Silk #1
- WRITER
- Maurene Goo
- Artist
- Takeshi Miyazawa
- Letterer
- VC's Ariana Maher
- Cover Artist
- Stonehouse, Jen Bartel, Bengal, Skottie Young, Wooh Nayoung, JEEHYUNG LEE
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2021-03-31
- Colorist
- Ian Herring
One fan-favorite superhero spinning out of Spider-Man's adventures is Silk, a Korean American classmate of Peter Parker's who secretly acquired superpowers of her own after being bitten by the same radioactive spider all those years ago. Cindy Moon stars in the new five-issue comic book miniseries Silk by Maurene Goo and Takeshi Miyazawa that showcases how she balances her web-slinging double life, with a debut issue that leans into the hyper-verbal nature of the character without forgetting to cut loose with the superhero action.
After spending most of her life locked away in a bunker by the mysterious Ezekiel to avoid the voracious supervillain Morlun and his insatiable hunger for totemic-based superheroes, Cindy is out and about in Manhattan doing her best to make up for lost time. In addition to being a star investigative reporter for J. Jonah Jameson's latest news media venture, Cindy's wallcrawling superhero career has her land right in the middle of a series of brutal murders linked to the New York City criminal underworld. As Cindy starts to pull at the sinister web of rising gangland violence, a new mob boss arrives in town to stake her own claim to the city that never sleeps.
The Silk miniseries stands as the comic book writing debut of acclaimed novelist Maurene Goo, herself Korean American like the title's protagonist. Goo keeps the dialogue running fast and sharp, with the conversational interplay most effective between Cindy and her brother and her interactions in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the newsroom. There's a fair bit of exposition in this opening issue, but most of it feels earned and, as an inaugural issue, comes with the territory. The story itself doesn't appear to be particularly high stakes so far, but instead is more of a day in the life character study of Cindy as tries to make it all work as a young professional and superhero. And while the more tragic aspects of Cindy's family life are certainly hinted at, Goo keeps her narrative relatively breezy and fun; it's good to remember that superhero comics can and should have that escapist sensibility.
Miyazawa's artwork is always just a delight to look at, both in quieter, more introspective moments and with the big, city-spanning action set pieces. Joined by color artist Ian Herring, Miyazawa is delivering everything from late night heists in well-protected penthouses and shadowy office suites to a bright look at Manhattan during the day as Cindy goes about a typical day as a working New Yorker that happens to be punctuated with bloody murder investigations and the regular superhero derring-do. A fight sequence in the New York subway is the standout scene in the issue, with Miyazawa's depiction of Silk in motion a genuine treat to watch unfold.
With a planned Silk television series on the way to Amazon Prime Video, a wide audience will be introduced to the superhero alter ego of Cindy Moon. Goo and Miyazawa have provided a strong jumping-on point for those unfamiliar with Silk, wisely focusing on character rather than a sweeping scope.
Cindy is a down to earth character who balances light and dark in her life as she tries her best to be a hero. This is exemplified in the first issue of this miniseries as she attempts to make a thriving life for herself. With Goo at the helm seamlessly making the transition to comic book writing, this miniseries is poised to be a nice, breezy tale.