Miles learns the worst kind of supervillain origin story: your dad’s
Being Spider-Man is already complicated enough when the villain wants revenge on you.
When the villain wants revenge on your father, attacks the hospital where your mom works and apparently knows enough about your family history to turn Thanksgiving permanently awkward?
That’s a different problem.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2 continues Bryan Hill and Nico Leon’s new run by pushing the mysterious Revenant closer to the Morales family. Miles is still Brooklyn’s Spider-Man, but Revenant’s grudge isn’t really about him—it traces back to Jeff Morales and something that happened years ago.
And suddenly “sins of the father” becomes much less metaphorical.
PROS
What I like most about this issue is that it gives Miles something comics sometimes forget superheroes need:
A life.
Before buildings explode and giant armored men start throwing him through ambulances, Miles gets tea with new classmate Valentina Ludvenko.
Actual tea.
There’s even cake.
For several pages, nobody punches anybody.
Marvel, are you okay?
Their conversation is charming because neither character is completely comfortable. Valentina admits her family situation is complicated, while Miles confesses that things with his own mom have been strained. Both come from families carrying expectations, secrets and emotional baggage, so their connection feels natural without immediately screaming NEW ROMANCE ALERT.
Miles even tries establishing that they’re just friends.
Sure, Miles.
We believe you.
The quieter opening also makes the rest of the issue hit harder because Hill builds the story around family damage being inherited whether you want it or not.
The flashbacks reveal a younger Jefferson working an undercover operation involving Fisk and mutant growth hormone. His S.H.I.E.L.D. contact essentially tells him to befriend a low-level worker named Martin, use that relationship to gain access, and move on without Martin ever realizing he was manipulated.
Jeff doesn’t love it.
But he does it.
That’s important because the comic doesn’t suddenly turn Jeff into a secret monster. He was doing a dangerous job and trying to stop criminals.
Unfortunately, to Martin?
Jeff was his friend.
And then everything collapsed.
Cut back to the present, and the gigantic armored Revenant walks into the hospital and introduces himself to Rio:
His name was Martin.
Oh.
That’s bad.
The hospital battle is where Nico Leon really lets loose. Miles dives through a burning medical facility, evacuates patients, protects the staff and finally confronts Revenant amid wrecked walls and overturned equipment.
What I especially like is that Miles prioritizes civilians before the fight.
The villain is standing right there.
Miles still stops to get people out.
Very Spider-Man.
Revenant, meanwhile, is turning into an intriguing antagonist because he doesn’t actually seem interested in killing Miles. He repeatedly treats him like an unfortunate kid who wandered into an adult grudge.
Which somehow makes him creepier.
He basically tells Miles:
You should have stayed out of this.
Miles responds in the traditional Spider-Man manner.
He does not stay out of it.
Their fight also introduces the issue’s biggest mystery: Revenant grabs Miles, and strange energy starts affecting him. Later, while Miles swings away, the menacing villain counts down.
Seven seconds.
Five.
Miles realizes something is wrong.
And then—
BOOM.
That’s a good cliffhanger.
CONS
The trade-off for all the family history is that the actual Miles-versus-Revenant rematch is surprisingly brief.
We spend a lot of time building toward the hospital confrontation—and then just as the fight starts revealing what Revenant can really do, the issue ends.
I wanted a little more.
Also, Martin’s backstory is compelling, but we’re still missing the crucial piece: what exactly happened to him after Jeff’s undercover operation?
That mystery is clearly intentional, but right now Revenant’s emotional investment is much clearer than the mechanics of how “guy holding clipboards for criminals” became “walking armored earthquake.”
There had better be a story there.
FINAL THOUGHTS: YOU MUST FOLLOW THIS NEW SERIES!!!
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2 is a strong second chapter because it makes Revenant dangerous without relying purely on bigger explosions.
The real threat is personal.
Jeff made choices years ago.
Martin remembers them.
Rio is now in the crossfire.
And Miles is discovering that being Spider-Man sometimes means dealing with problems that began before you were even born.
Bryan Hill writes the issue, Nico Leon handles the present-day art, Valentine De Landro illustrates the flashbacks, and Bryan Valenza provides colors. 🕷️💥
