Review - Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn

After three teenagers commit suicide while dressed as fallen superheroes, Oracle sends Huntress to investigate a religious cult that they were affiliated with. The crossbow wielding vigilante soon learns that the cult’s followers are under mind control, including a group of powerful metahumans that are unleashed on her to prevent her from leaving the compound. Huntress must use her wits and resources to break them free from their psychic bondage in order to survive.

Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn collects Birds of Prey #69-75, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Ron Adrian, Ed Benes, Eric Battle, Jim Fern, and Eduardo Barreto.

Between Dark & Dawn is a Huntress-centric arc that focuses on her first official solo mission for Oracle. It’s an admittedly twisted and dark storyline, further enhanced by moody artwork, which sees Huntress infiltrating a religious cult known as Second Heaven. Its leader, Mr. Brusaw, has instilled the belief that metahumans are angels and demons in his followers. Huntress’ objective is to prove Second Heaven’s role in the suicides of three of its followers, but she may not live long enough to do so as Mr. Brusaw tasks one of his superpowered charges with eliminating her. Given the setting and the use of a religious cult as the primary antagonist of this arc, Gail Simone employs a lot of intriguing themes that pair well with Huntress. Faith is integral to the overall storyline, with Simone smartly contrasting religious zealotry (Second Heaven) with religious antipathy (Huntress). As someone who was raised Catholic and subsequently turned her back on God, Huntress’ placement within a setting of religious extremism is truly riveting as it forces her to confront her beliefs. Simone also touches upon the unique vulnerability of teenagers and how easily they can be preyed upon during their formative years by authority figures. Though it’s not as fleshed out as I’d have preferred it to be, this aspect to the narrative is crucial and actually makes the case personal for Huntress (she is a teacher, after all!).

The dialogue, as should be expected from something written by Gail Simone, is impeccable. The thing that struck me with this arc in particular was just how funny Huntress is. Her sarcasm and penchant for throwing shade practically challenges the reader not to laugh out loud. What I love even more than that is that she meets her match in the storyline’s special guest star – Vixen. The pair trades some playful jabs and it’s quite entertaining. It’s a bit catty, but it’s done in a very light-hearted way. On the subject of humour, there are a couple instances where Black Canary pokes fun at Batman. They’re small and seemingly disposable, but it helps to emphasize her personality and illustrates how little she buys into the mythologizing of him as a hero. There are other great character building moments, particularly in relation to the subplot regarding Oracle being affected by a malicious force after hacking into Second Heaven’s website. She experiences an intense seizure and then begins acting strange once she’s recovered from it. During this time, we see Canary step out of her role as Oracle’s comedic foil and into big sister mode. We know that she’s an excellent caretaker and as someone who is incredibly empathetic, but it helps to emphasize just how deep and meaningful her friendship to Oracle is. It’s poignant and adds a touch of humanity to all the action.

Artists Ron Adrian and Ed Benes are the primary contributors to the issues collected in this trade. Adrian’s art style attempts to mimic Benes’, likely in order to maintain a sense of consistency across the arc. As such, you can bet that the action is full of energy and the characters are all gorgeous. However, Adrian does struggle to keep the work uniform. At times, the characters faces look a bit off and the Benes-esque aspects drop away to show something a bit more generic. The issues that Benes illustrates show a slight shift in his work. His anatomy has improved, but the lines are heavier and sketchier. Still, I’m really drawn in by his art. There’s a sequence in issue 75 that I find really evocative. It opens with Canary and Huntress consoling Oracle as she gazes upon the ruins of the Clocktower (it was destroyed outside of this series in the massive Batman event War Games). It’s pretty much devoid of dialogue and relies upon Benes’ ability to really convey the sense of grief and mourning through the body language of these characters. Eric Battle and Jim Fern also contribute art, but I’m not what you’d call a fan of their output. Eduardo Barreto pencils a Lady Blackhawk vignette that serves as a bit of a prequel to the events of issue 75. His art is more typical of the genre, but it suits the narrative since it’s centered on a character like Lady Blackhawk.

