Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat #12
(W) Kate Leth (A/CA) Brittney Williams
Rated T
In Shops: Nov 16, 2016
SRP: $3.99
No cat puns here, I promise: Hellcat and Black Cat face off as our heroine and friends fight to save the city from cat-astrophe!
They – oh, wait. I did it, didn’t I? I cat-punned. Dangit! Okay, okay, hear me out: Patsy puts Felicia’s schemes on paws when she – WAIT, I SWEAR I CAN DO THIS. DON’T PRINT.
Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat #12 is soo much more than a battle between a feline-themed hero and villain (That’s fun too, though.) as writer Kate Leth, artist Brittney Williams, and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg give Patsy’s bisexual Inhuman roommate Ian Soo some time in the spotlight as he has a very personal connection to one of Black Cat’s goons, Zoe. This comic explores toxic relationships, biphobia, and even realizing one’s potential with plenty of cat puns, action, and moody coloring from Rosenberg as most of the issue takes place at night. It’s another fierce, funny read as Jubilee’s transformation into a snarling cloud is worth your $3.99 alone.
There comes a day when a non-powered character in a superpowered universe wants to be a superhero. (See James Olsen in recent episodes of Supergirl as well as the Ur-example Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) Leth plays with this trope a little bit by making Ian, who has an Inhuman with telekinetic powers and no desire whatsoever to be a hero, think about taking up the profession. His desire to use his powers more actively is connected to being more open with his bisexuality thanks to the support of his new boyfriend Tom Hale and Patsy, who says he’s her best friend in a touching panel. And Leth and Williams aren’t afraid to show his anger that exhibits itself in crushed trash cans as Zoe continues to put him down like she did as the worst girlfriend/roommate ever. Their flashback is one of the top five scariest sequences in comics, and there is all take and no give in how Zoe treats Ian. But Ian channels this rage and negative feelings into one empowering full page spread as he rocks his new costume that’s like Gerard Way’s 
Black Parade outfit with skull motifs. Now, he just needs a cool name to match his outfit.
Along with Ian’s character development, Hellcat #12 is the full blossoming of Black Cat into the most fabulous and evil crime kingpin. Leth writes Black Cat as obsessed with fulfilling her desires no matter the cost to her subordinates and using them only for what she wants out of them, like Bailey’s bag, which can grab and transport any object. They are utterly expendable, and Williams draws her as an oversized, almost regal presence taking up space on the page with extravagant, yet ridiculous trappings like a throne with cat motifs at her headquarters. (Also, her henchwomen communicate via cat ear headsets, which is kind of adorable in a nefarious way.) She has a similar relationship to her Black Cat gang that Ian used to have with Zoe despite gifting them some pretty cool motorcycles for quick getaways from superheroes. Her eyes always have a fierce, mysterious glimmer, and Leth keeps her purpose for robbing a costume museum decently secret in its connection to her overall goals of running Brooklyn.
Hellcat #12 has quick, visual laughs (Any time Jubilee shows up.), spends a lot of time looking into Ian’s motivation into becoming a hero, and has quite the theatrical villain. It’s another win for Kate Leth, Brittney Williams, and Rachelle Rosenberg, and an argument for why Ian Soo really needs a miniseries with crop tops and Hamilton references turned up to eleven.
Story: Kate Leth Art: Brittney Williams Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Story: 8 Art: 9 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
A new arc kicks off in Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #11 as Black Cat positions herself as a dark reflection of Hellcat’s temp agency by recruiting twenty somethings from Brooklyn as thieves and petty criminals. In the opening sequence introducing the “Black Cats”, writer Kate Leth and artist Brittney Williams channel a more hipster version of Beyonce’s Lemonade (Albeit with a darker color palette from Rachelle Rosenberg.) with smashing, graffiti, and some nimble acrobatics. It’s nice to see what seemed like an annoying ex-boyfriend get his due, but Zoe, Ari, Jin, and Lina’s actions get shadier as Black Cat sends them on a mission against Hellcat and her temp agency.
