The fight we’ve all been waiting for, Silk vs. Black Cat. Oh wait, that happened in 3? And 5? Well, third time is the charm.

Silk #6: Push & Shove

Writer: Robbie Thompson

Artist: Stacy Lee

Colorist: Ian Herring

C.Artist: Dave Johnson

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Editors: Devin Lewis & Nick Lowe & Ellie Pyle

Editor-In-Chief: Axel Alonso

Recap: When we last left Cindy, she had been captured by Black Cat’s tech guy, who was secretly working for the man who abducted Cindy’s family, and was about to be cut her open. As she struggles to free herself, he monologues about her family and the futility of escape and what he’s about to do to her. 

Across town, Spider-Man discovers Black Cat in the ruins of a exploded building and expresses concern for Cindy’s safety. Cat promises she’s still alive, but not for long and takes off.

Cindy is forced to break one of her hands to free herself but before she can dish out a beat down, Black Cat arrives. She inadvertently kills tech guy and Cindy goes feral, furious at losing the one lead she had on her family. Cat barely manages to escape and Spider-Man shows up to talk Cindy down and comfort her.

Cindy returns to the bunker, discovering secret cameras within it. She threatens whoever is watching and then decides to call the shrink Reed suggested for her. Contemplating her next move, she comforts herself by saying it’s not the end of the world as the final Incursion of the 616 Universe begins.

Thoughts: You would think that three fights with the same villain in such close proximity would grow tiresome on a reader, but this issue really delivers. Robbie Thompson, Stacy Lee, and Ian Herring bring to life a creatively charged fight that spins out of the brief violent history crafted between Cindy and Felicia and it is very gratifying to see Cindy kick her ass for once.

And if you want to talk fighting, I once again have to praise the art team above all. I love this creative team and this may be their darkest issue yet, something Lee and Herring really sell. The whole issue has a very cinematic feel to it, as a dark and gloomy build up leads into a fight in the rain between Cat & Cindy. Hair looks heavier, environments look slicker, and you see red engulf Cindy as she lets loose her rage. And it still blows my mind how they convey so much emotion with characters whose faces are partially or completely concealed behind masks. Darkness never leaves this issue until the very end when Cindy decides to turn to others for aid (and even then, darkness in the form of the final Incursion looms in the background.)

If I have a gripe with this issue, it’s that we come so close to the answers the story has been building to, only to have them yanked away. However, I don’t feel pissed that we didn’t get them, as we made a bit of progress with Cindy’s quest, with her discovering the hidden cameras in the bunker. And a ton of progress with the character herself, as she let her anger consume her but fought her way back and learned it was time she saw someone for the damage her psyche has gone through since the days of her self-imposed imprisonment. The scene she has with Peter at the end of the issue is a small part funny (“you have the worst timing”), a little endearing (see picture), but quite a bit heart breaking (“It’s just… Freedom is hard.”)

It’s a shame that the Sinister Silk story line doesn’t start until relaunch, since Issue 6 seems like a perfect place to do it. 

Verdict: Silk continues to be my favorite Spider-Female title. Robbie Thompson, Stacy Lee, and Ian Herring took a character that many, myself included, believed to be pretty pointless and gave us a conflicted yet driven heroine. And damn, does this issue make you feel for her. I do feel everything we see in this issue is building to the Sinister Silk, but I’m much more interested in where that storyline could go now that we’ve seen Cindy lose it in battle. With one issue left before relaunch, Cindy is at her lowest and has to not only face her anger but the end of the world. I’m pretty excited.

Pros:

• The Art Team
• The Humor
• The Stakes
• Excellent Use of Spider-Man
• Character Building
• Emotional Investment in Cindy

Con:

• Plot Progresses Slower Than Cindy Develops

A