As a fan of Huntress and as someone who loves Vixen, Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn was a really enthralling read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Huntress and Vixen, so much so that I wish there were more team-ups between them. The set-up and overall thrust of the story is pretty standard (going undercover at a cult), but writer Gail Simone puts a neat superhero twist to it and makes the story relevant to its lead protagonist. The two standalone issues that proceed the primary arc serve to wrap up loose ends and do so effectively, particularly with issue 75. It begins amidst the aftermath of a major crossover and pivots that into a new beginning for the characters. Between Dark & Dawn is an excellent collection that I recommend highly. It’s not quite as suspenseful as Of Like Minds or as epic as Sensei & Student, but it’s an impressive arc nonetheless.

RATING: A-

Review - Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster

Feeling unwanted and feared amongst his fellow X-Men, Wolverine leaves the team to gather his thoughts. In doing so, he becomes an easy target for a group of individuals claiming to be FBI agents and whose singular mission is to eliminate him. Rather than return to the X-Men for help, Wolverine allows Spider-Man to join him in investigating these mysterious foes.

Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster collects Ultimate X-Men #34-39, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by David Finch.

As someone who isn’t overly fond of Wolverine and who prefers the character in a supporting role, this arc was somewhat of a slog. Blockbuster places Wolverine front and center as he deals with the continued pursuit of a shadowy team of gun-toting military types who are hellbent on putting him six feet under. When he is injured during their first attempt on his life, he hides in Spider-Man’s basement to heal and is later helped by the wallcrawler after his recovery. At one point they’re even joined by Daredevil, who is perturbed by the violence that has spilled over into Hell’s Kitchen as a result of these continued assassination attempts. This three-way team-up is somewhat interesting, but would have been better suited to a mini-series or even a giant-size annual. It’s a diversionary narrative that pulls away from the events that preceded it and places the focus on one of the least interesting characters from Ultimate X-Men.

With that said, there’s a noticeable tonal shift with Brian Michael Bendis taking over the writing duties from previous Ultimate X-Men scribe Mark Millar. His has a firmer grasp on these characters and how they should be portrayed. Wolverine was entirely unlikeable and impenetrable previously, but Bendis manages to add some layers to him and makes him more sympathetic (which is a feat considering how big of a jerk he was prior to this). There’s also a bit of lightheartedness that was absent in Millar’s writing, largely due to Bendis’ inclusion of Spider-Man. Even though the X-Men are barely in it, there’s still a sense that this book feels more like an X-Men book should. There’s a strong pivot towards depicting them as a family, which I appreciate.

David Finch’s art is sadly very inconsistent in this collection. It seems rushed in many places, especially as we see a lack of details and some really awkward proportions (especially on faces). I like some of the imagery he creates, particularly a scene in which Jean Grey confronts a helicopter full of agents while in full Phoenix mode. It’s really evocative. However, most of Finch’s typical problems show up throughout. Notably, the women all have the same baby face and the art at times gets a bit muddy.

I wish that Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster had been a stronger start for Brian Michael Bendis’ brief run on the title. The use of Spider-Man as a guest star makes sense and works to lighten the tone of a generally grim title, but it pulls the focus away from the true stars of the book. I appreciate certain elements of Bendis’ work here and especially like the shift in the overall tenor. He writes the characters better than Millar did. That much is true. Finch’s art is passable, but still too uneven. For Wolverine fans (and some Spider-Man ones), this collection is likely to be fairly enjoyable. For those looking for a great X-Men story, this isn’t one of them.

RATING: B-

Review - Birds of Prey: Sensei & Student

Black Canary and master assassin Lady Shiva travel to Hong Kong to visit their ailing martial arts teacher. When he and his students are abruptly poisoned, the clues lead the pair to the venomous villain Cheshire. She claims she’s being framed by an American senator that she’s determined to eliminate, which prompts Canary and Shiva to investigate the veracity of her claims. Then, Oracle is seemingly kidnapped by government agents on charges of terrorism. With Canary out of the country, it’s up to Huntress to find and rescue Oracle.

Birds of Prey: Sensei & Student collects Birds of Prey #62-68, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Ed Benes, Cliff Richards, Michael Golden, and Joe Bennett.

