The Avengers #23

Recap
The Avengers are currently on the hunt for a possession that once belonged to Kang. The catch? It’s in a space casino run by the Grandmaster. But that’s not their biggest problem as Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, has already stolen it…
Review
Jed MacKay’s affection for the character of Felicia Hardy cannot be understated, as under his pen the humble cat burglar is promoted from street-level vigilantism to galaxy-spanning adventures. And so consistently great is his grasp on the antiheroine’s voice that she does not feel out of place for even a second; the Cat’s resourcefulness and wit enough to convince anyone that she can go toe-to-toe with the Avengers.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have access to the unlimited time and assets of Kang the Conqueror, who has formed this most unlikely of partnerships to steal back an artifact of his, one that will be key to exacting vengeance upon the mysterious new villain who bested him. The Avengers also seek to stop this individual, for more predictably valiant reasons, so naturally the two parties butt heads over the same prize.
Earth’s mightiest heroes, while present in full-force, definitely take a backseat this issue as the P.O.V. is set firmly with Ms. Hardy, who frames the whole story with her narration. MacKay cuts back and forth between the planning and execution stages of their heist, and Farid Karami’s expert framing of multiple locations across the timeline adds to the snappy pacing.
Karami and colorist Federico Blee deserve endless praise for making this seedy criminal underworld of the wider Marvel universe feel expansive and alive. The hustle and bustle of this space-bound casino erupts into a new level of chaos, and the cavalcade of alien patrons reacting to the action is a level of thought and detail that goes above and beyond the call of duty. Not to mention the incredibly unique quality of Karami’s figures; a higher level of realism in character’s musculature and anatomy mixed with classically stylized features. Felicia’s impossibly voluminous hair and the graceful cat-like way she pounces and bends to evade the avengers is the exact sort heightened realism a comic like this needs, making Avengers #23 a highly entertaining middle chapter to the ongoing casino arc.
Final Thoughts
Avengers #23 shifts gears to the perspective of iconic anti-heroine Black Cat, whose thieving antics bring a whole new kind of showmanship and energy to this adventure.
The Avengers #23: Cat’s Got Your Tongue
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 7/107/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 7/107/10
- Cover Art - 7/107/10