Review: Miles Morales Vol 1: Straight out of Brooklyn

Book: Miles Morales Vol 1: Straight out of Brooklyn

Author: Saladin Ahmed with Javier Garró

Note - picked up as a kindle freebie.

In the first annual of the first (and best) run of New Warriors, there is a short story where Speedball is trying to activate his super powers.  He basically needs to experience force, so he keeps trying to jump off or get hit by something, but keeps getting saved by the various super heroes who call New York City home.  Eventually he wonders how many super heroes are actually in NYC, and Marvel Boy (before he become Justice and total douche) gives some sort of answer.

               Speedball’s question is a good one, and I found myself wondering about it in the opening chapters (issues) of the Miles Morales story because seriously, why would any super villain or criminal think that operating in NYC is a good idea considering the high number of super heroes that hang out there.

               That point aside, you can aid more to the Miles Morales Fan Train.  I mean, Spider-Ham is still my favorite Spider-Man, but Miles is a very close number 2.  Honesty, Peter Parker who?

               It is absolutely refreshing to see a character who has a relatively stable home life being given the space to actually be an interesting character.  I mean yes, he has his family issues and his school’s vice principal is out to get him for some reason, but his family is loving and solid.  His parents support him, his friends support him, he is well adjusted.  It’s nice.  ( I keep thinking about what a writer once said about Firestar, how she wasn’t interesting because she had no family drama, despite her mother having died.  Miles is allowed to have that solid family without overly tragic drama).

               I also really love the supporting characters, even Rhino who seems, at least here, to be in the reformed villain lane.  But the thing about Rhino as opposed to another reformed villain, Emma Frost (who emotionally and mentally abused her students) say, is that he is actually aware that in some ways his in-laws have a point.  Even though it hurts him to be ignored by his in-laws, he doesn’t judge or condemn them for their choice, or even accepts as reasonable.  In other words, he is aware of the wrongness of his actions. In other words, as compared to Frost who got her second chance after her students were killed and was immediately put in charge of more students, Rhino is being held to account.

               I also love Starling, though I wonder why she is calling herself Starling but using red plumage in her costume because that is a totally different bird.  But she is great.  She seems older than Miles, and I like that.  I also like her take on the whole costume hero gig.

               It’s also great to see that Miles’ friends and girlfriend are able to call him out when his behavior hurts them, but they are shown as doing so in such a way that is not whining or complaining.  This is true both of his girlfriend who knows that he is hiding something, and his best friend who helps with his weaponry.  It’s even true of Judge, another friend.  It was a good touch, especially when part of the reason I stopped reading Marvel for many years was a writer suggesting that the reader should feel sorry for Empath after he used his powers to get the woman he loved to say with him, taking away her free will. 

               I also love the fact that while Miles is smart, he is normal smart as opposed to super duper smart and a secret inventor.  He is an everyday student, and that is great.

               Totally enjoyable.  (As an aside, part of me wishes that the writers that are behind characters such as Miles and Ms. Marvel had been writing when Firestar was active in New Warrior because they would have done her so well).