Sensei & Student is one of my all-time favourite comic book storylines and is one that I’ve re-read many times over. Writer Gail Simone and artist Ed Benes take us to the colourful streets of Hong Kong, where Black Canary and Lady Shiva form an unlikely alliance in order to locate Cheshire. Though they’re reluctant to believe that she’s innocent, they allow her to lead them towards the evidence that will allegedly absolve her of the crime. Meanwhile, Oracle is held captive by individuals claiming to be with the US government. She’s one of nine women they’ve kidnapped in an attempt to determine the true identity of Oracle. Without her usual partner to help her out, everyone’s favourite redheaded hacker has to rely on Huntress to save her. As with most of her work, Simone blends together seemingly disparate genres to craft an action-packed story that’s filled with intrigue and plenty of interesting twists. She’s gives us a bit of Hong Kong action cinema mixed with political thriller and a bit of film noir. It’s beautifully layered and quite brilliant.

As with Of Like Minds, there’s a dynamic energy to how Simone portrays her characters. She’s truly one of the best in the industry when it comes to character building and writing dialogue that sparks to life. I love the way her characters interact, especially in this arc. The relationship that Canary and Shiva has is absolutely riveting to me. They’re positioned in the story as seemingly two opposites –one is an apprentice and hero who cherishes life, the other is a master assassin who dishes out death like a grandma gives out Werther’s Originals. Despite this, they’ve managed to form a sort of kinship through their shared grief over the loss of their former mentor. It’s very poignant and helps the reader to see Shiva as a three-dimensional character, which is admirable since most other writers portray her as a stereotypical dragon lady. Shiva is actually my favourite character from this arc. I find it really neat that Simone is able to add a comic element to her character without actually making her funny and I’m obsessed with just how much of a boss she is overall. You really don’t want to mess with this woman. Of course, there’s no shortage of great women worth rooting for and laughing with. Oracle shows off just how resourceful she is, Huntress comes to the table with bravery and some fantastic quips, and Black Canary remains as clever as ever. We even get some cameos from Catwoman, Katana, and Cindy Reynolds. With that said, there’s some uncomfortable dialogue in issue 68. Oracle and Canary both make mean-spirited comments that come across as judgmental towards Huntress’ sexual activities. Though both characters later acknowledge that they’re being harsh and unfair, the fact that they use her penchant for casual sex as a weapon to chastise Huntress is not a good look for either character.

Ed Benes continues to excel as Simone’s partner in crime with this arc. He pencils the majority of the issues collected here, which contributes a lot of vitality to the story. It’s really neat to see how his compositions help affect the overall tone, especially when it comes to adding humour or heightening drama. There’s a sequence on an airplane that’s fairly memorable, as well as a bar brawl that takes place early on in the arc. Part of what makes these sequences so memorable is how he uses Shiva’s expressions and body language to both convey how badass she is, as well as get a little comedy out of it. Truthfully, I’m really fond of his Shiva. She’s very striking visually due to her sternness. Of course, it wouldn’t be Benes without a bit of cheesecake. There’s a rather gratuitous sequence where Canary and Cheshire duke it out in a pool while the latter is wearing a flimsy nightie. Its inclusion is odd and quite jarring. Benes is aided by Cliff Richards in some issues. Richards drew Oracle’s abduction and interrogation scenes. They’re pretty standard and don’t quite match the energy of Benes’ panels. Michael Golden provides the art for the flashback issue (66). Ordinarily I’d criticize the style, but it suits the tone of the issue. It’s set in the past and is stylized as if it were taken place sometime within the ‘40s or early ‘50s. It’s not quite as polished as the art in the other issues and has a slight muddy quality to it, but it really works in its favour. My one issue is that I wish that the scenes set in the present that bookend the issue had been done by Benes. The final issue in this collection is done by Joe Bennett. His style differs from Benes’, but still pairs well with the story. It’s an epilogue of sorts that deals with Huntress’ date with a parking attendant, as well as Canary sparring with Wonder Woman to work through her issues with Huntress joining the team and Oracle getting some advice from her father. It’s a quiet issue that requires Bennett to get creative with drawing the reader in via expressive character interactions and some low-stakes sparring. Overall, I quite like his style.

