Silk 8 review

Besides this crossover, I haven’t really been keeping up with Silk since Spiderverse. As such, I learned a few things about her in this issue, one being that she’s supposed to be working undercover with Black Cat. Even though this issue touches on that a lot, it’s actually very easy to follow. That’s a good thing. Anyway, let’s get on with the review.

Silk 8, written by Robbie Thompson, takes place shortly after Spider-Gwen 8 ended, with Spider-Gwen and Silk being arrested for the crime spree that Earth-65 Cindy Moon embarked on while the others were trapped in Spider-Gwen’s world. Silk was devastated when she found out what her Earth-65 counterpart did in her name, to the point where Spider-Gwen started acting nicer to her. They still argue a bit in this issue, but most of that comes from misunderstanding each other instead of the usual judgemental comments that Gwen makes.

The real meat of this issue is when Silk is talking with Black Cat though, after she breaks them out of the prison truck. Without spoilers, it could very well effect where Silk is going as a character from this point on. Either way, she’s getting desperate. The only problem I have with this issue is that Jessica Drew is barely even mentioned in this issue. For a crossover starring the three different Spider-Women, Jessica seems to be missing from large chunks of it. It makes sense from a storytelling standpoint, but it’s still a bit disappointing, especially when the story is starting to wrap up.

The art by Tana Ford is decent. It’s a very simple style, and there are times when it feels like every character has the same kind of pointed chin. Some of the facial expressions do a good job at conveying emotion, especially Silk’s variety of hurt feelings and Black Cat’s excitement. Other times, characters look more bored than they should. When there is background detail, it’s good. The breakout scene flows well, especially the extended panel that helps highlight Spider-Gwen’s potential loss of her powers. There’s nothing particularly special about the art, but there’s nothing bad about it either. That said, you would think they’d bring in better artists for a crossover. Ian Herring’s colouring is great though. It matches the simple style of the art, yet at the same time there are great shading, fading and shadow effects.

This is a good comic overall. There are some great dramatic moments with Silk, some story development that both progresses the crossover and Silk’s own story, and it’s told in a way that makes sense for people who don’t follow Silk’s story. The art could have been better, but there’s nothing particularly wrong with it. If you like any of the Spider-Woman characters, you should at least give this crossover a chance.

7/10