Monday, February 16, 2009

Patsy Walker: Hellcat #5 (of 5)

I've read lots of strange and offbeat comics in my day, but the Patsy Walker: Hellcat miniseries has to be the strangest.

But it has also been a lot of fun, largely because of the characterization of Patsy. With The Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) presently among the departed, that leaves Hellcat as one of the few light-hearted, funny female heroes.

And hoo boy, is this the right story for that. To recap (as best as I'm able): Hellcat has been assigned to protect the state of Alaska as part of the Initiative. She agrees to help locate a missing girl who has mystical powers, and gathers some of the strangest allies ever during her quest - including a giant wolf and a stone calendar.

With this issue, Hellcat finds the girl and tries to survive the return trip, which includes a tiny gag - we see a lemming falling off a cliff, as it cries, "My destiny!" (Well, I laughed.)

Throughout, Patsy supplies a never-ending stream of humorous comments, funny observations and clever solutions.

Offering tremendous support to the story by Kathryn Immonen is the fantastic art by David Lafuente, one of my favorite new artists. His style just ripples with a sense of fun and energy - I'm really looking forward to seeing more of his work.

This isn't a comic I'd recommend to just any casual reader - it's silly, and the plot barely holds together. But it's also fun, and there aren't enough comics like that out there.

Grade: B

No comments: