Miles Morales: Stranger Tides' Justin A. Reynolds Talks Spider-Man's New Graphic Novel (Exclusive)

Miles Morales is about to star in another graphic novel from Marvel Comics and Scholastic. Author Justin A. Reynolds (Opposite of Always, Early Departures) and artist Pablo Leon (The Journey) are collaborating on Miles Morales: Stranger Tides, a follow-up to their 2021 hit graphic novel Miles Morales: Shock Waves. Marvel and Scholastic announced their partnership in 2020, with books centered on Miles Morales, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan, and Shuri. Stranger Tides will feature the young Spider-Man facing attending a video game launch that goes sideways, and a character that's a deep cut from the Marvel Universe.

ComicBook.com spoke to Reynolds in an exclusive interview to learn more about his second Miles Morales book, why he chose the obscure Marvel villain the Stranger as the primary villain, taking Spider-Man to outer space, and more.

ComicBook.com: Can you discuss how Miles Morales has grown not only as a Spider-Man, but as a teenager between your first novel, Shock Waves, and Strangers Tides? How much time has passed storyline-wise between both books?

Justin A. Reynolds: Great question! In the first book Shock Waves, Miles is just learning what it means to be a super hero and a teenager-how hard it is to exist in this duality-and he's just beginning to build his confidence. In Stranger Tides, he's a few months older now and has really started to grow within his role as Spider-Man. So now you see him as more self-assured, except with that budding confidence, Miles is charged with even greater responsibility to keep the world safe.

The synopsis for Stranger Tides references a villain named the Stranger, who appears to be a deep cut from the comics. What can you tell us about Stranger's motivations, and what made you choose Stranger to be the main antagonist?

The Stranger is absolutely a deep cut, yes. His motivations, at least from his perspective are simple: You humans are awful—you're greedy, hurtful, and manipulative—and as a cleaner of the universe, I'm here to fix what's broken, by any means necessary.

I was drawn to the Stranger because he has an incredible amount of power and reach and I'm always interested in characters who can seemingly do whatever it is they desire, or be whomever they wish, and yet who choose to pursue a very specific, if unusual course. In this case, Stranger is wholly committed to exacting his own brand of justice on the Earth and its inhabitants.

We were told that the first chapter features Miles taking a trip to outer space. Obviously, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man doesn't often get the opportunity to head to the cosmos. What led you to start off the book in that manner?

Exactly, right? He deserves a trip to the cosmos! Actually, what I find so interesting about Spider-Man is precisely what you said—he's branded the friendly neighborhood super hero; which is one of the things that I love most about him, that while so many of his adventures have global implications, at the end of the day, Spider-Man is so very rooted in his local community. And what better way to juxtapose those strong community ties than to beam Miles into space? 

The cover art features the Avengers logo and Iron Man. Is this a sign that Miles is going to start interacting with the larger Marvel Universe?

Pablo Leon, who illustrated the first book and is returning to illustrate the second book, created this awesome cover, so those logos were more of an artistic choice on Pablo's part. I think they signal that Miles is quickly learning the super hero ropes and that he's ready for whatever comes his way.

Are there any other teases or surprises that you can leave us with about the type of action coming up in Stranger Tides?

One of the big reasons I love Miles is that even though he has this tremendous responsibility to protect and build within his community and really the world at large, he isn't afraid to be vulnerable with the people he loves. Except what happens when that same vulnerability, that whole-souled commitment to family, friends, and citizens, leaves you vulnerable to personal attack? And when the fate of the whole world is hanging in the balance, who or what are you willing to sacrifice to save us all? Ready or not, these are the tough questions Miles must grapple with in Stranger Tides. And his answers? Well, those will determine who survives and who doesn't. 

The synopsis for Miles Morales: Stranger Tides is below. The graphic novel will be released on October 4th, and can be pre-ordered at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound (to find the book at your local independent bookstore).

Miles Morales has just about gotten used to this "being Spider-Man" thing. Keeping Brooklyn safe, taking down bad guys, and finishing his homework—he's got this! But when Spider-Man is invited to a launch for a brand-new video game, things go sideways fast. Anyone who plays the game is frozen, and it's all because of a villain named the Stranger. He's judged humanity and found it lacking, and his idea of justice is extreme.

Miles is left with the fate of the world in his hands, and the clock is ticking. Can he turn old foes to friends and change the tides in time?