Birds of Prey: Sensei & Student is an absolute must-read. From its art to its punchy dialogue, it’s an engaging arc that challenges its characters on many levels. There’s some really intriguing interpersonal drama between the series’ heroines, which helps to show us that they’re far from perfect. Writer Gail Simone also engages with morality, particularly with whether murder is ever justified. Even on a superficial level of action, this arc delivers that in spades. Honestly, Sensei & Student perfectly illustrates why Birds of Prey is so frequently cited as a gateway comic. Gorgeous art? Check! Dynamic character interactions? Check! A twisty, turny plot? Check! Action galore? Check!

RATING: A+

Review - Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 9: Ultimate Six

Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, and Sandman – five of Spider-Man’s greatest foes have been apprehended and detained by S.H.I.E.L.D. as illegal genetic experiments. Bound by their mutual desire to exact revenge against Nick Fury, the villainous quintet break out of their prison with the intention of kidnapping Spider-Man and immobilizing S.H.I.E.L.D.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 9: Ultimate Six collects Ultimate Spider-Man #46 and the seven issue limited series Ultimate Six, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley and Trevor Hairsine.

Collected under the banner of Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Six is a deceptively titled trade that places five of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains at the forefront of its narrative. Spider-Man is but a footnote in a story arc that pits the likes of Green Goblin and Doc Ock against Nick Fury and the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D. It begins with Fury and the Ultimates arresting the five Spider foes on the charge of being illegal genetic experiments, but their imprisonment proves ineffective when Doc Ock manipulates S.H.I.E.L.D. into granting him access to his metallic arms. He breaks his fellow inmates out and the quintet proceeds to wreak havoc. They kill several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, kidnap Spider-Man, and eventually attack the White House. It’s a rather straightforward story with very little in the way of plot twists or underlying themes. It’s a standard supervillain jailbreak, team-up story that ends in an unfortunately all-too-short fight between the series’ villains and the Ultimates. It’s so short that Thor and Electro’s conflict happens entirely off-panel, while Wasp’s fight with Doc Ock lasts all of two pages. The usage of Iron Man as a deus ex machina against Sandman and Green Goblin was also incredibly unimpressive. The focus on the villains and on Nick Fury throughout was also a misstep, since it really didn’t offer much in terms of an emotional component to the storyline. Spider-Man is used so sparingly that he feels like an afterthought.

Trevor Hairsine’s art fits right in with the world of the Ultimates as previously established through Bryan Hitch’s work. There’s a roughness to it and an attempt to render the characters in a more realistic manner. This was an interesting choice as it seems to visually place the reader closer to Millar’s Ultimates than Bendis’ Spider-Man, but it seems to match the narrative focus in that respect. That said, Hairsine’s pencils didn’t quite live up to Hitch’s in that he often falls short in distinguishing characters from one another. A couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents look identical to Tony Stark, while there was a sense of sameness to how the de-powered Norman Osborn, Kraven, and Sandman appeared in certain panels.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 9: Ultimate Six is a bit of a disappointment. The idea of Spider-Man and the Ultimates teaming up to stop this universe’s take on the Sinister Six (minus one member obviously) is really fascinating. The problem was all in how that storyline took shape. Bendis and Hairsine placed the focus on the wrong characters. These five villains aren’t that engaging and the usage of Fury as the focus of their hatred felt lopsided. Additionally, the action didn’t live up to the expectations and was too rushed. There are some glimmers of interest here and there. For instance, I thought that the reveal of Wasp’s previous admiration for Doc Ock was a nice touch and added some layers to their fight at the climax of the series. Bendis also proves himself a much more capable writer than Mark Millar when it comes to Captain America. Cap is actually quite likable here. Ultimate Six is really a missed opportunity for something really great and epic. It feels disposable and is propped up only by occasional moments of character development.

RATING: C

Review - Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds

When Black Canary is kidnapped during a mission gone awry, she is used as leverage in an attempt to get Oracle to divulge one of the most precious secrets in the world. Canary’s captor – the handsome yet dangerous Savant – wants the hacker supreme to tell him what Batman’s true identity is or he will kill her partner. With time running out and Savant’s patience wearing thin, Oracle enlists the help of the unpredictable Huntress to find and rescue Black Canary before she is executed.

Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds collects Birds of Prey #56-61, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Ed Benes.

