Miles Morales by Jason ReynoldsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Quippy dialogue, a friendship I could see existing in reality, and loving and understanding parents made this a joy to read. (Okay, so Jason Reynolds could write a novel adaptation of a QVC commercial and I'd read it, but still.) All of this isn't to say Miles Morales is a happy-campy-fun time book - there's a real villain, and real evil, and while Miles as Spider Man prevails on the page, racism and its effects are still a real threat after the book ends. Miles Morales isn't just "Black Puerto Rican Spider Man" - his story is completely unique to his experience, not a "diversity" retelling of Peter Parker. He is a super hero, undoubtedly, but that doesn't mean he isn't affected by our country's history of racial discrimination in his daily life.
This book is cinematic and action-packed, as expected, but it also has currency and a poetic tone that sets it apart from other similar superhero adaptations.
Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald L. SmithMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Before T'Challa becomes King of Wakanda, he is a pre-teen, sent to live in Chicago with his friend M'Baku and attend middle school there. His father thinks he'll be safer away from political unrest, but bullies, cultural differences, and evil villains don't make it easy for T'Challa to be away from home. This was a quick and fun read, made all the more relevant with the upcoming release of Marvel's Black Panther. As someone who doesn't read comic books, and isn't well-versed on the Marvel Universe in general, I enjoyed getting some (well written) back story on a unique character. T'Challa is both royalty and (future) superhero, with imaginative and useful gadgets and wisdom beyond his twelve years.
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