CREDIT: Marvel
Rating: 4.5/5 – A Fun All Ages Book That Left Me Smiling.
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
It’s easy to make the comparisons between Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. They’re both suitable reading for all ages, they both have a fun and colorful art style and so far, they’re both really great comics. Hellcat is written by Kate Leth, with art by Brittney L. Williams. I’m not familiar with either creator, but I’m glad I found them here. Kate and Brittney have created a humorous book that does such a wonderful job of building character into Patsy Walker, while also building up a solid supporting cast.
I really enjoyed the last She-Hulk series that had Patsy Walker as a reoccurring character so I was pleasantly surprised to see Patsy interacting with She-Hulk and Sharon King in the law offices where she last worked as Jennifer Walters’ private investigator. With She Hulk no longer able to afford her services, Patsy is forced to create work for herself and does so in a creative way that will drive future stories. There’s also a subplot that was just as interesting as the main one that delves into Patsy’s history and explanation of her time in romance comics.
Brittney L. Williams’ art is such a great fit for this book and much like the writing, she’s able to breath life into Patsy. At times I felt as if I was looking at an older Archie comic which is high praise. Patsy and all the supporting characters are drawn realistically yet cartoony, and Williams uses a minimum amount of lines to keep the art clean and bright. She even adds some obscure touches that add to the character’s look, like when Patsy gets angry or excited, you see just a hint of her fangs. There are a few panels where Williams exaggerated the art just a tad too much (with a manga feel) taking me out of the story for a moment, but it only happens in a couple panels so it’s a small complaint.
It also should be said that the coloring by Megan Wilson adds a lot to the art. There’s a healthy use of bright colors with plenty of pinks and purples throughout and those colors absolutely drew my eyes to them and made me feel happy! Marvel has found a way to make all ages books successful for all ages with Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, and now Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!. Let’s hope that both of these series find a following and have long and successful runs. I much prefer this take to Marvel’s more all ages books from the past, where “all ages” ended up meaning simplified plots that felt really kid-focus to the point of excluding readers teen and up.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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