In a move that isn’t at all unexpected after the preview of the All-New All-Different Avengers released on free comic book day, Miles Morales will now be an official staple in the upcoming post-Battleworld Marvel Universe. The new comic book run will be written by Miles co-creator Brian Bendis, and penciled by Sarah Pichelli, who originally brought the Ultimate Spider-Man to life and color.
Half African-American and Half Puerto-Rico, Miles Morales quickly gained a fan following (myself inculded) when he assumed the role of the Ultimate Universe’s Spider-Man in 2011 after the Peter Parker of Earth-1610 “died.” While at first some criticized the change as a poorly veiled move towards adding some semblance of diversity in the Marvel world -by changing one of the most iconic superheroes from a young, Caucasian Peter to a biracial Miles, it has since been apparent that the move was more than just a PR stunt as the Miles Morales storyline and character have been well received and interesting.
What reveals the most about the status quo of the new Marvel universe is that Miles’ new comic run is titled “
Spider-Man.”
This seems to indicate that Peter-616 (whose company Parker Industries seems to be alive and well according to the billboard in the background of the issue #1 cover) will pass on the torch and title to his young ward.
I say ward because it was reported at the NY daily news that Morales will operate alongside the “grown-up, genuine Peter Parker.” Knowing that Peter is sticking around after the Secret Wars leaves me wondering whether he’ll continue fighting crime under a new name, or will merely act as the Batman to his Batman Beyond.
Bendis told NY daily news, “Our message has to be it’s not Spider-Man with an asterisk, it’s the real Spider-Man for kids of color, for adults of color and everybody else.” Ultimate Spider-Man was one of the first of the new wave of heroes injecting diverse backgrounds and races into the Marvel U -female Thor, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan, and the new Captain America all come to mind.
As seen in the comments of many of these articles regarding Miles, many people still believe its all a marketing ploy and that Marvel shouldn’t take one of the most beloved heroes and change him just for the sake of diversity. But I believe the change is good, not just because of the diversification, but because Miles Morales is a fully fleshed out, engaging character with his own personality. I don’t think anyone should think of Miles as the “Black Spider-Man,” but rather, “The New Spider-Man Miles Morales.” Plus, Peter Parker will always be there, guiding the new Spider-Man all the while.
Look for the new issue of Spider-Man this fall.