Mary Jane & Black Cat #3 Review
Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Vincenzo Carratù
Colorist: Brian Reber
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
Publisher: Marvel
Price: 3.99
Release Date: 2/15/2023
Cast into Limbo, Mary Jane & Black Cat agree to brave the Screaming Tower and bring Belasco back his soulsword. In return, the former ruler of Limbo will send the gals back to Earth. So can two of Peter Parker's favorite ladies pull off this hellish heist? Let's leap into Mary Jane & Black Cat #3 and find out.
Story
Meet S’ym. The demon has an axe to grind. Why do Earth people always run Limbo? Shouldn't one of its native inhabitants—such as, um, himself?—have a shot a ruling the underworld? The gals agree to team up with him, figuring he’s their best shot at making it to the Screaming Tower. But once they’ve got the sword, all bets are off! So the girls must watch their backs while fighting everything Limbo throws against them. But it's also an uneasy partnership for another reason: Black Cat still hasn't told Mary Jane about her growing relationship with Peter Parker.
Writer Jed MacKay keeps the tone fun and light with witty banter between the would-be sword thieves. As they face dangers that would make Indiana Jones hesitate, they learn about each other. Meanwhile, Mary Jane experiments with her superpowers. She's new to them and hasn't learned to control them yet. Black Cat's proximity also seems to affect how they manifest. All this makes for a lighthearted underworld romp, as neither thief fully trusts the others. But wait: S’ym mentioned a Guardian, the only Limbo spawn more powerful than him. What'll happen when they run into him?
Art
Artist Vincenzo Carratù consistently delivers recognizable and endearing portrayals of our two Earth gals. S'ym convinces the gals he'll betray them, but I wonder. Could the demon just be playing a role? Vincenzo builds lots of character into his visions of Limbo: from head-sized eyeballs in dark, ribbed tunnels to Hydra soldiers, punk rockers, and monsters guarding a Jenga-like Soultower. Although Mary Jane, Black Cat, and Sym face different dangers than Frodo’s fellowship, their underworld battle with hellish forces brings to mind the Mines of Moria.
“Everyone: watch out for the cave troll!”
Colorist Brian Reber also keeps you turning the pages. Our thieves pop with Mary Jane’s red hair, S’ym glowing skin, and Black Cat’s white hair. Yes, white is a color, and he makes it pop in the surrounding darkness. All the light sources and shadows create depth and atmosphere and convey reality to the characters. There's nothing muddy or unclear in Mary Jane & Black Cat #3. Each panel shines with graduated colors and hell-loads of contrast.
Letterer Ariana Maher makes this issue easy to read with upper-case lettering. Bold lettering reveals voice inflection, while sound level shrinks or grows the letters. The latter seems restrained, with slight decreases or increases in size, which make their point known without straining the eyes or detracting from beautifully drawn and colored scenes. Ariana also includes colored narrative boxes with white lettering to share our Earth gals' thoughts. Mary Jane's narrative boxes receive a red background. As for Black Cat: do I need to tell you what background color Ariana chose?
Final Thoughts
This latest chapter in the Dark Web series is a real winner. Characters learn about themselves and each other as they navigate labyrinths and brave nightmarish monsters. If you’re not smiling as you read every page of Mary Jane & Black Cat #3, call 9-1-1 immediately. There's something wrong with you!
Rating 9/10
To view the preview pages see my review at Comic Book Dispatch
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