Who is Patsy Walker, Hellcat? As much of a Marvel fan I feel that I am, the truth of the matter is I’ve read minimal stories featuring the character. In fact, I can’t recall reading anything remotely related to Patsy, which is what makes Hellcat #1 a refreshing treat.
Written by Christopher Cantwell and illustrated by Alex Lins, this first issue is an outstanding introduction to the character for newbies like myself. We get the lay of the land relatively quickly and are given just enough backstory to Patsy’s recent doings (which Cantwell chronicled in his Iron Man run) to know she’s had a past, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with going in to this first issue completely bare. What’s worth knowing is that Hellcat #1 is supernatural based, on Patsy Walker makes for a compelling lead character. As someone who loves a good California noir story, this issue delivers that and then some.
One of my favourite movies of the last few years is Under The Silver Lake from writer/director David Robert Mitchell and starring Andrew Garfield as an out of work thirty-something who uncovers a world of consipracies in Los Angeles. While that film isn’t supernatural at all, there’s a vibe shared between Under The Silver Lake and Hellcat #1 that really drew me into the comic, and I’m looking forward to reading the second issue when it arrives next month.
Leaping from the pages of CHRISTOPHER CANTWELL’S IRON MAN run, Hellcat is back! Patsy is back on the west coast, living in a demon house haunted by the ghost of her mother! When someone close to Patsy’s inner circle is murdered, Hellcat becomes the prime suspect! Now Patsy must prove her innocence and evade both the police and the supernatural Sleepwalkers. To add to the perils she faces, her demonic ex Daimon Hellstrom shows up and that’s never a good thing. A supernatural, superhero murder mystery!
