Miles Morales: Stranger Tides

Miles Morales Graphic Novels #2

by Justin A. Reynolds, Pablo Leon (Illustrator)

An original middle-grade graphic novel from Graphix starring Miles Morales, by bestselling author Justin A. Reynolds and Eisner nominee Pablo Leon! Join MIles Morales in his most epic adventure yet! Miles Morales has just about gotten used to this being Spider-Man thing. Keeping Brooklyn safe, taking down bad guys, and finishing his homework―he’s got this! But when Spider-Man is invited to a launch for a brand-new video game, things go sideways fast. Anyone who plays the game is frozen, and it’s all because of a villain named the Stranger. He’s judged humanity and found it lacking, and his idea of justice is extreme. Left with the fate of the world in his hands, and the clock is ticking on Miles. Can he turn old foes to friends and find the answers he needs in time?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Middle Grade, Marvel, Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2022

About the author

justin a. reynolds has always wanted to be a writer. The earliest documentation of this desire was recorded on a sheet of green, learn-how-to-write-with-a-jumbo-pencil ruled kindergarten paper, which can be found prominently displayed in his mom’s office. OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS, his debut novel, was an Indies Introduce Top Ten Debut, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2019, translated in 17 languages, and is being developed for film with Paramount Players. He hangs out in northeast Ohio with his family, and is probably somewhere dancing terribly, or as his sister likes to say "doing the sports". His second novel EARLY DEPARTURES will publish in September 2020.


It's far more likely you can reach justin via Twitter (@andthisjustin) IG (@justinwritesya) or his website. Thank you so much for your support!

Reviews

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Justin A. Reynolds has done a brilliant job with Miles Morales’ character and story. This was such a fun read but also really moving, with some brilliant messages about mental health and dispelling toxic masculinity.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blooming love Miles Morales me. Loved the new villain in this and the messages around mental health too - so important! When half the world freezes, Miles must learn to depend on others to fix it… especially when someone he loves dearly is in trouble! Loved this! I just want more and more Miles graphic novels!

[₊˚ ⁀➴ kenzie ⠀❦ jacks’ version · Rating 3 out of 5]

It bounced around a lot and was confusing, but still good. I didn’t like it as much as the first one.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how Reynolds writes Miles, but this particular plot just didn't click for me.

[Kali Burks-Mosier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy read! Plot was too predictable, but I did appreciate characters discussing the validity and processing of emotions.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Hospitalisation of an uncle

[the tortured poets department · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had the worst dialogue I've ever read in my life.

[Che · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated this as a storyline for Miles. Disjointedly wrapped up with an imaginary bow. This needed more. I deserved more.

[Francesca]

Just as much of an enjoyable read as the last one. The stakes were definitely increased in this one, which I think was a great move and made the storyline more intense (while also being cute and fun). For now, this is the last in the 'series', but I would happily read more set within this world, or by these authors/illustrators, in the future.

[Kaleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy graphic novel that can be finished in a short period of time. I messed up reading this one ahead of the first book in this series. My bad...

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

After his adventures in Shock Waves, Miles is back. Vex and Trinity are still causing trouble, and his friend Ganke is trying to help him. After there is a weird incident at a video game launch that causes people in the city to be frozen, Miles discovers that a shadowy figure called the Stranger is behind the occurrence. He's unhappy with the behavior of people on Earth and taking extreme measures to wipe them out. In order to reverse the freezing process, Miles has to work with Trinity. Since his uncle is frozen and is involved in an auto accident, Miles has a vested interest in figuring out what's going on in order to save his uncle. The freezing is caused by a computer game (think Hautman's The Flinkwater Factor), so he works closely with Ganke trying to figure it all out, but when Ganke is also frozen, it's up to Miles to save the day on his own. This doesn't go smoothly, especially since Vex is working against Trinity. Will they still be able to take down the Stranger?
Strengths: Miles is a fun character who is a bit ambivalent about being a superhero, which seems on target for young people today. I have to save the world? Fine, but can I finish this game on the XBox first? Not everyone who is frozen is playing video games; some, like Miles' uncle, are accidentally exposed. I like that Miles occasionally gets help from people like Mr. Granderson, and his family is supportive as well. This reads very much like a comic book, which is appropriate given the topic, and has lots of chase scenes, things blowing up, and action on the pages.
Weaknesses: It's helpful to be familiar with the first book; this was a bit confusing at first even though I had read that one.
What I really think: Jason Reynolds' novel about Miles Morales' Spider Man has circulated well, but I haven't bought Shock Waves yet. I don't get a lot of requests for books set in the Marvel Universe, which is a little surprising. I should see if I can get a student to check out Squirrel Girl!

