Down The Rabbit Hole: Reviewing ‘Jackpot & Black Cat’ #2

Love and friendship can become very tangled affairs. Especially when safety, secrets, and money come into play.

Mary Jane Watson and Felica Hardy’s fledgling friendship is at stake as Jackpot & Black Cat #2 ups the game and lays everything out. This second piece of the duo series comes from Celeste Bronfman, Emilio Laiso, Brian Reber, and Ariana Maher.

Often, one thing that can slow down a lot of stories is saving important revelations for too far into the run. This series avoids that by making sure we know now what the truth of the Obscura situation actually happens to be. Throw in a whole wrench to what the title duo are going through, and good quality drama can add a lot to a story.

That revelation, using good amounts of low-level continuity, and the character interactions are handled so well by Bronfman. Giving each character plenty to do, built on solid foundations of why they would take their routes. It leaves me in a space where I’m very curious to see where it takes MJ and Felicia. Especially since we’re in a spot where both kept things from one another, but only one of them is aware of the other’s deceptions at this point.

Both have their reasons, whether they be heroic, love, or revenge based. Leaving things not so cut and dry, while maintaining who these people are, is a fine line to dance upon. So far, the dance seems like a breeze.

There is a silky-smooth sort of feeling to the visuals, as Laiso really nails a weighty but whimsical tone. Emotions are pretty well captured in the faces and body language, while the action scenes glide by. Solid paneling choices keep everything moving with a sense of depth.

Some of that smoother slick feeling comes from the colors of Reber, who keeps delivering in Felicia’s world. Most of the colors stand in the space of being more natural, toned down in a way, reflecting the reality of the space around the characters. Thus, allowing the more super aspects to be vibrant and pop far more.

Any time Maher is on lettering it’s easy to expect something awesome. Just a lot of care put into capture voices with the right tones, modifiers, and appearance. Allowing emotion and personality to radiate. Keeping to the idea that comics are a fun visual medium, with colors and font changes that deliver on this.

Jackpot & Black Cat #2 is now available from Marvel Comics.