REVIEW: Silk #2 Has Snappy Dialogue and Literal Cat Fights

Silk and The Demon Cat

Silk recently became the most relatable adult superhero I didn’t know I needed. One month ago amid anxiety-fueled insomnia, I bought half a dozen discounted books centered on the misadventures of Silk, Spider-Gwen and Spider-Woman. I ended up devouring them all in one weekend.

Silk #2 

Maurene Goo (writer), Ian Herring (colorist), VC’s Ariana Maher (letterer), Takeshi Miyazawa (artist)
Marvel Comics
April 28, 2021

Silk kicks a cat demon in the face

Silk is a Korean American superhero with anxiety learning to reconnect with the world after locking herself away in a bunker for a decade to protect her family. She may have gotten bit by the same radioactive spider that bit one Peter Parker, but she is in an entirely different league from him.

Building on the foundation set up by writer Robbie Thompson and artist Stacey Lee in Silk’s two previous series, writer Maurene Goo and artist Takeshi Miyazawa have put Silk in a good place. Having reunited with her missing family, Cindy Moon is now living with her brother Albert. Cindy also now works as a journalist for Jonah Jameson’s news site Threats and Menaces.

In the first issue, Cindy’s new job has led her to discover gangsters being murdered in Queens with only blood and fur left behind. After Cindy publishes a story about it, Jonah Jameson is attacked and is saved by Silk. When he asks Silk to become his bodyguard, Cindy agrees since she feels partially responsible. Cindy also discovers the tech worn by Jonah’s attackers is linked to a Japanese company called Fujinet, which is headed by the mysterious Saya Ishii.

Picking up where issue #1 left off, Silk #2 develops the overarching plot further. The first eight pages quickly transition from Cindy Moon working at her desk at Threats and Menaces to following her co-worker to an emergency gangster meeting at an arcade as Silk. It is then that some of the best pages in this issue occur.

Suddenly, the meeting is interrupted when a giant talking female cat demon appears and starts slaughtering the gangsters! Originally introduced as a friend of Saya Ishii in issue #1, the cat’s personality shines even more in this fight. I only wish she had a name, but maybe future issues will reveal it.

Silk and the cat demon
Silk and the cat demon trade blows and quips

For some reason, I imagined the cat talking with Earth Kitt’s voice because her muscular physique and the attitude of the dialogue reminded me of the villain Yzma from the movie The Emperor’s New Groove.

Speaking of the cat’s dialogue, Maurene Goo’s writing and letterer VC’s Ariana Maher make the conversation between the cat and Silk stand out. It was amusing to see Silk and the cat exchange quips and blows, my favorite bit being Silk saying, “Don’t make me declaw you!” and the cat demon replying, “Don’t make me squish you, spider.”

Although the fight only lasts two pages, the tension and action are enhanced not only by the writing and lettering but also Ian Herring’s colors. The panel backgrounds change from red to blue as the fight goes on between Silk and the cat, highlighting the difference in strength and skill. If the final page of the issue is any indication, this isn’t the last Cindy will see of this cat demon.

In the aftermath of the catfight, there are other interesting things about this issue. One page I especially liked involves Cindy and her brother Albert eating fruit slices (it doesn’t specify but I like to think they are eating Korean pears). Cindy’s relationship with her brother Albert was a major highlight of Silk’s previous two series and it’s nice to see them interacting together again here.

Silk and her brother together
Silk and her brother have a chat

Besides this, something else happens that is just as important as the catfight. Cindy has a hot new Japanese male psychiatrist named Max! I initially balked at Cindy getting a new therapist, especially when she had a good doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Sinclair. However, I’m interested in seeing how Max will affect Cindy personally and professionally, especially since the next to last pages reveal an unexpected family connection between Max and the antagonist Saya Ishii.

All in all, this issue has me looking forward to the next arc of Silk’s story. With snappy dialogue, dynamic action, and touching personal scenes, Silk has the potential to weave another great chapter in her superhero story.

Advertisements

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Close
Menu
WP Twitter Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com