"The Lady & The Tigra"

I bought Spidey Super-Stories about the same time as I did my other comic books. I didn't realize that this new Spider-Man title was meant for kids younger than I, but this blunder turned out to be fortuitous. It was in those pages that I was introduced to the Cat.

I remember the story well. The plot was simple. Spidey and the Cat team up to fight the Owl who has been targeting high rises for robbery. I loved the Cat. She reminded me of Batgirl. She was, as far as I knew, a non-powered crimefighter with a few gadgets such as a cat-claw grappling hook. She was also athletic, smart, tough and effective.

I looked for her appearance on every comic book cover, but could not find any more signs of the Cat. It wasn't until I purchased a striking issue of Marvel Team-Up that the penny dropped. This "new" character, Tigra, was the Cat and I loved her even more in this powerful form beautifully illustrated by John Byrne.

Tigra, simply put, is my all-time favorite Marvel character. I have an emotional investment in her that I usually reserve for pre-Crisis DC heroes. So, yes, there is reviewer bias here, but consider this. If Tigra was characterized poorly in Marvel Adventures Avengers, I would be sharpening my knives. For instance, despite my overall admiration for John Byrne's work, I nevertheless must be honest and identify him as the second worst Tigra writer in the field. He's one of the best Tigra artists in the business, but in his run of West Coast Avengers, the best Byrne could do is de-evolve Tigra and simply write her as a kitty cat. This is, of course, still better than the slime trail Brian Bendis had prepared for Tigra.

Paul Tobin proves himself a superior Tigra writer. His "The Lady & the Tigra" delightfully recreates Tigra's personality for all-ages. His decision to make her a private investigator indicates a writer who bothers to research his subject. Tigra was an associate of Jessica Drew who, even when Spider-Woman, set up shop as a detective. It's a small step from being an associate to licensed private investigator, especially in fiction.

Tobin in the story makes full use of Tigra's abilities. She uses scent to decide whether or not the evidence for trust is backed by pheromones. He exemplifies her extraordinary tracking skills. He gauges her speed to that of Spider-Man, which recalls scenes in Marvel Team-up when Spidey expresses amazement over her power. In the story she draws upon her stealth to stay out of sight, or so she thinks. She exhibits intelligence, bravery, strength, a sense of humor and agility when fighting the Griffin, our Big Bad of the book. I ask you, what's not to love?

In addition to outstanding Tigra characterization, Tobin displays an accomplished knack for writing characters that are at ease. Tigra follows the Avengers as they simply hang-out. Tobin must therefore create situations and dialogue that will accomplish three things: the elements must be normal, they still must be interesting, and they still must suit the characters' personalities.

Tobin's treatment of women must also be noted. While some books feature female characters who have problems with geometry or never were computer whizzes, in Marvel Adventures Avengers Janet Van Dyne alias Giant Girl is thinking of learning how to speak Maori.

Matteo Lolli and Christian Dalla Vecchia are superb when illustrating Tigra. She's exotic, powerful looking and bestowed feline grace in action. At the same time they understand that she's a human being and not totally feline. In one scene, Tigra wiggles her toes as she sits and eats a sandwich on a rooftop. Despite having fur and stripes, a pigeon acts unafraid when cooing around her, and unlike the Byrne Tigra, Greer has no interest in raw squab.

Since this story is essentially a detective story, Lolli and Vecchia adhere to angles suiting the genre. They frequently place Tigra in the background or in the forced perspective foreground to emphasize her point of view. She is observing the Avengers, who Lolli and Vecchia render in action, or at rest, with considerable skill. Ulises Arreola's vivid, lush colors bring a sense of visual continuity without masking Lolli's and Vecchia's style, and I love his choice to give Tigra glowing green catlike eyes.

Marvel Adventures Avengers will appeal to fans of Tigra and this incarnation of the Avengers. Tobin, Lolli, Vecchia and Arreola respect Tigra and all of the heroes.

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