Hellcat is striking out on her own.
It’s with mixed emotions that I approach Marvel’s new Hellcat series. On one hand, it’s great to see Patsy Walker riding high on her recent live-action debut and being given a bigger spotlight. On the other hand, the pain of the premature cancellation of Charles Soule and Javier Pulido’s She-Hulk still smarts. If She-Hulk can’t support an ongoing series, what hope does Hellcat have? That’s very much a question a pertinent question after reading Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat! #1. This issue is entertaining, for sure, but it doesn’t do much to establish a compelling new status quo or distinguish itself alongside a growing lineup of comedic superhero books from Marvel.
Those hoping for another series in the vein of Howard the Duck and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl will be pleased with what this first issue has. The series may be banking on the character’s increased exposure from the Jessica Jones Netflix series, but thankfully it doesn’t take any storytelling cues from that show. The emphasis here is on Patsy trying to rebuild her life after losing her job, making some new friends and discovering a startling revelation about her past. As it should be, Leth pays as much attention to Patsy’s supermodel “career” as she does her superhero one. This issue also devotes a great deal of energy to fleshing out the supporting cast, which combines familiar faces and newcomers into one solid mix.
This issue is fun, but it sometimes struggles to build a good momentum. Too often the script gets bogged down in trying to summarize Patsy’s history when the recap page does a pretty good job of that already. This issue also ends at a slightly weird point and before an overarching direction has really solidified. And while the humorous approach works well enough, this issue rarely connects as often or as deeply in that regard as books like The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Too often it seems like the series is afraid to completely embrace its own silliness.
That’s partly due to the art. Brittney Williams brings an attractive, cartoonish style to the book. Her use of manga-style embellishments like Patsy morphing into a distorted “chibi” version of herself whenever she becomes flustered are a nice touch. Again, the book just doesn’t lean on the weird elements as much as it could. The art isn’t quite dynamic enough, especially when held against Hellcat’s previous appearances in She-Hulk or the grossly under-appreciated Hellcat mini-series from Kathryn Immonen and David Lafuente.
Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat! is a decent option for any reader who craves more of the lighthearted silliness of Marvel books like Howard the Duck or The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. But despite the solid supporting cast and characterization, this book doesn’t really do anything those other titles don’t do better. This first issue moves slowly and has its clunky moments, but hopefully a clearer and more engaging conflict will emerge over time.
