“Good… bad… Who’s to say?”
Patsy Walker, the impressive and complex heroine known as Hellcat, is one of Marvel’s most fascinating heroes, whose unique and layered history is hard to effectively capture. However, Christopher Cantwell’s Hellcat (2023) limited series does just that, compassionately and dramatically exploring Patsy’s tragic history, empowering Walker to reclaim her destiny in a tale that is beautiful, inspiring, and equally devastating.
Hellcat: Devil On My Shoulder is a gorgeously printed trade paperback that includes the entirety of Cantwell’s Hellcat series – with stunning and vibrant art from Alex Lins and KJ Diaz – and opens with Cantwell’s devilish Iron Man/Hellcat Annual #1. The annual, which features perfectly atmospheric art from Ruairi Coleman and Triona Farrell, is the necessary setup for Patsy’s solo series, inserting her diabolical ex Daimon Hellstrom and childhood rival Hedy Wolfe back into Walker’s narrative. As with most Marvel trades, Hellcat: Devil On My Shoulder features stunning variant covers from various issues, including breathtaking pieces by Artgerm, Betsy Cola, Peach Momoko, and Inhyuk Lee.
Marvel Comics
As other reviews of Christopher Cantwell’s Hellcat series have mentioned, Patsy’s journey to self-actualization throughout the murder mystery of the doomed Spalding is exceptionally crafted. By intimately exploring Hellcat’s unique and storied past – from her time as a romance comic character written by her mother Dorothy to her semi-successful suicide attempt after witnessing Daimon’s true form – Cantwell is able to engage with Patsy’s growth without healing all of her wounds. The twisted tale is bloody and vicious but leaves you feeling hopeful in a way you wouldn’t have expected.
Collecting the entirety of Cantwell’s Hellcat run in a single trade paperback proves just how successfully the story was executed, beautifully threading the multiple themes of the series into an ending that is as tragic as it is inspiring. Much of Devil On My Shoulder focuses on Walker’s history of being manipulated and controlled, losing her identity from a young age because of her mother’s stories, and being forced to become a more demonic version of herself due to her time spent in hell and her association with Daimon.
Marvel Comics
The art by Alex Lins – with captivating colors from KJ Diaz – helps make Cantwell’s Hellcat story into such a unique, powerful, and enthralling exploration of Patsy’s psyche and soul. A particular highlight is Lins’ depiction of Patsy’s demonic Hellcat form, a terrifying but bewitching transformation. Lins art has a soft delicateness to its lines and shading that works in perfect juxtaposition to the horrifically dark and satanic imagery used throughout the troubling tale. The contrast between the art style and the content of the art is a perfect mirroring of Patsy’s own internal struggle, as a compassionate and brave heroine who is grappling with a darkness within her that has always simmered below the surface.
By the end of Patsy’s journey, she has seen the darkest version of her soul – transformed into a literal Hell Cat – but also learned that this is not what she is destined to become if she chooses. Hellcat has always been a hero, and with the help of the maddeningly love-sick Sheridan, Patsy is able to realize that no one has a single “true form.” Hellcat is good. Hellcat is bad. Hellcat is whoever Patsy chooses her to be… and Patsy chooses to be a hero.
The conclusion to Hellcat: Devil On My Shoulder doesn’t offer answers to all of Walker’s questions and is nowhere near the end of her journey, but it sets up a truly captivating future for the character, giving her more depth and potential than she has had in years. It is unclear where Patsy Walker’s story is heading next, but wherever Hellcat goes it will be with more control over her identity and destiny than has ever been afforded before… and we should all be excited about what her future holds. With a beautiful and captivating story by Christopher Cantwell, and gorgeous art from Alex Lins, KJ Diaz, Ruairi Coleman, and Triona Farrell, Hellcat: Devil On My Shoulder is a story well worth investing in, and one I will repeatedly return to.
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