[Yaroslav Brahinets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating episode of Spider-Boy adventures. This time against the Stranger, also known as the Keeper of Balance. The Stranger freezes half of mankind via a video game, and here is where Miles Morales gonna save us all. Children, don't show this comic to your parents, ha-ha.

In the end, there is a sneak peek of Captain America and the Ghost Army comic. An army of clowns, artists, and musicians who fool Germans and make them run away. LOL

Several hours of fun. Nice one

[tony dillard jr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this middle school graphic novel over the course of 2 days. Day 1 of reading this book, I felt like I was in another world. I didn't understand the slang. The plot seemed to carry over from a previous story I wasn't aware of. Everything felt like it was a big mess.

I don't normally do this, but on Day 2, I found myself dreading having to read more of this book. New characters popped up that Miles Morales knew. But I found myself scratching my head over just who these new folks were. And then we get to the last chapter of the book- and the art was completely different!

For the past 40 years or so in comic book history, if the main artist needs someone to help fill in, the editors will say that such and such artists assisted on pages 5-9 or something like that. There's no such warning in this 2022 Marvel work from Graphix and Scholastic. To have the main villain look completely different in the final act is just jarring. Though I must say, that whomever was behind that last chapter's art did one heck of a job at stylizing the Miles Morales Spider-Man. Only, this one looks like a Miles Morales from another universe!

I choose to read this book because Into the Spider-Verse 2 is coming out soon and I wanted to get into the mood to seeing the film. (The fact that it's Black History Month is just a happy coincidence.) The artwork of main artist Pablo Leon ( captures the visual tone of the first Spider-Verse film amazingly well. Why couldn't the relief artist(s) keep with the vibe that was happening in the other 4 chapters?

It's not until you read the 'About The Author' page at the end of this book that you learn that this is the second volume written by Justin A. Reynolds. I'm thinking that the writer probably continues things from the first book into this volume with unwavering quality. And I probably would have liked this book better had I read the first book, titled Miles Morales: Shock Waves. But nowhere on the cover (front and back), nor inside this book are potential first time readers alerted that this is the second volume in a series until the back of the book!

An unaccounted for line-up change from the Marvel Bullpen. No indication that Stranger Tides is a continuing story. Plus the inclusion of the main villain who is an X-Men and Fantastic Four foe instead of Spider-Man (of any universe) foil! It's strike 3 for this book in my eyes. I've heard that editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski is doing such an awful job that the overall quality of work coming from the House of Ideas is severely lacking. But at least he's not the all-time worst EIC, Axel Alonso. But the rust is really showing on this book.

Young readers should enjoy this book. But only if you let them read Shock Waves first. To not do so will result in a lot of lost readers. There is some fighting. Miles, being around 14 years of age, sneaks out of the house at night to go on patrol as Spider-Man (but then again, when hasn't an adventuresome child in kiddie lit not gone behind mom & dad's back to save the day. I'm looking at you, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.) Stranger Tides for the most part was a wholesome read and there are some excellent sections about family and redemption that parents will love.

Unfortunately, I am not in that category and I think my interest in reading book 1 as well as what happens next is just about at nil.

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really tried giving these graphic novels by Justin A. Reynolds a try but I don't think his comic writing is for me.

This is a sequel to Shock Waves, but only very loosely because readers don't necessarily need to know what happened in the first graphic novel to catch onto the plot of this one. There are characters from the previous one that a reader might want to be aware of, but ultimately I didn't find it necessary because the story is a bit of a mess anyways.

The Stranger, some cosmic being or whatever, has come to judge humanity and eradicate it or something. I didn't really care because he's just sort of there to be the big overall plot and really isn't personally in Miles' face. People are being frozen all around the world and apparently ONLY Spider-Man can fix this issue. (I mean, he teams up with a "villain" but she really was barely even there.)

