Sort of like Deadpool but with cat ears

[mistaeff]

First time post! I'm so excited!


7 pages & selected panels worth of content from a fun cracky 23 page comic that's notoriously known for making almost as much sense out-of-context as it does in-context.

Title: Patsy Walker: Hellcat  - Issue 1 (of 5) Sept. 2008 (The Initiative)
Creators: Kathryn Immonen (writer), David Lafuente (artist), John Rauch (colorist)


So apparently this 5 part mini went along with the 50 State Initiative "a hero for every State" thing that Iron Man was doing a while back. I don't really know anything about that, so I'm just going to assume that Patsy got 1, the Avengers divided 11 states between them, and Wolverine got the other 38.

This first issue begins with Patsy helping a clothing designer friend of hers named Ruben by modeling a dress.

My knowledge of Hellcat is very limited, but I'd love to learn more about her, especially if she's mostly like this, and less like the "Marvel Divas" version. She gets a call from Tony, whom she refers to as "I...rene" when answering in order to half-assedly preserve her secret identity. I guess. Which state does she get?

Just look how that profound despair just rolls right off like water on a particularly lackadaisical duck's back in the very next panel. No whining, no angst, no resentment. I think this page made me fall in love with the character.

Poor Ruben! Patsy's about as considerate as you'd expect a supermodel to be.



Tony, you perv. You know his mind just went right there. I can't decide if Patsy is ditzy, insane, obfuscating stupidity, or just doesn't give a damn about what comes out of her mouth. Probably all of them.

Topical, Patsy. So she makes it to Alaska and flies over a herd of polar bears on the way to "civilization." Once she lands,  a patron at the local dive-bar mentions that the bears are bad this year. She tries to hire someone to give her a tour of her new realm.

She's kind of obnoxious in that "Spider-Manmustalwaysbequipping" kind of way, but since she clearly doesn't take herself seriously and doesn't care that no one else does either, it doesn't bother me.

So, a tiny old drunk hits on her, she throws a plastic glass at him and then hits the wide-open Great White North.

See what I mean by obnoxious? Still, adorable.

Cue a couple of magical antlered polar bears attacking the snowmobile, and Patsy ends up ripping the hide right off of one of them by the antlers. It explodes into some kind of shiny powder. The other tackles her.


I just love this art. It's light and whimsical and completely fits the non-linear way that this story unfolds.


This is what's at the bottom of the cliff. Good luck with that, Patsy.


I decided I'd better contribute something since I requested some 70's Hellcat in the Request post. If I screwed anything up, please tell me and I'll take care of it as best I know how.

Suggested tags: char: hellcat/patsy walker, char: iron man/tony stark, char: beast/hank mccoy, creator: kathryn immonen, creator: david lafuente, publisher: marvel comics

Comments

[hybrid2]

Funny how Tony say nothing happend in Alaska when I remember 2 major threat arond the time this started.

The thing that killed Alpha Flight and a unstopable robot in Fantastic Four.

When I read the solicit my first reaction was,wait he sent her there alone? after what just happened?

[mistaeff]

People can be careless when they're off the wagon.

He did mention that he didn't have anyone else to "spare." Maybe Hellcat is just expendable.

[stubbleupdate]

I loved this series even if I didn't understand it.

[mistaeff]

THIS.

[deliandra]

So motto. *laughs

[joasakura]

are those.. are those flying moose in that one panel?

[mistaeff]

They look like some kind of weird flying camel/horse hybrid. Reindeer, maybe? But where are their... antlers...?

[psychopathicus_rex]

My guess would be a donkey, given the buck teeth - although it's got awfully short ears for a donkey. But then again, most donkeys don't have butterfly wings, either.

[darklorelei]

I LOVED this book. (See icon, haha)

[skalja]

Icon party!

