Cory Petit’s sound effects intensify the electric shocks, venom blasts, blows, whirlwinds, and crashes. Whether in color or Black And White, they remind us that even people with superpowers and enhanced healing abilities can feel pain. Miles shares his thoughts in red narrative boxes while large and small uppercase dialogue fills white balloons. But it's Rabble's lavender dialogue and her bone-shattering blows that readers will remember long after the dust settles in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Rabble and Agent Gao make their final moves, Gust gets windy and weepy, Scorpion blasts his boss, and Miles' family gets a new face in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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