Black Cat, Vol. 2: On The Run

Black Cat by Jed Mackay

by Jed MacKay, Kris Anka (Illustrator), Travel Foreman (Illustrator)

The Black Cat is back and better than ever! But she's far from the only high-society thief in New York City, and competition for the top spot is fi erce - and getting personal. Now, the Thieves' Guild has escalated the game in a major way by kidnapping Felicia's mentor in crime, the Black Fox! And if Felicia has any chance of getting him back, she'll have to get through the Guilds' big guns - an army of ninjas and a cabal of wizards! No sweat, right? Be there as the Black Cat finally takes on Odessa Drake and the Thieves Guild of New York! COLLECTING: BLACK CAT (2019) 6-10

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Crime

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2020

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd volume starts off with a fun date with Batroc the Leaper.
Wouldn't have expected this to be as cute as it was, but Mackay is really excellent with the lighthearted stuff.



Then we find out there's a problem between Black Fox and her nemesis Odessa Drake, who is the head of the Thieves Guild.
Good, good, good.
The team-up with Wolverine was fun, as well.



Really enjoying this title and kinda flying through it as a result.
Recommended!

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not digging much into the Odessa Drake/Thieves Guild main storyline, but the team-ups collected in this second volume were definitely glorious ones and author totally nailed again Felicia's character.





Sich a shame these series went on hiatus for some months, but still better than being cancelled.



'Nuff said.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked volume 1, volume 2 is more of the same. A very fun date night with Batroc, heists at the Rand Corporation and Madripoor. That team-up with Patch (Wolverine) was delicious. This book oozes charm and delight.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one. If they maintain this level of quality, I would gladly read this book about my second-favourite Marvel lady forever and ever amen. The only thing stopping me giving this book the full 5 stars is the somewhat jarring artist changes. I’m not a huge fan of the artistic device of using one artist for the present day scenes and another for the flashback scenes.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just too delicious. Fun, fanciful and ballsy (sorry Cat) - it’s just a breezy romp through all the corridors of larceny.

Soooo...there’s a whole immortality vibe with the Thieves Guilds, and enough mythology to keep a D&D nerd happy for at least one night.

And Felicia’s mom is completely blasé about the family business? Since when did any mom make that much sense about the life’s goals of their kids?

Doesn’t much matter - what matters is the Heist, the heist, all about the heist. A couple of surprises, some fun with players I’m not used to seeing with Felicia (hi Tony!) and an unexpected cliffhanger?

And I do have one lingering question: when did Black Cat get the tech upgrades - extensible claws and a “bad luck generator” implant? That’s new to me!

It’s been so long since I’ve been caught up on a comic, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself - there’s not a lot of deep runs by Mr. Mackay on Marvel Unlimited to keep me warm and floozy. Maybe back to Kelly Thompson or Dennis Hopeless?

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Cat's first arc was very impressive. This second volume is, thankfully, more of the same. The Odessa Drake plotline continues to bubble, as Felicia sets her sights on some more items that can get her either a) into the Thieves Guild's good graces, or b) into the Thieves Guild itself so she can steal everything they have.

The main issues of the series are, as I mentioned, more of the same - Felicia needs to steal something, she formulates a plan, the plan goes wrong, and she has to think on her feet to get out of it. It could get monotonous, but Jed Mackay throws Felicia into such random plotlines that it never gets boring. One minute she's on a date with Batroc, the next she's fighting Wolverine, for god's sake.

The art's a bit more of a mix-up than the previous volume, with Travel Foreman only managing one issue out of the six collected here. The rest of the book is all guest artists, who do their best to fit Foreman's style, but not quite measuring up to the task. The exception is the Wolverine two-parter, which is pencilled by Kris Anka, and is perfect because Anka is a god with a pencil.

Black Cat's second arc proves that if the formula works, there's no need to alter it. Fun, frenetic, and fabulous in equal measure.

[I kinda hope Marvel reconsider the contents here and stick #6-12 and the annual in, since the book has now gone on 'hiatus' until December, but I expect they won't be that kind.]

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly disappointed in this book. It is too much drama. For me the charm and problem of this book is summed up in the exchange between Felicia and Iron Fist. The book is not taken seriously, the charm is itger book in Marvel and more serious and the fun is taken out the problem the fun crosses over into silly in a lit of places.

Felicia's character alternates between an over excited teenager, or miss pragmatic and miss right now.

The issues 8-10 I liked and are the reason this book is just the right side of ok for me. This us mainly due to the guest stars. I am also just curious enough to see how things turn out to get the next volume.

[Rylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so good, it’s one of marvel’s best titles at the moment. The art in this volume was a much better improvement over the previous one. I loved the Patch and Black Cat team up. If you aren’t reading this series already I highly recommend it.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun romp through Felicia’s cat-astrophe of a life. Some points deducted for some extremely average art in places.

[Rama | RamaRambles · Rating 3 out of 5]

omg i loved the star appearances like 10/10

but like this volume kinda was all over the place for me idk idk so 3 ⭐️ sits right with me

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another good one like Felicia on a date with Batroc and then the story with Black Fox in the background and us learning what happened to him with Odessa, Felicia rescuing him next while on the job with Beetle vs Rand and then the fun stuff happens where you see Odessa vs Felicia and their family history and it introduces a new dynamic in their relation which makes them arch rivals and then there is the thing with Wolverine in Madripoor vs Kade and also Deadpool?! This volume was mad fun and its just Felicia going around the MU teaming up and stealing stuff and having crazy moments but a big story is building in the background! I like how the writer is able to bring out different moments but make them unique and the art in the last 2 issues was so good and Felicia looked gorgeous in them! Amazing volume and the character work and marvel exploration continues!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

See single issues for more of my thoughts.

[bri 🧸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

when she kills men for fun <3

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felicia stealing stuff is so much fun:)

[danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

felicia killing men is just so pleasing to me ❤️

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly serviceable, but just lacking that spark to take it over the top. This should be a whole lot more fun than it is. Plus, the art takes a nosedive this time around...

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quiet as strong as volume 1 but still damn fun.

Black Cat gets some much needed background and you find out what the Fox is and who he is to other thieves, that part is pretty solid. I also really dug the mother/daughter moments and Felicia sure doesn't have it easy. The Wolverine team up was dumb but fun, and Deadpool added in for a few pages worked well.

A 3.5 out of 5.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare glimpse into Felicia's coming up and training is contained here, all while trying to deal with a rival thief who is supernaturally connected. The only draw back to this comic is that J Scott Campbell, who does the covers, isn't illustrating the whole comic.... as I collect Campbell's work.
Highlights:
- After a date with Batroc, Felicia finds out that her mentor, the Black Fox, has been taken by Odessa Drake. Odessa is the daughter of Castillo. Castillo and Walter Hardy (Felicia's father) were students of Black Fox. Odessa blames Fox for her father's death.
- Odessa Drake has done something crazy for thieves. She has interacted with the supernatural elements of ancient thieving and has gained immortality. The one thing she does not have is the freedom that Felicia has.
- Felicia then goes to steal data on a machine that Iron Fist has in his lair. While I'm not 100% clear on why, she seems to be building some sort of a gate (probably Volume 3?)
- Odessa declares war on Felicia
- Felicia runs off to Madripoor in search of a painting she needs for the machine. Finds out that the painting is owned by Mr Patch (which immediately brought a smile to my face) who is Wolverine. His stash has been taken by Kade Kilgore, one of the brats in the new Hellfire Club. So... Cat and Claws team up and get his stuff back... great fighting! (and the cover for Issue #10 is fantastic!)

Overall, I look forward to the story that is being developed here and hope that Volume 3 will be out soon.
Recommend.

... but seriously... maybe get Campbell to do one whole issue?

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eta roteiro gostosinho esse do Jed MacKay! Seja nos diálogos, no plot, nas captions, tudo funciona bem azeitadinho como um quadrinho de aventura envolvente como eram as boas histórias em quadrinhos do passado! (olha eu fazendo o tiozão do ranço). Mas não vou me render a deixar de prestar elogios ao roteiro de Jed MacKay. Se ele tem essa verve para a aventura e dinamismo de um jeito como era feito antigamente, ele também tem sua própria forma de escrever, seu estilo, que faz com que o quadrinho seja bastante atual e encantador. Eu, que não simpatizava nem atipatizava com a Gata Negra Felícia Hardy agora já gosto dela de montão só por causa do tratamento que o roteirista empregou. E isso que ele consegue escrever para diversos desenhistas sem perder o rebolado, como é o caso desta edição. Ah e vale citar também que este encadernado conta com a participação dos super-heróis Homem-Aranha, Wolverine e Punho de Ferro. E... um inusitado romance com Batroc!

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, a chore to read and also, there's a guest in here, that's Wolverine, which is the most out of character Wolvie I've ever read.. he's like a weirdo, a dork who says "I can't kill" and I "can't cut my way through them" like... who the fuck are you again? Since when Wolverine doesn't kill or even cares if someone lives or dies?

