Time to meet the other Miles Morales.
The original Spider-Men mini-series had quite a lot going for it, being the first team-up between the Spider-Men of the regular and Ultimate Marvel Universes and all. These days, with Miles and his supporting cast now permanent members of the regular Marvel U., the novelty of seeing the two heroes join forces isn't quite there anymore. So it is that while Spider-Men II #1 taps into that strong dynamic, this issue reads like just another chapter in Miles' ongoing solo series.
The biggest selling point with Spider-Men II is simply in seeing artist Sara Pichelli return to Miles' world after a several month absence. Miles and the gang never look better than when Pichelli is at the helm. She brings an impressive versatility to the series, cramming plenty of energy and detail into every page regardless of whether the focus is on superhero antics or Miles' ordinary high school drama. Her figures are vividly rendered, with colorist Justin Ponsor proving essential in making the characters and their environments come to life.
It's been fascinating to watch Pichelli's Ultimate Spider-Man work over the years and see characters like Miles and Ganke slowly, subtly age. Both are still awkward teenagers, but the way they've grown in height and the way they carry themselves and move about the page is markedly different compared to those early Ultimate Comics Spider-Man issues. It often feels like Pichelli and Brian Bendis are watching their creations slowly grow up, and it takes a a special sort of creative partnership to pull off that effect.
This issue starts off an a fairly exciting note note, with Bendis' script opening in media res as Miles and Peter deal with a mysterious foe. But from there, the story shifts to a much more character-driven mode. There's plenty of high school social drama to be had, as well as some fun banter between Peter and Miles as Bendis hashes out exactly what the two characters remember about the late Ultimate Universe. Solid material all around, but again, nothing terribly different from what we've been seeing in the ongoing Spider-Man comic. Even with the vague interdimensional elements at play, this feels basically like business as usual.
Spider-Men II does have one big hook in terms of the five-year-long mystery over the identity of "the other" Miles Morales. But this book also has to establish that the answer to said mystery was worth waiting five years, and nothing in this issue suggests that will be the case. Is the other Miles even relevant now that the Ultimate Universe is no longer a thing? We'll see. Come for another enjoyable, Miles-centric Spider-Man story from Bendis and Pichelli, but don't get your hopes up for much more.
The Verdict
It's never a bad thing to see Brian Bendis and Sara Pichelli exploring the life and times of Miles Morales. Spider-Men II #1 captures a lot of what makes their partnership work, with Bendis' humorous dialogue and Pichelli's gorgeous art resulting in a very pleasant reading experience. But with the novelty of the Peter/Miles team-up evaporated by now, this issue reads less like the start of an epic new crossover and more like just another day in the shared lives of these two heroes.
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