Gun Honey Doubles Down #1 Review

 

Gun Honey Doubles Down #1 Review

Writer: Charles Ardai

Artist: Ang Hor Kheng

Colorist: Asifur Rahman

Letterer: David Leach

Cover Artists: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Adam Hughes, Ang Hor Kheng & Yasmine

Also Available: Cosplay & Rare Tempter Wraparound Variants

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 17, 2026

 

While the world's attention focused on Paris, Joanna Tan mingled among the athletes. But as they competed in events to earn medals for their countries, Joanna sought to prevent an assassination. The intended victim was so grateful that she commissioned Joanna to do the impossible. Now, Alexis Stern, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, wants Joanna to do it again.

 

This time, the stakes are higher. Another ten million doesn't cut it. Still, Joanna must kill a dictator to save her friend. But can Joanna sneak back into the Kremlin? And even if she succeeds, can she protect Olga and her father from the repercussions of her actions? Let's leap into Gun Honey Doubles Down #1 and see!

 

Story

Dmitri Vulapin may call himself the president of Russia. But he’s still a repressive dictator who crushes anyone in his way. The US Director of National Intelligence doesn’t know if his replacement will improve life in Russia or worsen international relations. Still, Alexis Stern wants him gone. Unfortunately, Joanna woke the beast when she snuck a gun into an interrogation room. The person debriefing his former spy wasn’t the hands-on dictator, but one of his impersonators.

 

In Gun Honey Doubles Down #1, Joanna returns to finish what she started. When Vulapin recovers from the shock of Joanna's actions, he will send his agents after her. Joanna Tan may be used to a life of danger, but Olga isn't. She greeted Joanna with a gun and was reluctant to let her into her apartment. Olga may have helped Joanna sneak into the Kremlin the first time because of what Vulapin did to her brother. But this time, Olga must play a larger role in the operation to ensure her future and protect her father from Vulapin’s recriminations.

 

Charles Ardai’s story shows the lengths to which Joanna Tan will go to complete her mission. When her reputation is on the line, and her friends’ lives are in jeopardy, nothing is off the table. As she remembers the acts and conversations that propelled her on this second mission into the heart of the Vulapin’s dark operations, Joanna stays focused on the present. Despite her carefully laid plans, Joanna doesn't lose heart when things don't go to plan. Instead, she takes inspiration from her surroundings and improvises on the trot in the action-packed Gun Honey Doubles Down #1.

 

Art

When Joanna Tan emerges from the crowd of holidaymakers on the beach, she approaches an armed guard standing before a padlocked gate. After handing him her phone, Joanna drags his unconscious body into nearby foliage. Glimpses of her secreted underwater gear appear in flagstone-shaped panels as Joanna dives off a cliff into the wave-tossed sea.

 

As Joanna swims across the middle of a page, a trio of images above her portrays her briefing with Alexis Stern, and the three images below reveal her revelation to Olga. As she slips inside Vulapin’s home, Ang Hor Kheng contrasts the fortress rising along the cliffs with Gelendzhik rising beyond the bay. Yet while tens of thousands of people inhabit the resort town, the fortress plays home to one man.

 

As Asifur Rahman lavishes his palette on Gun Honey Doubles Down #1, red competes with blue, green, and flesh tones for dominance. Alexis’ maroon shirt links her with the outfit Joanna steals inside Vulapin’s fortress. The furnishings in Vulapin’s living quarters echo those in Olga’s apartment. And while red hair tumbles around the face of the dictator’s masseuse, Olga’s short pink hair reminds us she is another victim. Vulapin may not drink his subjects’ blood. Yet as scenes of intense emotion and violence play out against red backgrounds, the gray mansion rising from the greenery, surrounded by the blue sea and sky, suggest the president’s vampiric nature.

 

While David Leach shares Joanna's thoughts in blue narrative boxes, he places black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for volume. But as Joanna risks her life to save Olga's, pounding fists, wailing alarms, thundering gunfire, and roaring engines accompany her heedless charge into danger. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Joanna Tan doesn’t fight for God or Country. But she’ll put her life on the line to save others. When a power-hungry rich man grinds others beneath his feet so he can stand a little taller, there is no fortress strong enough, and not enough Human shields to hide behind, to prevent Joanna from extinguishing his warped and abusive life in Gun Honey Doubles Down #1.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Gun Honey Doubles Down #1.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Gun Honey Doubles Down #0.

