Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 Is A Study In World-Building

While Miles Morales has a slew of super powers such as spider-like agility, a spider sense, and a venom sting, one of his greatest strengths come from his close friends and family. They support him through thick and thin, both in and out of costume. That’s an important distinguishing trait when compared to Peter Parker, who hides his identity as Spider-Man from his loved ones.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 works on a few levels. Writer Saladin Ahmed gives us several alternate perspectives on the hero’s story while also setting up multiple plot threads that can spawn new storylines. All the while, we’re shown how supportive these people are in Miles’ life. They know he’s a hero, risking his life to keep them and everyone else in the city safe. That worries them and in the case of Miles’ uncle Aaron, could put them in direct opposition, but they understand that this is something the kid has to do. With great power comes great responsibility, right?

Instead of showing separate and unconnected scenes, Ahmed weaves Miles into each one. Miles starts with a visit to his uncle, picking up right where the previous issue left off, then does a bit of super hero work, meets up with his parents, and ends up in some new trouble. It’s a day in the life of Miles Morales, as well as the lives of this supporting cast.

Each segment is illustrated by a different artist, differentiating them from the other sequences. I’m not usually a fan of switching up artists in the middle of a comic, but this works very well in how the story is set up. There’s a definitive beginning and end to each scene and we can tell that based on the change of artwork.

All of the artists involved are solid and work to bring out the best in their given scene. Ron Ackins and inker Dexter Vines open the issue with a personal, yet confrontational conversation between Miles and Uncle Aaron. You can tell they have a deep connection. Ackins & Vines say so much with these looks they give each other. You immediately understand the history and how Miles can speak differently and more openly than he can with anyone else.

The artist line-up for Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 starts with an impressive opener and maintains that same level of quality throughout. Alitha E. Martinez and Javier Garron handle the more action-heavy scenes, bringing out the bombastic energy that comes when Miles enters a fight. Meanwhile, Vanesa R. Del Rey draws a warm and loving scene with Miles and his parents.

All the while, colorists David Curiel and Erick Arciniega amplify each artists’ work while establishing the perfect tone. The sequence with Miles and his parents is a great example of this. It takes place in a restaurant with dim lights. There are no harsh fluorescent lights or the bright shine of the sun. Instead, it’s a warm, welcoming environment, which is a great fit for the scene and how it plays out.

Letterer Cory Petit keeps up with the changes in scenes and characters, distinguishing each one with its own style of narration. This helps to further separate them, showing just how robust Miles’ inner circle is.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 is a study in world-building. We’ve already been introduced to Miles and his friends and family. Now they all work together to create many new plot threads that will take the series into the near future. Each one presents new challenges and interesting ways to shake up the hero’s status quo.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 from Marvel Comics is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.