Miles Morales: Spider-Man

This is not your typical Spider-Man tale. Although long-time readers probably remember Peter Parker dealing with issues like guns in schools and other real-world problems, he’s usually the wisecracking wall-crawler, comedic relief and hero in one package.

But Miles Morales is an entirely different Spider-Man, and in this adventure, the struggles of being Spider-Man take a backseat to the struggles of daily life. Miles worries his spider-powers are malfunctioning after numerous false alarms in a bigoted teacher’s class. Factor in an unexpected letter from his dead uncle’s son, a crush who leaves him tongue-tied, and some sinister dreams, and you’ve got a recipe for teen angst that might send Miles’s future spiraling toward disaster.

A book that spends more time dealing with YA-style struggles than superheroics, Miles Morales: Spider-Man offers a very modern take on the hero, delving deep into class warfare, social equality, and the specter of a very real boogeyman tormenting young men of color.

The real world and the superhero world collide in wholly believable fashion, adding another valuable chapter to the quickly-developing legacy of Miles Morales.