Spider-Girl #5 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Grønbekk

Artists: André Risso & Diógenes Neves

Colorist: Java Tartaglia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Meghan Hetrick; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov; Corin Howell & Rachelle Rosenberg

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 22, 2025

 

Dr Tramma has been grooming Hijack to be her tool. But instead of helping her control vehicles, the mutant smashes and breaks things. She needs Hijack to infiltrate Rand Enterprises and abduct a war machine. Or maybe she doesn't. If Hijack refuses to play along, Maka Akana’s ability to replicate other people’s abilities makes the young Hawaiian a potential substitute.

 

When Dr Tramma mentions her alternative strategy, Hijack fears it will break Maka’s mind. Rather than subject his fellow mutant to Dr Tramma’s torture, Hijack submits to her dominance. The Technopath helps her steal an advanced drone that the US government entrusted to Dr Maira Osmani-Milton's care. Can Maka protect New Yorkers and recover the stolen drone? Or will Dr Tramma follow Tombstone’s advice and use the war machine to crush Maka? Let’s thwick into Spider-Girl #5 and see, Brah!

 

Story

Meeting Spider-Man proves a heady experience. But Maka doesn’t have time to enjoy it, with the remote-control flying tank careening over New York City. And while Dr Tramma learns how to pilot it, the war machine smashes into buildings after Maka and Spider-Man webbed its cameras. Spider-Man wants to take the lead in their impromptu partnership, but Maka has a connection with Hijack.

 

In Spider-Girl #5, Maka is far from one hundred percent. She feels like a sponge that someone wrung out, stepped on, and set on fire. Maka woke up with the room spinning. She had to bow out of practice at Red Snow Dojo. Still, she’s giving it her best. Maka may be a similar age to Spider-Boy. Still, she survived her encounter with Paper Doll. So, Spider-Man doesn’t argue when Spider-Girl leaves him to help civilians.

 

Torunn Grønbekk’s story reveals how Tombstone is gearing up to ensure mastery of New York. It also shows Dr Tramma's mercilessness. But at its heart, Spider-Girl #5 is about Maka's growth as a superhero. She is young and still learning about her capabilities. Maka may not have made the best start. Still, Maka realizes that being a hero means helping. And that means putting your life on the line, even against overwhelming odds, to rescue the endangered and protect bystanders from harm.

 

 

 

Art

André Risso and Diógenes Neves show birds winging through the sky as Spider-Man and Spider-Girl thwip and thwick the swooping drone. While it crashes onto a rooftop and fires its cannons, Hijack pleads for help via the sketchpad of Maka's mind. Spider-Man may liken the drone to a flying tank. Still, the drone proves far more maneuverable as Maka leaps aboard it like the Lone Ranger and uses her webbing for reins. The previous night, Maka couldn’t sleep unless her mother held her. Now, the drone proves as unruly as stampeding horses as it races toward a girl clutching a teddy bear. 

 

 

 

Java Tartaglia lavishes a loaded palette on Spider-Girl #5. Yellow, orange, and gold show the drone’s firepower and its crazed flight above the city. The colors surround those in the most desperate need of rescue. Like the energy surrounding Hijack, the girl clutching the teddy bear wears gold attire. A narrow strand of white barely separates two sketch pages of Hijack and Dr Tramma that Maka’s spider-sense thwicks together. This time, when Spider-Girl sees things through Hijack's mind, she glimpses a world tinged with Dr Tramma's green instead of Hijack's yellow and orange.

