Comic of the Week: “Black Cat” #1

That’s right, it’s time for another G33k-HQ Comic of the Week! This week, G. Willow Wilson is kicking off her new run on “Black Cat,” featuring artwork by Gleb Melnikov and colors by Brian Reber, so let’s cut to the chase and see what’s in store.

This does mean there will be minor spoilers.

Felicia Hardy, AKA the Black Cat, is a professional cat burglar, antihero, bi icon, and on-again/off-again romantic interest of Spider-Man. However, she really gets a chance to shine when she’s headlining her own comic.

G. Willow Wilson’s run picks up to coincide with the events of the current “Amazing Spider-Man” comic, wherein Peter Parker appears to be having one of his “something went wrong and now I’m taking it out on everyone and isolating myself from my friends and family” moods, creating the perfect opportunity to focus on other characters when they’re outside of his orbit.

The story kicks things off in the Night Nurse’s office, creating a hook as we see what brought Felicia there on this day. It uses a fourth-wall-breaking narration to bring us back to earlier events, giving us a fun chase scene and fight that carries the story forward.

For those curious, let’s take a moment to address the fourth wall breaking. “Black Cat” #1 utilizes it as part of the narrative structure, with Felicia addressing readers directly in asides and in the box text during flashbacks. It’s not at the Deadpool level of medium awareness, instead serving to assist the storytelling and carry readers along.

The story moves at a fast pace, bringing us through the chase and subsequent fight in the first half of the book, then the cooldown and Felicia’s revelation in the latter. Her narration lets us understand her state of mind, before her conversation with the Night Nurse brings her to the idea that will kick off the comic’s plot: with Spider-Man distracted by his own problems, Black Cat has to step up and be the hero. (There you go, that’s the spoiler.)

While the comic’s setup works well as an introductory first issue, it’s the dialogue that really makes it work. Wilson does an excellent job capturing Felicia’s voice, giving her a combination of confidence, sarcasm, and professionalism that’s filled with personality. The other characters have equally strong voices, like the Night Nurse casually chatting as she treats Felicia’s wounds or Boris and Bruno helping her reach a safehouse with just a little bit of snark.

Credit should also be given to how the Lizard communicates in this issue, using hisses and growls that get translated in the text boxes.

So that makes “Black Cat” #1 enjoyable to read, but comics are as much a visual medium as anything else, so how’s the art?

Gleb Melnikov’s illustrations are lively and bold, using a nice blend of detail and just slightly exaggerated proportions to bring out key details, like musculature or facial expressions. The characters all have distinct and recognizable silhouettes and designs bursting with personality, adding to the voice and tone of every moment.

For those wondering about the fanservice, yes, Black Cat’s costume does show plenty of cleavage, and she gets a bath scene on one page. It’s tastefully done, though, and the following page goes into the work Felicia does to maintain her iconic style, giving us a look at her inner workings (not just her outer appearance).

Melnikov captures the action scenes nicely, relying on dynamic posing without too many action lines to show the characters in motion. This helps the characters stand out throughout each panel, keeping each moment clean and crisp. The sound effects add a lot to the action, especially when they use large outlines of the effects to emphasize the impact without obscuring the artwork.

Additionally, Melnikov does a great job with the scenery, bringing the city to life with a lively minimart, graffiti’d walls, and busy streets. It makes the world feel alive without making the pages cluttered or distracting from the characters, and when the backgrounds vanish, it’s to help the readers focus on the characters and action.

If I had to critique one thing about the art, it’s how the larger facial features, while adding to the expressiveness, can throw off the faces just a little. However, that’s a minor criticism and an understandable stylistic choice that brings out more of the characters’ thoughts and feelings.

Then we have the colors by Brian Reber. Reber’s color work is bright and eye-catching, but he adjusts the color scheme and tinting to match the mood and scenery. While the outdoor scenes use bright, natural colors, the world is cast in red from the lights outside Felicia’s safehouse when she’s inside, while the Night Nurse’s office turns the world a shade of blue/green to capture the atmosphere. It’s an effective use of colors to control the mood and differentiate the locations.

Overall, “Black Cat” #1 is off to a great start, kicking off a new chapter of Felicia Hardy’s misadventures and road to heroism. It’s fun, fast-paced, and yes, sexy when it wants to be, with great writing and solid artwork on every page. The story builds on the ongoing events of “Amazing Spider-Man” while standing on its own, so it’s safe to say that fans of the character won’t be disappointed.