From Comic Book Resources, there is a new interview with Spider-Man Editor Nick Lowe about the upcoming Spider-Verse event and what is going for all of the Spider-Man books before they talk at SDCC. This part stuck out the most about why Black Cat is acting the way she is and her costume redesign.
Nick Lowe: Well, Dan [Slott] talked about it a little in the script, and Humberto [Ramos] sent in one design and it was awesome. It was a very easy process! But the big thing that Humberto did with the design that I loved was that Humberto made it so that the only white was her hair, and really dug into the black in the fur around her collar and elbows — and that cool belt/tail accessory. His redesign is, I think, so freaking cool.
Well, it was all story-based. She went through a big change, getting her secret identity outed and her life torn apart. We wanted something to reflect that, of course — but nothing’s sacred. I was on the X-Men books for a long time, and within that time we had three or four major whole group costume change. But for me, that’s half the fun of comics. It’s something Steve Wacker did great with Dan Slott before my time on the Spidey books. The amount of costumes they’ve had in the past couple years I’ve found astonishing, cool and just fun — especially for a character like Spidey. I love it in comics when someone’s costume changes, even if it’s just for a little while — trying something out and seeing how it goes. Plus, you get to see the rage and fire-up, then people missing it after it’s gone. It cracks me up.
Special thanks for CBR for the interview please check them out for some great sneak peeks at Superior Foes and Spider-Man 2099. But what are everyone’s thoughts on why Black Cat is acting the way she is?
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To show you how backwards Marvel have their prioritises I hate every change they’re putting Felicia through EXCEPT for her costume. I don’t mind/actually like her new costume. It’s not the costume that anyone has a problem with.
@#22- I’m not even touching that one it’d take too long.
@21 I dunno, I think Slott’s Peter Parker is pretty earnest, well-meaning and optimistic, isn’t he? Yes, he has a certain wry sense of humour, but he’s just as trying-to-do-the-right-thing as he’s always been.
Based on reading his stuff, including his on-line rants, I think Dan Slott holds a cynical, pessimistic outlook on life. So his heroes often act stupidly, mockingly, or self-defeatingly. I cannot imagine Slott writing a straight-forwardly earnest, virtuous character. Can you imagine Slott writing Captain America or Superman, without questioning their ideals or having their actions backfire? Neither can I.
@16 you couldn’t have said it better. All these great characters and slott writes them like he has it out for them.
As a writer myself, I completely agree, there comes a fine line between plot, character and world building. The problem is when you sacrifice character for your plot instead of naturally having it flow into the world you have created. That’s when it gets messy and sadly at times, goes way off the tracks.
I think fiction writing is a multi-compartment talent. There’s a lot that goes into it, as I’ve learned from my son who graduated with a degree in the area. There is world-building, plotting, pace, characterizations, dialogue, tone/mood. I don’t see Slott doing much of anything with world-building, though let’s grant that a setting is handed to you on a plate when you write a licensed character. But you still need to expand or deepen the world you’re given. Like I said, he seems to be a plot-machine. But his characterizations are consistently “off”, sometimes extremely so. On a lesser point, in the past he also often spoiled mood by the need to be jokey. His approach is for a plot to override almost everything else.
#14
Hit great points there Jack. I can deal with his version of Peter but Slott’s handling of MJ, Jameson and the horrible character assassination of Black Cat shows that he doesn’t get the characters and just writing them to fit his story lines. There is no natural flow or anything. I mean show of example of Geoff Johns moving Sinestro into a more gray villain, he did it slowly. He had him reappear in modern comics being the evil guy but he moved him more to his current status slowly. He didn’t do it in one issue and he sure didn’t give him excuses like: “It’s all Spider-Man’s fault my rep is ruined.” As he’s put Black Cat and Jameson’s reasons. He’s made them one note and turned them around without any natural reasons.
More bad writing. We’re watching the BBC series MERLIN on Netflix, and I see how they are slowly turning Morgana to the dark side. They did it slowly, cleverly, and logically. This, in contrast, is bad writing: rushed, clumsy, and illogical.
But how is this any different from what Slott has already done? He disgorges plot like a machine, but he is an awful “character-izer.” His Peter is an ADD-addled 17 yr old with no dignity or self-respect, his MJ is a dolt, his Jameson became a murderous loon. And now his Black Cat is a multiple 1st-degree-murderer. Talk about character assassinations!
#12
That’s the thing, I could see Felicia going: “That’s it, I tried to be the hero and it all went down the drain.” “I’m looking out for me now.” That I could buy but to the point she purposely directed lightning to kill someone. Rather have a firefighter and victims trying to be saved from a fire just to kill Spider-Man because he ruined “her rep”. That is not someone scorned and figuring, forget it. That’s a person who all of a sudden put the evil switch on and went: “Bah, let everyone die!” “I want to steal again!”
This really doesn’t address the change in character at all, which I hate, just the costume change, which I kind of like. I really hope this “version” of Black Cat is short lived, I’m fine with her being a “bad guy” but I’m not cool with her being straight up evil.
