Miles Morales: Shock Waves

My boys both loved Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and it's a movie I have seen a bunch of times. I think it works on a number of levels, and I bring it up because I think it is the direct spiritual influence of this book and probably the text that most younger readers who are its intended audience would have seen. I think the only real difference in his characterization is that this book keys more on his Puerto Rican side, which especially comes to the fore when an earthquake strikes the island and his family spearheads a fundraising event to send aid. Although it is not a sequel or related to the movie in any direct way, this book treads similar ground in terms of characterization and tone. It works as an introduction to the character but also as a continuation of his exploits for his fans. Miles is a young African-American/Latinx New Yorker endowed with great power, which he uses to protect others and thwart villains. 

Like most good Spider-Man stories, this book focuses on a mixture of Miles' identities. There is plenty of crossover between his work/school/home personas, and his problems are grounded in reality and very relatable. Of course, his superheroics often conflict with his personal/family life.

Miles also meets a new classmate at school, Kyle, and she's got a dilemma of her own when her tech genius father goes missing. In the course of this investigation, it seems that one of the largest contributors to the Puerto Rico fundraiser may be involved, and Miles has to tread lightly in his guise as Spider-Man. Rounding out all this personal drama, this book also has its share of action.

I think it works well as a compelling superhero narrative, full of action sequences, and intriguing mystery, and deeds of derring-do. In many ways, the six chapters read like individual comic books, with cliffhangers and a good amount of self-contained story, potentially making this an entry point into serial comics.

One thing I wondered as I read this book was how it would play with readers who were new to superheroes. I feel it relies on the reader knowing who the main players are already, as well as a passing knowledge of who the Avengers, Peter Parker (Spider-Man), and Tony Stark (Iron Man) are. It follows the lead of the Marvel cinematic universe, introducing a number of different concepts, like Terrigen mist and Inhumans, and new characters like Ms. Marvel (star of the next Marvel book from Scholastic Graphix) and Squirrel Girl, in hopes of constructing an interlocking series of books.

This strategy of building continuity contrasts pretty sharply with DC Comics' line of YA graphic novels, which seem more creator-driven, stand-alone volumes. A bunch of those books center on the same sets of characters, but there is no apparent attempt at continuity between the books, except when there are sequels. Personally, I thought this book was a fun and breezy read, and I am curious to see how well it and the entire line sells going forward.

The two main creators on this book are writer Justin A. Reynolds and artist Pablo Leon. Reynolds is a novelist known for his best-selling debut Opposite of Always, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2019., and his more recent Early Departures. Leon has drawn a number of works but is perhaps best known for the Eisner Award-nominated digital comic The Journey. Both creators speak about their collaboration on Shock Waves in this interview.

The reviews I have read of this book have been mostly positive. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews concluded, "Big heart and enduring life lessons make this a cherished addition to a viral character’s legacy." Eric Kallenborn wrote, "It’s a great entry into the character with a great story to boot." In a more reserved review, Tiffany Babb called it "an enjoyable but weightless read for younger Spider-Man fans."

Miles Morales: Shock Waves was published by Scholastic Graphix, and they offer more info about it here.