Black Cat #8 // Review
Felicia and Mary Jane have escaped certain death, but that was only the beginning. There’s a large chasm of fire between them and the most totally secure facility in the Negative Zone. There’s no way to jump over the chasm and the symbiote that M.J. is attached to is particularly vulnerable to fire. They’re going to have to find some other way in to the facility in Black Cat #8. Writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Gleb Melnikov continue a deeply enjoyable adventure across the Marvel Universe with one of its most noted thieves. Color comes to the page courtesy of Brian Reber.
Just as the two adventurers are working out precisely how to get across the chasm of fire, a security sphinx appears to deliver a riddle that will allow them safe passage ito the facility. The answer to the riddle is obviously, ”love.” But since this is the Negative Zone that’s actually NOT the answer. M.J. guesses “friendship.” That turns out to be wrong as well and so the security sphinx attacks. Now the two adventurers are up against a ridiculously powerful security entity from the Negative Zone that’s firing purple beams out of its eyes. Things just got worse.
Wilson is particularly witty in this particular entry in the series. The specific flavor of wit for this particular entry into the series seems like a cross between Douglas Adams and Kevin Smith with a little bit of the Marx Brothers thrown-in. It’s classy stuff. (The actual answer to the sphinx’s riddle is particularly funny. Did NOT see that one coming. Once again: Wilson is a genius.) The adventure moves very efficiently across a section of the Marvel Universe that never quite gets the kind of attention in deserves before catapulting the heroes into a completely different direction next issue.
There’s some pretty fantastic stuff hitting the page as the two adventurers make their way into a very secure facility. A crystal monster. A powerful sphinx. A river of fire. All of that is interesting, but Melnikov’s greatest accomplishment this issue lies in the subtle nuances of articulation and emotion between Felcia and M.J. Facial expressions and body language reveal a rich sense of the emotions of the two women on the adventure. Out beyond them...the otherworldly feel of the Negative Zone feels particularly strong in one of its more desolate areas. Quite a lot of the resonance of this comes from the rich color that is brought to the page by Reber.
And then there’s the Siege Perilous. There’s so much of exotic interest lurking around the edges of the Marvel Universe. It’s unspeakably cool that an author as clever as Wilson can casually pick-up something that was created for Marvel on the other side of the ocean by the similarly brilliant Alan Moore and use it as a vehicle for her own adventure. This is the way that a shared universe SHOULD work. It’s fun. It’s enjoyable. And it’s always a pleasure to hang out with Felicia by way of G. Willow Wilson.