Also, looking a like weirdo, when someone says pretty much anything if there's one damn character who's not shocked that is Logan. And, also, seeing Black Cat flying around town HOLDING Wolverine with HER LEGS, (yeah the adamantium-laced bones Wolverine) was pretty much the highlight of this volume.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big fan of Black Cat and always felt she deserved better than she got in the comics. Coming off of the terrible period where she was written as a villain post One-More Day, her new fun and sexy comic series is something that I very much enjoyed. This is another great installment with excellent art, action, and fantastic heists.

[☮ morgan ☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"to be loud and beautiful and reckless. because to be seen to demand attention is to be the hand that you want them to see, when in fact they should have been following the other hand all along"

[Alex Sarll]

More heist antics, happy to interact with any corner of Marvel Earth, whether that be a date with Batroc (so much more French and charming than the rather flavourless MCU version) or tangling with Kade Kilgore in Madripoor. It doesn't operate at quite the same level of ambition as Superior Foes, let alone have the same consistency of art (these five issues have a different team for pretty much every issue - though all of them render Felicia with an appropriate level of charm, and a few pull off a little more than that, as when she's a flash of black and white in amidst the realistic colouring elsewhere while racing to rescue her mentor). But it's clearly aimed at a similar niche, and that's something I'll generally be happy to see, even aside from its starring my favourite feline-themed cat burglar/love interest of a superhero. Not least because I've never seen a Catwoman comic with quite this much comedy at the expense of the superhero considered as himbo. I was underwhelmed by the first volume of this series, but now either it's settled into itself, I'm more desperate for lighthearted fun after the last hideous year, or possibly both; whichever it is, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the run has dodged the early cancellation which would now usually attend this sort of solo book for a supporting character.

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

A black cat series has so much potential. This just misses. The art is pretty subpar and the story gets kinda meh as the arc progressed.

[Mervi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collection starts with Felicia going on a date with Batroc. She’s having a good time, especially when they do a bit of burglering, too. But her mentor the Black Fox is having a terrible night because he’s fighting ninjas from the NYC Thieves guild. And the thieves capture him and bring him to their leader, Odessa Drake, who hates both the Fox and the Cat.

In the next issue, and with a startlingly different art, Felicia attacks the various guild outposts, trying to beat the Fox’s location out of the ninjas. Meanwhile, the Fox and Odessa have a heart-to-heart talk about their mutual past and about why Odessa hates him and Felicia. Felicia manages to rescue her mentor but Odessa declares war between them.

In the next issue, Felicia and the Beetle hit Rand Tower. Yes, it’s the Iron Fist versus the Black Cat. Sort of. Felicia also tries to persuade her mom to leave New York, which isn’t easy. We get to know a bit more about her family.

In the next two issues, Felicia, Doc Korpse, and Bruno go to Madripoor! Partly it’s to let Odessa cool down a little but also because the team must steal a painting from someone called Mr. Patch. Felicia doesn’t know who he is but us loyal X-Men fans do, of course. Felicia gets a couple of surprises. First of course when she finds out who Patch is and because when she breaks inside, he has already been cleaned out. So, the guest star and Felicia team up to get Patch’s stuff back.

In the annual Spider-Man and the Black Cat get married! Of course it’s also a heist. They want to break in to Maggia’s centuries old treasure trove and use a weird mobster ritual to get there.

This was a lot of fun. While the guest stars weren’t as interesting as in the first collection, they worked well with Felicia.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less bang-bang, catch-me-if-you-can than the first volume, On the Run expands the Black Cat universe while also filling in the blanks on the overarching narrative. Not to worry, though, it's not all setup: there's plenty of action, particularly in the final two issues featuring Black Cat and Wolverine screeching across Madripoor in pursuit of Wolvy's lost loot. There were a few scenes that legit made me chuckle!

Ultimately, Black Cat is fluff, but really quality fluff. Looking forward to future volumes after On the Run's big step up!

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so much fun. I love how MacKay writes Felicia. And there’s always a ton of fun guest stars. Spider-Man, Wolverine, Deadpool, etc. Felicia and her crew are always stealing something interesting.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feels like it has really started to hit it's stride. The writing has stepped up, the art is great. Better than the first volume, so glad I continued.

[ash ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

felicia hardy is so iconic (3.25 ⭐️)

[Victor Casas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mejoró bastante.

Casi lamento que Marvel Unlimited no tenga el siguiente tomo completo...