The Chi-Town Breakdown: MJ/BC #2 (Volume 2)

THE GIST OF IT…  Jed MacKay once again pens Mary Jane and Black Cat.  Felicia and MJ are in limbo and MJ has “Slot-Machine” powers for reasons unexplained...(just saying anything that connects MJ with “Slot”…makes me cringe).  Black Cat had no interest in getting back with Peter Parker, but then “things change” (as Jed MacKay wrote in issue number one) for reasons unexplained.  The whole ASM mystery box is just editorial mandate madness that holds no water and is complete waste of your time and money, but MacKay tries to makes sense of it (very little sense) by dropping veiled hints here and there while telling a story.  Come join me Crawlspacers, I’ll try to entertain you!  No promises though…  HEY!  At least I’M honest with you.

(Writer) Jed MacKay
(Artist)Vincenzo Carratu
(Colorist)Brian Reber
(Editor) Devin Lewis
(EIC) C.B. Cebulski
Date Released 1/11/2023
Issue Number #2  LGY N/A
Price Tag: $4.99

STORY:   The demon known is Belasco is hosting Black Cat and MJ at dinner.  He explains he wants Felicia to steal the “Soulsword” that will grant him the throne of Limbo from Madelyne Pryor and MJ has no choice but to go along with this heist.  They head to the “Screaming Tower” and all creepy eyes are on them (literally), as if two hot girls walked into a comic shop.  Mary Jane continues to be very secretive of what has happened to her during the course of “6 months” and Felicia is keeping MJ in the dark about her and Peter’s (editorial mandate FORCED) “intimate relationship”.  Demons attack and MJ takes a chance with her powers and result is less than impressive.  The two ladies get into a jam and almost fall to their death, but S’ym is there to help.

FACE IT TIGER,:   So now the curtain is being pulled back on what happened to Mary Jane within that SIX MONTHS mystery box that SHOULD HAVE been revealed during issue #6.  No really, Wells admitted that in an interview with Marvel, but he wanted to have unearned story telling fun first.  Anyways, it appears that it may have not been “6 months”.

We know that Peter teamed up with Norman Osborn to go rescue Mary Jane during that time and it is implied in this issue that MJ did some “other worldly adventures”.  Sure, this could have happened during this that time, but who here has seen Avengers: Endgame?  Remember that scene where Scott Lang explains to Steve and Natasha about how time works differently in the Quantum Realm.  Five years to the MCU was only five hours in the Quantum Realm.  So six months to the reader could be six years to MJ.  It’s possible that this is Zeb Well’s game plan and MacKay is just passing the message along in this issue.  It opens the possibility that those kids ARE MJ’s and possibly Peter’s (Peter was with her during that absent time).  These “worldly adventures” could also factor in on who Paul is.  So time shenanigans could be a factor here and I’m not saying that the Quantum Realm factors into a Spider-Man themed comic book, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will hit theaters come Feb 17th.  Ms Marvel was featured in ASM while her series was streaming on Disney+…I’m not saying, I’m just saying…

I can only assume she got her powers during her “worldly adventures”, but at least we know WHY she didn’t use them when she was kidnapped by Moira MacTaggert.  Just like playing a slot machine, you are taking a chance.  Apparently if you get 💀💀💀, the outcome is unbearable to think of.  She’s already experience 💀💀 once and it wasn’t pleasant (please be that be Paul’s origin) and 💀 gives her a “less useful power, so she’s careful on when to use her power.  Despite the odds being in MJ’s favor, I have to give credit to MacKay.  When you have kids, it’s not worth the risk to gamble on chance, despite the odds being your favor.  

GUILTY?:   MJ isn’t the only once keeping a secret.  Felicia is feeling a lot of guilt by not shinning the light on MJ about her and Peter.  MacKay draws a lot of strength when writing Felicia, but this guilt treatment Felicia is feeling is purely based on a “MAYBE” she gave Peter (when he asked her out like a 1980’s nerdy freshman in high school) and solics saying they are “a couple”.  We all know that Felicia has feelings for Peter.  We know that Felicia has been intimate with Peter.  These are facts, BUT so are the understandings that Felicia shares WITH Peter.  She knows that he’ll NEVER approve of her lifestyle as a thief.  She prefers the exciting careless adventurer Spider-Man and not the RESPONSCIBLE super heroic actions of Peter Parker and who Spider-Man is and should be!  MacKay himself wrote that it the Beyond One Shot and then has to do a complete 180 degree turn because of Well’s plot in ASM.

Brad: “…she’s hot.😏”
Chi-Town: “🙄..YOU, are NOT helping.”

Despite that, MacKay does shine on Felica when it comes to how to run a job and where her comfort levels are when doing said job.  It’s actually nice to see her think quick on situations that are out of her control.  (Kinda like how MacKay writing this issue given Well’s ASM plot.  HA, zing!.) 

S’YM:   I got nothing.  Just, WHY?!  You know, if Dark Mark was tackling this issue he probably would go into written essay on the rich history for this X-Men character, but I’m not Dark Mark…so here, enjoy.  Apparently there are interesting parties that want this “Soulsword”, from Demons, to A.I.M, all the way to the Spidey editors at Marvel (LOL).  One sword to rule it all.

NITPICK: 

The only thing you are going to find in that issue is a need for aspirin, because you definitely are NOT going to find “MORE INFO”.   I think the assistant editor needs to find himself a clone name now.

GRADE:   Just like the first issue, it’s about average.  C for me.  The difference between the Beyond One Shot and these two issues (so far) is that the characters were driving the story within, not the story driving the characters.  It’s good that we know a little bit more of the six month mystery box and MJ’s powers, but those are subplots within a mystery plot that are driving these characters within a Marvel event story line, the Beyond One Shot didn’t do that.  Still the art is good and MacKay (as best he can) delivers good banter between Mary Jane and Black Cat.  I want stories of them being “besties”.

Be sure to check out Dark Mark and Ryan “Pain Bot” reviews on ASM that came out today (boy, am I glad I avoided that bullet) and ASM 18 that comes out in two weeks.