Leth makes the Black Cats a good antagonist for Hellcat by connecting them personally to Patsy, her friends, and the world that Leth and Williams have constructed for the past eleven issues. Zoe used to be roommates with Hellcat’s best friend Ian and possibly his girlfriend from her unbearably cheesy dialogue featuring the word “macking” unironically. Ian has already been going through a hard time because he wants to stay away from the insane world of superheroes, but keeps getting drawn into them so the return of Zoe only exacerbates things for him. Plus he has been playing the completely depressing second disk of Hamilton non-stop. Even though they involve superpowers, girl gangs, and hell dimensions, Ian has the real fear that the good things in his life will end, which is the scariest feeling. He is also one of the few characters in a superhero comic, who doesn’t want to be a superhero even though he gets kind of a mini “Dark Phoenix” moment towards the end of the issue.
When she isn’t drawing acrobatic smash and grabs or the more legal sparring sessions between Jubilee, Hellcat, and the magic bag wielding temp worker Bailey, Brittney Williams excels at developing the friendship and bond between 
Ian and Patsy. She dials down the usual humorous hyperactivity in her art for these pages showing little moves like a surprise hug or a winking Hamilton joke to rebuild their friendship, which has been struggling a little bit since Patsy has been egging Ian on to be a superhero and not just a bookstore worker. But, sometimes it’s just better to support our friends instead of trying to direct their life’s path. Leth and Williams don’t use superhero or romance fiction cliches, like love triangles or mind control, to create tension in Ian and Patsy’s friendship, but let the arguments and make-ups flow organically.
Hellcat #11 brings a new level of chaos to the series as Black Cat and her girl gang disrupt Patsy Walker’s temp agency for seemingly no reason except to mess with her. However, the previous relationship between Zoe and Ian as well as the fact that Zoe was evicted by Patsy’s landlord adds some nice connective tissue to the earlier issues while still injecting some fresh energy into the comic. Also, as seen in the final page, Kate Leth and Brittney Williams’ Black Cat has kind of a mean streak and isn’t just the flirtatious anti-hero that occasionally smooches Spider-Man. Rad jackets aside, she isn’t someone you would want to hang out with unlike Ian Soo despite his high levels of melancholy in this issue.
Story: Kate Leth Art: Brittney Williams Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy
Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Patsy literally goes to hell in Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #10 as she confronts the spectres of her past in an issue featuring reality shattering art and colors from Brittney Williams and Megan Wilson and heartfelt, yet continuity driven writing from Kate Leth. Most of the comic is set in the hell dimension that Patsy’s ex-boyfriend Daimon Hellstrom (Aka Son of Satan) has sent to her, but Leth and Williams don’t neglect her friends along the way as they fight to rescue her. There is also time for mirth and romance, especially when it comes to a couple adorable supporting characters. (Yes, Ian and Tom Hale finally kiss in this issue.)
Patsy might end up squaring up against a bright red demon (With the Hebrew Bible deep cut name of Belial.) by the end of Hellcat #10, but the two problems she battles against are ones that many young people struggle with. They are not making the best choices in who we get romantically involved with and not living up to our “potential”. Belial taunts Patsy for marrying Mad Dog (then Buzz Baxter) and Daimon Hellstrom, but along the way, she realizes that these past choices don’t define her present, and Leth and Williams use these hell dimension scenes to help Patsy work through some of her issues. The scenes featuring She-Hulk are the most emotional as Williams cuts from a happy costume wearing Jen to a cold, comatose body as Patsy isn’t in control of her reality. But she gains more and more control as the comic progresses as she owns her past mistakes and takes the fight to real world and her friends.