The whole time I was reading this story, all I could wonder is "Where is literally any other superhero more better equipped to handle this sort of threat?"

Miles ends up being helped by a character who was important to the plot of the last graphic novel, but I didn't quite care because despite his cool powers, he's not an interesting character and I would have vastly preferred literally anybody else over him for that fact alone.

Also, there is a big emotional twist midway through the book and I just hated it. Absolutely ridiculous plot thread that came punching from a blind spot for no reason, then really has little emotional impact.

Actually, very little has any emotional impact because near the end of the comic, the story seems to just speed run the rest of the story. Even the art shifts style and it's super distracting. Just a big mess.

What I did like was that Miles' dad is going to therapy. Good on him. He needed therapy and he has become a better dad for it. Best part of this entire storyline.

I'm happy I read it to at least know what happened in this continuation, but overall it wasn't great and I wouldn't give it another read.

[… · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for Miles Morales: Stranger Tides. Shock Waves, the predecessor of this book, had a solid plot and I really enjoyed the art and characters. But this one just didn’t click for me. In this book, an evil intergalactic villain named the Stranger comes to Earth, and by using some weird… video game technology…? he ‘freezes’ half of Earth’s population, and when they unfreeze, they will be hypnotized and will try to wipe out the other unfrozen half of the population. Miles Morales is informed of this by Trinity, who was a villain in the previous book but had a change of heart in this one. Now, almost instantly, this book introduces the Stranger as one of the most powerful characters Miles could ever face, and even at one point states itself that Miles could never defeat him. To me, he just seems like a cheap copy of Thanos. After Miles learns of his destiny to somehow defeat the Stranger against impossible odds, he… doesn’t really do much until being knocked out by Vex, Trinity’s former best friend, who works for the Stranger. He’s saved by Mr. Granderson, a character from the last book, who gained superhuman powers from the last villain experimenting with Terrigen gasses. Honestly, I don’t like Mr. Granderson’s character at all. He’s got really strong powers, which kind of make him boring as a hero, because if he ever gets in a pickle, he can just reverse time with his light speed and beat all the bad guys up. He plays a crucial part in the final battle with the Stranger, which I found really confusing, but I won’t say anything to prevent spoilers. The art is still pretty good, but that’s kind of it. Other than that, I was kinda disappointed by this book. 2.3 stars.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our favorite Afro-Latino superhero Miles Morales is back and settling a bit uncomfortably into his role as Spider-Man.  While at a video game launch ceremony he is transported by old foe Trinity.  Miles and Trinity work together to stop a strange occurrence in which people on Earth are “freezing” in place including Miles’ uncle! 

Working to unmask the Stranger (who freezes humanity because he doesn’t like human behavior) Miles and Trinity get help from Miles’ bestie Ganke and a familiar face from school, Mr. Granderson.  Despite Miles’ initial distrust of Trinity, the two quickly get over their past interactions and I liked the overarching theme that even people who were once enemies can come together for the greater good.  Using the Stranger as a foe was a brilliant move by Justin A. Reynolds because Stranger’s outrage at the crime and despair that humans cause is actually relatable.  

Miles Morales: Stranger Tides continues Miles’ tradition of working to protect his community.  So much of Miles' responsibilities come down to bucking what his personal desires are (hanging with friends and video games) and sacrificing for the greater good.  Stranger Tides also gives Miles more experience of being a superhero however, no other “popular” superheroes show up just yet to partner with him.    

The artwork is just as good if not better than the first Miles Morales comic.  Pablo Leon gives texture and just the right amount of fun details in Mile’s surrounding both on earth and in spaceships.  Overall Miles Morales: Stranger Tides is an entertaining continuation of Miles Morales as Spider-Man.

[B. Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler Free Summary
Spider-Man Miles Morales is not only a famous character in animated Marvel movies and video games but is also a comic book legend of Afro Latino descent. In this story, Miles is taking on the responsibilities of being a superhero while New York city is threatened by a new villain named The Stranger. While attempting to unravel the mystery surrounding his newly founded powers and embrace his heritage, Miles and his friends and allies embark on a high stakes mission to save the city and uncover the truth about his past (ChatGPT, April 3rd, 2024).