 

 

 

As Maka workshops spider-team names, Joe Caramagna shares her thoughts with red uppercase letters in white narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. While Tombstone speaks small font into cloudy balloons, giant red letters link victims with their prospective rescuers. As yellow sound effects enhance explosions, cries for help appear as yellow words. Yet when Maka’s brown pigtails overlay her spider-sense, the pain-filled pleas also turn brown. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Spider-Girl started as Bullseye's sidekick. When she decided to switch sides, Lady Bullseye warned her that the hero's life was a hard one. In Spider-Girl #5, Maka Akana learns that there are people who can help her become the person she wants to be if she is certain that's the life she wants.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Spider-Boy #16 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Dave Bardin; David Baldeón & Jesus Aburtov

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 12, 2025

 

Spider-Girl loves winning. Friends may come and go, but trophies, medals, and ribbons are forever. Spider-Boy hates the Dragon’s Challenge because he values friendships and helping others more than winning contests. So when his spider-sense reveals that Bullseye will turn on Spider-Girl, Spider-Boy is so preoccupied with her safety that he falls in the final round. Will Spider-Boy’s failure endanger the entire world? And how can Spider-Boy protect Earth if Hulkette punches him to the moon? Let's thwip into Spider-Boy #16 and find out!

 

Story

Years ago, when Spider-Boy disobeyed Daredevil and knocked out Bullseye in the Hellfire Club, his mentor forfeited his rights to the Golden Fang. When Spider-Boy disobeys Daredevil in The Dragon’s Challenge and doesn’t devote his full attention to Bullseye, Daredevil again yields to protect Bailey. Like Bullseye, Daredevil has a card to play. He may not outfight his nemesis for control of the Gaping Maw. But Matt Murdoch went to Law School. Perhaps he can outthink his opponent in Spider-Boy #16.

 

As Spider-Boy said, Spider-Girl cannot copy her victim’s thoughts and abilities. Like the mirrors in a funhouse, she can only mimic a distorted reflection of them. Spider-Boy tried to warn Spider-Girl that Bullseye was grooming her as a disposable tool. Yet when she stared into Bullseye’s lying eyes, Spider-Girl believed her mentor cared for her. Sadly, when they defeat Daredevil and Spider-Boy in Dan Slott’s story, Bullseye claims their prize for himself.

 

After Daredevil gets Bullseye disqualified from The Dragon’s Challenge, he poses a question to Spider-Girl. Would she like Spider-Boy as a teammate? Both spider young’uns thought the contest was over in Spider-Boy #16. But these matches were merely the preliminary to the battle for control of the Gaping Maw.

 

Accepting Spider-Boy as a teammate means protecting him from the gamma-girl who wants to punch him to the moon. But it also represents payback. After all, Spider-Girl helped Bullseye steal the golden fang from Bailey and Daredevil, forcing them to commit a dishonorable act to protect the world from Bullseye. 

 

 

 

Art

Paco Medina reveals a brightly colored room when Bailey gazes at a triumphant Bullseye and Spider-Girl. Yet the darkness surrounding Bailey is only dispersed by distant lights in Spider-Boy #16. The ninja leader removes her mask to congratulate the winners, only to reveal her disdain when she raises the evidence of Bullseye's crime. When Bullseye escapes, black birds fly around him, evoking the ravens that seek out Spider-Gwen after an apocalypse hits Earth-65.

 

As Spider-Boy and Spider-Girl combat a light-green opponent, Boy-Spider invades a room that should be his. Erick Arciniega fills Bailey's room at FEAST with the same red, brown, and gold that enrich the Gaping Maw’s headquarters, while Boy-Spider’s green shirt echoes the ninjas’ robes and their jade dragon statue. Boy-Spider claws through a red poster of Bailey's favorite film franchise while Spider-Boy and Spider-Girl's opponent fights with sharp talons. As he once chased viewers from a film celebrating the power of family, Boy-Spider rages when he sees a photo of Bailey getting the love he lost.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Spider-Boy #16. Words shrink for lowered voices, embolden for intonation, swell for volume, and change color for emphasis. Sound effects help us hear clawing, crashing, and crying out in rage as characters destroy and win golden treasures. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Spider-Boy #16 ties up most dangling plot threads while tantalizing with possible new directions. It closes out this story about fighting by showing brains triumphing over brawn. As the story focuses on the dynamics of friendships, families, and the role of a mentor, it also suggests that no one is incapable of reform.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artist: Daniele Di Nicuolo

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Sara Pichelli & Federico Blee; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov

Design: Jay Bowen

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 15, 2025

 

T’Challa gave Miles a key. Shuri gave him a heart-shaped herb. The divine panther at the soul tree gave Miles an invitation. But Miles’ vampirism brings Varnae’s spirit into Bast's domain. Worse, his connection to his god allows Kwaku Anansi to crash the party. While Bast seethes at these unwelcome guests, Anansi promises to heal Miles.

