Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artist: Brent Peeples & Daniel Picciotto

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Federico Vicentini & Matt Milla; Skottie Young

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 12, 2024

 

Miles is no stranger to trauma. He has leaned on his ladylove Tiana, taken up journalling, and sought counseling. Yet he’s also survived repeated attacks from Rabble and the Cape Killers, rejoiced in Kamala Khan's return, and brought his clone brother Shift into the Morales family. How will Miles react to a role model's betrayal? Is he strong enough to shrug it off and fight the vampires attacking New York City? Let's grab our venom-sabers, leap into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21, and find out!

 

Story

Blade and the Structure have launched a massive attack on our world. The Daywalker introduced Miles to the legions of the undead, while Dracula sought to protect Brielle (Bloodline) from her father. But no one likes the bearer of bad news. When Dracula tells Brielle what her dad's been up to, she runs away. After the superhero community helps him escape Blade's control in Blood Hunt #3, Miles follows Brielle to help her cope. But Brielle wants alone time, and Miles wants to protect his family and neighbors, so he thwips off to Brooklyn.

 

Miles counts Misty Knight as his mentor and her partner Colleen Wing as his sword master. Blade is another role model. In Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21, Miles relives their last conversation before Blade bit him. Blade's plan is abhorrent to Miles. Worse, his role model violated his trust. As with other forms of harassment and abuse, Blade's act was all about power. "I made you, which means I control you," he tells Miles. The superhero community granted Miles a reprieve but not a return to Humanity. Weakened and reeling, Miles receives help from a longtime foe.

 

Hightail was already his enemy when Miles fought vampires alongside Blade and Bloodline. R’ym’r's conversion poured fuel on Hightail's ire. Like Miles, the speedster escaped the vampire's dominance. Still, her connection to R’ym’r remains. With their world cast in perpetual twilight, Miles and Hightail join forces in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21. Part of Miles’ appeal is how he respects those who don’t necessarily deserve it, including former foes like Hightail. But it's also interesting how Blade's actions ripple through the undead community, awakening allies and foes alike. Blade has made all the living his enemies. Yet many undead are not his friends. As for Miles, when Blood Hunt is over, he’ll have plenty to write about in his vampire diaries.

 

 

Art

Power surges around Dracula as if increasing the density of the air. Burning fires fill the air with plumes of smoke. The Darkforce energy obliterating the sun hangs in the air and suffuses rooftops. Brent Peeples & Daniel Picciotto fill the streets with lethal vampires, once again terrorizing New Yorkers after the Gang War's end. A mother clutches her child to her chest in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21. Tears stream down her face as vampires chase her. Miles leaps through a full-page panel to kick a vampire's head. As Miles wades into the scrum, claws slash through his mask. Miles can drive her undead pursuers away with blows and venom blasts. But unlike Mr Spock, his exposed pointed ear hastens her flight.

 

As Miles tumbles off a rooftop water tower in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21, Miles remembers spearing a vampire atop another roof. The yellow energy arcs and branches amid gray smoke. Orange backgrounds reveal the venom-blasts' intensity. Bryan Valenza makes Hightail shine in her reflective lemon-lime metallic suit. The glowing white lines adorning her shoulders, torso, and thighs suggest a recent escape from ENCOM's Tron program. Yet the shadow of red-eyed R’ym’r hovers above her, surrounded by orange light and black crosshatching.

 

Cory Petit thwips the black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and white letters into color narrative boxes. A blue siren wails over the vampire-filled streets as New York burns, while a red Thwack connects with a vampire that evokes a notorious gangster. Immense transparent letters, outlined in white, welcome the return of another powerful enemy to our planet. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Haunted by his role model's betrayal and reeling from barely controlled vampirism, Miles and his fastest frenemy seek out an occult ceremony in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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