[dynamite]

Augh, I love Hellcat. Also, Immonen. Wish they kept Runaways for her. :(

[twigcollins]

Gonna have to respectfully disagree. I loved this and was excited to see her do Runaways but I found the writing there to be wildly uneven at best, more a selection of half-decent pages strung together disjointedly.

Of course, I love Whedon and Moore too, and I found the former's Runaways arc tedious and the latter's flat-out dull. Nothing's been as good since Vaughn left.

Immonen would have done a fantastic S.W.O.R.D run, though.

[protogarrett]

The art. I loves it.

Have to admit I know nothing about Patsy, and I read Marvel.

[twigcollins]

Agrees. This art is fab.

[crabby_lioness]

Why doesn't that artist get more work?

Why don't we see more like this and less "Patsy Walker, Angst-fest"?

[mistaeff]

Pretty sure LaFuente's doing Ultimate Spider-Man right now, which only makes me want to read it more.

Mephisto and his kin ruin nearly every character whose book they appear in. I can't even tell you how let down I was by Marvel Divas. FUUUUUUUUUU Daimon Hellstrom. It'll be great once comic writers realize that darker doesn't necessarily mean more relevant or respectable.

[fifth11]

♥! So cute!

[amaniwolf]

This was such a great limited series, i'd love to see more done with Hellcat!

[kaileighblue]

I don't know about the art, but the colors for this make me happy. Especially in the Bar in Alaska where everyone else is kinda dull and earth toned and she's so bright.

[mistaeff]

Yeah, I remember reading some reviews where the reviewers where put off by the cartoonishness and vaguely "anime-ish" character designs, and I can sort of see where they're coming from, though I find that charming in this case. But I agree about the coloring - this book would not be what it is without John Rauch. He does beautiful work.

[nikeskylark]

this series was awesome... read it a second time, it'll make sense ^.^

[mistaeff]

I think my favorite part about the plotting is that Patsy doesn't even care what's going on. She just rolls with it.

[falseaesop]

I hear Alaska has a hell of a meth problem. Wonder what a meth head would think of a woman in a cat suit doing kung fu flips through the snow drifts.

[tesserewhon]

WHAT THE FRAK? AND WHERE CAN I GET SOME MORE, PLEASE?! O__o

[mistaeff]

I'll gladly post more. I probably won't be able to until tomorrow or Thursday, but no sacrifice is too great for some more Hellcat love. Issue 2, here I come!

[fredneil.livejournal.com]

I think calling Patsy Walker "Miss America" is the subtle meta reference of the century.

[mistaeff]

U SEE WHAT THEY DID THAR

[long_silence]

Embarrassingly no...

Pardon the necromancy

[strannik01]

Miss America was the title Patsy Walker originally appeared in.

[superfangirl1]

Cute and insane. :)

[flidgetjerome]

I have no clue what's happening but I really want the art book.

[3goodtimes]

I LOVE the art! It's so poppy and Mucha-tastic. I've only ever bought a few Runaway issues from Marvel, but I might have to get this.

[psychopathicus_rex]

So is this mini collected anywhere?

[darklorelei]

Yep! There's a trade of it. Also includes her Marvel Comics Presents story that's by both Immonens.

[mistaeff]

Oops, beat me to it.

[psychopathicus_rex]

Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for it.

[stubbleupdate]

Isn't it Direct Market only, i.e. only available from comic shops, not all good booksellers?

[darklorelei]

Yes, alas.

[skalja]

Agh, I'll never be able to find it then. *is a furreign resident*

[phosfate]

Ohhhhhhh! That explains why I can't find it. Thank you. I just assumed Marvel had pulled the thing.

[nervousystem.livejournal.com]

I think I am going to have the vapors.

[mistaeff]

Sure is. There's a few of the 2009 TPBs (it might be listed as "Hellcat: Agent of the Initiative" as well) on eBay that go for about $10 - $12 bucks plus shipping, which isn't that bad.

[psychopathicus_rex]

eBay isn't really an option for me - I have no credit card and virtually nothing in my PayPal account - but thanks for the information.