 

Bast calls Anansi a Trickster and trusts him like Thor trusts Loki. Can Anansi heal Miles? Or will Miles get trounced in a divine fight club, leaving Shift to assume Miles’ identity and become Brooklyn’s Spider-Man? Let's inscribe seals in a stone circle, leap into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29, and find out!

 

Story

Humans love stories about the gods. The gods delight in tales of legendary heroes. Anansi controls the Web Of Life And Destiny. He watches his spider-heroes wage villains across the multiverse. So, Anansi offers to heal Miles in return for a great story.

 

Anansi may claim he is the Storyteller God. But in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29, he severs Varnae’s spirit from Miles and puts it back into T’Challa. The Black Panther attacks Miles with knives and claws. In this realm of the Vodū, all Miles has is his fists. But Miles cannot damage T’Challa’s Vibranium suit.

 

Before they entered Bast’s realm, T’Challa urged Miles to be calm. Shuri warned Miles not to believe what he saw. Both prove easier said than done when Anansi ups the stakes. Forget a vampiric Black Panther. Miles has faced far worse. Those conflicts left Miles stressed and beset with panic attacks. Tiana Toomes convinced Miles to try journaling. Dr Kwan tried the talking cure. But those remedies tackled Miles’ fear of others attacking him or his family. When Varnae bit him, the first vampire inverted Miles' battle. Instead of fearing what others will do to him, Miles fears what he will do to them.

 

While Cody Ziglar pits Miles against villains from his past, Miles must face his most oppressive foe. It isn't vampires or supervillains. It is the one thing that can hold Miles back from becoming all he can be. In Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29, Miles must decide if he will accept Franklin D Roosevelt’s challenge to Americans (including Brooklynites) or remain in his Great Depression.

 

 

 

Art

While Daniele Di Nicuolo shows his eyes bulge, Miles leaps and avoids Black Panther’s claws. But Anansi displays no fright in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29. Bast regards the fight with displeasure, but a smile dances across Anansi's face. The Storyteller is in his element, even hanging upside down like Spider-Man. But don't expect him to give Bast an affectionate kiss.

 

Amid the purple and pink air and the bluish-gray clouds, Bryan Valenza thwips green webs into Bast’s realm in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29. The thick webs rise like the chords supporting Riley’s Sense Of Self in Inside Out 2. But they also twist and attack Miles. They hurl him through a realm filled with yellow-green wheels, twisted turquoise and purple-striped buildings, and orange worlds. While Miles fights for his future, Shift arrives "home" in his red hoodie. He enters the kitchen with the red dining table and chairs. Like Bast, Rio shines with purple. Unlike Bast, she may dole out an affectionate kiss.

 

Humans speak black uppercase letters into white balloons. Gods speak colored words into similarly bordered divine dialogue balloons. Other characters talk into gray or black balloons. Miles' thoughts appear as white letters in red narrative boxes. The delicate font grows bold for intonation, enlarges for volume, and rarely shrinks or sways. Cory Petit employs sound effects to spice up a fight in the spiritual realm and make Shift more endearing (if that’s even possible). Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review. 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bast warned T’Challa that he would pay for letting Varnae slip into her realm. In Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29, the great spider-god Anansi offers Miles healing. The challenge the Trickster offers isn't what Miles thinks it is. And like the Black Panther, if Miles escapes Varnae’s influence, he must pay a price for such divine benevolence.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artist: Daniele Di Nicuolo

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Federico Vicentini & Erick Arciniega; Stefano Caselli & Jesus Aburtov; Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg

Design: Jay Bowen

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 5, 2024

 

The Black Panther gave Miles Morales a Vibranium spider-suit. While his venom energy keeps Blade's (or Varnae’s) vampiric infection at bay, the new suit channels that energy. But can Miles resist his thirst for blood until Black Panther can cure him? Let's pack an overnight bag, board a flight to Wakanda, leap into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27, and find out!

