TITLE: Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat! TPB
YEAR: July 2016
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Writer: Kate Leth
Artists: Brittney L. Williams & Natasha Allegri
Color Artists: Megan Wilson & Natasha Allegri
Letterers: VC’s Clayton Cowles with Joe Sabino
Assistant Editor: Chris Robinson
Editor: Wil Moss
I have written about Patsy Walker & Hedy Wolfe, two friends/rivals and some may make comparisons of them to Archie Comics characters, Betty and Veronica.
And I also mentioned that later on in Marvel Comics, Patsy Walker was changed into a superhero known as Hellcat! and most recently, Marvel Comics writer Kate Leth and artists Brittany L. Williams and Natasha Allegri have brought the character back to Marvel Comics and gave the character new life.
What’s interesting is that the character depicted in the comic book series of old, was written by Patsy Walker’s mother based on her young daughter and her friend and before her passing, she gave Patsy a chance to continue the legacy, she wasn’t unavailable and instead, rights were given to Hedy Wolfe. Patsy assumed that Hedy would let the characters die out.
Patsy had worked for Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) but now she wants to have a career with her own investigative agency. After going against another person with super powers, Ian Soo a.ka. Telekinian, and befriending him, Patsy life changes when she loses her job, loses her home and is taken in by Ian to be his roommate.
As Patsy tries to work odd jobs to make ends meet, she finds out that there are articles about Hedy Wolfe planning to do reprints of the old “Patsy & Hedy” comic books. And this leads to Patsy getting angry and wanting to confront Hedy.
Meanwhile, other new super villains start popping up, and what best than to get her superhero friends involved?
I have to admit that reading this TPB of “Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat!” was actually very good. While it took me a while to get used to the artwork, I like how it correlates with the artwork of “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” and it’s more humor and action versus dark storyline and action.
Having read the “Patsy & Hedy” comic books, it’s interesting to see how the storyline treats those stories as comic books written by Patsy’s mother and that unlike the stories of Patsy Walker in the comics that focuses on fashion, career and romance, this version of Patsy Walker is a superhero when in costume but a young woman that is headstrong about how she wants to run her life. She wants to create her own investigative agency, she doesn’t have much money and there is a bit of a temper.
If there was anything consistent to the old series, Patsy & Heddy are still after each other’s throats. This time due to the rights of the old “Patsy & Hedy” comic books and that Hedy wants to reprint them, which Patsy is against it.
The “Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat!” TPB collects issues #1-6 and features appearances of many female superheroes and as mentioned earlier, there is a good balance of humor and an upbeat and enjoyable storyline.
But a modern story with a cartoon-like style of artwork that would make this series even more fitting as an animated series, “Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat!” is worth reading!