Black Cat, Vol. 5: I'll Take Manhattan

Black Cat by Jed Mackay

by Jed MacKay (Writer), Pepe Larraz (Cover Art), Michael Dowling (Illustrator)

The cat’s out of the bag! The Black Fox has sent Felicia and her crew to steal items from across the Marvel Universe. But why? At long last, the Black Fox’s complicated scheme is revealed! But once the Cat and her team have completed this multifaceted heist, what will it mean for their standing in NYC? For one thing, Felicia is about to come face to face with Spider-Man — and he’s definitely not okay with what she’s done! As the Black Cat weighs her actions over the last few years and begins to rethink who she is, the price of everything she has stolen is finally tallied…and the bill falls due. Is this the end of an era? Plus: cosmic capers await when the Black Cat crosses paths with an Infinity Stone!

COLLECTING: Black Cat (2020) 5-7, Black Cat Annual (2021) 1

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Spider Man, Comic Book

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2021

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one tidies up the arc with Fox selling Manhattan for immortality.
Black Cat makes her own bargain and (of course) saves the city. But the cost is high.
We also see the conclusion of Odessa and Felica's rivalry. Very cute and very much as I expected.



I enjoyed Black Cat Annual #1, as well. It has Felicia teaming up with South Korean superheroes, not entirely of her own free will, to help them get inside the mind of a criminal. Naturally, she once again gets creative to save the day.



Excellent title! I'm sorry there's only one more volume to go.
Unless there's more? Anyone?
Recommended!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Fox's plan is finally revealed. All of the things that Black Cat has been stealing are now put in play quickly so they can steal the Theives Guild's vault. But Black Fox has some other ideas he hasn't mentioned to Black Cat. This was just great. Some great character moments. Black Cat thinking her way out of a tight spot. Felicia's conscience coming out to play. Its all here. It's amazing what Jed MacKay can do with only 3 issues. He needs to give writing lessons to the super-decompressed writers like Nick Spencer.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate to admit but this is one title I am really starting to look forward to. Yes this is a title to be taken seriously, I discovered that two volumes ago and since then just looked at it for entertainment and guess what I am entertained.

Issues 5 -7 are the pay off the the heist being planned from volume one. However the pay off is not what Felicia expects or can live with.

Then the Black Cat Annual #1 Felicia is intercepted on a working vacation/heist to save another whole country. With their own superheroes why do they need her.

I enjoyed the stories and artwork. Before having the Black Cat way over matched and coming out on top and awerting Avenger level crisis used to bother me, but having the main character as the smartest/sneakyest person in the room is quite alluring. Also winning against the odds, who does not love an underdog coming out on top.

These book remind of what I used yo love about Spider-man, not just winning because of his physical abilities but with brains and overcoming the odds. She even throws simular pun and quips to cover her nerves. Looking forward to the next volume. It looks like the Black Cat might have graduated form saving the whole universe.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read and the main story with the Gilded saint was so good omg, so its like the fox makes a deal with this entity for immortal life and we see how he came to do it, the dark secrets of the Thieves guild of NYC and what Felicia does next at a huge cost but also shows her heroic side and like its a heart breaking story but its so well written and I love the payoff with Odessa by the end of it, its fun and well deserved! And then finally the annual where she teams up with White fox to rescue the Korean superman and so for that its a good one and done read so overall a good volume with some coo emotional moments and a team up by the end, solid volume which still shows Felicia being a hero but also a thief and yeah for that a must read and the art is good too.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Fox's plan comes to a head, but Felicia's not entirely onboard in what is possibly the best arc of Black Cat thus far. Jed Mackay's handle of the relationship between these two characters is flawless, and the way he both introduces the problem and solves it all in the space of three issues is exceptionally good, I was very impressed. It just goes to show that even a book about stealing stuff can go crazy when it needs to without losing any of its flair.

The annual included here is part of the Infinite Destinies storyline, which in itself is a prelude to the next (and final :( ) volume of Black Cat. It brings Felicia face to face with the White Fox and some Asian superheroes, but it's not really as Infinity Stone related as I thought it'd be given how it was billed. It's a fun distraction, but without some more context I don't really know how to judge it.

All three issues of the main series are drawn by Michael Dowling, who manages to fit into the murderer's row of Black Cat artists without missing a step, while the annual is by Joey Vasquez, who also penciled the annual in the previous volume if I remember right.