 

Story

Wakanda should be Black Panther's home. But he no longer belongs there, and this pains him. He and Miles are unwanted visitors, and T’Challa doesn’t want to draw anyone’s attention. But Wakanda is new to Miles. So Black Panther gives him a moment to appreciate the glamor of the bustling city before urging Miles on.

 

In Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27, Black Panther takes Miles to see his friend N’Yobi Umaru. T’Challa tells Miles he needs a key to unlock the path to Bast's realm. But trouble is afoot, and the Black Panther relies on Miles to resolve it.

 

While Miles is in Wakanda, his brother Shift takes his place at school. The shapeshifting clone attends classes, but Ganke notices something is off. Ganke takes “Miles” for a quick confab in the boys’ room. Unlike Mötley Crüe, they don’t use tobacco to relax. But Shift needs a breather. Like forcing himself into a suit that’s too small, assuming Miles’ form and appearance takes work. Miles has recently introduced Shift to his family and friends, and Ganke takes Shift under his protection. Still, as with Tiana, Miles is now on Ganke’s list.

 

As Black Panther takes Miles to meet with Bast, his biggest concern is Miles’ readiness. As T’Challa says, “Riddles and doublespeak are the favorite pastime of the gods.” But jetlag and being undead have put Miles in a bad mood. Black Panther does his best to prepare Miles to meet Bast in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27. But to be cured, Miles must calm his mind, control his bloodlust, and welcome whatever Bast throws at him.

 

 

 

Art

After Daniele Di Nicuolo tilts the camera angle outside Brooklyn Visions Academy, Ganke tilts his head and studies his friend. Sweat trickles down “Miles” face as he hunches forward, his arms resting on his desk. A worm-eye view makes the teacher loom over “Miles.” But as Ganke pulls “Miles” from his chair and walks him to the men’s room, his friend’s condition is as plain as the message on Ganke’s shirt. Another distorted camera angle tilts the walls and stalls away from the men. After a shadow falls on Ganke, he juts his chin out as the imposter bulges. But later, Ganke cringes and sweats as Shift finds a way to take his mind off his troubles.

 

Miles’ purple, red, and black costume shines against the yellow, tan, and bronze backdrop of Birnin T’Chaka. Bryan Valenza enhances these less whimsical Wakandan scenes with a stately gloss. Subdued reds, browns, and bright blue accents make the lawyer's apartment a relaxing haven in the skyscraper-filled city. Valenza colors what Miles sees through his spider-sense in blue and white. After Miles and Black Panther leave the yellow, orange, and bronze city, they enter a pastoral realm dominated by vibrant green and purple in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27.

 

Cory Petit thwips black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and shares Miles' thoughts with white letters in red narrative boxes. The delicate font emboldens for inflection and swells or shrinks for volume. Sound effects enhance shapeshifting, humming, a sizzling barrier, and a savage roar. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review. 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

The Black Panther takes pride in tradition. He is acutely aware that he no longer belongs in his community. While T’Challa worries that Wakanda’s gods will reject Miles, Ganke worries that Shift is taking on more than he can handle in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27.

