Super-thief Felicia Hardy has broken into some of the most high-security facilities in the Marvel Universe. (Not bad for someone who has an early history as little more than Spider-Man’s love interest.) Late this summer Jed MacKay (the writer responsible for Felicia’s recent swagger) sends Felicia on a mission to steal her most unique treasure yet in Black Cat #8. Artist C.F. Villa gives Black Cat’s latest adventure the necessary weight and drama, anchored-in as it is by atmosphere courtesy of colorist Brian Reber. It’s the opening of a whole new Infinity Score story for the Black Cat.

Felicia has had a lot to deal with lately. There’s been tension and betrayal and the entirety of Manhattan nearly falling to the same ancient god deep beneath the earth. She’s had kind of a lot going on. And she’s got kind of a lot going on now as well. Someone has hired her to steal something from a place so secure that it doesn’t really need to be. She’s broken into some of the most secure places imaginable, but what happens when what she’s stealing is a lot more dangerous than where she’s stealing it from? Felicia isn’t going to get a whole lot of rest at the end of this summer.

MacKay keeps finding ways to keep the greatest thief in the Marvel Universe active and interesting. This is a hell of a feat, given how much she’s been through. Having stolen a variety of rare artifacts from a whole bunch of different places, she stealing something mysterious from a secret facility...with almost no security. MacKay keeps the real mystery sealed up until the end as Felicia finds herself up against Nick Fury himself in a very, very dangerous encounter for the Black Cat. The head-to-head between Fury and Felicia picks up momentum right away and just keeps going. MacKay balances intrigue with action in another enjoyable outing with one of Marvel’s most charming characters. 

Villa renders a range of different modes and moods in the issue. Felicia’s reluctance to enter into another job is breathtakingly rendered in a few isolated panels at the beginning of the chapter. Silent moments of stealth feel suitably moody thanks to some very smartly laid out pages that are given depth and atmosphere by Reber’s colors. Manhattan at night looks every bit as gorgeous as it’s ever looked in the pages of a Marvel comic.

Above and beyond all else, MacKay is doing an outstanding job of maintaining a solid character arc for Felicia. She’s gone through a great deal of development in the course of MacKay’s time with her. Given all that she’s been through and where she’s likely to go with her latest job, it’s going to be interesting to see where MacKay takes her from here. She’s already cycled through so many weird corners of the Marvel Universe, and now she’s shooting right out into a heist with cosmic-level implications. MacKay’s going to have to tread deftly through his latest series with Black Cat. 

Grade: B+