Hellcat #10 has some of Brittney Williams and Megan Wilson’s most inventive visuals as her “hell” doesn’t look like the cover of a metal album or a Gustav Dore woodcut, but a classic Patsy Walker romance comic from 1950s with a burnt newsprint background. These crosshatchings from Williams and plenty of red from Wilson keeps the plot on its toes as Patsy must get out of hell on her own. And Williams really nails the sad eyes and forlorn looks of classic romance comics to make these scenes feel “real” for Patsy. Along the way, Kate Leth pokes fun at the cheesy dialogue of these old comics, and how they absolutely failed at depicting real teenage problems or struggles. (And everyone had perfect skin.)
Patsy’s mom exploited her high school struggles for her stories, but Patsy has decided to move on, and Williams shows this through a panel shattering punch as the fight goes from hell to the real world. And it’s all about the power of friendship as each member of Patsy’s friend/ex-boyfriend group gets a decent lick on Belial. Williams’ cartoonish style complements the fierceness of Jubilee as she is determined to get her new boss out of hell even if she has to turn Daimon Hellstrom into a vampire along the way. Ian also gets a big moment using his telekinesis on Belial showing that his confidence in his personal life (Kissing Tom.) has extended to his superpowers too.
Hellcat #10 balances inner conflict with action and comedy as Daimon Hellstrom and Mad Dog still fighting over Patsy is the height of farce. Kate Leth also subverts the “heroes fighting each other just to fight” (See Civil War II.) trope and has Jubilee explain to Daimon and Mad Dog why Hedy Clarke is manipulating them in a single, logical page. Add the ever-shifting backgrounds and color palettes from Brittney Williams and Megan Wilson, and Hellcat #10 is a milestone issue in Patsy Walker’s journey to cast off the shackles of her past and help the young superhumans of New York.
Story: Kate Leth Art: Brittney Williams Colors: Megan Wilson
Story: 8 Art: 9 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #9 reaches new heights of fun, happiness, and queerness in an issue that features Jubilee being the best assistant ever and rocking the cappucinos, Tom Hale singing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” at karaoke, and a couple of bad boys from Patsy’s past showing up again. Writer Kate Leth delivers a script full of puns, heartful character moments, and just a touch of sadness as Patsy is still coping with her BFF, She-Hulk, being in a coma thanks to Civil War II. Artist Brittney Williams gets to show off her flare for action as Jubilee and Patsy get to team up against her ex-husbands, Mad Dog and Daimon Hellstrom. She can do misty eyed romance and enthusiastic friendship as well, and her fun, fierce, and cartoonish art style solidifies her as one of Marvel’s best current pencilers. And colorist Megan Wilson gets to add hellfire red to her usual pink, blue, and yellow palette, especially as Daimon ends up being too hot to handle.
She doesn’t get much panel time in Hellcat #9, but Leth, Williams, and Wilson elevate Hedy Clarke to arch-nemesis in the space of a single page. Most of the time, Hellcat is a slice of life sitcom, a quirky superhero adventure, or a Saturday morning cartoon, but the opening page of this issue is pure film noir. There’s a close-up on a martini glass and a cold blue backdrop from Wilson. Williams gives Daimon Hellstrom a classy suit, and Hedy Clarke, a red and black dress that pairs well with her stone-faced stare Hedy gives him when she lies about Patsy. And Hedy’s evil plan is pretty damn ingenious as she feeds on Daimon and Mad Dog’s negative feelings toward Patsy and lets them cut loose when she isn’t really in superhero mode. Plus Daimon Hellstrom is quite the powerhouse, and Leth and Williams show that as he ends a fight with one wave of his staff and a creepy pentagram.
Luckily, Hellcat #9 isn’t all darkness and evil. There are puns too. Most of the issue (except for the end of comic fight) is concerned with Patsy trying to make ends meet at her temp agency as she must balance paying rent on her building with paying her employees. Combined with her feeling down about She-Hulk’s injury, Patsy is running out of steam. Enter Jubilee, who is a happy ray of vampiric sunshine into the comic’s supporting cast. The spare roomwhere she holds court is super adorable with its mix of typical office trappings, like an espresso machine and mini fridge, and baby stuff for Shogo Lee, like a Wolverine plush, toy dinosaurs, and way too many sets of alphabet letters. Williams’ skill at background jokes comes in handy in this space, especially when Jubilee’s Magneto mug is concerned. “Magneto was old” could sort of be a thesis statement for Hellcat as its characters are more concerned with helping out their friends and making ends meet than grand ideologies.