Commentary
Spiderman is the most popular superhero of all time! Doing some background research on Miles Morales, he was created in the Ultimate Marvel comic series where Peter Parker passes away defending the city one last time. Miles develops his new powers at this time and takes on the mantle of Spider-Man. This story shows him attempting to understand newly found powers while dealing with a disastrous event that could harm a lot of lives, possibly the whole world. Miles Morales doesn’t just represent the coming of a new super hero for New York city, it also presents inspiration for the reader as kids of African American and Latino descent showing them that they are capable of great things.

Application
For this lesson, a creative writing lesson would be great for them to do. The story is about identity, heritage, courage, friendship and teamwork. Students will write their own superhero stories with characters that represent the diversity of the communities that they live in or are involved in. Students will explore and focus on the themes mentioned and share their stories with the class.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new supervillain in town, The Stranger, has hijacked a video game release and is using it to freeze people all over the world. He has plans to use these people to bring justice to a planet he has deemed lacking. Miles has to team up with some unlikely help to have any hope of defeating a supervillain who is self-proclaimed to be the smartest and wisest in the multiverse.

I barely remember the girls that Miles has to team up with from the first volume in this mini series (I do remember the guy who also helps), so it took me a moment to catch on to what was going on. (It also doesn't help that I've read about 5 different Miles Morales story lines at this point, so keeping all of those versions of him, Ganke, his parents, and his uncle straight is also a challenge.) Most middle grade readers won't have read as many Miles Morales books as I have, so they likely will be able to quickly pick up on what last happened to Miles and who all the characters are. The plotline in this was an interesting challenge for Miles and gang to solve, and I like how the book showed the complexity of people. Hand this to Miles Morales fans.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. A car accident that may be fatal is mentioned (not shown). Violence is threatened but thwarted.

[Joseph Findora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, Alright. Usually I'd expect peak coming from a spider-man book. But... this ain't it. The characters are.. bland. Outside of Miles Morales and his best friend the other characters are alright. The main villain was just yapping about making the earth a better place by eliminating half it's population because everyone fights each other. Not a bad motivation but the final fight with him was garbage. All he did was go giant, talk a lot and then he got one punched by Miles and it was wraps. That was it. The other villain Vex who worked with the stranger motivations were just dog water. It can be summed up to just: "Not fitting in." and she used that as an excuse to help someone eliminate half the population of earth by freezing them... Yea. Then Mr. G was a surprise dude with super powers. It's NEVER explained. He has Electrokinesis and the power to kinda rewind time. I don't know why this dude has these powers.. especially one as good as messing with time.. considering we never know why and he kind of just shows up after saving miles' life. So due to that and the other characters this book is garbage. Alright plot. Bad characters. The visuals were mid.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look I want to give 5 stars to anything that highlights the relationship between Miles and Ganke - aka the one big miss for me with the popular movie adaptation. And this story does a great job of it! Their banter and intimacy toes the bromance line as most comic relationships are apt to do, but moreover it’s always great normalizing boys saying “I love you” to their friends, genuinely caring for one another’s mental health, etc.

Objectively speaking, the story itself is a 2-star. Miles and Ganke interacting does all of the heavy lifting in this one, their scenes together being really the only enjoyable ones. Otherwise it feels disjointed and probably something that would be better utilized as an episode in a Miles Morales cartoon series where you can stand to have something a little more frenetic as this read. I’m giving it 2 bonus stars for the boys and the open discourse about mental health, since both are reasons for me to encourage my students to pick it up.

[LPR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a dummy, I didn't know this was the second one until the end of the book. And sure, the events make sense and I can easily get up to speed on some basic premise stuff, but I was also Such a baby about not being expositioned through all the other supporting characters. User error! Glad it happened tho bc idk if our library will see that copy of Shock Waves again....I might need to order another one. And now I can process this one with #2 indicator. See, good things come out of the librarian squirreling away a few of the new arrivals before giving them to the kids (which feels illegal lol)
Very light, quick, hit some stakes but quickly and without serious tonal shifts. Kind of funny but not uproariously so. Solid, but I was genuinely expecting to be swept away more. I'll see what the fifth graders say. If they don't draw blood fighting over who gets to check it out now.

