No R’ym’r Or Reason — Reviewing ‘Miles Morales: Spider-Man’ #22

Vampires are running amok across the Marvel Universe, but Miles Morales has his hands pretty darn full at the moment. Both with the returning Vampire Lord R’ym’r and the battle with his own vampiric tendencies, a gift from former ally Blade.

The series’ two-part tie-in to the overall Blood Hunt event comes to a pretty rapid fire ending with Miles Morales: Spider-Man #22. A Marvel Team-Up style adventure from Cody Ziglar, Brent Peeples, Daniel Picciotto, Bryan Valenza, and Cory Petit.

Any glance at the previous twenty-one reviews for this series will speak to how much I like it. Anything that is good is bound to have a moment where things just don’t entirely hit the same. Not a bad outing, just one that isn’t fully like the others. For this series, this issue fits the bill.

Ziglar is still on point with the characterization, the back and forth, and the overall feeling of the title. Pacing wise though everything just felt sort of rushed to the finish line. A relatively minor fight and the sudden return of Bloodline has R’ym’r pretty unceremoniously kicked to the curb for the third time (counting the Web Of Spider-Man #1 one-shot story) in the past eight months.

Just seems like these fights should have had a bit more weight, but it is what it is. Only so much real estate during a pretty rapidly paced line-wide event. Outside of the R’ym’r stuff we did get some more building between Hightail and Miles as well as some good Miles/Brielle/Dracula stuff. Overall, it just wasn’t an issue I’d be raving about or recalling down the line. One mostly minor bump in the road out of twenty-two trips, ain’t that bad really.

Artistically, what Peeples and Picciotto provide doesn’t quite match up to the perfectly chaotic energy that Federico Vicentini usually brings. It’s fine, a touch of roughness alongside some smoother depth and details. More superhero house coded, with its own flavor, than something else. Some of the fights are fluid and have some energy to them but feel very one-dimensional without the frenzied stylings.

Valenza continues to provide solid coloring. Compared to previous issues, save the last one, the palette is a bit more of a washed out more neutral toned one. Plenty of darkness plays into the whole thing since it still is a horror vampire night story. Trickles of the more poppy and vibrant hero coded colors are apparent at times. Especially since these are still bright costume wearing individuals racing though the pages.

Zingers and heartfelt moments are found a plenty here, giving Petit room to weave his magic. Letting the words absorb every bit of energy, before reflecting it back in a variety of ways. Shifting things around so what different tones, volumes, and feeling are ‘heard’ all the way through. Adding a few flairs here or there for some visual pop.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #22 is now available from Marvel Comics.