Written by Jen Van Meter
Art by Javier Pulido; Matt Hollingsworth; & VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Art by Amanda Conner & Christina Strain
SUMMARY:
Published by Marvel Comics for December 2010, the concluding “Trophy Hunters, Part Four,” settles Felicia Hardy’s run-in with Kraven the Hunter’s family. With help from her crew, the Black Cat infiltrates the Kravinoffs’ posh New York mansion to rescue her abducted mother. She also alerts her smoldering adversaries as to their renegade butler Vasili’s ulterior agenda forcing Felicia to steal back family relics from their present-day owners. Chaos ensues, as the Black Cat makes her escape.
Yet, the conscientious Felicia tries setting a few loose ends amidst a new Kraven family hunt – among them, catching up with Spider-Man.
REVIEW:
Capably answering DC Comics’ Catwoman, writer Jan Van Meter delivers an entertaining heist caper, with just the right balance of action and zippy, tongue-in-cheek humor. Van Meter’s take on Felicia Hardy/Black Cat’s feisty heroism is refreshing, as far as playing out twists re: how Felicia will pull off her game plan. The same applies to the ruthless Kravinoffs, as they make a well-chosen enemy pitted against Black Cat.
In terms of visuals, Amanda Conner’s cover image stands out as the issue’s best. The interior artwork is by no means spectacular, but it’s still more than sufficient for this storyline. Overall, Black Cat # 4 is a fun, easy-to-digest read, suggesting that Felicia Hardy (particularly, with this creative team) could readily headline her own solo series.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Partially designed as a spoofy tabloid cover, the first page thoroughly summarizes this mini-series to date.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