 

Rating 9/10

 

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

Deadpool #7 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar & Alexis Quasarano

Artist: Andrea Di Vito

Colorist: Guru-eFX

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke; Mark Bagley & Edgar Delgado; Amanda Conner & Edgar Delgado; Scott Koblish & Jesus Aburtov; Peach Momoko

Graphic Designer: Kat Walkington

Editors: Drew Baumgartner & MR Daniel; Mark Basso & Ellie Pyle; CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 2, 2024

 

Deadpool is dead. His body lies in the conference room. At least, all the bits that Death Grip lopped off are there. Deadpool always wanted to be the guy in the chair, but Deadpool & Daughters, LLC, needs someone to call the shots while their leader rests in pieces. Can Ellie and Princess assume all the field duties while Taskmaster ensures sufficient cash flow to keep the office rats in fresh water and throw the weekly pizza party? Let's leap into Deadpool #7 and find out!

 

Story

Ellie is acting out. She’s ignoring orders and violating Daddy's No Killing rule. But then, Daddy's not around anymore, and Task-Daddy’s laissez-faire management style during the Arseni Angeloff affair failed to impress her. Taskmaster understands Ellie's anger. But for him to stick around as the Interim CEO and CFO, Deadpool & Daughters, LLC needs income to purchase weapons and give them another shot at Death Grip. 

 

 

 

The entire concept of death comes under review in Deadpool #7. Wade Wilson may no longer breathe, but neither does his body decay. Ellie’s healing factor helps her recover from wounds that would kill others. Her recuperative abilities enhance her brain functions, making her a super student. Ellie learned how to teleport by watching internet videos. So now she's watching Agatha Harkness (or another purple-clad witch) on New Toobe in the hopes of resurrecting her father. Taskmaster warns Ellie against the dangers of obsessing over bringing the dead back to life. Ellie is young, so perhaps that explains her ignoring Mary Shelley's warnings. Besides, it's not as if Ellie can resurrect the dead responsibly like the Scarlet Witch. 

 

 

 

While people may compare Spider-Man with Deadpool, Cody Ziglar & Alexis Quasarano’s story highlights the difference between heroes and antiheroes. Taskmaster isn’t sending Ellie and her symbiote canine sister to steal a briefcase from a villain. Instead, he proposes they steal money from a biotech research firm. Taskmaster implies that stealing from a shell company is okay, as people often create them to launder money, avoid taxes, or shield their activities from public scrutiny. Ellie and Princess embrace the idea enthusiastically. But then, teenagers are scary, right?

 

 

Art

Ellie charges fearlessly into the fray on a rooftop, taking down gun-toting baddies before hurtling down a fire escape. Andrea Di Vito captures the action with time-lapse photography until Ellie reaches the street in Deadpool #7. Ellie braves pistols, rifles, and a rocket launcher while confronting baddies who should clean up their language. But questioning a foul-mouthed villain proves unnecessary thanks to a grenade down the tank top and a tail-fling into the sky. It's not purple rain, but the red shower refreshes, nonetheless.

 

 

 

Princesses' pink tongue also renews Ellie's spirits as she texts her dead dad on a blue cellphone screen. Watching a purple-clad witch on her red phone also makes Ellie smile. But trouble brews when they teleport to a forest-green building illuminated by fern-green windows. Guru-eFX’s white lightning and rain streak the blue evening sky as red, black, and brown Ellie and magenta Princess prepare to ascend the steep grassy rise and enter Chemocorp.

 

 

 

Joe Sabino pulls out all the stops in Deadpool #7. Commentary appears in pink narrative boxes and white ones bordered with pink or blue-and-yellow. White balloons feature uppercase black text, while red ones feature Princesses’ distinctive white font. The dialogue rarely shrinks or grows bold, while yellow arrows highlight Deadpool’s daughters practicing restraint. Pink music notes suggest Ellie is taking her cues from Starlord and Baby Groot, and red letters remind us of Princess' canine nature. Colorful sound effects enhance workplace destruction and people firing laser beams with their eyes. But then, how else can one diffuse contentious office encounters? Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

After Daddy’s dismemberment and death, Ellie is killing time and people, Taskmaster sends juveniles to commit Grand Larceny, and Princess catches a scent that makes her happy in Deadpool #7.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artist: Federico Vicentini

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Federico Vicentini & Neeraj Menon; Karen S Darboe & Jesus Aburtov; Doaly

Design: Jay Bowen

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 14, 2024

 

Blade transformed Miles into a vampire. The skies cleared after Miles helped Bloodline banish the ancient vampire possessing her father. But when Blood Hunt ended, Miles remained a vampire. Can Miles protect Brooklyn and keep his blood lust in check? Let's grab our venom swords, leap into Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23, and find out!

