NEW PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT SERIES COMING?

[MattBrady]

At his weekly “MyCup O’ Joe” column at MySpace Comic Books, Marvel Editor-in-Chief apparently (this was the column that went up the week of April 1st) announced that Marvel is doing some kind of Patsy Walker: Hellcat project, showing a cover. The exchange about said project between MyCup O’ Joe host Jim McLauchlin and Quesada read:

JM: Me neither. We also have a cover or promo piece or whatever from Patsy Walker: Hellcat. When’s this coming?

JQ: Patsy Walker: Hellcat is important to the Marvel U. The Fifty State Initiative is still alive and kicking, but Alaska hasn’t been assigned yet. Enter Patsy Walker: Hellcat! Iron Man picked her for the job for a very specific reason. She’ll have to fight her way through demon polar bears, evil Yetis and insane Eskimo witches to save Alaska and the entire United States! Written by Kathryn Immonen (MCP, Never as Bad as You Think) and drawn by buried treasure David Lafuente (X-Men: Divided We Stand), this will redefine Hellcat in the Marvel Universe.

Marvel's teaser for this week's column asked the question, "And what’s this about a new Hellcat series?"

Take it for what you will.

[vbartilucci]

Um...

And what date was this little tidbit published?

And are her eyebrows cadmium yellow in that picture?

[Deep shock]

I like Hellcat.I'll be definately buying this!

[adamcasey]

Trademarks won't renew themselves!

[Shonborn]

If true, I like Kathryn Immonen...

[Not From Around]

She was a favorite of mine back in the "Defenders" days. Then came all the involvement with demons, the suicide, the stretch in Hell, and all that other typical 1990s grimness they put the character through. Most of what went wrong with mainstream superhero comics in microcosm, IMHO.

Kathryn Immonen's current whacky direction has the potential to be a welcome change from that, but her recent Hellcat story didn't quite click for me. I'll try to check this out when it comes, though.

[Samy Merchi]

Dude, the yellow eyebrows are *on top of her mask*. They're part of the costume, not her actual eyebrows.

It'd be kind of scary if her actual eyebrows poked through a spandex mask.

I enjoyed Kathryn's take on Patsy in MCP. I really liked how she gave it a sort of a "girly" feel. Kind of harkened back to the romance style book I imagine "Patsy Walker" must have been prior to her becoming Hellcat. So I'm on board for her doing more of that.

[Flint Reloaded]

I looove Hellcat. I'm surprised Bendis never snagged her up for his Defenders....er....Avengers book. Looks like she's back to her classic coustume (+parka).

I don't think this is a gag. Marvel had been talking about doing something with Patsy for a looong time. Probably be a mini. The column was posted on Mytspace friday right? Not the 1st?

[Moosarama]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

JQ: Patsy Walker: Hellcat is important to the Marvel U. The Fifty State Initiative is still alive and kicking, but Alaska hasn’t been assigned yet.

I always despair a little when they emphasize "the Marvel U" as revolving around the United States. Granted, that's where most of the characters live and where most of the writers and editorial are from, but come on - you have a whole universe to work with, don't limit yourselves.

[Jeremy Williams]

I was hoping it wasn't going to be like her Marvel Comics Presents appearance...

[Lupek]

Originally Posted by Samy Merchi

Dude, the yellow eyebrows are *on top of her mask*. They're part of the costume, not her actual eyebrows.

It'd be kind of scary if her actual eyebrows poked through a spandex mask.

I enjoyed Kathryn's take on Patsy in MCP. I really liked how she gave it a sort of a "girly" feel. Kind of harkened back to the romance style book I imagine "Patsy Walker" must have been prior to her becoming Hellcat. So I'm on board for her doing more of that.

I think he was referencing Joe Q's cadmuim yellow joke from the old Joe Fridays.


Yay Hellcat!

I hope Millie the Model is in the book too.

[Samy Merchi]

The what now?

[Lupek]

Originally Posted by Samy Merchi

The what now?

My memory is shot. But (i think) Joe made a joke about banning cadmium yellow from Marvel comics in a discussion about him deciding to ban smoking in Marvel comics, because he personally didn't like the color.

[Samy Merchi]

...okay...thanks for the clarification...

Q is weird.

[TheGrayHulk]

I thought the Marvel U already had a Catwoman rip-off (with white hair).

[Samy Merchi]

Yeah, Patsy isn't a Catwoman ripoff. She's not a thief, she's a model and a homemaker. Very different. It's like saying Ronnie Raymond is a ripoff of Han Solo.

Black Cat, I can give you as a ripoff. They're both catburglars and wear black leather. I can give you that. But there's nothing in Hellcat's character that even vaguely resembles Catwoman.

[Salieri]

Originally Posted by Samy Merchi

Yeah, Patsy isn't a Catwoman ripoff. She's not a thief, she's a model and a homemaker. Very different. It's like saying Ronnie Raymond is a ripoff of Han Solo.

Black Cat, I can give you as a ripoff. They're both catburglars and wear black leather. I can give you that. But there's nothing in Hellcat's character that even vaguely resembles Catwoman.

And they both also swing from Good to Bad frequently. And take up romances with their archenemies. And then dump them for an average Joe (Flash Thompson/Slam Bradley). Hellcat is more like Black Canary.

Loving the fur coat.

[Troy Brownfield]

Also, for the record, Hellcat predates Black Cat by about three years (at Patsy herself goes back further, into the '40s. Long story.).

[XtonyXstarkX]

Originally Posted by adamcasey

Trademarks won't renew themselves!

I lol'd


seriously

[BamaRainbow]

Originally Posted by Moosarama

I always despair a little when they emphasize "the Marvel U" as revolving around the United States. Granted, that's where most of the characters live and where most of the writers and editorial are from, but come on - you have a whole universe to work with, don't limit yourselves.

Um, where else would the "Fifty State Initiative" take place? France? China?

[Chuck Fiala]

I think that it's great that they will continue the Patsy Walker character. I always thought it was pretty funny that Marvel revived a dormant "Girl Comic" character as a super-heroine.

And that she has become something of a fan-favorite as Hellcat, is pretty cool. It seems that the folks in charge at Marvel are fans, and that they want do do what's right with the characters.

[Samy Merchi]

Originally Posted by BamaRainbow

Um, where else would the "Fifty State Initiative" take place? France? China?

I think the point was that all the stories don't have to be about the "Fifty State Initiative". They could have had Patsy relocate to France or China and come up with a *different* story to tell than yet another angle on the "Fifty State Initiative".

In a way, the Initiative has become a crutch for Marvel, the same kind that "oh, we'll just make him a mutant" was for creators a few years ago when they didn't want to come up with an origin story. Now, when creators don't feel like coming up with an original plot, they just pull up something with the Initiative. It's starting to get weary. Surely there are other stories to tell in the galaxy. (Thanks to Marvel for Annihilation.)

[brett123]

Originally Posted by BamaRainbow

Um, where else would the "Fifty State Initiative" take place? France? China?

Iraq.

Afghanistan.

Other future colonies of the U.S.S.A...

[Dream Boy]

Sadly, I think it's an April's Fools gag. Wish it wasn't as I love Hellcat. But I just don't see this as being a real project.

[CaptainCanad]

Originally Posted by Dream Boy

Sadly, I think it's an April's Fools gag. Wish it wasn't as I love Hellcat. But I just don't see this as being a real project.

It went up April 4th, though; and everything else in the interview seems legit.