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Marvel Divas #1-4
Marvel Divas
Diva (dee-vah), An unusually glamorous and powerful woman. Patsy "Hellcat" Walker; Felicia "Black Cat" Hardy; Angelica "Firestar" Jones; and Monica "Photon" Rambeau. What happens when you take four of the Marvel Universe's most fabulous single girls and throw them together, adding liberal amounts of suds and drama? You get the sassiest, sexiest, soapiest series to come out of the House of Ideas since Millie the Model! Romance, action, ex-boyfriends, and a revelation that changes everything! Let your inner divas out with this one, fellas, you won't regret it! Collects Marvel Divas #1-4.
122 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
465 books476 followersRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee, Big Love, Riverdale, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He is Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 31, 2011
It was just... not right. Strong female characters led around by uninteresting plots (Captain Marvel has to get a strange artifact for Doctor Voodoo... by wearing a gorgeous dress and buying it. Ehm... superpowers, anyone?). Also, I felt they weren't really strong, they just were superficial.
I am sure you can do a gorgeous story about how a superheroine and her friends get over cancer, but it isn't this one. At least i can say that at the very last chapter, where Starfire uses a bit more of her powers and a bit less of the gin-and-tonic-with-gay-hairdressers stuff the story actually becomes much more interesting.
I am sure you can do a gorgeous story about how a superheroine and her friends get over cancer, but it isn't this one. At least i can say that at the very last chapter, where Starfire uses a bit more of her powers and a bit less of the gin-and-tonic-with-gay-hairdressers stuff the story actually becomes much more interesting.
June 9, 2025
3/5 ⭐️
🇵🇱
Byli faceci oraz Angie - firestar i walka z rakiem to główne wątki tego komiksu całkiem przyjemny ( Rambeau i Voodoo,
Felicia i powrot do złodziejstwa ale Thomas jej na to nie pozwalał )
Hellstorm i Patsy przysluga za życie Angie
Odsiecz dziewczyn i wygrana z rakiem
🇺🇸
Ex-guys and Angie - firestar and the fight against cancer are the main threads of this comic quite pleasant (Rambeau and Voodoo,
Felicia and the return to thievery but Thomas did not allow her to)
Hellstorm and Patsy a favor for Angie's life
Girls' relief and victory against cancer
🇵🇱
Byli faceci oraz Angie - firestar i walka z rakiem to główne wątki tego komiksu całkiem przyjemny ( Rambeau i Voodoo,
Felicia i powrot do złodziejstwa ale Thomas jej na to nie pozwalał )
Hellstorm i Patsy przysluga za życie Angie
Odsiecz dziewczyn i wygrana z rakiem
🇺🇸
Ex-guys and Angie - firestar and the fight against cancer are the main threads of this comic quite pleasant (Rambeau and Voodoo,
Felicia and the return to thievery but Thomas did not allow her to)
Hellstorm and Patsy a favor for Angie's life
Girls' relief and victory against cancer
Read
August 6, 2016I read this, but I'm not particularly proud of that fact.
November 25, 2024
Admittedly, I only got this because I liked the title and the cover by J Scott Cambell, but I did think the interior would have some merit and... it did not.
I can not understand wasting these badass characters on a story as boring as this. It feels like the author did not know these characters at all and just picked four random names from a list of Marvel superheroines. Black Cat and Photon are extremely out of character, and all of the girls feel out of place in this story because its not a superhero story and -newsflash- they are all superheroes.
Now I've read plenty of superhero "slice of life" comics that work great and still manage to mix in some action and fights, but this book does not succeed in either regard, making for an extremely tedious read that pretty much has nothing to do with either Marvel or Divas.
I can not understand wasting these badass characters on a story as boring as this. It feels like the author did not know these characters at all and just picked four random names from a list of Marvel superheroines. Black Cat and Photon are extremely out of character, and all of the girls feel out of place in this story because its not a superhero story and -newsflash- they are all superheroes.
Now I've read plenty of superhero "slice of life" comics that work great and still manage to mix in some action and fights, but this book does not succeed in either regard, making for an extremely tedious read that pretty much has nothing to do with either Marvel or Divas.
July 26, 2011
The art in this by Tonci Zonjic is some of the best I saw in 2009. *Everyone* should pick up this book just to look at it. The story is actually not badly done, and there is some nice little touches here and there, but overall, it feels too target-marketed. Though they tried to back off the whole "Sex & the City" comparison that Marvel's hype machine initially ran with, it's hard not to think that's what they wanted. Given that Marvel would never do a MARVEL BROMANCE book starring second-stringers like Wonder Man and Speedball sitting around talking about testicular cancer and bad dates, the question is why this even existed. (They actually did solicit a "Bromance" compilation of old superhero stories featuring two dudes hanging out and fighting crime, but Marvel chickened out and changed that title.)
January 13, 2010
I read the first issue of this series when it came out and it was ridiculous how it was trying to pander to the Sex and City set. So when when the trade finally came out I had to see if the fun continued and boy did it!
As a female comics reader, I enjoy seeing titles that feature women, especially when in the role of being the strong protector instead of the one who needs saving, but this was just over the top in trying to cater to women. There is even a scene with wigs and each wig is named after the characters from Sex and the City and a sassy gay hairdresser!
