With one of Marvel’s biggest crossover events in years on the horizon, some of the Marvel Universe’s younger heroes are already in the middle of their own major happening. After Ms. Marvel sustained critical injuries, the US government has passed a law forbidding teen heroes from operating without oversight.
That law obviously impacts Miles Morales, better known as Spider-Man. If the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man isn’t allowed to sling webs, crawl on walls and do all of that other spidey stuff, what exactly is he supposed to do? How can Miles fulfill that great responsibility that comes with his great power?
Spider-Man has never been one to let something like the law keep him from doing the right thing, and that goes for Miles Morales as well. So you can bet he’s still swinging around New York City looking for somebody he can help before he heads off to school.
Unfortunately for Miles, even something as simple as making a kid’s day after he’s been in a fight is considered illegal nowadays. Naturally, that means the newly formed C.R.A.D.L.E. has to intervene and make sure they shut down his operation for his own protection.
That doesn’t sit very well with Miles and, well, you can guess how things turn out. But, while Spider-Man being on the wrong side of the law is nothing new, Miles now also has to deal with some doubts at home when he finds out his mother isn’t totally against this new law and just wants to see her son be safe. Things are only going to get more and more complicated for Miles.
This is another quintessential Spider-Man comic, even if it’s not Peter Parker spinning the webs. In typical Spidey fashion, he takes the time out of his hectic, almost always out of control schedule to form a personal connection with a child. No problem is too small for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
On top of that, Spider-Man is once again on the wrong side of the law. That has been a staple in Spidey stories since day one. Whether he’s getting his name dragged through the mud in the Daily Bugle or just running from police as they rush the scene of his latest fight with the Green Goblin, Spider-Man is very accustomed to being public enemy number one.
This is also a fun issue, with a good balance of action and story. Another staple of Spider-Man stories is getting a good look at the life of the man behind the mask. In this issue, we get to see the the home dynamic for Miles and his family while all of this is going on in the world. Miles may be ok with disobeying the law to do the right thing, but this gives us a look at what his family thinks.
This “Outlawed” storyline is also very reminiscent of Marvel’s “Civil War.” Heroes have once again found themselves as enemies of the US government and fighting those who they once considered to be allies. The big difference here is the only heroes this law affects are the youngest ones. They don’t have a leader like Captain America to lead them into battle. Will they be able to fight this law on their own?
“Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17” is available now.