My fondness for old comics led me to start liking characters I never did when I was younger. My subscriptions to DC Universe Infinite and Marvel Unlimited have fed this need to read everything I can about characters that I never realized were cool until I rediscovered them. In some cases, these characters also get liked by many people - fans and professionals alike. Lately, I keep finding myself drawn to Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat.
I'm not talking about the series from a few years ago. I'm talking about the character and the comic that prompted this little diatribe, Hellcat #1 by Christopher Cantwell, Alex Lins, K.J. Díaz, and Ariana Maher. Patsy goes in depth about her history, continuing to play off the Netflix series Jessica Jones's use of the golden age Patsy Walker comics as something published in-universe. I personally would rather comic book stories be incorporated into canon and continuity.
This story starts with a good hook, Patsy being arrested for murder. Unfortunately, it's a little confusing who's dead. It gets explained, but there's extraneous information, which makes getting there harder. There's also the introduction of a character from the failed 90s series Sleepwalker. I've recently re-read some Sleepwalker comics and discovered the quality is mediocre, at best. Some people fondly remember them. They are just not my cup of tea.
The art is pleasing. Alex Lins's style has a quality that Marvel is fond of, reminding one of Stuart Immonen. It's got a little more energy, with the colors by K.J. Díaz meshing well with the art, but sometimes falls into that realm where there are a lot of browns where the color theme builds on blending complementary colors. It's good, and Patsy's Hellcat costume really punches. There are not a lot of yellows for it to compete with.
Overall, it's a good comic. It's helped by my fondness for Patsy Walker, Hellcat or not.
MY RATING: 7.5 (out of 10)