It always comes back to guilt, doesn’t it? Whereas Peter Parker became Spider-Man out of guilt for not preventing a loved one’s death, Miles Morales is following the same path because he didn’t help a stranger. I expect a lot of readers to be skeptical on this point. Is it reasonable for Miles, who doesn’t even know how his powers work yet, to believe he could do anything to save Peter from the Green Goblin? Not really. Then again, Miles is a little kid, which is one of the most interesting differences between this Spider-Man and the old one. A teenager like Peter could sometimes rationalize not using his powers for good, which is how he ended up inadvertently letting loose the criminal who killed Uncle Ben. But Miles is a dutiful, studious little boy who’s facing some serious family pressure to know right from wrong. It’s natural to see him react this way to Peter’s death. It’s also fascinating to see Bendis reaching for the same emotional payoff with a new character and completely different circumstances. And that payoff wouldn’t be possible without Sara Pichelli’s art, which, once again, is going above and beyond with acting and facial expressions. It’s such a beautiful style that I winced to see them splice in the ugly-as-sin CGI cover from Ultimate Spider-Man #1. (Both panels involving the Daily Bugle were pretty painful to watch; that is one clunky-looking newspaper website.) But minor quibbles aside, is this a great issue? Guilty as charged.