Could Sparrow Be Miles’ Black Cat In Miles Morales: Spider-Man #6?

Starling has burst onto the scene and she’s got her sights set on Tombstone. That works out well for Miles as he’s also trying to track down the villain. The only problem is that Starling’s methods are a bit too extreme for Miles, crossing a line he’s not comfortable with. Has he met a new ally, a new foe, or something in between?

There’s a definite Spider-Man / Black Cat vibe between Miles and Starling. The two have an instant chemistry and writer Saladin Ahmed plays this up perfectly. Miles is flustered with how direct Starling is, both in and out of combat. You get a sense of Miles’ voice in some of this dialogue, especially a moment towards the end where he comes close to revealing his secret identity. There’s this defeated tone to the speech.
It’s easy to forget sometimes that despite all his adventures and super heroic activities, Miles is still just a kid, figuring out life and the world. Miles Morales: Spider-Man #6 is a great example of this and shows how he’s struggling to balance his two different identities. They’re kept separate and keeping them that way is having an effect on both sides. His girlfriend knows something is up and he can’t bring himself to tell her and Starling reveals all to him, but he can’t share his secret. This puts him in such a tough, but necessary spot.

Throughout it all, Miles’ internal narration is shown as excerpts from his journal. This was started with the relaunch of this series and I’m glad it’s carried through to each issue. Letterer Cory Petit makes these stand out from your average caption boxes, appearing like pages torn from Miles’ writing. It makes more sense for it to appear as a journal than a running narration of what he’s doing in his head.
Artist Javier Garron delivers a perfect balance of stunning character moments and jaw-dropping action sequences. Miles is very expressive both in and out of costume. Although his face is covered, you can instantly understand his facial expressions based on how the eye lenses move or the mask bunches up. This conveys so many different emotions and adds to the tone of each scene.

No two fight scenes look alike in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #6. Garron keeps each page varied with new layouts and perspectives. My eyes were darting all over the page to keep up with the action. The layout changes based on what’s going on in the scene, with wider panels for some of the more open settings where the characters are spread out, and taller panels for when the action takes to the air.
We only get a few pages of Miles in his street clothes, but there’s much to be said about them. Garron gives each character a signature look that conveys their personality. The vice principal is pudgy and often a little disheveled, so he always comes across as a dolt. Sean is a preppy know-it-all with a face you just want to smash. You don’t need these things spelled out for you in the story or dialogue because you immediately understand them based on the design for the characters.

Much of Miles Morales: Spider-Man #6 takes place at night. Colorist David Curiel creates a cool, quiet setting with an array of blues. This is quickly interrupted by the action, which explodes in reds and yellows. Throughout it all, Miles’ costume shines. Although it’s mostly black and red, there’s a sheen to it that stands out on the page.
After establishing Miles’ new status quo and the major players in his life, this series is looking to complicate things further for the young super hero. Just when he thought he had things figured out, everything is thrown into question. His life is just as interesting without the mask as he’s a relatable kid going through school and relationship troubles like everyone else has.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #6 from Marvel Comics is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.