This August, Black Cat returns with a new solo ongoing series written by G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel) and illustrated by Gleb Melnikov (Amazing Spider-Man). Spinning directly out of Joe Kelly, Pepe Larraz, and John Romita Jr.'s Amazing Spider-Man, the comic kicks off with Felicia Hardy testing her luck at being a full-fledged superhero.
Black Cat will be a radical shift for the character's solo adventures as the longtime anti-hero finds herself battling supervillains, including many of Spider-Man's most fearsome foes, amidst her usual high-stakes capers.
However, is Felicia's most recent change of heart for purely altruistic reasons or simply a way to pull off her greatest heist yet?
We'll have to wait and see, but the series marks Wilson’s first ongoing Marvel series since her groundbreaking run of Ms. Marvel concluded (she previously wrote a Black Cat short story in Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #4).
Here's the official description for Black Cat #1:
Felicia Hardy is the BLACK CAT, the world’s slyest and most skilled super-thief! She loves a good score. The longer the odds – the better! But her entire world turned upside down after SPIDER-MAN’s brutal battle with HELLGATE in Amazing Spider-Man #8-9, so Felicia is turning over a new leaf as New York City’s newest…super hero?!
The first super villain on her list – THE LIZARD! But will the Black Cat risk it all after her do-gooding moral high ground attracts dangerous attention from the lowest of the city’s underworld? Easy, KINGPIN OF CRIME, she’s still skimming off the top – honest! Don’t miss the winding road of twists and turns, laughs and mind-bending action of BLACK CAT’s next exciting chapter!
"As soon as Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood dropped and people saw the Black Cat story, readers began to ask me \When are you going to write more Felicia?' Well, the answer is: right now," Wilson shared today.
"Black Cat is so much fun to work with. She's a supporting character with main character energy," the writer teased. "And she has such a rich history that there are tons of tantalizing story threads to pull on."
Melnikov added, "I was itching to draw more of Felicia after finishing my first Spider-Man issue, so when [Editor] Tom Groneman asked if I was interested in working on the Black Cat series, I typed 'YES!' faster than a lightning bolt."
"Black leather, street-level fights, and the chance to draw our favorite usual suspects from Spidey's rogues gallery? Sign me up! Not to mention I'm very excited to work with Willow and color artist Brian Valenza," the artist concluded.
Below, you can check out Adam Hughes' Black Cat #1 cover along with variant covers by his fellow acclaimed artists, Jeehyung Lee, Peach Momoko, and Simone Di Meo.
BLACK CAT #1
Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by GLEB MELNIKOV
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
Variant Cover by JEEHYUNG LEE
Variant Cover by PEACH MOMOKO
Variant Cover by SIMONE DI MEO
On Sale 8/20