For what happened before that, see my review of Gun Honey Collision Course TP. 

For more cover options, see my cover preview of Gun Honey Doubles Down #1. 

 

 

 

Black Cat #5 Review

 

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Adam Hughes; Ben Oliver; Rogê Antônio & Marcelo Maiolo; Olivier Coipel

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 17, 2025

 

Sometimes, one person really can change everything. That's what happens when Spider-Man starts sending perps to the hospital. His refusal to discuss his epiphany with Felicia Hardy shocks her. Worse, it sends a tremor through the streets of New York City. Suddenly, criminals like Shocker and his Aftershocks are playing for keeps. Felicia is so off her game that she gets in a needless tussle with the Lizard, and younger pickpockets get the jump on her.

 

With everything up in the air, Felicia tries to convert her star power as a glamorous thief into a protector of New Yorkers with money to spend. Can she get her world spinning aright after Spider-Man knocked it off its axis? And how will Felicia Hardy react when the new kingpin of New York tarnishes her image? Let’s sharpen our claws, leap into Black Cat #5, and see!

 

Story

Tombstone captured Felicia and locked her away. As she sought a means of escape, she overheard him discussing Spider-Man's descent into villainy with a subordinate. Believing she could still save her web-friend, Felicia connived a means of escape. Then she rushed to the location Tombstone mentioned to convince Spider-Man to mend his ways. Instead, Felicia discovered that Tombstone had set her up, and someone she thought she could manipulate had manipulated her instead.

 

When cops surround her, Felicia is so flummoxed that she plays for pity. But Detective Shari Sebbens isn't beguiled by Felicia’s poor kitty routine. Shari has had a tough time lately. She came up empty while investigating a rash of robberies at fashion stores. Nor could she prevent someone from abducting a military drone from Rand Enterprises, causing significant property damage and endangering New Yorkers. So, the police detective plays it by the book in Black Cat #5. With her city becoming a war zone, at least Shari took one criminal off the streets.

 

Pursuing a career as a master thief meant hiding in the shadows. As Boris, her man in the chair, warned her, being a hero requires a different skill set. Felicia has ridden the highs of the internet and news media stardom. In Black Cat #5, Felicia discovers the fleeting nature of fame and that people cheer when their heroes stumble on their feet of clay.

 

 

 

 

Art

As Felicia clasps her hands behind her head, the white fur falling from her arms merges with her white hair to form a blunted star. Gleb Melnikov contrasts Felicia’s appeals with Shari’s resistance to her charms with close-ups. A splash page shows the crowd of journalists anxious to record her capture with their phones and cameras. Felicia looks shaken and doesn't turn away from the camera as she protests her innocence. But her fear turns to anger when J Jonah Jameson gives her the pity she sought from Shari Sebbins. Her angry response makes clear that Felicia doesn't appreciate his I told you so expression.

 

Brian Reber dresses the staunch newsmaker in a brown trenchcoat, evoking the days he converted trees into defamatory Spider-Man headlines on newsprint. As a preserver of society, Shari Sebbens wears an amber coat. After the police pull her away from the crowd gathered before orange-and-red buildings, they cage Felicia with some of the criminals she has recently foiled. While some sport bright colors, others share her black and white dress sense. But when a friend comes to her aid, Felicia contemplates her journey in a red-and-orange setting that evokes a train car in Black Cat #5.

 

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna shows Felicia’s thoughts as white uppercase letters in black boxes. Black uppercase dialogue fills white balloons, while Felicia’s interpretation of a fellow prisoner’s responses accompanies a cat symbol in a box. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects accompany fighting and dismay as Felicia’s streetcar pulls into a station named Deliberation, freeing Black Cat to contemplate where she will travel next. Thanks to Marvel Comics and Comic Book Dispatch for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Felicia Hardy has always pursued the next shiny prize over preserving the relationships that give life meaning. But when she’s down and out, the friend she played a terrible trick on lends Felicia the support she doesn’t deserve in Black Cat #5.