And speaking of adorableness, the karaoke bar sequence is Hellcat #9 at its most queer friendly as Tom Hale and everyone’s favorite bisexual Inhuman Ian Soo aren’t victims, but joyfully singing, drinking, and maybe even falling in love. Tom’s choice of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” is kind of perfect, and the play of pink and blue from Megan Wilson creates a warm, tingly romantic feeling. (Full disclosure: I had a boyfriend, who had that as his go-to karaoke song too.) Williams also uses glances, little bits of hearts, and hilarious reaction shots from other characters to slowly craft the romance. Also, Leth writes Jubilee as the perfect wing woman with her slick one-liners about Tom not just being Ian’s boss. They should just kiss already, but this is a superhero comic and the smooching is put on hold for fighting. For now, at least.
Hellcat #9 is a flat out fun read as Kate Leth, Brittney Williams, and Megan Wilson put Hellcat and her friends through the wringer while also letting them live a little and enjoy life. There’s action, comedy, romance, plenty of cuteness, and a cliffhanger that is like something out of Stranger Things.
Story: Kate Leth Art: Brittney Williams Colors: Megan Wilson
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy
Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #8 works as both a Civil War II tie-in while also exploring Patsy Walker’s relationship with She-Hulk and slightly shifting her status quo as she gets a new office, new assistant, but still has support from her friends. There’s not much in the way of plot, but writer Kate Leth and artist Brittney Williams go for maximum emotion and show how much Jennifer Walters’ friendship has inspired and meant to Patsy, who doesn’t care about the wars between heroes and crossover events, but just wants to get her temp agency off the ground.
Hellcat #8 starts adorably with Patsy sleeping in her “Meow” sheets, but the tone goes from relaxing to tense as Ms. America crashes into the window in her usual dimension shattering way. However, Leth doesn’t have Hellcat picking a side or anything, but fiercely caring about her best friend and even busting into the Triskelion to hold her hand hopefully one last time. The reds that Rachelle Rosenberg uses in the scene where have a deathly feel to him, and Leth trades in the fun quips for pessimistic medical talk as it seems like She-Hulk is about to pass away. Hopefully, she doesn’t, but the as Leth and Williams take time to show happier.
Just like the super sad and classic episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “The Body”, Leth and Williams remember to sprinkle in some humor to alleviate the tragedy of She-Hulk’s injury. Howard the Duck is kind of the Anya of the group (Because she was formerly an ancient Vengeance Demon, Anya didn’t know how to process normal human loss.) as he makes threats and boasts about standing up to Thanos and knocking his block off. But the funniest and cutest part of the issue is definitely a superhero team-up between Hellcat and She-Hulk as she does her own version of the Fastball special on the way to Patsy’s marriage proposal to a giant, delectable pizza. One day I hope someone looks at me like Patsy looked at that giant pizza, which is a reminder of happier days when Patsy was She-Hulk’s private investigator during Charles Soule’s run on She-Hulk.
Hellcat #8 has a much more serious tone than the previous issues of the series as Leth makes her characters act like human beings when facing death and not as denizens of a shared superhero universe. This can definitely be seen in some of Williams’ art style choices and Rosenberg’s colors as well. For example, Patsy wears a dress that isn’t brightly colored to in striking contrast to her fun blue and yellow outfit when she hangs out with She-Hulk. She also draws four successive panels of Patsy staring into space as she tries to process She-Hulk’s injury before slipping into a kind of flashback space. For the most part, Rosenberg’s palette is pretty somber, but then she introduces bright yellow towards the end of the issue to signify the appearance of Jubilee as a new supporting character in the book. She is all smiles and coolness and adds a moment of cheeriness to a seriously down issue. I am looking forward to Patsy and Jubilee’s fierce and fun banter in issues to come.
