Patsy “Hellcat” Walker isn’t a character that settles down long term. Her long comics career has seen her undergo dramatic changes, from romance comics star to cat-themed superhero, Satan’s daughter-in-law, and most recently, a brief stint as the in-house investigator for She-Hulk’s independent law firm, and that existential restlessness is the driving force of her ongoing adventures in Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!
Laid off by She-Hulk and forced out of her storage room living situation, Patsy has decided to reinvent herself again as the owner of a temporary employment agency for superpowered people (key word: “temporary”), and she helps out a familiar face in next week’s Patsy Walker #4: Tara Tam, Howard the Duck’s new BFF. Writer Kate Leth has been having a lot of fun playing with Marvel continuity in this series, and she uses recent developments in Howard The Duck to bring Patsy into Howard’s orbit. She’s replacing the front desk guy at Tara’s tattoo parlor after Spider-Man’s Aunt May robbed him in Howard’s series last year, and in typical Patsy fashion, it doesn’t take her long to compromise the position she just started in.
These preview pages of next week’s issue showcase the book’s sense of humor as Patsy starts her new job, and Brittney L. Williams’ sleek linework and Megan Wilson’s vibrant colors accentuate that lighter tone with bright, expressive visuals. However, there are some flaws in this team’s depiction of Howard: his bill occasionally looks more like a seagull than a duck, and having him spout a Big Bang Theory catchphrase just feels wrong. These are minor quibbles, though, and in general, Leth, Williams, and Wilson are doing great work making Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! a compelling comic with a confident point of view.