Iron Cat #4 Review

iron cat #4 kicks off with an argument that really gets to the heart of Tony Stark’s problem with Black Cat: Not only is she an all-around thief and troublemaker (even though she frequently helps other heroes), Tony feels like don’t see the bigger picture. While Black Cat typically deals with street-level crime, Iron Man deals almost exclusively with doomsday threats. Every decision he makes in his superhero life and civilian hours has the potential to affect billions – which could be a big part of why he seems so uptight compared to Felicia.

Of course, Felicia understands what’s at stake, and this issue gives her the opportunity to prove it. So does Iron Cat, who realizes how screwed up she has been and tries to help her. What ensues is a near-lengthy action/chase sequence, thrillingly drawn by Pere Pérez and colored by Frank D’Armata. The latter is particularly lucky to shine, as the various armors always jump off the page when submerged in murky waters or going through dark sewer tunnels. Another chase climax is a sequence in which the three heroes (well, a hero, an anti-hero, and a repentant supervillain) and the possessed Iron Man suits dodge each other’s explosions, which gives a moment that feels like a mortal. (but bright and exciting!) ballet.

All the while, the trio trade barbs and banter back and forth. It’s great fun, but it also gives Jed MacKay a chance to offer readers some insight into the history and baggage between Felicia and Tamara. They reference multiple previous jobs and the shortcomings they see in each other, bickering like only bitter exes can, and it goes a long way to fleshing out their story.

Meanwhile, no matter how casually he speaks out loud, the narration boxes tell us that Tony Stark is anything but cold. It’s not the first time he’s come up against his own technology being used against him, but he can’t help but think that one wrong move from one of them will lead to a lot of death and destruction. destruction, especially since the villain they face this time cannot be killed or incarcerated like most other threats.

Unfortunately, beyond the hook that she can vastly outrun and overtake many of Tony’s moves, Madame Menace just isn’t that interesting of a villain. Many of its lines are proclamations of assured victory and plenty of jubilation, but there’s not much else to cling to. Maybe she doesn’t need to have a terribly compelling motivation beyond revenge, but she kind of feels “the same” throughout this particular issue.

Overall, this is a solid problem full of exciting, high-stakes action. Tony and Felicia’s character explorations are still the most intriguing aspect of this miniseries, and I’m excited to see where the pair will end up when the dust finally settles in next month’s finale.