Writer: Maureen Goo
Art: Takeshi Miyazawa
Colors: Ian Herring
Letters: VC’s Ariana Maher
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 3/31/21
Reviewer: Soycornholio
Cindy Moon aka Silk is a fairly new hero. By new, I mean she made an epic debut back in 2014 (less than 10 years ago). If you are like me, you may be thinking to yourself “another Spider-Man rip-off? Marvel must be running out of ideas.” And to an extent, you’re right. Silk is the product of the same radioactive sider that originally bit Peter Parker. She has the bulk of his abilities except she can produce the spider webs from her fingertips (hence the name Silk). But unlike Spidey, she is a very current hero. What does that mean? Let’s just say there is a lot to unpack with Maureen Goo’s Silk #1, so let’s get into it!
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Relatable:
Cindy Moon is a millennial hero. A lot of well-established heroes such as the X-Men, The Fantastic Four, and Namor, are products of their times. Granted, they have been updated and refreshed numerous times over the years, but their overarching values are still deeply rooted in their respective eras. For example, the Fantastic Four still represents the stereotypical societal roles of the 1960s (the beauty, the geek, the hotshot, and the jock). In the 21st Century, those roles do not necessarily translate well. Cindy Moon on the other hand lives in a messy apartment with multiple succulents, that she shares with her brother who is in fashion school. Can you imagine Bobby Drake at a fashion school? Hmmm…
Never mind, Jean was already enrolled during that time. But the fact of the matter is that she represents your modern-day young adult in the 21st Century. She even shops at outlets and receives gifts for her services. The classic hero rule-book states that you should not receive gifts for doing the “right thing.” This was followed to a T by our pillar heroes (again, Spider-Man, the X-Men (unless Wolverine was offered a beer) Ms. Marvel et al.). In theory, I would like to believe that if I was offered free clothes for saving the day, I would turn them down, but who knows? Silk accepts free clothes and rushes off to her first day at her new job. Again, super relatable.
The Perfect 2000’s Comic:
Comics represents the society of that time. Everything from the writing (Claremont using the word “bunkies” and “butcher”) and the artwork (just take a look at Golden Age Namor and CPT America) captures that particular decade. For some Silk may skip a beat with this. If Silk #1 came out in 2005, it would be perfect. For a comic that debuted in 2021, everything could be upgraded. However, I love the comics that were made in the 2000s. Reading Silk was like sinking into a nostalgia-filled pool. From the way Miyazawa draws computers and cellphones to the short and concise writing style of Goo, I loved it. Weirdly, I think they should stick with this. Granted, I am probably the exception, but I loved it.
Final Thoughts:
This was a fun read. It reminded me of sunny Saturdays in 2006 (the before time right) when the main thing I had to worry about was a 6th grade English essay. This comic felt familiar and safe. Lately, a lot of comic companies have been pushing the envelope in terms of comics (Future State and the King in Black series for starters) and sometimes, that becomes exhausting. Silk #1 by Maureen Goo takes off with an amazing stride in feeling organic and natural. This comic book is not trying to be like anything except itself. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I am beyond ready to see what happens in Cindy Moon’s adventures!