Pick of the Week (Mar. 18th): Silk #2

Silk #2

Writer: Robbie Thompson

Art: Stacey Lee

Colors: Ian Herring

Publisher: Marvel

“It’s right behind me, isn’t it?” – Silk

When the character Silk was first introduced, back in Amazing Spider-man #4, I had no idea what to expect from her. When I found out about Spiderverse I assumed she was just a character that was created for that event and would be of no major significance. When I heard she was going to have her own series I assumed that it was just an attempt to cash in on Spiderverse, and that it would just be a tie-in (or fall out) book and not contribute much of anything *cough first 5 issues of Spider-Woman cough*. It turns out all of my assumptions were wrong. On a whim I picked up the first issue of Silk and much to my surprise enjoyed it. Silk is a likable character who has her own unique voice and way of communicating with the reader. Issue 2 cemented this series in my pull list. Silk #2 opens up with an inner monologue from Silk about how she thinks she has adjusted well to the superhero life, right before she is grabbed by a giant head skull machine with an indeterminable amount of tentacles (ahhhhhh!!!). The scene then shifts back to an hour and twenty minutes(ish) earlier where we see Silk trying to survive her job and find her family that has mysteriously disappeared. I wont give away anything else that happens, so go buy the book! Robbie Thompson does an excellent job giving Silk her own distinctive sound and feel. He makes her unlike any member of the spider family we have seen recently (which with spiderverse has been a lot). The pacing for this book is excellent, and I really like the way he ties the ending back to the beginning of the comic. It makes it feel like its gone full circle and gives me a sense of satisfaction. The art by Stacey Lee is superb. I have enjoyed the cartoon-ish feel, along with the interesting character design. The colors by Ian Herring are breathtaking. I strongly feel that Silk owes a lot of its success to the fantastic coloring job done by Herring. The color palette he works with increases the overall aesthetic of the book, and carefully balances the “Fun” and “serious” aspects of the issue. One thing I really enjoy about this series is it feels like a throw back to a teen-aged Peter Parker. As the Peter Parker has dealt with increasingly more adult problems he’s lost some of his child like wonder, and with it some of his appeal (at least to me). Silk brings that back, and for that reason it’s my pick of the week.

Rating: 7/10

-Andrew Horton