The second arc of Black Cat has seen Felicia Hardy team up with Mary Jane Watson, learn that MJ is bonded to the Venom symbiote, and travel to the Negative Zone to pull off a heist. You’d think that G. Willow Wilson and Gleb Melnikov couldn’t top that. You’d be wrong, as Black Cat #9 brings in the Siege Perilous, a mystical gateway between alternate realities. As any X-Men fan would tell you, the Siege Perilous offers whoever walks through it a chance to transform their life for the better, though that experience will leave the traveler forever changed.
In Felicia and MJ’s case, it warps them to a reality that’s radically different from the world they know. In this realm, Peter Parker was never bitten by a radioactive spider and, therefore, never became Spider-Man. Long-dead friends have come back to life, and MJ and Felicia are able to pursue their deepest passions. For MJ, it’s a career in Hollywood. For Felicia, it’s having a whole married life with Peter.
The idea of a Spider-Man book set in an alternate reality is old hat at this point, but Wilson takes a truly unique approach to the concept. She shows why the idea of an alternate lifetime would be alluring, and explores how it affects MJ and Felicia for both good and ill. On the one hand, they get to live the lives they always wanted, without fear of Green Goblins or Negative Zones. On the other, they experience pitfalls; as MJ grows older, she ends up losing out on roles, and Felicia ends up losing contact with her children. It’s a sobering reminder that even the life you think you want will have ups and downs.
Adding to the emotional weight of the book are moments that cut back and forth between what’s happening in this alternate reality and Felicia alone in her apartment. Those latter moments carry the weight of sadness, especially under Melnikov’s pencils – he literally etches a lifetime’s worth of emotions onto Felicia’s face, ranging from happiness to melancholy. His approach also extends to the alternate universe, as we actually see characters aging and going through life; a rarity in the superhero genre. Eagle-eyed Spider-Man fans will also see Melnikov’s take on certain iconic moments and characters.
Marvel
Black Cat #9 also sees the return of Andres Genolet to interiors. I genuinely enjoyed Genolet’s work on Black Cat #6, mainly because the idea of Felicia having to deal with Daredevil and a court of vampires was a fun romp. Here, he one-ups it as Felicia and MJ are tossed into another reality that can only be described as the Marvel Universe’s take on Edge of Tomorrow. It’s fast, frantic, filled with mech suits…and far too short, to the point where I felt like this reality could have filled an entire issue on is own.
Regardless, both Melnikov and Genolet’s artwork shines thanks to the color art by Brian Reber and Rachelle Rosenberg. Reber and Rosenberg alter their palettes based on what reality is most prominent; the first universe is vibrant and full of life, the mecha-world carries a harsh tone thanks to the scorched desert landscape and perpetually blazing sun, and Felicia’s apartment is heavy with shadows, mirroring the conflicting emotions within. It’s a subtle change that helps readers keep track of which way the story’s going.
Black Cat #9 puts its own spin on the concept of an alternate universe, going for emotional heft instead of high concept. It’s one of those comics that sits with you, and a reminder that this book works when it goes for the unexpected.
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