Are you looking for a comic book to introduce superheroes to the youngest? Panini comics offers with Spider-Man Miles Morales Shockwave an excellent solution.
An everyday hero
Like his illustrious predecessor, Miles Morales became Spider-Man following the bite of a genetically modified spider but, much younger, he must juggle his family life, his situation as a schoolboy and his career as a superhero. His agenda is denser than a minister and two news items further complicate his life. A terrible tremor broke out in Puerto Rico. This is his mother's homeland and Miles offers a charity evening to help the population. The father of a new schoolmate disappears and she wants to do everything to find him, even if it means putting herself in danger. 
Screenwriter Justin Reynolds pulls off this introductory volume perfectly. In the opening monologue presented as a faq, Miles Morales specifies on the one hand his status and powers in relation to Peter Parker while the images of Pablo Leon show his daily action and his entourage – his family and his best friend. On the other hand, the main narrative is very finely constructed. Miles Morales seems focused on an investigation to find a man but other events occur in the different elements of his life. All the pieces found along the way will gradually make sense in this great puzzle that is the book and it is at the end that the title will make sense.
A gateway for the youngest
This title is totally different from the rest of the recent Marvel releases. Indeed, it is not a title of the shared universe but a new youth collection of Marvel published in collaboration with the specialized publisher Scholastic. The first title, Spider-Man Miles Morales Shockwave, takes advantage of the success of the animated film Spider-Man: New Generation to highlight this young hero but it will be followed by other releases as shown at the end of the book. The reader discovers indeed the first pages of the title dedicated to Miss Marvel. This sector of young adult comics is booming in France as evidenced by the releases and successes of publishers like Kinaye or Bliss. The drawing of Miles Morales Shockwave is also very different from Marvel. Based on a Geoffo storyboard, cartoonist and colorist Pablo Leon has a more digital style than the superhero canon. Without being sloppy, it is totally adapted to the genre of the young adult. Its more iconic shapes are revealed by fine inking and color ranges.
Between thetwentieth and twenty-first centuries
The passionate reader of Marvel will find codes of the first Spider-Man as this balance between everyday life and superheroism but also between action and humor. This young man is very motivated but still clumsy. As in Peter Parker in the 1960s, Miles Morales struggles to reconcile his mission as a superhero and his studies. If these parents are alive unlike Peter, he has the same relationship with them as Peter and Aunt May and a very high sense of responsibility towards his loved ones. However, Miles is also a Spider-Man for this new century. Having a mother born in Puerto Rico and a black American father, he comes from two minorities and is the son of migrants. He lives fully as a young man of his time as when he trains for a choré on TicToc. But, he is at the same time the superhero of the neighborhood. Admittedly, he helps an old lady to cross but, more dangerous, he fights against two burglar women which leads to a very successful chase. By launching this fundraiser, Miles Morales is also a hero under his civilian identity. It is refreshing not to have a cosmic threat but just a person helping people around the corner. Spider-Man Miles Morales Shockwave is an enjoyable and very fun read. This book is also a very good introduction to the shared universe of superheroes because we meet different other characters. It is especially an excellent story for children because the scenario remains between high school students. This title therefore marks a good collection launch and the editorial staff of JustFocus is looking forward to the sequel on Miss Marvel. If you liked this young adult title, you can find reviews on Strange Academy and Snapdragon.
