REVIEW: ‘Miles Morales: Spider-Man,’ Issue #28

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #28 is written by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Carmen Carnero, colored by David Curiel, and lettered by VC’s Cory Petit. It is published by Marvel Comics. The finale to the “Clone Saga” storyline features Miles racing to the Brooklyn Bridge, where his clone Selim is holding his little sister Billie captive. Miles and Selim engage in a final fight to determine who is the better Spider-Man, with Billie’s fate hanging in the balance along with that of Mindspinner and Shift.

As I mentioned in my review of Miles Morales: Spider-Man #25, the biggest issue with the original Clone Saga storyline is that it stretched on for far too long, despite introducing a fan-favorite character in the form of Ben Reilly. Miles’ Clone Saga is far shorter, taking place over the space of four months rather than two years, and more focused on character above all else. Ahmed is careful to draw the line between Miles and Selim: Miles is more concerned with Billie’s safety than his own, and Selim is vindictive enough to threaten her life-even going so far as to insinuate he’ll drop her off the Empire Building. Even though Selim may have been trained to utilize his spider powers better, it’s fairly clear that he is lacking Miles’ heart-which leads to a division between Selim, Mindspinner, and Shift.

Carnero also highlights the difference between the two Spider-Men in her art, especially in their fight scenes. Miles has all of the agility and speed one would expect from Spider-Man, as well as the intellect: he manages to exploit every opening in Selim’s fighting style and uses a combination of his webs and “Venom Blast” ability-which lights up the page in a bright blaze of yellow energy thanks to Curiel’s colors. In contrast, Selim is more ruthless and almost always goes for the kill with his blades, representing his cruel upbringing.

The best sequence is a three-page spread that features the entirety of Miles and Selim’s battle, which takes them across the entirety of the Brooklyn Bridge. Carnero illustrates the fight via a series of tilting panels that follows the Spider-Men’s aerial scuffle, making the reader feel every kick and punch that’s being thrown. Curiel shrouds the background of New York City in a dark black with hues of red, matching Miles and Selim’s respective Spider-Suits. Even Petit’s word boxes are a dark red, reflecting Miles’ mood before and after his fight with Selim.

Overall, this “Clone Saga” storyline was a major improvement over its predecessor. It managed to keep Miles front and center, while putting him through the emotional wringer. And his clones are not only different from him, but from Peter Parker’s clones as well. The issue ends on a surprisingly upbeat note as well, which considering how the original Clone Saga ended is a relief.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #28 closes out the young web-slinger’s Clone Saga with plenty of emotion and action-packed sequences, paying off two years’ worth of story threads. Wherever the creative team chooses to go from here, it’s fairly clear that Miles will continue to carve out his path as Spider-Man under their guiding hand.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #28 is available wherever comics are sold.