Marvel has a plethora of incredible characters, from heroes to villains and everything in between. However, some of those characters get a lot more time in the spotlight than others. In fact, one of Marvel’s most interesting characters doesn’t get nearly enough recognition, until now.
Black Cat: Discord is a new novel from Cath Lauria and Aconyte Books. In this original story, Felicia Hardy, better known as the Black Cat, meets a young girl who is desperate for her help. Even the queen of thieves can’t resist the cries of a child who has lost her father, even when helping her means crossing paths with just about every notorious gangster and annoying do-gooder in New York.
Aconyte has done a great job delivering new Marvel stories from some very talented authors. Titles like Reign of the Devourer and School of X have been fantastic and give the fans original stories based on some of their favorite characters. And yet, Black Cat Discord may be the best one yet.
First off, this new novel focuses on a very underrated Marvel character: Black Cat. Felicia is the most talented thief in the Marvel universe which makes for a great heist story. On top of that, in a world filled with incredible super-powered individuals, this is a character who has to rely on her own skills (and yes, some very minor powers) without being able to fly or lift a bus over her head. And best of all, she does all of this with a touch of humor in every thought, which makes her that much more relatable.
Lauria does as good a job handling this character as any comic writer ever has. It’s impossible for readers not to connect with Black Cat as this novel lets us inside her every thought and humanizes her while still allowing he to be as cool as possible. Everything from her dialogue to her actions are going to do nothing but delight fans of this character.
And then there’s the story itself. Black Cat comes in contact with a young girl in need of her help. She reluctantly accepts the challenge of finding this girl’s kidnapped father, which seems like a simple enough story. Enter: golden, wish-granting apples. The world has been turned upside down by these mysterious magical fruit that have been popping up and now everyone wants to get their hands on the next one. In a business that relies on a lot of favors, you can bet Black Cat is going to be asked about that apple on numerous occasions.
You don’t even necessarily need to be a big fan of Black Cat in order to love Black Cat: Discord. Maybe you’re a fan of some other, more mainstream characters. The odds are good that at last one of your favorite characters make an appearance in this novel because it features more Marvel cameos than you can shake a magical apple stem at. Spider-Man is always a safe bet when we’re talking about Black Cat, but Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist and many others also have a role to play.
There’s no question Black Cat: Discord is one of the most fun Marvel novels you can pick up. It takes a fantastic character and throws her a wildly fun original story that is jampacked with other beloved characters. It’s also loaded with both hilarious and heartfelt moment so be ready to feel all of the emotions before to crack open that cover. Mostly though, just be ready for a whole lot of fun.
You can order Black Cat: Discord now.