CREDIT: Marvel Comics
Rating: 4/5 – Silk’s Civilian Identity is Stronger than the Hero.
by ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
When Silk was highlighted as Bob’s Comic of the Week, I was also intrigued by the new series based on a lot of similar thoughts. She was ret-conned into Spider-Man’s origin and when she was first announced during the Original Sin event, to me it felt a bit forced. That being said, Spider-verse has done a lot not only in telling a fun and exciting story for Spider-Man and all of the interpretations of the character, but for a couple of new characters as well, including the extremely popular Spider-Gwen and now Silk.
As a teen, Cindy Moon was bitten by the same spider that bit Peter Parker and developed powers similar to Spider-Man’s. Their upbringing was quite different though as Cindy was locked in a bunker for a portion of her life to protect her from the main villains of Spider-verse, the Inheritors. Bob had mentioned that many fans have rebelled against the origin, as it could be argued that it makes Peter less unique. Depending on where you fall in that debate, Silk is still a fun first issue with an art style that’s vibrant and fun.
Writer Robbie Thompson has Cindy Moon living in New York and settling in after the the Spider-verse event. We launch right into the action as she battles Dragonclaw, a new villain first appearing here. Although the action scenes are somewhat entertaining, it’s the scenes outside of the action that make this book so enjoyable. During the fight, Silk comes off similar to Spider-Man using humorous quips and poking fun at the villain, but outside of the costume she’s more unique and has her own voice. We see flashbacks to Cindy’s time prior to being trapped in the bunker as well as her life now, and it’s these parts of the story as well as as the art that will have you coming back for a second issue.
Not being familiar with artist Stacey Lee, I was pleasantly surprised with her style and tone for this book. It’s a bit of a cartoony approach that works for the feel of the story, and Lee is able to portray Cindy Moon accurately in the different stages of her life. As a teen, Stacey makes her look younger which many artists struggle to do effectively. Lee’s style feels perfect for this series and with more time and exposure it’ll be exciting to see a new artist get more attention.
Silk is a solid start to a new series. Although Silk as a hero isn’t as compelling for me as the character Cindy Moon so far, with time I’m hoping that both will balance out. Cindy Moon is on a quest to find her parents and recover lost years of her life and that personal quest looks as though it will bleed over into her super hero life. When both parts of Silk’s story become equally strong, I think this will be a series to watch. For now, this first issue hints at great potential that I hope to see realized.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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