As the introductory arc to Gail Simone’s seminal run on Birds of Prey, Of Like Minds is a tense and tightly crafted story that is entirely character-driven. It begins with Black Canary in the middle of a mission. After Oracle gains intel that a CEO is intending to cheat his employees out of their retirement funds, she assigns Black Canary to scare him straight. Everything appears to go well until the target goes home and sends suicidal messages to Oracle. Before Oracle can talk him down, Black Canary goes to his house to intervene. When she arrives, she discovers that the whole thing was a set-up. She is attacked by the criminal Savant and his assistant Creote, then held hostage at another location. This initiates an anxious tête-à-tête between Savant and Oracle as the pair negotiate for what they want – Batman’s secret identity and Canary’s safe release, respectively. Unwilling to give away such an important secret, Oracle recruits Huntress to save Canary from Savant’s clutches.

Despite the simple set-up, this story arc is absolutely gripping. Simone has such a firm grasp on who these characters are and teases out their personalities in a way that makes them very palpable to readers. Black Canary and Oracle are presented as near polar opposites. The former is impulsive and thinks with her heart, while the latter is methodical and incredibly rational. This causes friction, particularly in the aftermath of Canary’s capture, as Oracle fears that her partner’s rashness could get her killed. The reason this is such a riveting conflict is not simply because these characters are opposites, but because of how much they love one another. This sense of sisterhood permeates this arc (and the rest of Simone’s run) and makes Canary’s captivity that much more distressing. Of course, while the situation may be distressing, our girl Canary is never a damsel in distress. Unlike in Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters, her kidnapping is intended as motivation for the male character. Here, Canary is actively working towards rescuing herself by manipulating her captors and slowly freeing herself from her bonds. Simone makes it very clear that Canary is not a passive victim.

While there’s a lot of strong character work done on Black Canary and Oracle (and the villain Savant), the true standout for me was Huntress. I absolutely love her voice as a character. Her dialogue drips with sarcasm and wit, while her unpredictable nature makes her an incredibly dynamic and engaging heroine. The banter between Canary and Huntress is especially hilarious. The way they playfully make fun of one another is really cute and displays a certain level of comfort between them. She isn’t all sass either. There’s a lot of heart behind her stomach-less outfit. Simone does something really neat with Huntress’ introduction that really shows the vulnerability of the character. When Oracle contacts Huntress, she’s tracking down a kidnapped baby. Oracle helps her out and Huntress successfully rescues the baby. We get an adorable scene where Huntress takes off her glove and gives it to the baby to play with. It’s a seemingly innocuous moment, but it shows her soft spot for kids. We see a lot of her tenacity as well. Huntress is not the most skilled fighter, a fact even Canary points out, but she’s unwilling to admit defeat and won’t give up until Canary is safe. She’s a boss.

Ed Benes’ art is really stunning. His characters are absolutely gorgeous – men and women alike. I like the slight anime influence to his work and the effort he puts into musculature, facial expressions, and hairstyles. He also really knows how to draw fantastic action sequences (of which there are a few rather memorable ones in this collection). In fact, his art from this arc has become so ingrained within me that those images still pop up in my head when I think of the Birds. However, his art is not without its flaws. The women all seem to have the same face, there’s some awkward perspective here and there, and there are some strange things about characters’ anatomy (Black Canary’s torso seems overly long and her waist far too thin). Aside from that, Benes’ work is also known for its cheesecake-like quality. There are a lot of butt shots and we see Canary’s derriere hanging out of her costume a little too often.

Of all the comic book runs I’ve read (and re-read!), very few fill me with joyful exuberance quite like Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey tenure. Her opening arc is clever, emotional, and filled with a lot of fantastic character moments. Simone really knows how to make you love the characters she writes by giving readers electric dialogue and relatable interpersonal interactions. Ed Benes makes for a great creative partner for Simone (despite his T&A tendencies) as his attractive and vibrant art really enhances the story. Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds is a stellar read and is an essential trade for anyone’s collection.