 

Rating 9.6/10

Black Cat #4 Review

 

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Adam Hughes; Derrick Chew; Inhyuk Lee; Mark Buckingham & Richard Isanove

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 26, 2025

 

After tangling with the Lizard, Felicia Hardy has an epiphany as the Night Nurse stitches her arm. Spider-Man isn’t returning her calls. And instead of quelling the violence on the streets, he is increasing it. Perhaps she needs to step up and make New Yorkers feel safe enough to spend money foolishly again.

 

Black Cat’s attempt to turn her life around attracts the superheroes’ attention. As the glamorous gal gains internet fame, J Jonah Jameson publicly speculates about her love life. Then, Felicia captures Tombstone’s attention. Does Lonnie Lincoln need her expertise with a heist? Or does the new Kingpin of Crime want Felicia to define her relationship with Daredevil? Let’s grab a pinch of catnip, leap into Black Cat #4, and see!

 

Story

After foiling an interstellar drug cartel in New Jersey, Sandman surprises Felicia and punches her lights out. When they come back on, Felicia Hardy finds herself at Tombstone’s feet. The crime lord requests her manifesto. But Felicia can’t define her new war on crime. Perhaps when she figures it out, she'll feel like sharing. Like Steve Perry, Felicia is "Feeling That Way" and enjoying it. But while Black Cat works out her new shtick, she interferes with Tombstone’s big plans for New York.

 

In Black Cat #4, Sandman locks her in a room. It may not be a dungeon. Still, Felicia gives her new accommodation a 1-star rating. As Felicia ponders her life and a means of escape, the wait grows more torturous when she overhears actionable intelligence.

 

G Willow Wilson’s story highlights how difficult career changes can be. While Felicia seeks something more fulfilling than snatching the next sparkly treasure, she hasn't defined what she wants or how best to go about it. And as Boris, her person in the chair, warned, being a superhero is different from stealing rare artifacts. Despite how hard Felicia has worked to become a master thief, she's still a novice hero. Felicia's heart may be in the right place in Black Cat #4, but she cannot trust her instincts. And as she hasn’t paid her dues, Felicia Hardy has a long way to go before she gains the respect of the superhero community. 

 

 

 

Art

As Black Cat gazes up at Tombstone, he squats to study his captive. Felicia's flowing white hair and the fur hanging from her black catsuit evoke plumage. While she cannot compare with Puss in Boots, Felicia’s eyes invite sympathy. Gleb Melnikov employs vignettes to showcase confrontations in Black Cat #4. The intertwined control room conduits, along with the pipes and pumping equipment, hint at reasons why Tombstone chose the building for his temporary HQ. But as an X-Jet streaks over the building, Felicia lies on a cot, unable to investigate.

 

While Tombstone appears in matte gray and dark blue, Sandman’s vibrant green shirt and brown arms evoke the fresh start he considered at the Ravencroft Institute. As Brian Reber lavishes a loaded palette on Black Cat #4, Black Cat's suit gleams. After passing some red pumping equipment, more red pipes line a wall of her cell. As Black Cat wonders what has happened to Spider-Man, the moon imbues her suit with light-blue highlights.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna shows Tombstone's dialogue as small, uppercase words in clouds. Other characters speak larger uppercase words into dialogue balloons. Felicia’s commentary guides us through her internment, employing white letters in black narrative boxes. But after a creak and a slam herald her imprisonment, the sound of disturbed air gives Felicia hope she can resume her new career. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Like Rodney Dangerfield, Felicia Hardy can't get any respect. There's no honor among thieves, the superhero community distrusts her, and J Jonah Jameson isn't interested in her crime reports. As her stumbling in the dark disrupts Tombstone's plans, Felicia discovers how alone she truly is in Black Cat #4.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Shiver Suspenstories 2 #1 Cover Preview

 

 

The holidays can be tough, especially when you don't feel like you belong. Noah feels isolated and alone at his new school. While his classmates celebrate the Christmas season, he belongs to the Jewish faith. He endures bullying each day because he is an outsider. How can Noah stand up for himself and make friends, or at least put a stop to the bullying? And who else will we meet in the five stories included in this holiday issue?

