Black Cat #3 opens with a surprising sight: Felicia Hardy, clad in a loose T-shirt and pajama pants, blearily grabbing at her phone. She’s wearing a face mask, her hair is in rollers, and she’s clearly not happy to be awake at the crack of dawn. It’s a far cry from how other comics with Black Cat have featured her looking like a million bucks or stealing a million bucks, or both, but it plays into the theme that G. Willow Wilson and Gleb Melnikov return to throughout the issue: looks can be deceiving.
In Felicia’s case, her appearance has changed drastically due to her desire to be a hero. Thanks to some creative editorializing from J. Jonah Jameson, the world not only believes that she and Daredevil are an item, but a target has been painted on her head. Aiming straight for that target is the Sandman, who’s been sent by Tombstone to take out Felicia.
It’s not the only surprise appearance that Wilson and Melnikov place throughout the issue, as an attempt by Felicia to stop what looks like a trafficking ring leads to a huge misunderstanding and an appearance from none other than Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel! The fact that this marks the first time in a long time that Wilson has written her co-creation is a big deal (at least until Batman/Deadpool #1 drops and gives us the Static and Ms. Marvel story), and true to form, Kamala lights up the page in her brief appearance.
That appearance also highlights just how difficult Felicia’s path to heroism is becoming. As she so eloquently puts it in her inner monologue, having other heroes come in to save the day steals her thunder – and nobody steals from the Black Cat. There’s also the fact that her fight with Sandman goes horribly; even though she can twist luck to her advantage, there’s only so far that can take you when you’re fighting a guy who can turn into a massive pile of sand. Wilson balances this chaos with some genuine wit, including a back-and-forth between Felicia and Jameson that had me cracking up.
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Melnikov remains this title’s secret weapon, as his artwork is nothing short of dynamic. A great example concerns a fight on an 18-wheeler, which winds up with Felicia getting a gun stuck in her face. If that wasn’t enough, the getaway driver turns out to be a giraffe. Yes, you read that right: there is a human-looking giraffe who serves as the getaway driver for a criminal organization. Melnikov milks this for all it’s worth, as does Joe Caramaga. Since giraffes can’t talk, the driver’s word balloons are mostly filled with images, which adds a hilarious touch to the proceedings.
Brian Reber utilizes different shades of color throughout Black Cat #3, depending on the scene. The opening is pitch black, lit only by the bluish-white glare of Felicia’s phone. In sharp contrast, the semi truck fight takes place in broad daylight, highlighting the absurdity of Felicia’s latest mission. Finally, the Sandman himself is a towering golden-brown mass of sand, looking absolutely menacing.
Black Cat #3 continues to deliver a unique mix of superheroics and wit as Felicia Hardy runs into yet another obstacle on her road to heroism. This is one of the hidden gems in Marvel’s current crop of titles, and I urge fans of all stripes to add it to their pull lists.
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