As an adolescent superhero of black and Latino origin, Miles Morales strikes a blow for multiculturalism in the pages of Marvel Comics‘ “Ultimate Comics Spider-Man.”
And there’s just as much diversity behind those comic-book panels as inside them.
The title’s writer, Brian Michael Bendis, and his wife, who are white, have two adopted daughters, one from Ethiopia and one who’s African-American, in addition to a biological daughter. Meanwhile, the comic’s original artist, Sara Pichelli, is Italian.
Now, with Spanish-Irish artist David Marquez illustrating the book, the adventures of the wall-crawling avenger take on an even more diverse complexion. The Austin-based Marquez was born in London and raised in Houston.
You can see that multiracial synergy unfold in “Ultimate Comics Spider-Man” No. 9, which hits comic shops Wednesday.
Bendis says via email that although his family situation is different from Miles’, he knows firsthand that every household is “its own shape and size.”
“It informs me completely,” Bendis says.
Marvel made headlines last year when it revealed Miles as the biracial face behind the new Spider-Man’s mask. He took over the mantle after Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, died in a blaze-of-glory battle with the Green Goblin in last summer’s “Ultimate Spider-Man” No. 160.
Mind you, this all occurred in Marvel’s Ultimate universe, a comic-book continuity separate from the main Marvel universe. The original original Spider-Man/Peter Parker is still alive and mostly well in Marvel’s core comic line.
Curiously enough, Hollywood had a hand of sorts in Miles’ “Ultimate” debut. Bendis gives some credit to “Community” star Donald Glover for “helping knock down the perception wall” before Marvel debuted the new Ultimate universe Spidey as a hero of color.
Glover, who’s African-American, campaigned online for the role of the arachnid hero in this summer’s big-screen reboot, “The Amazing Spider-Man,” a role that ultimately went to Andrew Garfield of “The Social Network.”
“I truly think (Glover) would have been a great Peter Parker and said so publicly,” Bendis says. “We had started our work on Miles. Then, as a cute little cutaway joke, they showed Donald on ‘Community’ dressed in Spider-Man pajamas and, I have to say, I thought he looks fantastic. That’s when I knew Miles was going to work. It just kind of looked right.”
Miles shares several qualities with his predecessor in addition to an alliterative name. Like Peter Parker, he got his superpowers from a super-spider bite. And, like Peter, Miles is self-deprecating and altruistic.
But whereas Peter was raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Miles is the 13-year-old son of a Hispanic mom and black father.
It’s a mixed lineage Marquez understands well. Marquez’s mom is Irish and his father of Spanish descent.
Marquez says when comic-book publishers in the past made concerted efforts to feature a more diverse or minority-dominant cast, the books tended to flounder. “Ultimate Comics Spider-Man” focuses on a young hero’s journey, not his racial background or diverse supporting cast, which in the comic is largely a mix of African-American, Asian and Hispanic.
“What you notice is it’s a really well-crafted story with intriguing characters that happen to be diverse,” Marquez says. “That’s obviously an effective way and the effective way to bring more diversity into what’s, generally speaking, a very white mainstream medium, which is superhero comics. But then I also think that applies to entertainment and media in general.”
That matter-of-fact multiculturalism plays out in today’s comics industry as well, he adds.
“You definitely see more diversity on the creator side as time moves on,” Marquez says. “Obviously, there’re a lot of South American creators coming in and Filipino and a lot more women as well.”
Bendis says it’s that contemporary diversity, a development that has taken place since he started working in comics, that truly empowers today’s comic characters in and out of Spandex.
“People write and draw what they know,” he says. “And the more people writing what they know from different places and different points of view just makes for better stories.”