“Queen in Black: Black Cat #14” Review – The Cat’s Out of Her Bag!

I bet the words “Black Cat in a space faring adventure” have never crossed your mind, huh? Well, that’s exactly what the great G. Willow Wilson gives us in this latest installment of the “Queen in Black” event! In this particular one-shot, Felicia finds herself hired by the Fantastic Four who may have found a way to decimate the Symbiote Supreme Intelligence. Is she in over her head? Will her luck run out? Find out alongside Shawn and I as we take a look at “Black Cat #14”!

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Gleb Melnikov
Colorist: Brian Reber
Letterer: Joe Caramagna

The Writing

Shawn: This was such a unique approach to including Felicia in the Queen In Black storyline. While a standalone issue, it features all the signature spunk and attitude readers have come to expect from Felicia during G. Willow Wilson’s run on the character. Black Cat #14 is a really good example of why this series has been extended twice now. What seems at first to be just a one-off Queen In Black tie in, quickly becomes a vessel for the further development of Felicia Hardy’s character.

While she may be a thief, Wilson shows us that folks like Sue Richards still believe in Felicia. Felicia realizing that Reed Richards isn’t funny was quite a hilarious moment in the story. It provided a nice shot of comic relief in the midst of a rather serious story with what promises to be serious implications for the Queen In Black storyline. The great thing about what G. Willow Wilson did in Black Cat #14, is craft a story that fits around Felicia rather than having Black Cat change who she is in order to work with the Queen In Black story.

Eda: Coming into this as someone that’s been reading G Willow Wilson’s “Black Cat” run but hasn’t fully caught up on it yet, I’m able to confirm that this is an easy in. She did a great job making sure that readers simply following the “Queen in Black” event don’t need any prior info going in. The story here, for lack of better terminology, feels very self-contained from the rest of the run, so don’t let that 14 deter you!

That being said, Wilson’s writing here is just as good as it’s always been. She manages to keep the story not just entertaining, but extremely well paced and funny as hell. Until reading this issue, I didn’t think that Felicia in space would be something I wanted, but now I need more. The way that Wilson portrayed her unique way of interacting with others on an alien planet made for interesting and dynamic moments that breathed a lot of life into the book. If this is her application to do a space story, count me in for when that comes.

The Art

Shawn: Gleb Melnikov, Brian Reber, and Joe Caramagna really went in for this issue. Gleb Melnikov crafts easily recognizable characters like Susan and Reed Richard while still employing line work that makes the characters distinctly his. Melnikov crafts a particularly enjoyable panel in this issue. It’s not because it’s terribly important to the plot, but beautifully uses Black Cat, a character with a black-and-white costume, to contrast magnificently against the negative space of the panel.

Brian Reber simultaneously captures the cosmic colors, Kree colors, and Earth tones perfectly. This truly feels like a sci-fi space heist when the comic is there, and like a street-level heist when Felicia is interacting on Earth. The pinks and purples Reber uses in this issue really stand out as they come screaming off the pages otherwise saturated with cool tones. Joe Caramagna captures the narrative device where Felicia straddles the line between breaking the fourth wall and narrating her own adventures perfectly. The story is easy to follow with Caramagna locating the bubbles within the panels perfectly. This issue really sees Caramagna come in strong with some killer SFX work.

Eda: If you want a book this week with great art and widely varying colorwork, look no further than “Black Cat #14”! Gleb Melnikov and Brian Reber both truly seemed to give this their all. When speaking on the illustrations, Melnikov’s love of the craft and medium truly shines through. While his character designs and facial expressions evoke that of Marvel comics in the 2000s, the way he draws space is absolutely next level. He manages to make it feel dense and vast, leaving readers with a sense of awe.

With all of that being said, Melnikov’s art is perfectly matched by Reber’s colors. He truly gives everything this vibrancy and life, making everything feel right in the middle of heightened and grounded. As for the lettering by Joe Caramagna, the use of onomatopoeia really helped to flesh scenes out and make them feel alive. Every time that I’ve seen his work, it’s been clear that he has an insane amount of love for his job, and it truly shines through.

Final Thoughts

Shawn: Black Cat #14 is a Queen In Black tie-in that builds the story around Felicia in a satisfying way, rather than just making her part of the Queen In Black event. There’s honesty, humor, and heroism from Felicia, even if Sue is gonna hear about it when she’s home.

Eda: Overall, G. Willow Wilson’s “Black Cat #14” is arguably the most fun book in the “Queen in Black” event so far. Given what happens, I’m very anxious to see where this leads not just for Felicia, but for the event as a whole! The team truly worked their butts off to make this issue as spectacular as it is and they pulled it off in supreme style.

Shawn’s Grade: 9/10
Eda’s Grade: 10/10
Overall Grade: 9.5/10

Read more from Shawn here!

Read more from Eda here and check out her socials!

Comments

Are you enjoying the “Queen in Black” event? Or how about Wilson’s run on “Black Cat”? Let’s discuss in the comments below!