Black Widow (2014) #1-4

Black Widow #1-4

Originally released in 2014

Written by Nathan Edmondson

Art by Phil Noto




One character who I haven't focused on much is Black Widow, so when I saw one of her series listed in Marvel Unlimited as a good entry point for comics, I decided to read some of that.  Seemingly made in the aftermath of the 2012 Avengers movie (or maybe in the lead-up to 2015's Age of Ultron, or possibly around the time of Captain America: The Winter Soldier; I'm guessing it was somehow MCU-related), this series has Black Widow completing mercenary jobs around the world to make up for her past.



What immediately stands out to me is the artwork, which looks like a high quality painting and gives the book a cinematic feel in its page layout and how the images are framed. I haven't read many books that Phil Noto has worked on, but this definitely has me interested in reading more.



Natasha has a lawyer who acts as her handler and accountant, sending her money where she wants it to go. (her intention for the money is vague, though tied to making up for her actions in the past)  The lawyer is unusually good at killing people, so I'm not sure if Natasha hired him for that reason or if she's unaware of it and he has ulterior motives. (whether he's working for the Red Room, or a terrorist organization, or planning to take the money for himself) If he does have ulterior motives, I'm not sure if Natasha would be blindsided by that or be fully aware of it and manipulating him for her own ends.



Each issue plays out like a short spy thriller, which makes perfect sense given who the protagonist is.  They're largely disconnected so far, with no overarching plot tying the targets together (at least, none that's immediately apparent), which makes each issue work as a jumping-on point.



I can see why Marvel Unlimited recommended this as a starting point. As long as you're vaguely familiar with Black Widow from the Avengers movies, you can follow what's going on. There aren't any ties to broader Marvel continuity (at least, not so far - it's not like Captain America or Wolverine shows up), and the closest that there is to an overarching plot is a cat trying to get into Natasha's apartment.



There's a good variety when it comes to settings and set pieces, from a Ukranian embassy to an Argentinian prison. The scenes are well-choreographed, doing well with demonstrating Natasha's stealth skills and martial arts prowess, and showing her heart despite her narration making it clear that she tries to avoid forming attachments with anyone, as those who do have families and close friends in her line of work don't last long.



Issue 4 establishes a recurring threat - a Russian hitman who's a religious zealot, and his mysterious backers, an organization that's seemingly called "Chaos".  Considering that the hitman includes a minigun and grenade launchers as part of his arsenal, subtlety doesn't seem to be in his vocabulary.



It's a good read, and different in terms of tone from other Marvel comics that I've read as of late. (Though that makes sense, given the protagonist; Natasha is a grounded character who's more serious than someone like Hawkeye)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Absolute Martian Manhunter #1-3

Image
Absolute Martian Manhunter #1-3 Originally released in 2025 Written by Deniz Camp Art by Javier Rodriguez FBI agent John Jones has survived a suicide bomber blowing up a coffee shop, though maybe "survived" isn't the right word.  He can see smoke when nobody else can, he's hearing voices in his head, and a mix of Cyclops from the X-Men, Squidward from Spongebob, and Gumby is following him around. Even without that, his life is a bit of a mess.  He refuses to take time off of work, figuring that even taking a week or two off will set the organization back months, while making it seem to his wife like he wouldn't be given time off.  He's growing distant from his son, who may or may not have some kind of powers based on what he makes for his art projects. (Though maybe it's just the alien projecting himself (?) into the model) Compounding the tragedy of all of this is that the book will occasionally introduce Martianvision, a way for you (yes, YOU ) to change...
Read more

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2 #1-2

Image
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2 #1-2 Originally released in 2025 Written by Brian Buccellato Art by Christian Duce I don't think I'll do a full week of Godzilla comics, tempting as though it may be, but seeing as Marvel and DC both have Godzilla crossovers on their apps, I couldn't resist.  Unfortunately, only the first two issues are on there for now, out of a total of seven, so I was only able to access a small part of the story. In the aftermath of Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong, the Titans are stuck in the DC world, with the event being referred to as G-Day.  Weirdly enough, panels state that it's four years after G-Day multiple times in the same issue, even though there aren't any flashbacks or time travel involved, which has me curious if either of those things are going to crop up in future issues. The main difference between this story and the first mini-series is the involvement of the Suicide Squad, which includes Lex Luthor.  In an attempt to...
Read more

Absolute Wonder Woman #1-5

Image
Absolute Wonder Woman #1-5 Originally released in 2024 Written by Kelly Thompson Art by Hayden Sherman Continuing with DC's Absolute line, I wanted to give their take on Wonder Woman a shot.  The main difference between this version and the original is that she no longer has Paradise Island.  Zeus imprisoned the Amazons for some perceived slight, and Apollo brought Diana to the depths of Hell to be raised by Circe, who's traditionally one of her arch-enemies. Despite all this, she's generally as kind and compassionate as the mainstream version, with Circe growing to take the motherhood that was imposed on her seriously and to treat Diana like a daughter. We get brief glimpses of Diana being raised in this environment, and she's a lot of fun at a young age. Diana's first appearance involves saving a city from demonic harbingers that appear from a floating upside-down pyramid.  Looking like a horseman (horsewoman?) of the Apocalypse riding a flying skeletal steed, her...
Read more