In Hellcat #8, Kate Leth, Brittney Williams, and Rachelle Rosenberg take a break from the battle between Hedy and Patsy to zero in on the relationship between Patsy and She-Hulk, and how Civil War II has affected it. And the issue is a fitting eulogy for the strong, smart, and funny superheroine. (Hopefully, she pulls through and has a solo title in the future.) It’s a pretty emotionally devastating comic book with the slightest touch of light (No fireworks sadly.) at the end.
Story: Kate Leth Art: Brittney Williams Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Story: 8 Art: 9.5 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Buy
In Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #7, writer Kate Leth, artist Brittney Williams, and colorist Megan Wilson wrap up the ongoing conflict between Patsy Walker and Hedy Wolfe, her former best friend who is making money off old comic books about her life. And along the way, they tell excellent Alias and She-Hulk stories paying homage to the work that Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos, Charles Soule, and Javier Pulido on these books while giving it a Hellcat twist. One of the nice things about a long shared universe that creators can use past relationships and narrative tricks to add layers to their story, and Leth does this especially in Patsy’s struggles with being the “star” of a romance comic as well as her terrible relationship with her mom, who tried to bargain Patsy’s life for her own on her deathbed.
This issue does get pretty serious with legal terminology flying everywhere, and Patsy being forced to relive her past too. But as in the previous six issues, Leth, Williams, and Wilson season the story with plenty of fun, bright colors, and some humorous cartooning from Williams. It is really clever how Williams incorporates gag panels into an arc of a superhero comic, such as fourth wall breaking shots of the artist herself getting Patsy to sign a book, Luke Cage reading his own comic (Power Man and Iron Fist) while Patsy and Jessica scheme, or Hedy and her evil cat Betty furiously reacting to Jessica Jones’ sarcasm in a scene that wouldn’t be out of place in an old Peanuts strip. These moments give a little comic relief from the darker places that Hellcat goes and show one of the advantages comics has as a medium: quick visual humor.
Hellcat #7 also happens to be one of the best Jessica Jones stories in years even if the emotional focus is more on Patsy and to a lesser extent, Tom Hale, who reflects about living in Centerville (Patsy’s old home and the setting of the comics featuring her.) as a closeted gay man. Jessica gets to use her P.I. skills, wit, and even her superpowers to help find dirt on Hedy and help her fellow superhero, Hellcat. She plays an active role in the plot while also being a wife and mother as Luke and Dani come to the book signing. Patsy and Jessica don’t have the same bond that they do in the Jessica Jones TV show, but Leth and Williams start to forge a relationship between them as they have a contest to see who can jump, fly, or vault into Hedy’s window while swapping sarcastic banter. (Some dark colors from Megan Wilson makes these pages extra sneaky.)
Like the first arc of Alias where Jessica protected Captain America’s secret identity, she ensures that Hedy doesn’t out Patsy to anyone who might harm her like the current court case where she is trying to get the rights back to the Patsy Walker romance comics. However, Leth takes an extra step and makes the subtext text by having a gay man, Tom Hale, talk about how he had to keep his sexuality under wraps while living in a small town, which is a relatable situation for many queer folks and also connects to Patsy wanting to give her secret identity only to her friends and confidants. And it’s a pretty powerful moment when Hellcat “transforms” back into Patsy Walker to confront Hedy about how her mom made life a literal hell for her, and that Hedy is continuing Dorothy Walker’s legacy by reaping the financial benefits. While Patsy is usually adorable smiles and winks, Brittney Williams gives her a fierce, intense expression to show she means business along with some big hand gestures.
