Black Cat #1: Back in Black

When I read the debut issue of Black Cat’s last series I was……..not a fan. But, I’m a really big Spider-Man fan so I tried to go into this with an open mind. I was very, very pleasantly surprised. But then again, I shouldn’t have been. Writer Jed McKay is fast becoming one of my favorites and I’ve been saying that he’s on the edge of superstardom in the comic industry for a while and books like this are the reason why. Humor is a big part of almost every book McKay writes, present company included, but behind that is a really unique and entertaining story.

This issue ties into the King in Black crossover and McKay uses that opportunity to write a really unique tie-in. It’s a favorite story-telling tool of mine and it isn’t used nearly enough in comics. McKay also reunites Black Cat with a certain character with who she has amazing chemistry, and he’s also the very last person that you’d guess it would be. This is a great cover to cover page-turner that will enhance you’re whole “King in Black” experience, but you don’t have to actually read King in Black to enjoy this issue. It’s enjoyable enough on its own.

The art by C.F. Villa is fantastic! Clear, crisp, and chaotic all at the same time. This guy has a really great ability to tell a story through his art. Everything flows impeccably on the page and his facial expressions are very well done and never over the top. Villa has a great style that’s uniquely fit for comics, if he’s influenced by any outside media like a lot of other artists are today, it’s hard to tell. He’s exactly what I wanted for this book, a comb book artist who draws comic books like comic books. Believer it not, he’s a rare breed in the comics community right now.