I've been expecting great things from this book based on the creative team and characters alone, but there was this nagging doubt in the back of my head as well: Black Cat? Really? Could someone really write an entertaining mini-series focusing on the Black Cat? That nagging doubt is now gone, because the first issue of The Evil That Men Do has the trademark Smith wit, the trademark Dodson cheesecake art and solid storytelling and an intriguing central plot. It doesn't hurt that I have fond memories of the Black Cat/Spider-Man relationship and I'm looking forward to seeing the two together again, but this is readable even for those who don't
remember that period, with strong characterization of both lead characters.
One of the key things to remember when writing Spider-Man is that he has to be funny. Not stupid funny or lame joke funny, as so many poor writers have done and continue to do with him, but actually funny, sort of a decent stand-up comic in spandex. Smith does some hilarious stuff with Spidey, from his running internal narrative to his obscure references and jokes, and it's easy to see that Smith and Spidey may share the same sense of humor. I also enjoyed that Smith is willing to be a bit risqué with the humor, from a laugh-out loud moment of a cop noticing Spidey's figure to Black Cat's surprising double entendre about how to get an actor to talk.
The Dodsons have been getting better with each assignment, and I've also noticed that with each assignment, they have taken on more of a "cheesecake" approach to art. These days, I equate them with Adam Hughes, if Hughes were actually able to maintain a monthly deadline. At any rate, their work here is titillating and fun on the Black Cat and energetic and effective with Spidey.
Given that both of the lead characters are known for aerial acrobatics, it behooves Smith to have artists who can handle such fluid and complex movement, and the Dodsons prove more than capable in that regard with this first issue. The scenes of Spidey trash-can surfing along the street make for a funny and exciting chase scene, and Black Cat's scenes of swinging through the city give the sense of dizzying height and fast movement almost as well as the Spider-Man film did. In fact, my complaint on the art comes from the colors, as Rachel Dodson tries her hand and turns in a job which I would describe as merely adequate. Given how solid the black and white art looked, and how many great colorists Marvel has access to, I was disappointed to see that a more experienced colorist hadn't been chosen to bring the book to life.
Smith mixes screwball romantic comedy with urban crime to create a fun and intriguing first issue, but there are hints of a darker and more super-heroic direction to come in the next few issues. Either way, whether we get a tribute to Hepburn/Tracy movies, Roger Stern Spider-Man comics or a combination of both with interesting new twists, I'm definitely on board for the next chapter.