Whereas Hellcat #5 was more of a traditional superhero brawl, Hellcat #7 is a mix of a legal drama and P.I. story that lets Kate Leth, Brittney Williams and Megan Wilson go a darker place plotwise and visually while showing the importance of friendship in Patsy’s life as Jessica Jones, Jennifer Walters, and even everyone’s favorite ginger bear Tom Hale help her finally get her life back and track so she can help the young superpowered people of New York also have better lives through her temp agency.
Story: Kate Leth Art: Brittney Williams Colors: Megan Wilson
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy
Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #6 takes a break from the main storyline featuring Hellcat facing off against the Hedy Clarke for the rights to the romance comics featuring her to have its main character and her best friends Ian Soo, Tom Hale, and She-Hulk spend a day at Coney Island. However, X-Men villain/general annoying nuisance Arcade shows up, and the beach trip is a little less relaxing. Natasha Allegri of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake and Bee and Puppycat fame turns up the adorableness to eleven while having clever page layouts and outrageous facial expressions. Her colors also add a lot to the story going from sky blues as the gang relaxes with food and arcade games on Coney Island to intense blues, reds, and oranges when they face Arcade. Writer Kate Leth brings the fun and crafts a standalone superhero adventure with plenty of quips, puns, and bisexuality.
Hellcat #6 is the comic book equivalent of a heart emoji as Leth and Allegri as they take the format of the Bronze Age Chris Claremont one and done Marvel Team-Up stories and imbue it with manga and animation influences while featuring a diverse cast of characters. Leth subverts damsel in distress tropes by making Tom the “prize” in Arcade’s claw machine to be rescued and by having Ian be the only character to fail his challenge. (Of course, the guy who doesn’t have his driver’s license is the one who has to do the trippy driving game that makes Diddy Kong Racing look like Baby Park in Mario Kart Double Dash.) And this makes sense in the context of the story because She-Hulk and Hellcat are veteran superheroes while Ian and Tom are co-workers at a super cool gay bookstore. It’s also nice to get supporting characters in a superhero comic, who break out of the usual “damsel” or guest superhero role, and are just well rounded human beings.
Leth and Allegri give Hellcat a determined underdog vibe as she takes on the strength challenge as she blows off his insults and puts her Krav Maga training to good use in a test of strength. Allegri draws her like a whirling dervish of energy as she freaks about Ian getting electrocuted by Arcade’s traps or just hugs She-Hulk after the big battle. Patsy cares about her friends and helping superpowered people, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Allegri’s character designs enhance characterization as Arcade looks like a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure character with his posturing, villainous monologues, and preening even as tries to belittle Ian’s masculinity. (It doesn’t work.) Her Jessica Jones is suitably cool and mysterious and matches Leth’s quickfire dialogue for her as she easily deduces Hellcat’s civilian identity. And Allegri gives She-Hulk the best side eye and a hint of rage as she has to restrain her super strength to play by Arcade’s “rules” to save Tom.
And even if it’s a one-off story, Leth packs Hellcat #7 with some great character moments. One that particularly stands out to me is Ian nonchalantly coming out as bi to Patsy after he tells Arcade that men and women can be platonic friends and not just love interests. It’s just one panel, but Leth and Allegri fill it with a nice dash of humor as Ian jokes about secret identities and forgetting to actually rescue Tom in the heat of battle. For years, mutants and Inhumans have been used as queer subtext, and it’s nice to see Leth make it text in Hellcat and for a male bisexual character play such a prominent role and not necessarily be a superhero. (He gets a great foot stomp in on Arcade though.)
With soothing and energetic art from Natasha Allegri and a script filled with friendship and action from Kate Leth, Hellcat #7 is a reminder that superhero comics can be fun sometimes. This issue is also a great jumping on point for new readers as Leth and Allegri deftly establish the main cast’s dynamic and personalities on the really long commute to Coney Island.
Story: Kate Leth Art: Natasha Allegri Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9 Art: 10 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy
