A new kind of web-slinger takes to the streets...

(Panini Books)

The revelation that the radioactive spider which transformed Peter Parker into a wall-crawling super hero had also infected Cindy Moon was one of the biggest shocks to come out of Marvel’s Original Sin event, but the ensuing dimension-hopping drama of the Spider-Verse epic meant we had to wait our time to find out more about the web-weaving woman now known as Silk.

We knew she had been locked up in a secret bunker for six years by the mysterious Ezekiel to keep her off the radar of the spider-slaying Inheritors, but what happened to her family, and what will Cindy do now that she is no longer on the menu for otherworldly assassins?

Writer Robbie Thompson does a good job answering both questions, establishing Cindy as an intern with the Fact Channel news station, and at the same time setting up her quest to find her missing parents and kid brother using evidence found in her bunker and the resources at her disposal thanks to her job.

He also introduces her first solo adversary, the armoured Dragonclaw, sets up a friendship with Johnny Storm, aka the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch, and introduces the now villainous Black Cat to the proceedings, while also bringing in a surprising softer side to long-term Spidey protagonist J Jonah Jameson…

Silk’s relish for life and adventure after years spent cooped up in an underground “cell” means she often looks before she leaps, and although she received training in her abilities from Ezekiel before his untimely death, she lacks the practical experience which comes from years of costumed crimefighting, and often comes a cropper as a result.

Naturally that’s all part of the story-telling process, as there’s a lot more mileage to be had out of a rookie hero learning the ropes than the experienced pro who can take down most bad guys with one hand tied behind their back (see the original Captain America and Thor for example).

The Spider-Verse crossover was responsible for launching a flurry of webslinging spin-offs, including this title, Spider-Woman and Spider-Gwen, which could have easily diluted the brand which makes Peter Parker such a stand-out character, but instead has proved there’s plenty of room for more books featuring arachnid-powered protagonists on the marketplace.

Cindy isn’t your typical super-hero by a long shot, but she is refreshingly engaging and entertaining in equal measures, and if this debut volume is any indication, she should hopefully enjoy a long and healthy career.