Marvel's Silk is getting a new ongoing comic book series starting this July. The ally of Spider-Man will be receiving a story written by Maurene Goo, a novelist known for YA works including I Believe In A Thing Called Love, and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa, a longtime Marvel artist whose previous series include Ms. Marvel and Runaways. The announcement came during Marvel's 'Artists Extravaganza' panel at the C2E2 comics convention.
Silk, aka Cindy Moon, is a Korean-American hero who was bitten by the same spider that gave Peter Parker his arachnid powers. While Silk has less raw strength than her more well-known counterpart, she's even more agile and has an overwhelmingly powerful "spider-sense". The character was created by Dan Slott and appeared in the Spider-Verse crossover before getting her own series that lasted from 2015 to 2017. After that, Silk was given supporting roles in books like Champions and Agents of Atlas, the latter of which is currently involved in the Atlantis Attacks storyline. Silk has also been announced as a major character in an upcoming sequel to the film Into the Spider-Verse.
According to Marvel, the new series will return Silk to her job under J. Jonah Jameson, the publisher who spent years attacking Spider-Man in the press before becoming his biggest fan. Cindy Moon won't be working at the Daily Bugle, but at Jameson's new online site Threats and Menaces, where the newspaper veteran is attempting to navigate modern click-driven journalism. The web-slinger finds that investigative reporting is a dangerous line of work and Jameson is facing serious threats due to her stories. As a result, Silk will be writing headlines in the day while protecting her coworkers, as well as the rest of the city, at night. The murders that Silk investigates turn out to be committed by a demonic cat-like creature working for a mysterious businesswoman named Saya. Marvel describes her as connected to an established major villain, as well as too close for comfort in Cindy's civilian life.
Series writer Goo has a personal connection to Silk as well. The author frequently writes protagonists who are young Korean-American women, drawing from her own experiences which she can bring to the Marvel heroine. As she explains in Marvel's statement: "The opportunity to write a Korean American Super Hero—a woman, no less—is one that I never thought would come my way. I’m so excited to flex this writing muscle and to explore new stories for Silk—a character I love. Her fierceness and loyalty are qualities I understand and relate to, and I hope readers feel the same as she fights new foes and protects old friends.”
It seems that Goo is bringing both a strong understanding of Silk and a unique and highly applicable perspective to the table. Her history with romance-driven YA novels fits right in with the tone readers tend to expect from ongoing comics about teen heroes, but the information we have so far suggests that the story will focus more on loyalty to mentors and peers than romantic relationships, at least in the opening arc. Artist Miyazawa also brings a lighthearted, expressive style that suits the young hero well. Although most fans have little familiarity with the Spider-Family's rising star, Silk #1 will provide a perfect opportunity for new readers to get acquainted.
Source: Marvel