Of course we all have to remember that the real reason that Felicia became a thief because she wanted revenge on a college guy raping her and not because of her dad. Then he of course died in a car accident before she could enact her revenge and then she went out to be a bad guy. Sure, because being angry that your attacker was killed before you could kill him yourself. Means you have to then go steal from rich people and then decide: “Hey, how about I steal from Maggia members and the Kingpin.” “More fun and this way I’m not thought as the villain.”
Joe Quesada : Axel Alonso = Steve Wacker : Nick Lowe ???
@8 – I was hopeful the new editor wasn’t like that old one, despite my cynicism.
@#4
You expected it to?
Hey, remember when Felicia and Spidey were having mask sex and she was selling his blood? And everyone was saying how she was being written completely out of character? Who would have guessed that a few years later those would be the good old days for Felicia compared to what we have now.
(I didn’t get any emails about these follow-up comments; hopefully I’ll get the subscription email for this one)
There hasn’t been a writer in years who can figure out what the hell to do with Peter Parker past the age of 22. I was in favor of him being killed off for real for this reason alone, he’s long outlived his usefulness. Spider-Man I like, Peter Parker – enough. I had no problem with the change to Otto and I’d welcome Otto back in an instant.
The situation is worse for Felicia. They simply can’t work out what to do with the character. Once she gives up her life of crime… then what? It simply makes no sense that she’d be interested in Peter Parker. He would be beneath her notice, she wouldn’t even think of him let alone find herself forever pining for him or plotting revenge against him. Her character is continually ruined because they have to keep dragging her down so that she doesn’t outshine “Peter Parker”
No George it does not. I say until someone goes: ” this isn’t Felecia” at the Spider House she is going to be ruin into the ground. That’s it I’m writing an article of my own on this.
This did not instill confidence.
So upsetting fans is the point? Wow I’m not that surprised, upset yes but not that surprised this whole spidey team seems to have it out for us yikes
While I understand the change in Black Cat, due to her experience at the hand of Doc Ock/Spider-man, that fact that it’s such a huge change is what’s not sitting well with me. She used to be someone who was fun, yes you would never know on which side of the fence she was, but at least she never over stepped certain lines.
The way I’m reading things now it looks like she is fully ready to cross that line , I believe we saw some evidence of that during her breakout in issue #1 and with issue #3, she just did not care for anyone around her, she was willing to let someone die if it meant getting revenge on Spider-man.
This is not the Felicia I grew up with and followed, now she is someone whose prepared to kill if it meant getting what she wants. I’m sorry, but unless this character change leads to something, I’m not sure if I’m going to be as big a fan I was before this whole superior debacle happened and it saddens me to no end to say it and Yes I DID NOT like superior it was unnecessary and basically ruined Spider-man for me, all I saw was Slott systematically destroying everything I enjoyed about the title, especially Mary Jane Black Cat and even Carlie Copper, yes I like her, and I’m still not over the fact he killed (Maybe) off Silver Sable.
Marvel will have to do something really big to make me care for the title as I use to.
As for the costume change, I’m sure it’s meant to represent Black Cat’s change in attitude, I’m not a big fan of it.
We all say things when we are mad. Just reading the interview I’m like: “really that’s the reason?” Not to mention reading how they enjoy seeing fan boys explode. Just ridiculous.
While I understand the change in Black Cat, due to her experience at the hand of Doc Ock/Spider-man, that fact that it’s such a huge change is what’s not sitting well with me. She used to be someone who was fun, yes you would never know on which side of the fence she was, but at least she never over stepped certain lines.
The way I’m reading things now it looks like she is fully ready to cross that line , I believe we saw some evidence of that during her breakout in issue #1 and with issue #3, she just did not care for anyone around her, she was willing to let someone die if it meant getting revenge on Spider-man.
This is not the Felicia I grew up with and followed, now she is someone whose prepared to kill if it means getting what she wants. I’m sorry, but unless this character change leads to something, I’m not sure it I’m going to be as big a fan I was before this whole superior debacle happened and saddenens me to no end and Yes I DID NOT like superior it was unnecessary and basically ruining Spider-man for me, all I saw what Slott systematically destroying everything I enjoyed about the title, especially Mary Jane Black Cat and even Carlie Copper, yes I like her, and I’m still not over the fact he killed (Maybe) off Silver Sable.
Marvel will have to do something really big to make me care for the title as I use to.
As for the costume change, I’m sure it’s meant to represent Black Cat’s change in her character, I’m not a big fan of it.
Hey, did you hear that? It’s fun to take everything good about a character and flush it down the toilet and completely rewrite their character so that they’re nothing like who they’ve been for decades. It’s neat!
It’s like he thinks everyone is only upset about her costume change. I could give two figs about her costume change, it’s her character assassination that pisses me off.
(I have no idea why I said “two figs”; my rage makes me use old-timey sayings, consarnit!)