RATING: A

Review - Ultimate X-Men Volume 6: Return of the King

Magneto’s war against humanity reaches its climax as he commences his plan to destroy the Earth. Through the use of an amplification device, he intends to set off a series of explosions that will leave the Earth barren, eliminating the human race in the process. With the Doomsday Clock ticking down, the X-Men search desperately for Magneto’s base. Without Professor Xavier or their field leader Cyclops, they may not be able to succeed in stopping their deadliest foe.

Ultimate X-Men Volume 6: Return of the King collects Ultimate X-Men #26-33, written by Mark Millar and illustrated by David Finch and Adam Kubert.

Clocking in at eight issues, this arc is a slow-burn. It directly follows the events of the mini-series Ultimate War, which dealt with the conflict between the X-Men and the Ultimates over the return of Magneto. The Ultimates are absent here, so instead we get the X-Men lamenting about being in hiding and Magneto bloviating for several issues to whoever will listen. There’s very little in the way of action, so instead we get pages upon pages of Magneto’s planning. Arguably, he’s the main character of this arc. His perspective and voice is quite clear – he hates humans and wants to eradicate them all by destroying the Earth. He also clearly sees himself as a kind of messianic figure and treats his man-made asteroid as if he were Noah and his arc. There’s a lot to unpack regarding Magneto and Xavier’s opposing views, but Millar doesn’t have the range to adequately deal with the perspectives of oppressed groups. His portrayal of Magneto as a megalomaniacal villain who would likely twirl his moustache if he had one is illustrative of this problem. He’s sadistic and cruel with few layers. Seeing as this arc focuses so heavily on Magneto, it’s a drag to read.

There are some moments in Return of the King that are tolerable or are pretty enjoyable. Though it has been fairly subtle, the dynamic between Wolverine and Colossus has been one of the more fascinating interpersonal aspects to this series. In retrospect, we know Colossus is gay and has a crush on Wolverine, but it’s still subtext at this point. Colossus nearly confesses his feelings for Wolverine prior to their final battle against Magneto, which was kind of cute. During the big showdown, Colossus overcomes Magneto’s control in order to protect Wolverine. It not only emphasizes how much willpower he has, but also how intense his feelings are for his teammate. There are neat little interactions in the epilogue issue following Magneto’s defeat. There’s an exchange between Jean Grey and Thor that hints at the Phoenix Force being something bigger than Professor Xavier believes it to be, which seems to both surprise and provide Jean with a bit of vindication. Wolverine and Cyclops also manage to patch things up, which speaks to the latter’s ability to forgive and see the bigger picture. The maturity shown by both characters in that moment is admittedly quite surprising and a bit jarring, but not wholly unwelcome.

The art in this collection is handled by David Finch and Adam Kubert. The quality that Finch and Kubert share with their work is its roughness. The art throughout lacks polish and is inconsistent. A common criticism for Finch’s pencils is the sameness that all the characters take on. This means that he puts little effort into ensuring that facial features, body types, and expressions are different for each character. Kubert fares better and does in fact have quite a few memorable panels. There are a couple of really neat instances where we see Storm using her powers and it’s totally badass. Actually, the entire final battle against Magneto is really well done and really springs off the page.

Ultimate X-Men Volume 6: Return of the King concludes Mark Millar’s run on the series. There’s symmetry to this arc as he finishes his tenure the way he started it – by focusing on the philosophical and physical conflict between the X-Men and Magneto. Like the rest of his run, there are a lot of great ideas and concepts put forth in this collection. There are even some brilliant scenes. Unfortunately, Millar’s dialogue and grave misunderstanding of how the X-Men should be portrayed hinder the overall quality of the narrative. There’s simply too much flippant humour and gritty-for-the-sake-of-being-gritty going on. He also makes questionable choices with certain characters that make them vastly inferior to how they’re portrayed in the main universe. With that said, Return of the King does end with a bit of a bang and a smidgeon of optimism.

RATING: C

Review - Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 8: Cats & Kings

After being exposed in the press as a murderer, Wilson Fisk has returned to New York City to rehabilitate his image. Though he’s managed to manipulate the public into believing his innocence, Spider-Man knows the truth and is infuriated by how thoroughly Fisk has managed to manipulate the situation. Meanwhile, a mysterious thief known as the Black Cat has stolen an artifact that Fisk is eager to acquire. A determined Fisk sends the assassin Elektra after her to get it back. Naturally, Spider-Man gets caught in the crosshairs of this conflict.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 8: Cats & Kings collects Ultimate Spider-Man #47-53, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Mark Bagley.