 

Story

The gods may no longer rule the world from Mount Olympus, but Zip Zephyr wants to change that. At least, he yearns to be feared. The demigod traces his ancestry to Boreas and uses his windbag like a leaf blower to sweep mortals from his path. When Miles tackled Zip Zephyr before, he had Ms Marvel and Shift beside him. He lacks confidence as he tangles with the demigod alone, and it shows.

 

Miles isn’t happy with how he reacts to threats. But then, he’s not thrilled to still be a vampire. So he heads to Misty Knight's garage and dials Doc Sasquatch's office on his holo-phone. Instead of speaking with Dr Kwan, the jolly green psychotherapist takes his call. Unfortunately, Doc Sasquatch can only theorize how the vampiric blood interacts with Miles' spidey powers.

 

Rabble nearly destroyed Miles’ family and left him traumatized. After Blood Hunt, Miles must cope with his thirst for blood and vampiric appearance. Miles' mask doesn't get torn in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23, but his actions frighten others. He feels isolated and fears rejection.

 

Tiana Toomes' upbringing could have turned her into a villain like Rabble. She once fought alongside the Vulture as Starling. Miles helped her walk a better path. She found ways to cope with her anger and grief. After Rabble's assault, Tiana encouraged Miles to seek counseling and take up journaling. She cannot allay Miles' concerns, but he can share his problems with her, and she should understand what he’s going through.

 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23 sets up Cody Ziglar’s Birds Of A Feather story. After teaming up with Shift, Ms Marvel, and his uncle Aaron, and then with Bloodline and Hightail, Ziglar’s story promises to shake up things again with an all-new team-up. But then, as a hero imbued with spidey powers, venom blasts, and now vampirism, Miles Morales is an all-new, all-different Spider-Man.

 

 

 

Art

Federico Vicentini follows one page of Tiana living and patrolling alone with another showing Miles' brightening her everyday activities and superhero career. As Zip Zephyr towers over an armored truck, the security guards cower amid broken concrete. Wind flips the heavy vehicle through the air while Miles' thwips and blows send the demigod reeling. Silhouettes and shadows enhance the colored art as Zip crashes into the destroyed street. Amid the rising dust, a venom blast electrifies a double-page confrontation.

 

Doc Sasquatch hovers amid a pillar of blue light. Doc's green skin and hair shine beneath his office's overhead lights when the transmission ends. Darkforce portals no longer obliterate the sun’s rays, but as daylight ebbs, Bryan Valenza casts yellow, purple, pink, and orange into the sky. Light and shadow streak diagonally through an alley assault while bits of yellow drift through the darkness surrounding Tiana's apartment.

 

Cory Petit thwips black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons. He shares Miles' thoughts as white letters in red narrative boxes and Tiana's as scarlet words in yellow boxes. The delicate font rarely shrinks and emboldens for inflection. Zip Zephyr announces his name with giant yellow and blue letters, while the demigod employs a font devoid of curves. Colorful, transparent, energizing sound effects enhance every thwip, punch, blast, crash, and whoosh in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While introducing Shift to his family broadened Miles’ world, vampirism reduces him to the insecure and hurting Spider-Man. Miles looks to others for support in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23. How long until Dr Strange’s magic wears off and Miles preys on those under his protection?

