Recently, Marvel has shown some signs of shuffling off Miles Morales into his own little corner of its fictional universe, following his costume’s redesign and the replacement of Peter Parker with Ben Reilly as the Amazing Spider-Man. This seems like it would be a misstep considering the immense popularity of the character. This notion was reinforced in September by the incredible sales success of a reprinted Ultimate Comics Fallout #4 (2021), the character’s original first appearance setting up for his ascent as the new Ultimate Spider-Man.
It has appeared lately like Marvel wants people to forget that Miles Morales is an official Spider-Man, given Peter Parker’s blessing to use the name long before Ben Reilly came back. His new costume design, while distinct and interesting from a creative standpoint, seems to alienate him from typical Spider-Man conventions and sets him apart form his mentor. Furthermore, the way the Beyond Corporation has simply bought the name of Spider-Man and appears will try to yank Miles away from the mantle with Ben Reilly as their enforcer seems like a recipe for disaster.
Diamond Comics Distributors, formerly Marvel’s sole distributor, has released its list of top titles sold to comic shops during the month of September. The rankings, first reported by Comic Book Resources, reveal that the Facsimile Edition of Ultimate Comics #4 managed to be Marvel’s #8 top seller. This may have something to do with the fact that 2021 is Miles Morales’s ten-year anniversary, making the return of his original story potentially exciting for new readers or collectors. The success of the reprint illustrates an important lesson Marvel should hopefully learn – that people still want more Miles Morales.
Of course, in the effort of fairness, it is important to give credit to how Marvel is making an effort to give Miles the spotlight in the tenth year since his creation. The fact that Marvel reprinted Ultimate Comics Fallout #4 suggests at least suggests it has confidence in the character, and his involvement in the Spider-Man: Beyond saga while other significant Spider-Man characters like Kaine Parker appear to be remaining absent shows that he does still have importance within the narrative. The way Marvel is handling him in recent story arcs simply raises concerns about the direction the company is taking, and that’s important to acknowledge.
If sales like those of this recent reprint continue, Marvel would only be foolish to toss Miles aside by the end of the Spider-Man: Beyond saga. It would also be a shameful blow against one of the company’s most famous non-white superheroes. Hopefully, the success of Miles Morales' original Ultimate Comics appearances will serve to remind Marvel that fans are still invested in seeing his adventures continue, whether as the Amazing Spider-Man or as the Ultimate Spider-Man.
Source: CBR