As a fan of both Black Cat and Elektra, this arc was incredibly enjoyable for me. It begins with the return of Wilson Fisk, which slowly results in an unravelling of Peter Parker’s life. Peter is fired for questioning J. Jonah Jameson’s editorial decisions, suspended for acting up in class due to his frustration over Wilson Fisk’s public image rehabilitation, and is torn away from Mary Jane after her father insists the pair stop seeing one another. Amidst this drama, Black Cat enters Peter’s life and briefly provides him with a refuge away from reality via flirtation that leads to a rooftop “date.” Black Cat is a frenetic character who drastically changes the pace and dynamic of the series. The action sequences and choreography of the character are brilliant. Elektra, despite appearing later on in the arc, provides a similar kind of energy. Both women are action-oriented and aren’t the usual type of foes Spider-Man typically comes across in this series. They’re not megalomaniacal supervillains or bumbling henchmen, they’re well-trained and highly-skilled combatants. It’s very refreshing. Their motivations are also kept quite simple as well. Black Cat seeks to mess with Wilson Fisk’s plans as revenge for his past misdeeds against her father, while Elektra is purely a sai-for-hire. Though neither is given as much character development as I’d like, there’s just enough to leave me satisfied with their portrayals. (Although, Elektra is drastically different than she was in Ultimate Daredevil &Elektra – so what changed for her?)

One of the things that I found absolutely riveting about Cats & Kings was the underlining theme of how wealth and influence can allow someone to get away with murder – even when the proof is practically irrefutable. In Wilson Fisk’s case, he’d been caught on tape killing someone. Through the use of his lawyers and money, he’s managed to manipulate things so that people believe the events on the tape are doctored. This sends Peter into a tailspin as he cannot understand how this could possibly be a reality. He knows Fisk is a murderer and is deeply troubled by how the adults around him don’t want to engage in discourse about the grave injustice that has happened. Seeing Peter pushed to the edge over something with some weight to it is really fascinating. Thus far, Peter has been prone to fits of melodrama and is often most concerned with his personal life. Peter’s questioning of everything brings a lot of dramatic tension to the narrative, especially since it results in pretty heavy consequences for him (i.e. losing his job, being suspended from school). It sets up a very clear contrast – Fisk, a murderer, walks free while Peter, an innocent, is punished for simply asking uncomfortable questions.

Bagley’s work in this particular arc is especially impressive. There are a lot of wordless sequences, particularly those involving Black Cat. Her introductory scene features her breaking into a building and stealing an artifact. It’s largely devoid of dialogue and it allows Bagley to truly tell the story. It’s really creative and well-drawn. Something similar happens later on when Black Cat and Elektra duke it out. Generally speaking, action sequences in this series are given a lot of dialogue via banter and one-liners. Here, we get the two women fighting one another without saying a word. It’s more intense and leaves the reader with the impression that they’re both incredibly skilled fighters. Beyond these sequences, it is worth mentioning once more that Bagley continues to excel with reaction shots. We get a lot of high emotions and tension in this arc, so Bagley really stretches his muscles here. Since this arc introduces Black Cat into the Ultimate Universe, this means that she gets a redesign to go along with it. I quite like her mask and the accessories she’s given, such as the belt and the white-trimmed gloves, but the suit itself is problematic. The sheer amount of cleavage she’s got going on is wildly unrealistic and takes away from what would otherwise be a really chic, functional look.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 8: Cats & Kings is a great return to form for Bendis and Bagley. After a handful of lacklustre issues, this arc has the perfect mix of action and drama that will leave readers hooked. The introduction of Black Cat was handled well and the usage of Elektra was a nice twist. We get a lot of great character moments – including tense exchanges between the Parkers and Mary Jane’s father, a heated argument between J. Jonah Jameson and Peter, and a hilarious phone conversation where Aunt May dresses down J. Jonah Jameson for firing her nephew. With its electric conflicts, memorable action sequences, and exploration of economical privilege, Cats & Kings is one of the better collections from this series.

RATING: A-