My Rating (Ms. Marvel)
My Rating (Mary Jane & Black Cat)
Dark Web – Mary Jane & Black Cat 01
Ms. Marvel
With the veil between Earth and the Limbo dimension thinning, the Goblin Queen, Madelyne Pryor, has begun taking advantage of the rift created by Ben Reilly. Across New York City, ordinary inanimate objects start morphing into demonic beasts of prey. Construction cranes become tentacled machines of death. A Daily Bugle newsstand erupts into a swarm of razor-toothed bats made from the evening sports edition. Over in Jersey City, Kamala Khan’s mosque has transformed into a walking juggernaut bent on trampling everything in its path.
Inside the robotics lab at Oscorp Tower, the newest intern is conducting a research experiment with her fellow science student, Arjun. Kamala is about to examine a new specimen under an Oscorp microscope when Arjun begins questioning her about a possible date. Badshah is in concert this weekend, and what better opportunity for a little romance? Kamala, however, seems to have other ideas.
As she places the slide beneath the microscope, every machine and robotic apparatus in the research bay begins glowing with an eerie blue light. Scientists and interns look around in confusion as the equipment starts moving on its own. Suddenly, the microscope in front of Kamala lunges at her face with a set of sharp, barbed jaws! A giant enlarged fist swings down and smashes the demonic equipment into pieces. So much for keeping a low profile at work. It’s time for Ms. Marvel to act!
Dark Web – Ms. Marvel 01
Mary Jane & Black Cat
Manhattan, New York — FBI-wanted cat burglar Felicia Hardy has just swung onto the roof of Mary Jane Watson’s apartment building. The demonic attacks across the city are growing more violent by the minute, and Black Cat intends to make sure her friend is protected. A quick call to Iron Man sends a swarm of Wild Hunt drones toward Mary Jane’s address, but their ETA is more than ten minutes away. In the middle of a demonic invasion, ten minutes might as well be ten hours.
Black Cat swoops toward a massive hole ripped through the side of Mary Jane’s apartment when her instincts tell her something is seriously wrong. Then comes the real shock.
Mary Jane has superpowers!
Red energy crackles from Mary Jane’s hands and slams into the demonically possessed kitchen appliances attacking her. Each construct crashes against the dining-room wall and explodes in a hail of metal shards and circuit boards. Felicia immediately wants answers. Since when does Mary Jane Watson have powers, and why is Black Cat only finding out about this now?
Unfortunately, the women barely have time to exchange a proper hello before a massive metal girder punches another hole through the crumbling building. A tentacle of possessed water lashes into the apartment, wraps itself around Mary Jane’s waist, and yanks her through the breach. Outside, one of New York City’s rooftop water towers has transformed into a towering demonic spider-beast. It is alive, angry, and looking for something to kill.
Mary Jane and Felicia Hardy have their work cut out for them.
Will Chasm and the Goblin Queen enact their revenge before the other powers of Limbo take notice? Does Kamala ever get her date with her hunky new lab partner? How many times does Mary Jane have to spin the wheel before her luck finally runs out? Collect the series to find out!
Review
I picked up two of Marvel’s Dark Web books this week because I’m a fan of Ms. Marvel, and I absolutely loved the cover art on both issues. Originally, I planned on throwing them into the dreaded “read later” pile, but curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to see what Marvel was doing with this new Limbo storyline, and I’m glad I didn’t wait. Both books turned out to be outstanding opening issues. I was a little confused about which one I should read first, but in this particular case, it really doesn’t seem to matter.
The stories take place side by side, seemingly within hours of each other, but Kamala doesn’t interact with Mary Jane or Felicia Hardy for most of the adventure. The three eventually cross paths near the end, but I’m not going to spoil exactly how that happens. Let’s just say things get a little heated around them! I really enjoyed this format because each book gives us a different street-level perspective on the same demonic catastrophe. Kamala deals with the insanity around Oscorp while Mary Jane and Black Cat battle their way through a Manhattan apartment building that appears determined to eat them alive.
The Art
The artwork is fantastic in both books. I love when the different titles in a crossover maintain compatible visual styles because, for me, it makes the entire event feel more connected. Vincenzo Carratù and Francesco Mortarino bring the chaos of Dark Web to life through large action shots, expressive characters, and flowing battle sequences. The possessed machinery, demonic household appliances, and twisted architecture give the artists plenty of opportunities to cut loose. Limbo invading New York City should look completely insane, and these books certainly deliver.
I enjoyed the writing as well, but I do have one complaint with Marvel Comics: how many books do we have to buy to finish this thing? The checklist in the back of Mary Jane & Black Cat lists eighteen Dark Web-related issues across December, January, and February alone. Holy crossover, Batman! That’s a lot of moolah to invest in one storyline, especially for younger readers trying to follow the entire event. I may end up waiting until Marvel collects everything into trade paperback form before diving much deeper into Dark Web.
I’m giving Dark Web – Ms. Marvel #1 four out of five stars. It’s a fun, fast-moving introduction to Kamala Khan’s corner of the crossover with plenty of demonic craziness to keep things interesting. Dark Web – Mary Jane & Black Cat #1 earns five out of five stars for the extra content, the chemistry between Felicia and Mary Jane, and one completely ridiculous piece of Limbo insanity that I never expected to see.
Belasco has a skin suit.
Yes, you read that correctly.
BELASCO HAS A SKIN SUIT!!!!