This is it! My last review of 2016. I wanted to at least get a triple Cannonball, if I couldn’t repeat my quadruple from 2015, and I wanted to end on a strong note. Thankfully, this review achieves both of these goals.
I don’t mind when graphic novels about superheroes are dark and serious. But sometimes, you just want to have a little fun. You want to smile and laugh and enjoy some goofy hijinks. When I had heard raves for Noelle Stevenson’s Lumberjanes, I was drawn by the quirky, colorful art and the premise, but was disappointed by the juxtaposition of the childish art and the Gen-X 90s jokes. So, when my husband recommended Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat! I had no idea that this was the comic I had been looking for the whole time.
In Volume 1, Hooked on a Feline, we meet Patsy as she’s getting laid off by her best friend, Jen Walters, aka She-Hulk. She’s come back from Hell (hence, Hellcat), and she’s seeking out meaningful employment that allows her to use her super powers. She meets another special individual, Ian Soo, and they decide to become roommates. Interspersed is Patsy’s quest to find a job, find others like her, and stop the evil Casiolena from swaying other potential super heroes into using their powers for her evil purposes. The comic is lighthearted and funny, with plenty of action sequences sprinkled in.
I enjoyed the female-centered narrative that didn’t focus On A Man or Drama About A Man. The women supported each other and their capabilities without being Obvious and After-School Special about it (cough, cough Lumberjanes). Plus, there are so many fun Marvel crossovers or cameos that you keep a close watch just to make sure you don’t miss anything. I am really glad that comics are being written by and for women, and that the male-centered narratives are giving way to more inclusive branches of narrative. I have already placed a hold for Volume 2, which comes out in January of 2017. I look forward to reading more of this series as it is released. [This review is cross-posted on my blog.]
All right, Cannonballers! I’ll see you all in 2017.