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES 2 #1 (ONE-SHOT)

WRITTEN BY DAVID M. BOOHER, MELISSA FLORES, GEORGE NORTHY & BEN H. WINTERS ART BY SAMI KIVELÄ, DAN McDAID, & MORE COVER A BY DUSTIN WEAVER COVER B BY ADAM HUGHES EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT BY DUSTIN WEAVER ARCHIVE EDITION (1:50) BY RIAN HUGHES AS IF THE HOLIDAYS WEREN’T HORRORIFIC ENOUGH?! EC Comics and Oni Press are BACK to stab your stocking for the second year running with all-new, all-terrifying tales of holiday horror and Christmastime catastrophe as SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES slays again!  In this year’s giant-sized, 56-page tome of gruesomely gift-wrapped delights: We’re tying perpetual naughty-listers David M. Booher (Canto), Melissa Flores (Biker Mice from Mars), George Northy (Yuletide), and Ben H. Winters (Benjamin) to the dried-out Christmas tree in the family parlor . . . and gathering ‘round as artistic Tormentors-in-training Sami Kivelä (Abbott), Dan McDaid (Shazam!), and more surprise guests throw a few lit matches their way to get this old-fashioned solstice sacrifice started in style!   Yes, we know: It smells like dinner might be getting a little overdone! Never fear, because EC’s newest annual tradition also comes complete with an extra-added EC Comics classic—newly restored back to its authentic original coloring! As you sift through the charred remains, just remember: SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES is here to bring the horror back to the holidays . . . and we wouldn’t want it any other way! ON SALE DECEMBER 10, 2025 | $8.99 | 56 PGS. | FC     Here are other cover options:     COVER B BY ADAM HUGHES       EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS   B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT BY DUSTIN WEAVER   ARCHIVE EDITION (1:50) BY RIAN HUGHES

 

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this cover preview with us.

 

The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1 Review

 

Writer: J Michael Straczynski

Artist: Pere Pérez

Colorist: Guru-eFX

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Adam Hughes; Aaron Kuder & Morry Hollowell; Lee Garbett; Javier Garrón & Rachelle Rosenberg; Pere Pérez & Marte Gracia; Mark Bagley & Frank D’Armata; Mark Chiarello

Designer: Carlos Lao

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 8, 2025

 

Sandman is attacking the United Nations. It's just business. Nothing personal. Still, Spider-Man doesn't stand by when people are in peril. If only he didn't have to fight Sandman after pulling an all-nighter to keep up with his classes. Then there's Mary Jane Watson. Peter Parker wants to pursue a relationship with her, but something holds him back. Can Spider-Man triumph over Sandman? And can Peter forge a connection with Mary Jane while maintaining his GPA? Let's thwip into The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1 and see!

 

Story

Not only is Peter intelligent, but he also boasts numerous scholastic achievements. So, when Empire State University forces him to take a math class beneath his abilities, he can't fight back his exhaustion. He's trying his best, but he's not an expert in every subject. And some of his instructors are taskmasters.

 

In The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1, Peter Parker looks forward to an evening with his friends. Only tonight, their conversation opens a can of worms. Universities have their fun side, but they also make you study. Additionally, they force you to look ahead and make decisions that will affect your future. Peter Parker, Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, and Gwen Stacy reveal their uncertainty over their future when they should be enjoying their evening together. And when his friends try to pry a confession out of him, Peter can't restrain his negativity. It's just the pressure of trying to do well in school. Nothing personal.

 

Like many prestigious universities, the library at Empire State University holds a few literary treasures. When Evangeline enters the library, she makes a beeline for a rare 13th-century text. Lauren, the librarian's assistant, doesn't give it to her. So, Evangeline attacks her. It's just business. Nothing personal. 

 

 

 

Art

While Spider-Man engages in acrobatic thwipping, Sandman swings a morning star-shaped fist in The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1. Later, Peter rests his elbow on his desk and props up his head with his hand. After his eyes close, Peter inadvertently does something that makes Gwen smile. The buildings rise around Peter and Gwen as they leave class, conveying their stature and grandeur. When a professor approaches, Pere Pérez shifts the camera away from Peter as he and his nemesis share frowns.