Black Cat continues to impress not only with its heart, but its insane story situations. I'm a big fan of these second tier books, and the freedom that not being smack bang in the spotlight grants them, and volumes like these are exactly why. Sometimes the gems in a line-up aren't always the ones with the flashiest characters or the biggest writers and artists, but it doesn't stop them being any less brilliant.

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Cat gets real good as she has to outsmart her old master.

This is the kind of exciting, yet bittersweet title I was hoping for. The way it opens and then closes is wonderful and Black Cat getting it on with her Bi self is fun to watch. I'm not sure where we'll go with that, but I'm intrigued. I also enjoyed the annual, while not as strong, still remained a ton of fun.

A 4.5 out of 5.

[danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ODESSA AND FELICIA KISSING IS ALL I EVER NEEDED IM SHAKING CRYING THROWING UP

[Memphis Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole run was great. Characters, dialogue, art, feelings, colors, story, all great.

What made it a really special run, though, is that everything happened for a reason and everything built to this volume, which pays off both the giant heist and the character arcs in an unexpected yet satisfying and very emotional way.

Long stories sometimes have too many plot threads going to be cohesive (Current stories in Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man), require characters to have invulnerable plot armor (Star Wars heroes vs. stormtroopers), feel in some way contrived, or just kinda “Peeta” out (Hunger Games). This run of Black Cat avoids all those pitfalls and thoroughly exceeded my expectations.

It seems like a lot of my fellow reviewers here felt the same way, like “Dang, this character who’s not even in movies yet got a really terrific run in comics!” True.

I will be reading Vol. 6 and also checking out other Jed McKay books. I recommend you go back and start with Black Cat Vol. 1: Grand Theft Marvel. Excelsior!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Fox's plan has finally come to fruition, but it's not what told Felicia it would be. This is so, so good. The actual heist is skimmed over slightly, because the focus is really on the relationship between these two characters. It's a complicated relationship, and it's shaped this entire series. I'm sad that the next volume will apparently be the last.

[Emmett Spain · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. This was a terrific finish to the Black Fox arc. Top notch.

[bri 🧸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE KISS SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP BI QUEEN

[mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

when she kisses women>>>

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Black Cat: I'll Take Manhattan" is a fun and action packed story that finally resolves the mystery of what the Fox has been plotting for the past five volumes. The story is a bit choppy, probably due to the exclusion of some original material, but the book does resolve the story arc in a satisfying and convincing manner, while showcasing a strong performance from Felicia and her crew.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we go! That was a blast! Black Fox and Black Cat trying to deal with the god of death and wealth. Black Fox double crosses Felicia. So she has to set things right.

Excellent stories. And the Annual was a really fun one off tale. This series is SO GOOD.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and with very strong art. And, for once, an annual that doesn't suck. Too bad there's really only four issues (including the annual) of content here...

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a title that should have had been around for many years. I love the flirty and playfulness of Felicia combined with the heist/spy thriller vibe that the action scenes give off. Makes for a really good combination of fun and action.
In the first story, we pick right up with Cat and her mentor Fox, with the deed to Manhattan. He betrays her by summoning "The Gilded Saint", a huge greed/money entity, who he trades the deed to for immortality. As a side effect, he now owns Manhattan and begins to pull the city into his realm. Felicia gives up her immortality (part of the deal as well) and has to betray her mentor to save the city.
In the second story (the annual), Black Cat gets stopped and arrested in Korea by the White Fox. She needs Felicia to join her team Tiger Division (though they are all criminals with nano-bombs in their necks.... come on Marvel... you know exactly who you are copying here...) to help stop Taegukgi, the Korean version of Hyperion. They find he is being mind controlled, and Felicia uses a neck bomb to take out the controller.

Please let this title keep going! Strong recommend. One of Marvel's most fun books.

[Alex Sarll]

Even when he's not writing Moon Knight, seems Jed MacKay can't resist Egyptian iconography, ancient skull-faced entities, and immortality at a terrible price. But it all works, and I like that a story which fits three issues wasn't needlessly stretched to six. Plus, an annual which, after a story heavy on the Black Fox, introduces Felicia to the White. I continue to suspect that South Korea's Tiger Division are far more interesting characters than they ever come across as in these guest appearances, which is surely exactly the opposite of how guest appearances are meant to work.

[Stephen Melvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just going to review the entire 5-volume run here.

I loved it! There's no reason a shameless ripoff of Catwoman should be so good. (I'm not judging; Marvel and DC rip each other off all the time.) Felicia Hardy has been an anti-hero, a villain, a sort-of hero, a Queenpin of Crime (that one was a bit of a stretch for me).

