What If... Miles Morales #4
- Writer
- Yehudi Mercado
- Artist
- Luigi Zagaria
- Letterer
- VC's Cory Petit
- Cover Artist
- Paco Medina, Rachelle Rosenberg
- Publisher
- Marvel
- Price
- $3.99
- Release Date
- 2022-06-15
- Colorist
- Chris Sotomayor
As gifted as he is, Miles Morales is better known as the web-swinging Spider-Man in the main continuity. But in the world of What If?, Miles has become the star-spangled Captain America, the furry and furious Wolverine, and even the Hulk. Since the permutations and possibilities are endless, there is little doubt that Marvel is building its own Miles Morales multiverse to tell different stories, albeit in a familiar setting. This time Miles assumes the superhero identity of Thor, the mighty God of Thunder. Written by Yehudi Mercado with artwork by Luigi Zagaria and Chris Sotomayor and lettering by VC's Cory Pettit, What If... Miles Morales #4 soars through thunder and ice.
What If... Miles Morales #4 gives an account of an alternate universe where the world tree, Yggdrasil, grew in Brooklyn and turned New York City into Asgard, home of the Aesir. In this realm, Miles Morales is a hip, young Thor, the beloved defender of Midgard. He hangs out with his friends, the Warriors Three, all day long while going on adventures to faraway lands. But when Thor's uncle Loki takes the Odinson on a quest to Jotunheim, Miles learns he might be in over his head.
The fundamental aspect that binds these reimaginings is the complicated relationship between Miles' father and his uncle, with the teenager stuck between the two. While this has been the mainstay throughout the multiverse, What If... Miles Morales #4 creates an amalgamation of the brotherly feud wherein Jefferson is Odin and Aaron is Loki, two adoptive brothers with no love lost between them. The instant writer Yehudi Mercado opens the book with rhyming rap verses, he establishes the jovial nature of the world and the vibrant characters inside. Using Odinson as the focal point, the story introduces the players on the board, one by one, while keeping the overarching plot centered around the family. In true Miles Morales fashion, Thor makes a spectacle of every scene he is in, discovering new facets of himself in the process.
Describing the artwork as anything short of electrifying would be a travesty. What If... Miles Morales #4 opens up a world where fashion and grandeur meet. Artist Luigi Zagaria mixes street art and detailed graffiti work with the gilded, patterned architecture of Asgard to create immersive panels that take into account the best of both worlds. Tiana Toomes is Sif, while Ganke Lee has become the Volstagg of this universe, with Thor himself displaying his tattoos and musculature in its full glory. Meanwhile, colorist Chris Sotomayor presents the same old color schemes in new ways, mixing things up to create a fresh but familiar atmosphere.
Seeing Miles soar high as the thunder God feels like a breath of fresh air. For once in the series, his powers are not the direct result of his uncle's mistakes weighing down on his conscience. What If... Miles Morales #4 presents the same old Asgardian tale with a twist, using action and drama to create an enthralling narrative. Godhood has turned both the Davis brothers into cold-hearted people. But their transformation makes for good, surprising comics that will appeal to fans of Miles Morales and the Marvel Universe.