 

While Guru-eFX shows Spider-Man in his familiar red and blue, Peter disassociates himself from his superhero alias at school. While he wears yellow, orange, and brown, Gwen wears a red dress, Evangeline a red blouse, and Lauren a red scarf. Despite their differing economic status, Harry’s green blazer and Sandman’s green shirt remind us of their broken homes. As the setting sun casts orange and purple into the sky, Peter sits on the beach beside the red-haired Mary Jane Parker. But instead of gazing at her, Peter’s eyes fix upon the yellow flames in The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1.

 

Amid Pere Pérez’s detailed art and Guru-eFX's loaded palette of vivid colors, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The words grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Balloons squeeze words Peter wants to tune out, while sound effects heighten accidents, battles, and Peter's latest attempt to give Sandman a bad day. It’s nothing personal. Just ordinary Spidey business. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Even the most seemingly invulnerable people have their breaking point. As Peter Parker struggles to meet the demands of Empire State University, his behavior reveals worrying fractures. In J Michael Straczynski's The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1, Peter is anything but his carefree, optimistic self. Perhaps he never will be again.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Shiver Suspenstories 2 #1 Cover Preview

 

Oni Press and EC Comics brings us entertainment with a razor-sharp edge. This month's special, Outlaw Showdown #1, collected tales of life in 19th Century America. Monthly title Catacomb Of Torment probes the darker aspects of life on Earth. The Cruel Universe series ponders the terrors awaiting us when we trade out homeworld for the life among the stars. What dark tidings will they bring us this December? 

Here's all the info from Oni Press and EC Comics:

 

 

AH! Superstar Adam Hughes Covers EC Comics’ Shiver SuspenStories 2 #1 – And It’s A(H)bsolutely A(H)mazing!

Oni Press is Stabbing Your Stocking in December with 56 Pages of Razor-Sharp Surprise from the Immortal EC Comics, Featuring a Host of Creatives You’ll Die for!

The guest list for this fearful affair features the creative talents of David M. Booher, Melissa Flores, George Northy, Ben H. Winters, Lukas Ketner, Sami Kivelä, Leomacs, and Dan McDaid, as SHIVER SUSPENSESTORIES 2 #1 releases on December 10th!

 

SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES 2 #1 (ONE-SHOT)

WRITTEN BY BEN H. WINTERS, MELISSA FLORES, GEORGE NORTHY, & DAVID M. BOOHER

ART BY LEOMACS, LUKAS KETNER, DAN McDAID & SAMI KIVELÄ

COVER A BY DUSTIN WEAVER

COVER B BY ADAM HUGHES

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY DUSTIN WEAVER

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY RIAN HUGHES

ON SALE DECEMBER 10, 2025 | $8.99 | 56 PGS. | FC

IOC: 10/25/2025

FOC: 11/17/2025

 

YOU’LL NEVER LOOK AT MISTLETOE THE SAME WAY AGAIN! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner- and Harvey Award–winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. is gulping back its excitement to reveal superstar artist Adam Hughes’ (Wonder Woman, Betty & Veronica) gorgeously gangrenous cover  for EC Comics’ SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES 2 #1 – coming to comic shops everywhere December 10th! For the second year running, Oni Press and EC Comics are proud to welcome the Eisner Award-winning comics legend to cover duties on our newest annual tradition – a 56-page pyre of perversities so stuffed with holiday horrors that it could only be called…SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES! 

In this year’s giant-sized tome of gruesomely gift-wrapped delights: We’re tying perpetual naughty-listers David M. Booher (Canto), Melissa Flores (Biker Mice from Mars), George Northy (Yuletide), and Ben H. Winters (Benjamin) to the dried-out Christmas tree in the family parlor . . . and gathering ‘round as artistic Tormentors-in-training Lukas Ketner (Count Crowley), Sami Kivelä (Abbott), Leomacs (Benjamin), and Dan McDaid (Shazam!) throw a few lit matches their way to get this old-fashioned solstice sacrifice started in style!

Yes, we know: It smells like dinner might be getting a little overdone! Never fear, because EC’s latest installment of this time-honored holiday tradition also comes complete with an extra-added EC Comics classic—newly restored back to its authentic original coloring! As you sift through the charred remains, just remember: Shiver SuspenStories is here to bring the horror back to the holidays . . . and we wouldn’t want it any other way!