This comic is an exercise in how not to attract female comic readers, but the effort is amusing.
As a female comics reader, I enjoy seeing titles that feature women, especially when in the role of being the strong protector instead of the one who needs saving, but this was just over the top in trying to cater to women. There is even a scene with wigs and each wig is named after the characters from Sex and the City and a sassy gay hairdresser!
This comic is an exercise in how not to attract female comic readers, but the effort is amusing.
January 25, 2013
This is a nice concept-book, featuring four self-proclaimed 2nd-string Marvel heroines. It's got a little bit of a soap-opera flavor, but that isn't so over-done that it becomes offensive. The art looks a bit rushed in spots, but it's a well-written book with some nice social commentary. It does a good job of making the point that while the high-profile Avenger types are dominating the news stands there are still a whole lot of other special folks out there in Marvel-land coping with making a living and fighting the good fight... and not necessarily against super-villians. It's refreshingly well done.
Read
June 9, 2010Fuck yeah, misogyny!!!! >:(
September 16, 2020
Just who is the target demographic for this graphic novel? Whatever it is, I am so not in it.
Holy crap, was this a frickin' trainwreck.
Particularly in his capacity as a creative officer for Archie Comics, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is generally reliable as an author; he managed to improve upon the already decent Broadway musical It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman, and his Afterlife with Archie and Riverdale comics have generally been critically acclaimed. But as pretty as Marvel Divas is to look at, due to Tonči Zonjić's art efforts, the book is . . . odd at the very least, and almost definitely without any discernible target audience.
Look, I kind of understand what Aguirre-Sacasa was going for here; "Riverdale" is widely acclaimed as a soapy, dramatic take on classic comics characters, and to some extent I can see a Marvel Universe take on "Sex and the City" working, if done properly. But Aguirre-Sacasa seems to be playing the "SatC" angle straight in Marvel Divas, bringing together four Marvel heroines (Angelica "Firestar" Jones, Monica "Photon" Rambeau, Felicia "Black Cat" Hardy, and Patsy "Hellcat" Walker) who had heretofore had little, if anything, to do with each other, and playing the story for more-or-less pure drama, without many, if any, hints of irony or satire in the entire effort. I get the impression that women or LGBTQ folks (or anyone else already in "SatC"'s demographic) who read superhero comics are theoretically going to read Marvel (or one of their competitors) whether or not it has any "SatC"-esque elements in it, whereas the target audiences for "SatC", if they don't already read comics, aren't exactly going to be inclined to read Marvel Divas just because of the "SatC"-esque take on things. It feels a bit like Marvel was trying to have things both ways, but ending up with neither here; without a sense of irony or satire in Marvel Divas, the concept just misfires massively on any level.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not automatically opposed to efforts like Marvel Divas; hell, I have a soft spot and generous heart for Mark Millar and Terry Dodson's Trouble, which is downright trashy and utterly and completely prurient—but compelling (at least for me), if only because Millar and Dodson throw themselves thoroughly into the project. As such, sometimes it felt like Aguirre-Sacasa doesn't throw himself into Marvel Divas sufficiently to make it work. It feels just a bit like a cash-in—even though, from what I know of Aguirre-Sacasa's other work, I have confidence that that wasn't in fact the case—and the art, while pretty, isn't quite striking enough to make things work the way they should. I admire Marvel editorial (even if it was the Joe Quesada and Bill Jemas era, often reviled the way Dan DiDio's was at DC) for making the effort to think outside the box and branch out, but clearly the risks they took didn't pay off. A shame, really, since I wanted, was even excited, to like Marvel Divas.
August 14, 2025
For some reason this is categorized as "erotica" on Amazon which feels like someone just looked at the cover and thought it was Dynamite or Zenescope pulp and moved along.
The story mostly involves Patsy (Hellcat) hosting a publishing event and then bails on it with her girlfriends (Firestar, Photon, Black Cat) to go hangout and gossip. It feels like it's trying to be a Marvel version of Sex and the City. There's a romance plotline with Photon and Doctor Voodoo that felt like a romance pander appeal. Most of the big story beats focus on Firestar dealing with a cancer diagnosis. I liked the sisterhood aspect, even if the rest of it wasn't my cuppa. You also have to do some fridge logic where they openly acknowledge the other supers running around but then have to deal with boyfriend drama to fight cancer as opposed to just going to one of the dozens of other characters that could deal with it. I mean, it pretty much opens with characters from the F4, Avengers, X-Men, etc all just hanging out at a party and glamming it up so there's no big crisis going on to keep them busy.
The story mostly involves Patsy (Hellcat) hosting a publishing event and then bails on it with her girlfriends (Firestar, Photon, Black Cat) to go hangout and gossip. It feels like it's trying to be a Marvel version of Sex and the City. There's a romance plotline with Photon and Doctor Voodoo that felt like a romance pander appeal. Most of the big story beats focus on Firestar dealing with a cancer diagnosis. I liked the sisterhood aspect, even if the rest of it wasn't my cuppa. You also have to do some fridge logic where they openly acknowledge the other supers running around but then have to deal with boyfriend drama to fight cancer as opposed to just going to one of the dozens of other characters that could deal with it. I mean, it pretty much opens with characters from the F4, Avengers, X-Men, etc all just hanging out at a party and glamming it up so there's no big crisis going on to keep them busy.
