SILK #6
Written by Robbie Thompson
Art by Stacey Lee and Ian Herring
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: August 19, 2015

There are many comics where overpowered superheroes fight huge, cosmic threats and save humanity from destruction. Silk is not that comic. Cindy Moon’s story is brilliant in its simplicity and vulnerability: an unassuming twentysomething struggles to find her place in the world after being denied agency for years. She’s not looking to be a superhero; she’s looking for her missing family.

This issue shows Cindy in her most precarious position yet. She’s held captive by a cruel experimenter who wants to cut her open and sell her to the highest bidder. I love how throughout this series, Cindy narrates with a strong internal monologue. We feel Cindy’s mix of panic and resolve as she struggles to free her fingers from restraints. Unlike the verbosity of many comics, Robbie Thompson writes Cindy’s thoughts in quick bursts, which makes the situation feel authentic and relatable.

I appreciate that Peter Parker doesn’t rescue Cindy. By the time the dust settles after brawling action, Cindy has handled the situation on her own. She needs a friend, and occasionally some help, but she doesn’t need a knight in shining armor. Thompson does a stellar job keeping the focus on Cindy throughout this issue, and not letting Peter, Black Cat, or The Repairman dominate the dialogue.

Stacey Lee draws each panel with intricate, perfectly detailed lines. Lee impresses with minute details like blood vessels in a close-up of The Repairman’s eye and the fringes of Black Cat’s costume. Two highlights of Lee’s art: a vertical panel showing Black Cat enduring repeated pain outside a building, and the pattering of raindrops on Peter and Cindy when they stand together.

Ian Herring does an incredible job coloring the rain-soaked scene. See how Herring shades the nuances of Cindy’s face when she looks downcast, telling Peter what Black Cat did. I also love Herring’s choice of pinkish-red background and bright yellow overlay during the height of Cindy and Black Cat’s conflict.

Silk has one of the strongest protagonists in comics today: relatable, vulnerable, yet resolute. Cindy Moon will find her family, we can be sure of that. Robbie Thompson forces us to question just how much physical and emotional pain one can endure. Stacey Lee tells such an effective story through her art, the text almost takes a backseat to the energy and emotion that pops from every panel. Silk is a character-driven story that has us hooked.

The Verdict: 9.5/10