Wolverine & The Black Cat: Claws

Man is supposed to be the most deadly game there is to hunt. If that's true, then what do you call it when the prey is no other than the mutant Wolverine? The X-Man finds himself on a deserted island and locked in a cage. It seems that Arcade, the wonder-kind behind such deadly projects as Murderworld, has arranged it so that a bunch of rich jerks can go on the hunt of a lifetime.

Added to the mix is Felicia Hardy- AKA The Black Cat. How she got mixed up in the mess is beyond her comprehension. And don't bother asking Wolverine about this. He doesn't even know who Felicia Hardy is. 

One is a gruff Canadian cigar chomping beer-swigging mutant. The other is a socialite thief with the ability to change a probability field to her odds and a taste for champagne. Despite the fact that Wolverine and Black Cat are one of the most unlikely pairs to ever team-up in the Marvel Universe, there's one thing linking the both of them: they're both mad as hell at this deadly situation and ready for payback! Oh! And they both have claws! Sharp claws ready to draw the first blood!

Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn/Gossamer Special) crafts a fun read full of action, adventure and mischief. Arcade is at his murderous best. Though, I really liked the inclusion of his girlfriend. There's a real Harley Quinn quality to her and they play off each other with such a banter of the likes of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn or Hepburn and Cary Grant! 

(Oooh! Oooh! I just had a thought. Wouldn't a team-up of Arcade and The Riddler be rich?! I'd play good money for such!)

The artwork is by Joseph Michael Linsner (Red Sonja). His illustrations of the Black Cat and Arcade's gal pal are ultra sultry. But the way he's drawn Wolverine is kinda feral. But not like a wild animal. More like a furry kitten. I'm sorry but Felicia Hardy's face looks more deadly and dangerous than that of Logan's. At least Arcade and the murderous 'proud boys' look pretty dastardly.

Too bad that they never made a sequel to this Marvel Knights tale! WAITAMINUTE!!!! They made a sequel!?! That's immediately going on my wishlist!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Uncanny Origins #10

    Issue #10 gets catty with the origin of the Spider-Man anti-hero the Black Cat. After reading this issue, I've learned that her backstory is something that I had no idea of! Guess this is what happens when pretty much all you've read about Ms. Alicia Hardy is in the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man.

   This was an exciting story but it reads a little too much like the pages of Batman with Black Cat playing the role of Catwoman. Let's look at this a bit. Alicia Hardy learns that her father is a famous burglar. Wanting to follow in his footsteps, Hardy takes on the persona of Black Cat as she aims to become the world's greatest cat burglar. When she learns that her father is dying in prison, Alicia takes it upon herself to hook up with some of the Big Apple's worst in order to bust him out and allow him to die at home. 

   But in her way is Your Neighborhood's Friendly Spider-Man. He seeks to bring her down. She hopes to bag her a superhero. With romance in the wings, Spider-Man must choose whether to defeat her or assist her. 

   See, I told you this was basically Batman...

   Regardless, this was a good read. I enjoyed it but I really couldn't get over the similarities between Black Cat and Catwoman. But I would be willing to read more of the strange dynamic between Black Cat and Spidey. 

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

   

Black Cat #8 (Home For Christmas)

   

This Alfred Harvey collection of Black Cat reprints is supposed to be a holiday issue. But with many holiday issues, the contents inside doesn't always match the festive cover.

Looking at the cover, I imagine a hip 1940s apartment that's as fun as it is inviting. If I lived in the late 40s, this would be the domicile I'd probably choose. Thus, despite my misgivings with the series itself (what little Black Cat I've read, I haven't been a fan) I was lured to purchase this issue thanks to the yuletide cover.

Inside is a trio of stories. The first two tales have nothing to do with Christmas. In one tale, Black Cat's father is shot and held hostage in a race against time. The other involves a cowardly actor whose last act saves the life of our heroine. I thought the earlier tale was ludicrous. There's no way anybody would survive the back and forth cat and mouse trauma like Cat's wounded father. But the second tale was actually pretty good.

Our final tale involves Black Cat's alter ego. In real life, she's a film starlet named Linda Turner. Along with some of her famous friends, Linda visits an orphanage. Everything seems to be going swell until one boy reveals that his wish from Santa was to get to meet the Black Cat and Santa didn't deliver. Well, that kid picked the right group to confess his Christmas list with!

The story was heartwarming, but it was a little lame. No, it wasn't because of the incredible stroke of luck the little orphan child had. It was due to  Linda's famous pals. Though they weren't actually named, her friends were based on Groucho Marx, Bing Crosby, and Benny Goodman and his faithful (but stereotyped) servant Rochester. The jokes were lame and unless you were alive during the 40s, you probably wouldn't get them. As for the Groucho character, his awful barbs were pretty off-color for not only the time period but to be told to youngsters in a group home.

    This so-called holiday themed book was actually better than my previous encounters with Harvey's Black Cat, but it doesn't mean I'm going to run out and buy more books in the series anytime soon. It was good but not great with the art being typical of its time period.

   More than likely, I would've overlooked this book if it wasn't for the holiday cover. In a way, I wish I had. It's like visiting a relative's house whose door has a lovely wreath and lights on the door, but the only thing Christmas inside are some holiday cards from friends gone by. Deceptively inviting.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.