March 11, 2019
I didn't want it to end knowing it was a special edition issue. That being said ... That's it , that's all we get ?! It just ended in such a strange place in fact the plot was sort of strange to being with. I was expect more especially from the description I read . So I was some what disappointed but I do love black cat and it was an interesting being introduction to those other female characters. Also the art is nice but not as good as the cover art I love the cover.
February 8, 2026
1 star.
This book is honestly hot garbage. I only wanted to read it in order to have read all the comic books we own, but I still tried to come into it with an open mind. It’s just so bad. The morals are terrible, the story is blah, the action is essentially non-existent, the characters are flat, and there’s really no redeeming qualities about it. If it had been any longer than 4 issues, I wouldn’t have been able to force myself to finish it.
This book is honestly hot garbage. I only wanted to read it in order to have read all the comic books we own, but I still tried to come into it with an open mind. It’s just so bad. The morals are terrible, the story is blah, the action is essentially non-existent, the characters are flat, and there’s really no redeeming qualities about it. If it had been any longer than 4 issues, I wouldn’t have been able to force myself to finish it.
August 2, 2021
I like when Marvel tries something new. This is a side story about very C List tier super women that i rarely see in comics yet alone hanging out best buds. The huge battle in the series is against... cancer? Yes the ladies look good and are trying to be independent but not much in the way of girl power is shown.
August 23, 2017
This was a cute book. Very 'Sex and the City' and I enjoyed it a lot. Just wish it became an entire series instead of just this 4 issue mini series!
September 24, 2017
This is more like a 3.5. It's good, albeit sometimes a little too "Sex & The City."
July 2, 2023
I swear "Thank god for gay men" was a real dialogue in this. Or the Sex and the City pastiche was too strong and it altered my brain.
October 24, 2024
....it has a plot.
It also reads like a comic about women written by a man, so do with that information what you will.
It also reads like a comic about women written by a man, so do with that information what you will.
May 24, 2010
This really is exactly like sex in the city, right down to one of the girls being a writer and another one coming down with cancer. (There is also a playful nod to Sex and the City within the story.) Four female friends talk about boyfriends and their lives. That being said, it is an interesting way to try and appeal to a type of person that would read an old school romance comic or a harlequin novel. It was funny and I did enjoy it, although I kind of wish the plot hadn't actually been borrowed straight from Sex and the City. I am hoping for the next volume they are a little bit more independent and let their own creativity fly.
May 31, 2016
3.8 Stars
In all honesty i read this just for my girl, Monica. She gave me everything i needed to love her even more. On the other hand, I have read different reviews calling it "plain", "belittling female heroines", and yeah..."sexist" which made me believe that it was going to be underwhelming. I didn't look all into it like that. What i read was a nice story of what four friends do when they are not kicking evil ass, which is kicking everyday life ass. They can have a drink and watch a movie if they want to, just like anyone else.
P.S. The way the writer has described it and the way it really is, is different.
In all honesty i read this just for my girl, Monica. She gave me everything i needed to love her even more. On the other hand, I have read different reviews calling it "plain", "belittling female heroines", and yeah..."sexist" which made me believe that it was going to be underwhelming. I didn't look all into it like that. What i read was a nice story of what four friends do when they are not kicking evil ass, which is kicking everyday life ass. They can have a drink and watch a movie if they want to, just like anyone else.
P.S. The way the writer has described it and the way it really is, is different.
September 16, 2014
Excellent, charming little stand-alone. Loved this artists cartoony stylings. Wish Marvel made more books like this, with the soapy character interactions that used to dominate Marvel 1960/70s/80s era monthlies. I do like it when Marvel goes a bit more light-hearted. Even with the breast cancer sub-plot, it's miles lighter in tone than 99% of Marvel today.
June 5, 2016
Marvel's second string female heroes whine about men, fight cancer, treat gay men like fairy godmothers, and verbally tear down major Marvel heroines for.... being strong and famous? An obvious and obviously offensive Sex and the City knockoff with a few good character moments to offset the awfulness.
We, and these characters, deserve so much better.
We, and these characters, deserve so much better.
May 18, 2011
I liked this one a lot. It was fun reading about the lesser known female superheroes, especially when they acknowledge in the storyline that they are lesser known. It had a very "Sex and the City" feel to it.
August 10, 2016
It had a really good story, and the cover art was amazing, but the art for the actual comic felt rushed. It could have been done a lot better, especially for the price. But the story saved it enough to not make it terrible.
May 23, 2012
Sucked
. Not horribly.
March 8, 2016
4.5 Stars!
June 29, 2016
2.5 stars
meeeh. I enjoyed the dynamics of the characters [esp since this is my introduction to the characters] but the plot was okay. not much really happened..
meeeh. I enjoyed the dynamics of the characters [esp since this is my introduction to the characters] but the plot was okay. not much really happened..
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews