Anyone else sort of holding their breath as we go through the first month of 2022? I’m sort of holding my breath as the year starts, but I have admit, comics-wise, I’m pretty happy and excited. Last year, Silk returned in a mini-series (check out the trade Silk: Threats and Menaces!), so I’m excited to see Cindy Moon’s presence and adventures continue into this year! Returning members of the creative team include artist Takeshi Miyazawa and colourist Ian Herring, and they are joined by a new writer, Emily Kim!
Silk (2022) #1 is available now at your local comic book shop! Spoilers below!
Writer: Emily Kim
Penciler: Takeshi Miyazawa
Colour Artist: Ian Herring
Letter: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Inhyuk Lee
SILK IS BACK! Cindy Moon returns as the web-spinning Spider-Hero SILK in an all-new, all-star series! As Silk gains popularity in the public eye, Cindy is questioning her place in the world. But existentialism will have to wait when a powerful new villain is turned loose! In a race against the clock, Silk discovers the dangers of ancient Korean magic – and social media. Don’t miss the comics debut of stunning storyteller EMILY KIM and the return of legendary comic artist TAKESHI MIYAZAWA.
REVIEW – Never a Dull Moment for Slik
Silk (2022) #1 picks up pretty seamlessly from where the story ended last year. Cindy Moon still lives in NYC, shares an apartment with her brother Albert, and works at Threats and Menaces for J. Johna Jameson. Some things are constant, but as Silk, she’s busy and becoming popular. Silk starts trending on social media, even though Cindy’s not entirely sure of the hype around it. She’s continuing therapy with Dr. Sinclair, and after saving a livestreamer named Lucas from robbers, she finds him a second time after the Met is robbed. Returning to the scene in costume, she finds Lucas looking a lot older than he was the previous day (no, like really), because he was attacked by a haunting figure.
The pacing for this issue was a balance of action, mystery and casual atmosphere. Emily Kim’s writing nicely captures Cindy’s internal voice and tone. Her writing also offers a concise overview of what Cindy’s life has been like (ie. adjusting to life after being sealed in a bunker for a decade), and how she’s responding and adjusting to them. The best example of this is when Cindy doesn’t understand why a pound sign is in front of “silkrules”, aka #SilkRules, and Jameson responds with, “You really are the oldest young person I know”. This got a good chuckle out of me! The dynamic between Jameson and Cindy is always a great source of humour. I also appreciate how this issue draws some inspiration from Korean history and film too. It’s a nice touch and respect to Cindy/Silk’s heritage. I’m curious to see how either Korean history or mythology is incorporated into the overall run.
My favourite thing about this first issue is seeing Takeshi Miyazawa’s art and Ian Herring’s colours. Like I said, this first issue picks up right from where the 2021 mini-series ended, and having the same artist and colourist continue on helps maintain a sense of continuity, especially on visual storytelling and atmosphere of the series. I love how Miyazawa is able to capture the subtlety of facial expressions, and combined with Herring’s colours, emotional tones and nuance are well conveyed. I think this is quite important since Cindy is still learning about herself, contemporary life, and healing from past traumas.
In short, I really enjoyed Silk (2022) #1, but as a fan and familiar reader of the series, I did find the plot of this issue predictable. Of course, the cliffhanger at the end regarding the mysterious figure has piqued my interest, so I’m looking forward to issue #2. This first issue makes for a beginner friendly place to start reading if you want to check out Silk!
RATING – 4/5 Pocky
Erika Chung is a fan of comics, pop culture and genre media. She’s also a grad student and her research interests are in comics, fan culture and the intersectionality of race and gender.
