Natasha Romanov: Black Widow Appreciation 2019

[millernumber1]

Went to GalaxyCon in Minneapolis today, and got this issue starring Natasha (one of my favorite issues) signed by Mark Bagley - and he mentioned he was a last minute artist, and had to draw his stuff in just three days!

[ed2962]

I liked Yelena, and the action in this issue was kind of fun, but the art felt a bit less powerful this issue than the last two. And the writing remains really, really cliched.

I thought the writing was ok, but I agree about the art. I'm shocked at how rushed it looks.

[millernumber1]

I thought the writing was ok, but I agree about the art. I'm shocked at how rushed it looks.

There was just a lot of face inconsistency that seemed odd.

[Witchfan]

Web of Black Widow #2 fell to 21,313 copies in sales, which is not good. Natasha isn't doing well as a solo act.

[millernumber1]

Web of Black Widow #2 fell to 21,313 copies in sales, which is not good. Natasha isn't doing well as a solo act.

Doesn't help that the last several solo series have kept her in the same relatively unpopular status quo - "solo" Natasha, pushing everyone away for almost all of the run. There's a sense that Marvel doesn't think Nat needs a real change in status quo.

[Matternativ]

Doesn't help that the last several solo series have kept her in the same relatively unpopular status quo - "solo" Natasha, pushing everyone away for almost all of the run. There's a sense that Marvel doesn't think Nat needs a real change in status quo.

Agreed. But we've been preaching this for years now.
I'm not saying she has to be reinvented but I'd love to see a new team up book even if it's just Bucky again.


Ideally it would be Jess in my book but welp.
I don't think this current solo suffers only from being the same old song but also from the fact that it has a constant "find out in teh next episode" vibe without getting much plot done.
If done wrong that makes people lose interest.

[millernumber1]

Agreed. But we've been preaching this for years now.
I'm not saying she has to be reinvented but I'd love to see a new team up book even if it's just Bucky again.

Ideally it would be Jess in my book but welp.
I don't think this current solo suffers only from being the same old song but also from the fact that it has a constant "find out in teh next episode" vibe without getting much plot done.
If done wrong that makes people lose interest.

It's so frustrating. What's the one Nat story that people seem to be pretty unified on enjoying? Name of the Rose. When Natasha had not just a regular love interest, but also a LOT of friends and relationships. Her story was still very dark, and she still colored outside the lines - but it wasn't this fake-Batman nonsense.

And the two-parter by KSD I got signed by Mark Bagley - that had her teaming up with Clint and Jessica Drew.

Heck, the current solo using Yelena is good...but you don't really get any sense of the connection between the two that isn't really cliched.

[Matternativ]

It's so frustrating. What's the one Nat story that people seem to be pretty unified on enjoying? Name of the Rose. When Natasha had not just a regular love interest, but also a LOT of friends and relationships. Her story was still very dark, and she still colored outside the lines - but it wasn't this fake-Batman nonsense.

And the two-parter by KSD I got signed by Mark Bagley - that had her teaming up with Clint and Jessica Drew.

Heck, the current solo using Yelena is good...but you don't really get any sense of the connection between the two that isn't really cliched.

Tbf I'd actually prefer another character for the support. Yelena just kinda gets thrown into storylines to fill whatever hole needs filling rather than being her own character at times.

If we would have gotten a new character Nat knows but we don't it would add some intrigue.

[millernumber1]

Tbf I'd actually prefer another character for the support. Yelena just kinda gets thrown into storylines to fill whatever hole needs filling rather than being her own character at times.

If we would have gotten a new character Nat knows but we don't it would add some intrigue.

I mean, my own preference is Emma Frost, but that's just because she and Natasha are two of my favorites I think would be fun to see together. But I quite like Yelena - I just prefer her stories to be much more complicated, like the Grayson/Rucka run with the two of them (as silly and Face/Off wannabe as that was), instead of this cliche "fancy meeting you here, fellow spy".

I also liked the lawyer from the Noto/Edmondson run - that's a cool new character who was developed over time.

[Matternativ]

Indeed. One more thing that run did different hence why it's one of my if not my favourite in Nat's back catalogue.

[Agent Z]

I was wondering, what are some people's thoughts on Natasha's use of seduction in some stories?

[Winterboy]

I was wondering, what are some people's thoughts on Natasha's use of seduction in some stories?

Fine by me.
Honeytraps and seduction are perfectly common in the world of espionage but l don't see Natasha as a spy anymore.
She's too much public.

Below Natasha and Velvet in "action", both draw by Steve Epting.Natasha and Velvet.jpg

[Agent Z]

Fine by me.
Honeytraps and seduction are perfectly common in the world of espionage but l don't see Natasha as a spy anymore.
She's too much public.

Below Natasha and Velvet in "action", both draw by Steve Epting.Natasha and Velvet.jpg

Who's Velvet?

[Matternativ]

I was wondering, what are some people's thoughts on Natasha's use of seduction in some stories?

It's part of her origin story in a way. That said I prefer stories that are low on that front because it's not always written so well.

[macjr33]

I was wondering, what are some people's thoughts on Natasha's use of seduction in some stories?

Like most things, when it's written well it can be great, when it's not it can be pretty bad.

For example, being a Daredevil fan, I enjoyed the scene during "The Widow" arc in the Bendis/Malveev run where Natasha pretends to be a French woman named "Babette" and shows up in a towel in front of Jigsaw and this men and then proceeds to pummel them. Matt's narration while "seeing" the event play out was also quite humorous.