Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Wings of Fury: A nice companion story to the video game

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Wings of Fury will charm readers who are fans of Spider-Man, Miles Morales, the latest video game, or all three combined. 

The love for the Marvel character Miles Morales has been sweeping the world in the last few years, and we’ve seen that passion grow with the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Miles’ appearance in the game Marvel’s Spider-Man, both in 2018. With the demand for more Miles at an all-time high, it culminated in a spinoff/sequel PlayStation game called Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, released in November. And on top of that, the game received a companion novel to complement the game.

The complete title of the book is Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Wings of Fury, written by Brittney Morris. (Thank you to Titan Books for sending the book for us to review.) And without giving the entire book away, do know that the novel in no way spoils major plot elements of the game. If you’ve yet to play the game and don’t want it spoiled for you, don’t worry. This isn’t a novelization of the game; it’s a completely separate story from the one told in the video game.

In this story, we find Miles Morales ready to make a big move in his life. After the death of his father, he and his mother move in with his grandmother in Spanish Harlem. Moving from Brooklyn to Harlem is a tough change for Miles to deal with, all on top of learning the ropes as a new Spider-Man and still trying to be a regular teenage boy all at once. We see the return of Peter Parker, who acts as a peppy mentor to Miles. There’s also his best friend Ganke, who offers him support during his move to Harlem. And we deal with the return of Vulture and a new villain who Miles feels compelled to take on all by himself without trying to drag Peter into it.

Depending on who you are, this novel may or may not appeal to you in the same way some other Marvel properties do. Marvel, after all, is a vast network spanning books, movies, video games and (of course) comics. So there are a lot of avenues when it comes to getting your Marvel fix. Books may not be everyone’s go-to in this arena. But if you prefer a more laid-back approach to storytelling, then Wings of Fury may be for you.

Personally, as someone who enjoys the interactivity of a video game or the thrills of seeing action play out on screen, reading a novelized version of a comic book story took me out of my comfort zone. The story was perfectly engaging, and it offers ample opportunity to dig inside of the mind of Miles Morales that the games and movies can’t really do. But if you’re not an avid reader of the action genre, you may have to be prepared to switch gears a bit to get into the flow of the novel.

Overall, the characterization of Miles is excellent. And the book does a great job of highlighting all the aforementioned struggles Miles is dealing with during his time of transition. On top of all that, he even struggles with his identity as an Afro-Latino in America — when sometimes the color of his skin can make all the difference in how an otherwise angel of a boy like him is treated. This identity struggle plays a deeper role in the novel as the plot goes on, and it’s a surprising yet well-needed message to have in a superhero book.

There are some small things in Miles’ characterization in this that seem more like a product of the creation of his character in the video game than in the novel. For one, the extreme homesickness for Brooklyn didn’t feel relatable. Having lived in two different neighborhoods in New York myself (though not being a native), it didn’t quite make sense to me why Miles feels like his whole life is starting over when his friends and school are in the next borough over. The worrying seems more like an old-school approach to moving before social media and the internet were a thing. But perhaps it’s more prevalent when living in New York than I imagined.

Additionally, there’s a point in the book where Miles seems to be easily swayed by the frustrations of his identity to “join the Dark Side.” Though, for a person with such high standards, it didn’t completely make sense to me why Miles would feel automatically compelled to act against his morals after a five-minute speech from the other side. Again, it’s something quite small. But something to make you think, none the less.

Overall all, Miles Morales: Wings of Fury will make a great read for Miles Morales fans or people who’d like to get an additional story related to the popular video game. With the holidays here as well, it could make a great gift for any Marvel fan on your list.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Wings of Fury is available now wherever books are sold.