Miles Morales: Spider-Man

Miles Morales is the 16-year-old protagonist of Miles Morales: Spider-Man. Miles is from Brooklyn, New York and the child of Jeff Davis and Rio Morales; he is half-African American and half-Puerto Rican. He attends Brooklyn Visions Academy (BVA), a prestigious school where he lives in a campus dorm with his best friend Ganke Lee. Miles is also the superhero known as Spider-Man.

Miles is a complex character who struggles to balance his dual identities as normal teenager and superhero. He feels the weight of his identity and responsibilities, as well as traditional teenage problems like love and grades. Over the course of the novel, Miles undergoes significant development, coming to terms with his role as Spider-Man and duty to himself and his community.

Miles’s parents instill a strong work ethic in him that drives him to excel both academically and in his role as Spider-Man. However, Miles is also grappling with the loss of his uncle, Aaron, whom he enjoyed spending time with. Aaron’s death left Miles feeling guilty and afraid of himself, as he witnessed the death firsthand. Miles questions his ability to do good, plagued by his deceased uncle’s last words: “You’re just like me” (11).