Cindy Moon has just started a new job for her old boss J. Jonah Jameson at a new media conglomerate called Threats & Menaces. That’s not going to get in the way of Moon’s other job as Silk, the crime-fighting Superhero. Can Cindy keep her day job separate? It’s not looking good as a series of gangland murders puts Silk and everyone else she loves in danger. Silk #1 comes to us from writer Maurene Goo, artist Takeshi Miyazawa, Ian Herring on colors, with letters courtesy of Ariana Maher.
I’m a sucker for a few things. The first is fashion; the second is anything that pokes fun at the hell-job that is new media journalism and the last? A witty banter among friends. I was a prime target for this #1 because it opens with a fashion-caper scene, and like, of course, I’m going to enjoy that.
The opening action scene doesn’t take itself too seriously, and by allowing the reader to have some fun, it gives us a real sense of Silk’s personality or at least what we assume is her personality. Silk #1 is about truth and distortions. Whatever we may think about Silk’s self-assured attitude, it’s probably safe to believe there’s a lot more bubbling beneath the surface.
If anyone knows about secrets, it’d be Moon, who spent 10 years in a bunker thanks to Ezekiel Sims. Sims locked her away to hide her from Morlun and the Inheritors. Moon alludes to the time spent in the bunker early on in the issue, though she uses dismissive humor. In that same panel, a stack of books are pictured in Moon’s room. One of them is Trick Mirror by former deputy editor of the new media website Gawker, Jia Tolentino.
Trick Mirror is about the distortion of the internet and how it tricks us into believing we are developing a kind of self-awareness when in reality, it’s more self-delusion. Snark and cynicism hide pain and a desire to belong. The first time I read Silk #1 I missed the book sitting there at the forefront of the panel, but in subsequent reading, it caused me to reframe what Moon was telling us by examining what she wasn’t saying. She lives with her brother, Albert, and though she attempts to cast off her significant trauma through one-off comments, it is indicative of a deep well of pain. Maurene Goo has indicated whatever we think Silk is going to be about; we’re likely wrong.
Full disclosure, I realize I am horrific at talking about colors. It’s a skill I am still developing. What I do know is that Miyazawa’s art comes alive with Herring on colors. The vibe is modern, fun, and chic. Honestly, Miyazawa’s eye for fashion is destroying me in this issue. On Moon’s first day as a cub-reporter at Threats & Menaces, she meets Norah Winters, who is dressed to kill. Winters is derisive of Jonah’s new hire and calls Moon by her nickname “Analog.” Jameson gave Moon the nickname because she prefers to collect news the old-fashioned way, aka by not using her phone or social media as a means for cultivating sources.
As Silk #1 unfolds, we find Moon trudging along with a new coworker Derik to a gruesome murder scene of members of the Mulligan Gang. The bodies appear to have claw marks, and there’s fur at the crime scene. A mystery is afoot!
What’s refreshing about Silk #1 is that the emphasis will be on Cindy Moon’s experiences and less so on her family. That’s not a knock against previous storylines involving Moon; I’m just excited to see her experience as a young Korean-American superhero explored.
Where Goo’s prose shines is in her ability to give Miyazawa’s art breathing space. Confident writers who know their character don’t feel the need to over-explain or “prove” their worth. This comes out in small moments, like when Moon talks back to Jonah as she leaves for the day after he chides women who strength train. Where other writers may take the time to over explain why the remark is ill-informed and sexist, Goo let’s Moon tear Jameson down by addressing him using his first name.
Overall, Silk #1 is a fresh, fun, and vital start to a web I’m personally excited to get trapped in.
Andrea Ayres is a freelance writer and pop culture journalist.
