REVIEW: ‘Silk,’ Issue #2

Silk #2 is written by Maurene Goo, illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa, colored by Ian Herring, and lettered by VC’S Ariana Maher. It is published by Marvel Comics. Cindy Moon continues her investigation into Fujinet and its CEO Saya Ishii, which leads her to do battle with a massive cat demon that is slowly tearing through New York’s criminal underworld. Cindy also winds up with a new therapist when her current therapist Dr. Sinclair goes on vacation-which could end up affecting not just her personal life but her superheroic one as well.

Much like the first issue, Goo’s script keeps up the perfect balance of superheroic antics and human drama, exemplified by Cindy’s inner monologue. A key example is when she goes to a bathhouse to try and broker peace between two warring gangs and has to navigate an entire bathhouse full of nearly naked or fully naked men-which is just as unpleasant as it sounds. Upon meeting her new therapist Max, Cindy is also flustered-partly because she’s used to her sessions with Doctor Sinclair, partly because she’s attracted to him. This leads to the funniest bit of dialogue in the issue: “Plus, he was easy on the eyes. I mean easy to talk to. EASY, CINDY.”

It would be a Spider-Man (or Spider-adjacent title) without a villain to fight and superhero issues interfering in one’s personal life, and Goo delivers on both of those fronts. The cat demon is more than a match for Cindy and gives her severe wounds which she has to literally work through. (As a fellow millennial, this scene hit far harder than it had to.) I appreciate that Goo understands what makes Cindy and her fellow Spider-people resonate with so many people: out of all the superheroes in the Marvel Universe-or really, superheroes in general-they deal with human problems the most, which make them truly relatable to readers.

Miyazawa and Herring illustrate a dynamic fight scene between Cindy and the cat creature, which is equal parts action-packed and horrifying. The creature towers over everyone, including Cindy, and is bony with deep brown fur and blood-red eyes. Its word balloons are twisted and jumbled, courtesy of Maher. In contrast to Cindy’s more acrobatic way of fighting, the beast literally rips through its opponents and sends her flying with a single punch. Herring colors the scene in deep blue, pink, and green-a fitting palette given that the fight takes place in a video game arcade.

Apart from the action and the balancing of the human elements, I love that the issue deals with different Asian cultures, where both its protagonist and antagonist are concerned. Saya’s clothing is reminiscent of a kimono, albeit with alterations to be more business casual, and the cat demon is performing a ritual while chanting in Japanese. The creative team has clearly done their research regarding these elements, and it’s honestly refreshing to see different Asian cultures being represented.

Silk #2 continues to balance its superheroic and human elements while introducing a new foe for Cindy Moon. In true Spider-Verse fashion, Cindy’s personal life and her adventures as Silk are set to collide, and when the dust settles, things may never be the same for her.

Silk #2 is available wherever comics are sold.