Black Widow (2019 series)

[OOTCS]

Today's issue was so fun! I love a Natasha who knows what she wants and dgaf. I have a good feeling about this series...

[responsarbre]

I definitely enjoyed this. I’m happy to see a Widow series that (hopefully) doesn’t touch the Red Room for once

It just kind of sucks that the minute she gets a new story, it’s back to zero for her supporting cast. Unless they’re a major superhero, they never get carried through future stories :/

[OOTCS]

Yeah, that's the biggest problem with all these reboots. Nat has had a lot of solo issues come out over the years but with all the reboots of her series, she has no recurring supporting cast except for Yelena (who hasn't shown up in a Nat story since... Dark Reign? Unless you count TOS, but she didn't actually do anything there) and Ivan (who's dead, also during Dark Reign).

[LooneyKoala]

I’m a massive fan of the Soska Sisters’ film work So was obviously really looking forward to this, it was the first comic I read this week and honestly feel really disappointed. It pretty much sums up my feelings about a lot of Marvel right now (Immortal Hulk is the big exclusion because that is doing everything perfectly!!) in that it has bland art, bland storytelling and tries too hard to be fun to the point of being dragged out of the story. It felt like this could be featuring any character other than Nat and aside from the finer details it would remain exactly the same. These feelings were reinforced when I then proceeded to read Gideon Falls, WicDiv and The Batman Who Laughs, all of which are perfect (and completely different) examples of how comics should be done.
Maybe I’m being too harsh, maybe I’ve just reached the end of my tether with the majority of what Marvel is putting out these days, but to me this was extremely bland and I have no interest in picking up the next issue.
Really hoping that this is an editorial issue as so much of Marvel’s current output feels this way (more fantastic books like Immortal Hulk and Lemire’s Sentry please!!!) rather than a show of the Soska’s comic writing ability. Hopefully we’ll get a creator owned series from them soon enough where they can do what they do best and be the Twisted Twins Of Horror!! (Still eagerly awaiting their Kickstarter book, I have no doubt it will be better than this!!)

[SlimJ87D]

Can someone answer this question for me? Does Natasha remember her relationship with Bucky or not?

[OOTCS]

Can someone answer this question for me? Does Natasha remember her relationship with Bucky or not?

It seems that she could have gotten her memories back a number of ways, but no confirmation yet. I asked Matt Rosenberg this on Twitter a few months ago and he said he couldn't answer.

[Winterboy]

Can someone answer this question for me? Does Natasha remember her relationship with Bucky or not?

Yep.

Since Waid & Samnee's run.
moon.jpg


and after her death in (awful) Secret Empire...
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[Winterboy]

Packing...
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Sad...
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[SlimJ87D]

Yep.

Since Waid & Samnee's run.
moon.jpg


and after her death in (awful) Secret Empire...
letter.jpg

Yeah I remember those panels. It's just not a definite conformation for me. Did she read reports and has intel on their past? Or does she officially remember? I wish there was a yes or no answer from Marvel. I like to believe she remembers, but a part of me always has doubt and I'd like for that doubt to go away.

[MajorHoy]

Yeah I remember those panels. It's just not a definite conformation for me. Did she read reports and has intel on their past? Or does she officially remember? I wish there was a yes or no answer from Marvel. I like to believe she remembers, but a part of me always has doubt and I'd like for that doubt to go away.

Could also be she has some but not all of those memories back, too . . .

[millernumber1]

Well, I don't think this is anywhere close to Name of the Rose, but it's definitely on the level of the Waid and Edmondson runs in terms of writing. I really appreciate that it's not Red Room again. Not a huge fan of the "kill the snuff film people" plot, since that's a small crime thing, and I think a spy plot needs something bigger. If I were just here for Natasha killing people, maybe I'd be okay with that being the spine of the narrative, but I hope for a bit more than something that small. A villain worthy of Natasha's skills and rage.

I don't know that I agree that Nat is written as generic - I don't think she has a really strong voice, but I don't think she's replaceable with, say Mockingbird. A lot of that is just how tightly the Soskas have tied her to her recent history - and I don't know if I like that (since I hate the clone thing, though it's nice they also see it as something that has negative consequences) - but at least it's not Red Room One Million. I do hope we get some more connections - it's cool to see Tyger again, but I hope we get closer connections, and something good for the future.

[responsarbre]

Something I did like about the way they wrote her voice is that she did talk and make snippy remarks. I think Waid and especially Edmondson had her a little too quiet. I kind of prefer to see a sharp, dark wit.

I agree that the plot feels very meh for a spy book; it feels Punisher-y not just in Natasha’s lethality but in the set-up. Also, something about the idea of Natasha having a killer instinct that she needs to satisfy when she’s upset doesn’t really track for me, but obviously she’s in unusual circumstances.

[tliscord]

You know as much as I want an on going series with her, her best moments, just so damn good was with a strong cast.

....including these moments

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Any doubt how brutal she is flicking that lighter, tossing it at her alcohol soaked prey?

Her companionship and loyalty

Just how good a teammate she is

Fury, James, and the Avengers ... she has shined so well.

She’s an extraordinary character that doesn’t have to live in a vacuum.

[Dylan Davison]

I really liked this issue. Never been a huge Widow fan, checked it out cause of the writers. Going to keep reading, for sure!

[Seren]

Well, I don't think this is anywhere close to Name of the Rose, but it's definitely on the level of the Waid and Edmondson runs in terms of writing.

To my understanding, apparently the Waid/Samnee run was really Samnee's pitch from the get go. He'd script and draw it, and Waid would polish the dialogue. Black Widow was Samnee's baby.