Here she's a little more on the villain side than anti-hero. Her mentor the Black Fox has re-entered life, and he has a series of jobs for her. Namely ripping off some of the biggest names in the Marvelverse. It was so much fun to watch her pull heists on the Sanctum Santorum, Rand Enterprises, the Fantastic Four's HQ, and Stark Industries. She has to go up against some heroes (and baddies) who are well above her power grade. How she pulls it off is a lot of fun.

I won't say more because of spoilers, but the twists near the end were unpredictable and very much worth the read. They also came with an intense moment of pathos that was expertly done.

I've been a fan of Felicia Hardy since I first saw her in Spider-Man, and, honestly, for all the wrong reasons at first. To be fair, I was a pre-teen, so cut me some slack. She's more than just eye candy here, though. She's a total badass.

Sadly, it seems this series is on temporary hiatus. If Marvel knows what's good for them, they'll churn out another arc soon!

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a brief break for a King in Black tie-in, we're back to regularly scheduled Black Cat programming. And I'll Take Manhattan is a doozy as Black Cat and crew finally get around to heisting the New York Thieves Guild.

This is what it's all been building up to folks! ...and it immediately goes off the rails as Black Fox reveals his ulterior motives. It's a whirlwind of a first issue that forces Black Cat into numerous high-stakes bargains (and heists). We also get a new artist in this volume, but Michael Dowling does a perfect job, especially in the scenes with high emotions. Yes, this Black Cat volume features feelings! We're a long way from the first volume's smash-and-grab antics.

The Annual is one of those Infinite Destinies tie-ins that's adequate on its own and completely unrelated to the ongoing narrative.

[Ronan The Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never know where this series will go. Felicia proves that limitations are a mental construct and she chooses to deny them. The grand scheme orchestrated by the Fox and the Cat comes to an ornate head. The boys are effective as ever, and Felicia's relationship with her surrogate father is revealed further, but what happens when everything doesn't exactly go according to plan? Another home run, this one with extra emotional weight. I could probably think of a nitpick, but this series is too fun for me to remember. Jed Mackay is killing it.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

We finally get to see the payoff to the Thieves Guild storyline that has been running for months and its a swerve for sure. I didn't dislike it, but I thought the actual heist part should have been seen more and involve more of Boris & Bruno. I really liked the dynamic between Felicia and Fox. I enjoyed Felicia getting to show off her brain here and the ending was fitting. The annual added her was pretty awful and made no sense why Felicia was here. Other than the annual, the art was very good. Overall, the book was solid but the annual brought the entire book down.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicia gets flummoxed but only for a second, and then it’s GAME ON. I cannot tell you how much I love this in-control babe. Black Cat takes the lesson and shows folks how to really do it.

The extra issue with the super-team from Korea confused me. I’m not sure I’ve heard of any of these discount Doom Patrol types, and I’m not sure if them showing up was totally random or part of some larger storyline I missed. Typical of a Marvel Annual I guess - story and artist from left field.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects Black Cat (2020) issues #5-7 and Black Cat Annual (2020) #1

Everything that has happened in this run up until now has been leading to this story. It was good, and it feels like the end of something. When I read on in the series, I'm guessing it will feel like we are starting down a new path.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Black Cat comics are underated classics in the making. It takes the underused but much beloved Felicia Hardy and teams her up with a lot of other underused concepts like the Thieves Guild (Gambit), Black Fox (another Spider-Man villain), and so on. Here, the Black Fox has decided to sell Manhattan to an ancient underground deity to get immortality and Felicia has to figure a way to stop it from happening. Even though she loves the Black Fox like a father.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Said it before...
Repeating it..

This feels like a Catwoman book/story.
You could even blur this into the Harley/Ivy relationship bit over in DC. Common tropes? Lazy writing?

Bonus: more Thieves Guild

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

We finally find out why the Black Fox has had Felicia and crew on a stealing spree. Big surprise--it doesn't turn out like she expected. Turns out, there are lines she won't cross--even when the price is steep.

[Jacob Weckerle · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the benefit of hindsight I should've expected The Black Fox's betrayal bht jt still caught me off guard. Really enjoyed this volume, tho I would have maybe liked to see New York actually take some damage on panel though.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume was very underwhelming.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical capers are fun!

Feels like the end of a good run.

[Leonie Kiamo · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the more underwhelming issues of the run