[Kass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le scénariste et dessinateur est guatémaltèque, utilise des couleurs vives et c'est l'histoire du super-héros préféré de nombreux enfants : Spiderman. De plus, après le succès du film sur le multivers, il ne fait aucun doute que Miles Morales est devenu le chouchou du public. L'histoire aborde subtilement des thèmes tels que le deuil et les émotions chez les hommes, et constitue un exemple clair de représentation à bien des égards, ce qui est plus que nécessaire. L'histoire m'a semblé un peu difficile à suivre en raison des personnages et de la trame des événements, car il semblait y avoir un préalable permettant de mieux comprendre le contexte. Cependant, selon ce que je comprends, cette bande dessinée n'est pas une série à proprement parler, et peut-être que les fans de bandes dessinées et d'histoires en général peuvent comprendre les références plus facilement.

[Carrie Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent graphic novel of Miles' story. I have never read any of Miles being Spider-Man, and I have got to say that I enjoyed this adventure very much. It would be the perfect book for middle-grade readers that enjoy the Marvel Universe. Miles Morales: Stranger Tides was a simple comic book story that was entertaining the entire time. For middle-grade graphic novels, I just expect to have a good time, and this delivered that for me.

Also, the illustration style reminds me of animation, and I enjoyed it throughout the volume. I would be interested in picking up the first volume and any others that Justin creates.

*Thank you to Edelweiss for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own. *

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these comics re-imagined for middle grade readers! It's a good way to make comics accessible to kids who might otherwise be intimated by the sheer volume of Marvel comics there are out there. Plus, the tone and the storylines fit well for a middle grade audience.

While I didn't necessarily like the villain in this one as much as the first one, we still get that signature Miles energy. He's such a fun character to read, and his family and friends are just as entertaining. The art style also works well for this story, especially the action scenes. So much Spider-Man fun!

I hope this makes it into the hands of young, excited comics readers who will be encouraged to jump into comics in the future!

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a Miles Morales story, especially when told by Jason Reynolds. My students love these stories as well so I always seek them out to add to my classroom library. This one fit the bill for an engaging teen superhero read. I have just one issue. That resolution? I have no idea how they actually defeated the bad guy because Reynolds and Leon did not show or explain the effect of the final action from Miles against the bad guy. I suppose that explanation that came after as part of Miles' monologue but that felt like a bit of a cop out. Overall, I still enjoyed it and thing that most of my middle school students will not find this to be an issue.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miles has learned a lot in his time as Spider-Man and a lot of it is about family and community. The help Miles receives from his best friend Ghanke and his family gives him strength and the ability to problem solve situations. But the new villain Stranger separates Miles from his support system he must be open to new partnerships and new ways to fight for his family. The art in this book is fantastic and it's a fun adventure story that builds on the characters and situations of the previous book by Justin.

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

An evil alien named the Stranger is trying to take over the world. Spiderman teams with Trinity to try to stop him. But can he truly trust her? People are being frozen and no one knows what will happen to them when/if they "thaw out". Miles' uncle is one of them.
The Stranger seems to be all powerful, no one has been able to stop him. But that doesn't deter Spiderman from giving it all he has. There are a few surprises in this story. Trinity's roommate and friend gets involved and Miles gets help from an unexpected adult he knows. Fun, lots of action, twists and turns.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine for kids but lacking for adults. It's about the Stranger coming to Earth to take over the world through a video game. He plans to take over half the world and make them fight the other half. Yeah, it doesn't make the most sense. After the Stranger's plan is revealed, miles spends more time being frustrated than trying to save the world. The actual ending felt tacked on and the Stranger is beat in no time even though he's a Fantastic Four level villain.

[Timothy Burbage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great to see Miles Morales saving the world with his friends. The art style was great, and my son really liked it.

We didn't realise this was a sequel, and there were quite a few characters making appearances who we didn't know. I also found the whole thing very light weight, and he literally punches the bad guy once and it is over.

My son really liked it, and when he is older he will definitely be able to read it himself.

[Tamas O'Doughda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Shock Waves, the characters are likeable, some of the art is eye-catching (while some is a little underdeveloped, like Vex suddenly being drawn as a boxy old woman near the end), there's pathos evoking drama, but some of the plot is a little predictable/too easily resolved. More good messages, like Teamwork makes the dream work. And cool use of Mr. Gunderson in his return from Shock Waves.

Overall pleasant, but not up there with the truly great graphic novels.