Marvel's Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1
- WRITER
- Jed MacKay
- Artist
- C.F. Villa
- Letterer
- VC's Travis Lanham
- Cover Artist
- Sabine Rich, J. Scott Campbell
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Price
- 4.99
- Release Date
- 2022-01-26
- Colorist
- Erick Arciniega
Bad luck seems to follow Spider-Man so much so that his misfortune has an unofficial nomenclature, aka the "Parker Luck". Yet amongst the Marvel Comics superheroes, Peter has one of the most active social life, juggling family, work, and dating simultaneously. Peter Parker has undoubtedly been luckier in love. In Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1, Spider-Man wakes up from a brief coma with Mary Jane and Felicia Hardy -- aka the Black Cat -- at his bedside. What will happen when the lover and the co-worker meet? Will their mutual admiration of Peter Parker get the better of them? Or will a new friendship form?
Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1, written by Jed MacKay with artwork from C.F. Villa and Erick Arciniega, brings together two of the most important people in Spider-Man's life for a marvelous team-up. Felicia Hardy regularly visits Peter Parker in his hospital room. But on this fateful day, she comes across the villainous Parker Robbins, aka The Hood, holding Peter and his girlfriend Mary Jane hostage at gunpoint. Somehow, The Hood has found out about the Black Cat's civilian activities and uses the situation to his advantage. He wants his hood back. Mary Jane joins Felicity and immediately jumps into the action.
Writer Jed MacKay is currently on a roll, working closely with Marvel Comics to churn out fan-favorite moments in titles like Black Cat and Death of Doctor Strange. Even though it's just a one-shot, Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1 adds another feather to his cap of stirring plots. The story hinges on a simple premise and entails a quest narrative wherein the characters move from one marker to another, negotiating or tag-teaming against villains. However, it is the story's witty exchanges that form the heart of the issue. The one-shot feels like a zesty breath of fresh air.
The artwork in Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1 puts the dynamic duo of Mary Jane and Felicia Hardy front and center. Artist C.F. Villa's (Black Cat) linework adds exuberant energy to the panels. While background details don't garner much attention, the issue's multiple close-ups, dynamic action, and vivacious posing deliver a glamourous appeal. Colorist Erick Arciniega keeps the background toned down to muted shades to give the comic book a nightly appearance. At the same time, the lighting and bright splashes of colors on the characters differentiate the foreground and match well with the book's gorgeous panels.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1 features one of the best Marvel crossovers in recent history. Jed MacKay writes an equally beautiful team-up of Black Cat and Ben Reilly in the Death of Doctor Strange: Spider-Man #1. Needless to say, MacKay has a good grasp on the character of Felicia Hardy and has found a seamless way to connect her with other characters across the Spider-Man mythos. Mary Jane and Black Cat may look at each other as romantic rivals, but the instant bonding between the two and the comfort they feel in each other's company is heartwarmingly beautiful to see. Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1 is an enthralling and charming tale.