Ever since the Into the Spider-Verse movie dropped in late 2018, Miles has gained an insane amount of fans. And that number is still rising thanks to the Spider-Man launch game on PS5. But where did it all begin? If you can’t get enough of Miles Morales, here’s how to get into his comics.
Where to Start
Miles Morales was created through a combination of writing from Brian Michael Bendis, and art by Sara Pichelli. Miles first appeared in Ultimate Fallout #4 after Peter Parker ran into some…trouble.
That’s where you should start if you want to see the very first introduction to Miles Morales in Marvel Comics. That issue isn’t completely focused on him, but it shows him attempting to fill in for Peter Parker for the very first time.
The first comic run to focus solely on Miles Morales was Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011). That’s where you should start if you want to see how his origin story differs from the movie and video game versions.
This run spans 28 issues. In it, you’ll see Miles interact with Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane, and Aunt May, alongside a whole host of other well-known staples in Peter’s corner of the Marvel universe.
Miles even has run-ins with villains like the Prowler and Venom, while also meeting a whole lot of heroes, including Cloak & Dagger, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), and Captain America.
Best Issues
It’s been about nine years now since his comics debut, and now, Miles Morales has more than a few must-read issues for any Spider-Man fan. Here are just a few of them:
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011) #4 and #5 give us a look at Miles as he struggles with his fear of becoming a hero, even though he believes it’s the right thing to do. He has a surprise encounter with Spider-Woman, gets caught up with Electro, and earns the tiniest bit of respect from Nick Fury.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011) #12 has Miles facing off against his uncle Aaron, the Prowler. Aaron attempts to blackmail Miles into working with him, but things escalate into a brawl that has a shocking finale.
In Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011) #14, Miles uses web-shooters for the very first time. As expected, he’s falling all over the place, but it’s still a milestone. He clumsily swings his way into a fight between Rhino and Captain America.
Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man (2014) #4 is an action-filled emotional rollercoaster. It’s an unexpected team-up between Miles Morales and Peter Parker that leaves all onlookers completely stunned.
Spider-Man (2016) #12 is the first time Miles Morales meets Gwen Stacy as Spider-Woman in the comics. There’s a lot of dimension-hopping in this storyline, but fans of the Into the Spider-Verse movie will love it – especially if you want to see Miles and Gwen get together as more than just friends.
Easily Accessible Issues
First of all, if you don’t mind reading comics digitally, you can get a Marvel Unlimited subscription for $9.99/month if you plan to binge specific runs. It’ll give you access to thousands of comics (including Miles’ story) on your PC, iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
The Miles Morales origin story in the 28-issue run of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011) has been compiled into five volumes, and the five books can be bought physically on Amazon. You can also purchase and read the individual issues on Marvel’s website for $1.99 each.
Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man (2014) is the next long, focused run in Miles’ journey, and it can be read in the same way. All 12 issues can be purchased or read on Marvel’s site.
Alternatively, you can get all of Miles’ adventures in the Ultimate universe as one huge chronological omnibus on Amazon. The omnibus contains the following comics:
- Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 1-28, 16.1
- Spider-Men 1-5
- Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man 1-3
- Ultimate Spider-Man 200
- Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man 1-12
- Material from Ultimate Fallout 4
This is one of the best ways to read the majority of the essential, easy to follow Miles Morales comics.
If you’re looking to continue his story, the ongoing Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2019) is what you want to read next, and it’s also available on Marvel’s website in full.
Published: Nov 17, 2020 10:30 am