MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY: Silk (2023) #3 REVIEW

For anybody longing for that next ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ adventure, you need not look far to get your fix. This week, fans of Cindy Moon get the chance to set sail with the swashbuckling web-spinner, as she faces off with a Sleep Demon bent on sucking her life-force, entering our physical realm, and dooming our favorite wall-crawler to a life of eternal nightmares. Not exactly how Jack Sparrow’s adventures play out, right? But we’ll go with the flow.

Published:

July 26, 2023

Writer:

Emily Kim

Penciler:

Ig Guara

Cover Artist:

Dave Johnson

PROS:

• I know that everybody is undoubtedly still on a high from the recent Spider-Verse movie this year, so this issue will definitely please anybody searching for a Spidey tale set in another world… only this time, it’s not necessarily an alternate universe where the tale takes place. In this installment, fans are treated to a nightmare version of the world, where Silk is a pirate going face-to-face with a deadly Sleep Demon, unleashed by the series’ villain with the sinister goal of taking away Cindy’s life-energy and crossing over to the real world. This is the perfect comic book to experience a new, refreshing take on an already crowded Spider-Man family universe.
• The art in the book perfectly captures the aura, vibe and feel of a classic pirate story. I especially appreciate the differences in style when we shift from the dreamworld to the real world. You almost feel like you are watching an old-school pirate’s tale on the big screen in one scene, only to be brought back abruptly to the real world and aesthetic of past Silk titles. And, WOW, Silk’s pirate costume looks amazing. I sense maybe ‘spin-off’ in the future…?
• This book is fun, not only because of our loveable main character, but also because of the supporting cast. In this issue, we get to see how her brother plays an important role in trying to save her from her literal nightmare, even putting his own life at risk. As he so bluntly put it… if he dies in the dreamworld, then he dies in real life as well. It’s truly touching, seeing a brother look out for his sister like that. We also get to see Wong in action, because Doctor Strange is busy somewhere else, as usual. But, no worries, as enough spotlight is given to Wong, as he aids Silk’s brother in trying to save her from the Sleep Demon. The interactions between all the different protagonists in this book are funny, witty, and entertaining. By the time you reach the end of the issue, you’ll be wondering how time flew by so fast.
• This week’s issue ends with a bang, as we see Silk win, to some degree, but lose to an even higher degree. While Cindy is alive for now, it appears that the Sleep Demon was still able to gather enough energy to cross over to the real world and possess a human form, which naturally means bad news for the entire human race. I, personally, cannot help but look forward to the next chapter with intrigue and anticipation… with some slight trepidation mixed in there as well.

CONS:

• While Silk going toe-to-toe with the Sleep Demon was an epic battle in itself, it would have been even more fun to see her go on at least one generic and templated pirate adventure, in order to immerse herself and the readers into the dreamworld more.

FINAL GRADE: A

I am so glad that Silk got another volume of her own, and I hope that this series will last longer than the previous runs. Cindy has proven herself to be a very likeable main character that can easily carry her own book… and possibly even star in bigger events in the near future. Like I said earlier, we seem to crave adventures nowadays that are set in universes and realities far different from our own, and the recent Spider-Man animated movies are clear proof of this. So, riding on this wave, the team behind Silk is giving us what we want and providing us with new, fantastical settings where Silk can still do her heroics, but in a totally wild, fresh and spectacular fashion. I’ll be seeing this arc to the end, as I want to discover what kind of threat the Sleep Demon poses to the real world. I have a score to settle with him as well, as my nightmares have been pretty nasty this past year.