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Jackpot & Black Cat #3 Review

 

Writer: Celeste Bronfman

Artists: Emilio Laiso & Giada Belviso

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Pablo Villalobos; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov; Elizabeth Torque & Tríona Ferrell

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 29, 2024

 

Mary Jane Watson disapproves of Felicia Hardy's criminal endeavors as Black Cat. Still, Mary Jane values her friendship with Felicia. Felicia has supported MJ’s burgeoning career as the superhero Jackpot. But Felicia’s new friend, Amelia Morrow, encourages Black Cat’s criminal activities. Will Amelia Morrow tear Mary Jane and Felicia Hardy apart? Let’s spin our fruit machine reels, extend our claws, leap into Jackpot & Black Cat #3, and find out!

 

Story

Last year, Amelia Morrow developed a popular phone app. When her employer refused her the credit and compensation she wanted, Amelia stole the source code and developed Obscura. Amelia adopted the supervillain name Bandwidth and used her new app to blackmail users into doing her bidding.

 

Amelia has little in common with Mary Jane or Peter Parker. Yet Amelia has spun Felicia into her web of criminal intrigue. Mary Jane wants Felicia to accept the truth. But Felicia adores Amelia and clings to the fading hope that Amelia cares for her. In Jackpot & Black Cat #3, Felicia excuses Amelia's behavior and insists she wouldn’t scare citizens into employing deadly force. Even as Felicia asserts that Mary Jane is wrong about Amelia, Felicia knows her friend is right. So why is Felicia denying the facts and the instincts that have allowed her to pursue her career without ending up in prison?

 

So far, Amelia has conned Felicia into fleecing Chance’s Flying Casino. She ordered app users to kill Mary Jane. Amelia threatened to harm Paul unless Mary Jane robbed White Rabbit’s money laundering operation. Mary Jane and Paul force Felicia and Amelia into an impromptu breakfast double date in Celeste Bronfman's story. Mary Jane wants to take down Amelia while protecting Felicia. But despite Felicia’s pleas, Amelia has no intention of playing nicely.

 

Felicia Hardy has made some strange friendships with Peter Parker and Mary Jane. While Peter cooled on Felicia, Mary Jane strives to reform her. Amelia accepts Felicia for who she is, and Black Cat enjoys playing Bandwidth’s games. But in Jackpot & Black Cat #3, the stakes get higher. People could die amid Bandwidth’s fun. Even if Mary Jane and Felicia survive, the consequences of Amelia’s actions could leave their lives in ruins.

 

 

Art

Felicia and Amelia look relaxed together in their apartment. But tensions rise as Mary Jane saunters in. Mary Jane sits across from Amelia while Paul faces Felicia. If looks could kill, they'd be lying on the floor. Felicia's hostility vanishes in the bathroom as MJ slips into teacher mode. Felicia sits on the bathtub and stares down at her knees before regarding MJ while supporting her head with her hand. But MJ doesn't soften before Felicia's Baby Don’t Hurt Me No More look. Instead, Mary Jane adopts a fighting stance and gestures while she argues her case.

 

Emilio Laiso and Giada Belviso turn on the heat when Paul and MJ leave the apartment. Paul hunches as he follows his lady love. But Paul stands beside MJ when enemies surround them in Jackpot & Black Cat #3. And Paul charges into danger at Mary Jane's side when supervillains appear.

 

Brian Reber paints Black Cat's apartment in gray, tan, pink, and purple. Mary Jane's purple top blends with Felicia's interior better than Amelia’s bright blue pajamas. Amid all the colorful passengers, Reber paints the subway train interior in gray and orange, flattens foregrounds, and adds a haze to lighten backgrounds. Little outshines Jackpot's red, gold, pink, and white suit, but a green-and-yellow multilimbed villain tries.

 

Ariana Maher spins black uppercase dialogue into white balloons and orange narrative boxes in Jackpot & Black Cat #3. Sound effects enliven the subway scenes as Jackpot's reels spin, MJ's powers manifest, and bodies slam into walls. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amelia and Black Cat’s antics ruffle the Owl’s feathers and could incite another gang war. Events also force Felicia to confront her fears and doubts about Amelia. She's straddled the fence for too long. In Jackpot & Black Cat #3, Felicia Hardy must choose between friendship and love.

 

Rating 8/10

 

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