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featuring frightful, yet frosty covers by Dustin Weaver (Epitaphs from the Abyss), Adam Hughes (Catwoman), Shawn McManus (Fables), and Rian Hughes (The Multiversity), EC Comics is proud to deliver this winter’s deepest chill yet on December 10th – only in Shiver SuspenStories 2 #1!

For more updates on Oni Press, visit them on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

 

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this cover preview with us. 

 

Black Cat #2 Review

 

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Adam Hughes; Alex Ross; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; Paco Medina & Jesus Aburtov

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 24, 2025

 

A master thief's life may appear glamorous, but pulling off challenging heists requires preparation. Especially while maintaining a reputation as New York's most beautiful thief. And what does Felicia have at the end of the day? An apartment filled with materialistic treasures, and no one to enjoy them with? Even Peter Parker doesn’t seem to think she’s worth his time anymore.

 

So, Felicia Hardy is changing her approach to life. How will her first attempt at heroism go? And will she read about the Lizard’s research in Scientific American? Let’s put on our catsuits, leap into Black Cat #2, and see!

 

Story

Black Cat maintains her fitness with grueling workouts at Glutes Gym. But her guy in the chair interrupts a training session that violates the Geneva Conventions on Torture. Boris informs her that two young guns from the Manfredi crime family are striking out on their own. So, Felicia breaks off her personal training session with Peach to tackle her first case.

 

After breaking the fourth wall to clarify matters for the reader in the first issue, Black Cat tackles a Lovejoy-style mystery. While Starchy & Cloth wash clothes and money in Spider-Girl, the Manfredi boys move antiques to clean money for immortals in Black Cat #2. New York hasn't forgiven the vampire world for their Blood Hunt. So, the undead moving their criminal operations to Black Cat's city adds a sinister undertone to the Manfredi boys' seemingly innocuous side hustle. 

 

Pursuing lightbulb moments entails trial and error before finding your path. Boris raises his concerns about venturing into unfamiliar territory in Black Cat #2. Gio and Leo also point out that, after coexisting peacefully with them in the past, Black Cat is changing the rules all of them live by. Felicia Hardy has a lot to sort out if she wishes to join the ranks of New York's costumed heroes. But after losing interest in her sparkly criminal endeavors, Black Cat enjoys playing the hero in G Willow Wilson’s story. 

 

 

 

Art

Gleb Melnikov portrays Felicia with full lips and defined muscles as she sweats and strains in Glutes Gym. When she dons her mask, the large circles of skin around her eyes suggest fashionable shades accompanying her salon-styled hair. By comparison, creases mar Boris's forehead, and the light catches his stark cheekbones. He shows a disinterest in fashion and keeps food nearby as he sits at his computer. Of the Manfredi boys, Gio watches his workers like a hawk and lowers his shades on his nose to count his money. Heavyset Leo seems impatient and nervous while rocking a John Travolta vibe.

 

As Brian Reber lavishes a loaded palette of bright and cheery colors on Black Cat #2, red dominates Felicia's new approach to life. Brickwork adorns her gym and the building where the Manfredi boys store their antiques. Red also dominates interiors, from the large GLUTES letters in the gym to the wallpaper adorning the stash house. And then there is the red interior of a gilt scrollwork egg that the Manfredi boys are moving.

 

Black Cat perches beside the ornamental egg as she picks up a gold pocket watch. Then she leans against a reddish-brown grandfather clock and tells Gio and Leo that time has run out on their side hustle. The emphasis on red reminds readers who the Manfredi boys are working for (and why their choice of a side hustle sucks).

 

Joe Caramagna fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase text and shares Felicia’s thoughts with white uppercase letters in black narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects scamper across the pages, helping us hear an international accords-infringing workout, shifting sands, and screeching fill the night. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy. 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Tombstone regards Spider-Man as a hero he can manipulate. When Spider-Man starts playing from a different rulebook, his civilian counterpart, Peter Parker, also shrugs off Lonnie Lincoln’s influence. So, as Black Cat alters her approach to life, Tombstone wonders how he can use her to control Spider-Man in Black Cat #2.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.