COMICS PORTAL: Miles Morales Is the New Gwen Stacy!

Looks like Gwen Stacy’s time in the spotlight is over, and she’s being replaced by Miles Morales!

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

It wasn’t all that long ago that Gwen Stacy’s name on a cover was comic gold!

There was Gwenpool, Spider-Gwen, and a clone of Gwen that popped up in the Spider-Man comics, for instance. Stores had trouble keeping these issues on the shelves.

Well, time has passed, and the Gwen-iverses don’t quite sell like they used to, so it’s time for a new character to step into the limelight!

And that’s Miles Morales, one of the Spider-Men!

Recently, Miles has been mashed up with Captain America (in issue #1 of What If… Miles Morales) and Wolverine (in issue #2), so I guess it shouldn’t surprise us that he’s now turning into the Hulk!

In May, the third issue of What If… Miles Morales comes out, and like Bruce Banner, Rick Jones, Jennifer Walters, Betsy Ross, General Ross, and others before him, Miles is going to “hulk out.”

What If… Miles Morales #3 is written by Anthony Piper with art by Edgar Salazar and a cover and design variant cover by Paco Medina, who also illustrates the “Captain America” debut issue.

Of course, each issue is a tryout for a variant of Miles. Hey, if something sticks, look for that version to get his very own tryout comic!

Does anyone remember Captain Carter?

MILES, MILES, AND MORE MILES

I have often fussed about Miles in the past… that I truly don’t care for stuffing a person of color into an already existing costume. The creative way to handle a diverse character is to be creative and give that person a NEW identity rather than cheat by taking over an identity previously developed for another guy or gal.

But if you are going to actually put Miles into a Spider-costume, then you may as well go all the way and try out every costume in the Marvel Universe.

Since this “What If…” comic is a series of one-shots, why not have the Fantastic Four Miles’ group. Miles gets split into his own team, and they each have different aspects of his personality that manifest in various ways, like fire, a stretchy guy, a female version who can turn invisible, and a rock-hard guy!

Hey, it’s worked before!

Since Moon Knight is getting his own show on Disney Plus, how about “Miles Knight?” He goes crazy and develops a different costumed identity after being admitted to an asylum?

Then again, he could be walking on a street in New York City and be hit by a radioactive barrel, and it takes away his sight but enhances his other senses? He could be Miles Devil!

Or he could end up in training under Stephen Strange, who eventually gets killed, and a new master of the mystic arts is needed? Doctor Morales!

They could end up with the Morales-verse–all Miles, all the time!

The possibilities are absolutely endless! It all depends on how the sales hold up, after all!

BUT SERIOUSLY…

Given the state of comics today, I actually don’t mind seeing Marvel try out alternate versions of certain characters.

Even though Marvel is at the top of the heap, they need ways to experiment with new possibilities. Having a comic that lets the House of Ideas run something up the flagpole lets them see who salutes!

It’s kind of an anthology of sorts. There used to be comics like this, such as The Brave and the Bold (before it became “Batman and… ”) and Showcase.

Granted, anthologies seem to be more popular among Indie comics these days. They provide a chance for creators to strut their stuff, and their fandoms combine to get sales that can cover the costs more easily than each individual might. Marvel seems to prefer giving a character a series rather than an anthology, though.

This is a case of something Marvel might actually pick up from their Distinguished Competition. They are often putting out holiday or seasonal anthologies that contain several stories with different characters in situations that fit the season. The only time I’ve seen the House of Ideas do this was around Christmas or the holiday season. And I haven’t seen one of these in a while.

I admit that I’m not much for comics in which the lead person dies so their assistant can take over, much like Dr. Strange’s current goings-on. Is Stephen gone forever? Not hardly! Like many heroes before him, things will go in the new direction until sales dip, then—“BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT,” the “old” Dr. Strange will return!

I always want to start a pool so we can place bets on when it will happen. It’s not an “if” it will happen—it’s a “when.”

OTHER MARVEL CHARACTERS DESERVE THIS TREATMENT

As a fan of several lower-tier Marvel heroes, I would like to see others get the “Miles Morales” treatment, as it were. Maybe the House of Ideas could create several “What If…” comics based around characters who aren’t all that busy at the moment.

I can think of at least a few!

What about “What If… Sub Mariner?” Namor could be caught in an accident with Cap and the two could be blended together! Or he could run into gamma radiation from nuclear waste in the ocean that would transform him into a Hulk Mariner. He could also be bitten by a radioactive spider to become the Spider-Mariner!

If that doesn’t fly, since the Black Knight was in the Eternals movie, maybe “What If… Black Knight.” (You knew I was going to bring him up, right?) He could leave his current identity to become one of the Caps. Or he could encounter a radioactive sword that would transform him into the Hulk Knight. He might get bitten by a radioactive to turn into the Spider Knight!

Anyway, you get the picture. I would also like to suggest Nova, Photon, Midnight Sun, the Great Lakes Avengers, several of the Ant Men, the Wasp, and Wonder Man. Any of those could even team up, if that would help.

I wouldn’t even mind an ongoing “What If…” in which each issue focused on a different character. And if something catches on, give that iteration his or her own tryout comic.

Again, there are all kinds of ways to use this format to find new comics for the House of Ideas!

What do you think? Are you buying the What If… Miles Morales comics? Would this format work with other characters? What other variations of this character would you like to see?  Whatever your opinions, be sure to share your thoughts below!

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