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Silk #1 (2023)
- Writer:
- Emily Kim
- Artist:
- Ig Guara
- Letterer:
- VC's Ariana Maher
- Cover Artist:
- Dave Johnson
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-05-10
- Colorist:
- Ian Herring
Swinging back into the Spider-Verse with another solo run, fan-favorite hero Silk returns in Silk #1. Emily Kim returns to the writing helm after her 2021 Silk volume, with art by Ig Guara, colors by Ian Herring, and letters by VC's Ariana Maher. Bitten by the same irradiated spider that gave Peter Parker his powers, Cindy Moon, AKA Silk, hid for a decade, eluding the psychic vampire Morlun, before rejoining the world as a superhero.
Silk #1 opens with Cindy Moon, web-slinging ace detective, as she explores the mysteries of noir Los Angeles and its seamy underbelly. While straightening out some mobsters, she tangles with a demon and realizes their battle seems all too familiar. As it occurs to Cindy that 1950s L.A. isn't her usual beat, she is swallowed up by a new world and a new adventure.
Kim's writing in Silk #1 sets a terrific precedent for the series, hitting all the marks to create a solid foundation. Kim excels at setting the tone early in the comic, capturing the genre of the hardboiled detective story with immediacy. Both the dialogue and Silk's internal monologue are snappy without feeling contrived. The monologue also allows Kim to control the pacing with an even closer hand. Each moment of realization and revelation feels organic and timely. The last pages of the comic are very compelling, with the tantalizing promise of another rip-roaring period piece even more high-octane than the last sure to draw in new fans. The conclusion itself is a great cliffhanger that sets up the rest of the series from a structural and narrative perspective while connecting to the earlier Silk series.
The art of Silk #1 is an absolute triumph on Guara's part, particularly in the L.A. section, which perfectly portrays the moody, noir setting. The illustration leans into a softer style, with lots of texture and hatching but very few harsh lines, which gives a distinctly vintage flavor. It allows the art to capture some stunningly evocative facial expressions from characters and some incredibly impressive backgrounds rife with complex details and a great understanding of perspective. The art shifts into a sharper, more modern style across the next two sections, dramatically delineating each setting and demonstrating Guara's impressive range. The action sequences also feel fluid and imaginative, with a great sense of three-dimensional space and dynamic motion from panel to panel.
Herring's colors are gorgeous throughout Silk #1, leaning heavily into a sepia undertone. The colors really sell the L.A. portion of the comic, tapping into a vein of American Realism with their painterly style. The huge spectrum of light and dark colors creates a richly textured aesthetic. The variations in color pallet elevate the shifting art style, making each section of the comic feel visually and tonally distinct from one another. Maher's letters are clear and consistent throughout, with Silk's internal monologue being a different text color -- a thoughtful touch. The title cards for each section are also excellent, giving the different settings the feel of a vintage movie reel spooling through a projector.
Silk #1 is an exciting and novel debut for the new series, setting up a great premise with style and aplomb. The art and color work are superb, giving Silk #1 an incredible aesthetic punch to match the strong writing, making this first outing feel assertively competent from a visual and narrative perspective. The story has cannily woven in dual plot hooks already, which will have casual and long-time Silk fans eager to read the next issue.