The Dark Side of the Black Cat

Amazing Spider-Man #194: 
the Black Cat's first appearance (1979)

I've always felt that Spider-Man's Black Cat was a rip-off of Batman's Catwoman.  Arguably, Spider-Man and Batman are Marvel's and DC Comics' most popular superheroes, respectively, and sell the most comics for an individual character.  That's why there are nineteen Batman titles and The Amazing Spider-Man is published sixteen times per month.  I exaggerate, but you get my point.  Anywho, it only felt natural that Marvel give Spidey a flirtatious good girl/bad girl character, too.  Hence, the Black Cat.  While I didn't mind the Black Cat, I never thought of her as anything but a two-dimensional Catwoman clone.

I read the latest Black Cat mini-series and thought it was pretty crappy (see my review).  In doing a little background work for my review, that's when I discovered that Black Cat had another mini-series back in 2002/2005*, written by writer/director/actor Kevin Smith.  The official title of the six-issue limited series is Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do, but it's primarily a story about Black Cat with Spider-Man's name thrown in there for sales purposes. 

*Apparently, Mr. Smith couldn't finish the story in 2002.  Issues 1-3 were published in 2002 and issues 4-6 were published in 2005.  Lame?  Yes.  Luckily, I didn't purchase the series in 2002 and then again in 2005 because I would have been totally lost.  I recently bought the COMPLETE set off eBay and got to read it in its entirety in one sitting. 

Despite Smith's apparent lack of dedication to the story, I was undoubtedly impressed by the final product's gritty and mature subject matter:  drugs, rape, and incest.  Both were treated very well and were vital to the overall story.  Smith balanced these heavy subjects by injecting humor, pop culture references, and flirtations between the Black Cat and the then-married Spider-Man.  

The series gave me a new appreciation for Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat.  Smith created a three-dimensional version of her, something I had never seen before.  He offered a lot of background to her life, showing us why she is who she is today.  The background stories were as interesting, moving, and sobering as the unfortunately canceled Emma Frost series. 

Reading "The Evil That Men Do" makes me want a monthly Black Cat series.  If only it was done right and she was treated as a three-dimensional character, and not like she appeared in the recent poorly written and poorly illustrated 2010 Black Cat limited series, or even the lame wannabe Sex and the City 2009 Marvel Divas limited series.   It also makes me think that now that Peter Parker is single again (thanks to the stupid time-altering Spider-Man "Brand New Day" and "One More Day" storylines), perhaps he and Felicia should explore a serious relationship together.

Cloak & Dagger: Monthly Series, Please.

The recent Cloak and Dagger one-shot from Marvel Comics reminded me why I love these two characters. Although they've been unsuccessful in holding their own in a monthly series, given the proper writer, artist, and storylines, I bet they could surely succeed where they've failed in the past. The dynamic between them is unlike any other. Dagger is an extrovert and full of light, life, and spirit; Cloak is an introvert full of darkness, dread, and despair. They're platonic friends who feed off one another; Dagger gives Cloak her light to keep his "hunger" satiated.

In the past, they've dealt with drug dealers and drug addicted youth a lot, so the storylines were heavy and not always -- for lack of a better term -- "superheroic." The latest one-shot release by Marvel (April 2010) really delves into the personalities of each character and introduces them (hopefully) to a new generation of readers. The two have their individual storylines and then come together again at the end. Dagger undergoes testing to see if she's really a mutant (and, therefore, could become an X-Man). For her, it was comparable to finding out your pregnancy or paternity test results. Sadly, the results are negative and we feel sympathetic right along with her. Cloak, on the other hand, is caught up in a romance with an old flame and ignores Dagger's efforts to reach him. Unfortunately, his old flame is up to no good and he gets into trouble over his head. In the end, both Cloak and Dagger realize that they need one another and the readers notice the ongoing sexual tension between the two. Cloak becomes a little jealous seeing Dagger with Anole (of Young X-Men fame) to which Anole replies, "Uh, hello. Gay." I appreciated the fact that there was such a casual reference to Anole's sexuality.

For readers unfamiliar with Cloak and Dagger, as well as those of us who haven't read about them in many, many years; the writer, Stuart Moore, also offers flashbacks to Cloak and Dagger's origin. It's not a cheerful one, but it sets the tone for the rest of their lives.

I give this comic 5 stars (out of 5). The writing was superb, the art was beautiful, and the storyline was absorbing. Now if only Marvel would give writer Stuart Moore and artist Mark Brooks a monthly comic starring Cloak and Dagger.

p.s. I guess Dagger's more revealing costume is now trying to compete with the likes of Emma Frost or Power Girl? See for yourself:

The Rise of Arsenal

I've always liked Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow), formerly of the original Teen Titans group. Why? I guess because he's always been "real." The stories involving him have always been real and hard-hitting. Nothing is ever sugar-coated with him.

As the teen superhero Speedy, sidekick to Green Arrow, he joined the Teen Titans and was drawn to the only female on the team, Wonder Girl. Roy was cocky -- a "total guy" and a womanizer -- and screwed up the relationship time and time again. Later, he became the poster boy for drug addiction, something unheard of for superheroes who were supposed to be role models for kids. Roy was addicted to heroin and unable to stop using. He eventually did stop, went through withdrawal, and came out clean. Thankfully, DC Comics still references this ugly part of his past instead of just sweeping it under the rug. It's a part of who he is, and it has made him stronger for it. It also establishes him as a superhero with flaws. It makes him...real, in a sense.

As an adult, Roy was known to bed many superwomen...and a villain or two. His charm, confidence, and good looks go a long way. He's had flings/relationships with Hawkgirl and Huntress, and fathered a child with the Titans villainess Cheshire. Unable to care for the child as an assassin, Cheshire gave Roy custody of their daughter. Having a daughter in his life has made Roy grow as a person. He's matured and become a great father to his daughter Lian and a big brother figure to Green Arrow's son Connor Hawke and new sidekick Mia Dearden, the new Speedy. (Who, by the way, has her own tragic beginnings coming from the world of teenage prostitution and now living with HIV.)

Now with the Justice League mini-series Cry for Justice, Roy has lost an arm AND the daughter he loved and cherished. The storyline itself wasn't that great, but its significance in Roy's life is major. (See my review here.)

DC Comics' new mini-series, The Rise of Arsenal, gives center stage to Roy and follows him through the "what's next?" stage of his life. I've only read the first issue so far...but I am already hooked. In it, Roy wakes up in recovery and tries to deal with the loss of one of his arms (that was severed by Prometheus). Next, he's given the blow that Prometheus also killed his daughter. Ouch. Roy is angry, hurt, and lashes out. His superhero friends try to calm him down, but it's to no avail. J.T. Krul writes the story with superb realism. He deals with the tragic emotion of loss and even...addiction. Yes, folks, Roy Harper is heading down that road again. Gone are the heydays of heroin. In today's modern world, it's prescription pain killers. And Roy has plenty of them, having just lost an arm and dealing with the pain.

Throughout the issue, I kept feeling so many emotions swirling around inside me. Sadness. Empathy. Anger. Frustration. I felt SO bad for Roy. The amputation I can deal with. The loss of Lian was devastating because you could tell how much Roy loved his little girl and wanted to provide a safe environment for her.

I can't wait to see where this mini-series is going, but I hope it's eventually to an ongoing solo series featuring my favorite red-headed, muscled womanizer.