Black Cat #7 – Nothing Worse Than Humiliation

Felicia Hardy tried to change her stripes. For once, she tried to be a hero instead of a thief. It made her the laughing stock of the internet. Now the new Venom, Mary Jane Watson, has to seek out Black Cat before she herself becomes an internet meme. When you realize there’s nothing worse than humiliation, you seek out someone else who also understands it.

Need to catch up on Black Cat? Check out my review of Black Cat #6

Creative Team

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Gleb Melnikov
Color Artist: Brian Reber
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Adam Hughes

Writing

I really enjoy what G. Willow Wilson is doing with Felicia Hardy. Felicia Hardy as a character has always felt like she’s more than just one of the best thieves in the world, but Wilson really just adds so much depth to her. The narrative thoughts of Felicia really let the reader see inside her head and see the complexity that is Black Cat.

I’ve said this a little bit with Black Cat #6, but I enjoy Wilson’s narrative decision to have Felicia try and be “good” for once, backfire spectacularly. The decision creates a situation where readers truly understand that sometimes even the best of intentions can backfire and that failure is amplified if its someone normally on the wrong side of the law trying to do something new and different with their life.

My favorite thing in this series has been the quotability, and that doesn’t change in issue #7. I found myself rereading panels. Not because the panels were hard to follow, Caramagna made sure of that (more on that below), but because Wilson hits readers with some surprisingly deep thoughts throughout these issues, many of them coming from Felicia, which serve to continue to grow her into a more complex character.

Art

Shoutout to Gleb Melnikov and Brian Reber for making Jeff plushies canon within the Marvel 616 universe. Not only was that a fun way to open this issue, but the artist’s bright colors and friendly use of the Jeff plushy highlight the fun and still perhaps even innocent side of someone who has been through a lot like Black Cat has.

Much of this issue is set within the confines of the city, and Melnikov and Reber do a great job at something that I think can be critical in comic books, which is making the city feel like a character. Wilson’s words already have Felicia feeling introspective, and the art team has the city feel like this looming giant hanging over her like a shadow in these panels.

By the time MJ asks Felicia for help, the art lets you know that Felicia is going to say yes, because she knows exactly what it feels like to beat down and run down. Letterer Joe Caramagna does a great job choosing to bold some words for emphasis and choosing how to move the flow of the comic. It is not only the brilliant writing of Wilson that creates impactful and quotable moments but the lettering and positioning done by Joe Caramagna.

Final Thoughts

Black Cat, as a character, has really come alive for Marvel thanks to having back-to-back writers on her solo run who really grow the character. If MacKay is the one who showed us Black Cat has main character energy, G. Willow Wilson has shown us that Felicia Hardy can be just as complex and interesting a character as anyone else in Marvel Comics. Black Cat’s growth as an interesting character with real relatable feelings is a credit to the marvelous work that G. Willow Wilson and the other members of this creative team have done on this Black Cat run.

Overall Grade: 10/10

Until next time, may your pulls be magical and your multiverse remain stable

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