Publisher: Scholastic/Graphix
Release Date: November 1, 2022
Price: $24.99 (HC) / $12.99 (TP)
Creator(s): Justin A. Reynolds (Writer), Pablo Leon (Artist)
Format: 128 pgs., Full-Color, 6" x 9", Hardcover/Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-3388-2639-5 (TP) / 978-1-3388-2640-1 (HC)
Age Rating: 8-12 yrs. old
ICv2 Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Justin Reynolds is an excellent writer. Miles Morales is a new enough version of Spider-Man that it’s possible to tell really interesting stories with him, without stepping on decades of continuity. The graphic novel that came out last year, involving this same combination, was a lot of fun. This one just isn’t quite as good, and part of that is the story, which just gets a little out of control by the climax.
Part of the problem has to do with the chosen villain, one that does have decades of continuity, and this story violates most of that. In addition, the actual climactic battle involves a being of enormous power and great skill losing a fistfight to, frankly, a not-all-that-powerful superhero. That just didn’t read well, and looked like an awkward solution.
A second problem, not necessarily the author’s fault, is that the book has the same price as others on the Graphix label that are roughly twice the size, in terms of pages. So, some potential buyers of the book may choose to buy other books, for that reason.
Is this a bad story? No. Anyone totally unfamiliar with the villain will have less problem with the story or its resolution. Anyone who has seen him, in stories involving the Avengers, Thor, the Hulk or the X-Men, will be puzzled by the way he’s acting and the way he’s ignoring his own vast amount of power. So, it’s an odd story, and packaged at an odd price point. Basically, it’s a book that’s best for non-fans and the younger readers among them, in particular. It’s perhaps not as good as the author’s previous Miles Morales graphic novel, but it’s an interesting story for the most part.
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.
