Natasha Romanov: Black Widow Appreciation 2020

[Matternativ]

I thought James resembled Gambit more than Bucky lol

Or any other pretty boy with brown hair and stubbles

spoilers:

Am I the only one that found this issue a little lackluster? There was a lot of buildup and intrigue in the previous issues and this just felt... too easy? Like maybe I was reading too much into it with his business trips and such, but if that is really it for James, and he's just some boring pawn in the story then that's pretty disappointing. And it just felt melodramatic and really heavy handed having Natasha profess her love for him multiple times while in such a dire situation. There wasn't enough time and build up for me to care about their relationship, and it felt like she was still fake Natalie so I still didn't care or something? I dunno, it just all felt really off to me, so I'm really hoping there's a big twist in the next issue to pull it all together.

end of spoilers

It certainly felt a little exposition-heavy and quick. But yeah I'd bank on it being mostly a setup for the next issue.

[Winterboy]

Natasha took a page out of the Emma Frost playbook in this weeks Savage Avengers...

She learn from Emma.

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[Frontier]

She learn from Emma.

1.jpg

Ah, not the first time for either of them I see .

[Winterboy]

Attachment 102814
Of course then there's this cover too but then again no serious characterization here either by Coates. At least Ross drew the sh*t out of him .... and the rest. Ahh forgive my digression from Madame Natasha, folks.

Ross's Winter Soldier is great.
bucky.jpg

and I love his classic Black Widow!
ross bw.jpg

[Winterboy]

Ah, not the first time for either of them I see .

Natasha has a history.

[baxer]

She learn from Emma.

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This was actually much better written and seems like Natasha learned wrong

And how unnecessary at that. There's three of them and they needed a distraction to take down two random thugs? Seems right...

That said I still like the take on Natasha in SA better than the one in Coates' Cap book... Man, it's really good to have an ongoing.

I prefer Coates to Duggan, at least Coates respect women and his Captain America book is really good

Or any other pretty boy with brown hair and stubbles

James is really generic and bland. Bucky is bulkier, square jaw

[Frontier]

I prefer Coates to Duggan, at least Coates respect women and his Captain America book is really good

I mean, I don't think Duggan doesn't respect women, even if the scene in question appeals to the lowest common denominator...

[Matternativ]

James is really generic and bland. Bucky is bulkier, square jaw

Honestly despite basically having NPC written on his forehead I feel like he's the most handsomely drawn guy in that book

[Agent Z]

Natasha took a page out of the Emma Frost playbook in this weeks Savage Avengers...

Same writer, same sexism on writing

I still can't believe Marvel let both of those moments go given they've been trying for a more progressive image for the past six years.

And how unnecessary at that. There's three of them and they needed a distraction to take down two random thugs? Seems right...

That said I still like the take on Natasha in SA better than the one in Coates' Cap book... Man, it's really good to have an ongoing.

Natasha herself states that the distraction wasn't needed.

[Panic]

It is trashy and sexist, but it's also probably a shout-out to the famous British comic-strip heroine Modesty Blaise, a spy/adventuress who used that move frequently. I'm surprised Marvel think it's appropriate in this day and age, though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesty_Blaise

[chicago_bastard]

Natasha herself states that the distraction wasn't needed.

Yeah, makes it even worse that she still did it.

[tliscord]

I thought James resembled Gambit more than Bucky lol

spoilers:

Am I the only one that found this issue a little lackluster? There was a lot of buildup and intrigue in the previous issues and this just felt... too easy? Like maybe I was reading too much into it with his business trips and such, but if that is really it for James, and he's just some boring pawn in the story then that's pretty disappointing. And it just felt melodramatic and really heavy handed having Natasha profess her love for him multiple times while in such a dire situation. There wasn't enough time and build up for me to care about their relationship, and it felt like she was still fake Natalie so I still didn't care or something? I dunno, it just all felt really off to me, so I'm really hoping there's a big twist in the next issue to pull it all together.

end of spoilers

Stubble wasn't even very good. A bit thin and sparse.

I agree, little emotional connection for me too, as I'm sure for others. Thompson may have hoped their chosen names might engender more sympathy. I think it's interesting she didn't chose say Ivan, or even Clint, and I am relieved neither was "Nicky". Also not sure the end game for this supposed "cabal" of Widow antagonists. Was the elaborate brainwashing and set up a permanent solution to the BW for them? Hard to imagine they thought this wouldn't have eventually been uncovered despite going to great extremes to "introduce" James and Stevie, and creating an enormous fabricated backstory. To what end?

I assume the child was some type of accelerated in vitro fertilization but who or what James may be is a mystery to me. Clone? Of whom? Or someone off the street that just happens to bear resemblance to Bucky?

Have to say the flashback scenes by Gomez were amazing!

Finally, I'm still not loving the Bucky/Clint team up, for some reason. Didn't feel it worked with Tales of Suspense, and I'm slightly bored with it here, even slightly irritated. But we've already touched upon Marvel's struggle writing the Winter Soldier well in earlier posts. Clint alone may have been a better choice. Yes, and maybe if James had been truly Bucky brainwashed (cause that's his never ending story anyway), I might have found the plot more immediate and accessible.

[chicago_bastard]

Sales figures for #2 are looking pretty good by the way. Of the titles that launched in september it had the best hold and sold more copies than Iron Man #2, Shang-Chi #2, et cetera. Let's hope this wasn't only due to the glorious Campbell variant cover

[Frontier]

I still can't believe Marvel let both of those moments go given they've been trying for a more progressive image for the past six years.

Well, I guess some fans can't complain that there's no shameless fanservice in comics anymore...

Natasha herself states that the distraction wasn't needed.

Y'know, poking fun at a moment by saying it wasn't even needed doesn't really negate the fact that you did it for no reason .

[baxer]

I mean, I don't think Duggan doesn't respect women, even if the scene in question appeals to the lowest common denominator...

It felt disrespectiful to me and specially to the character. I also think this is a major disservice to Thompson's work, we saw Natasha taking a lot more thugs in a harder situations.
We would never have this problem with a male character.

I still can't believe Marvel let both of those moments go given they've been trying for a more progressive image for the past six years.

It's really weird that no editor caught this in 2020. It's a lesson that we have a lot of work to do

Stubble wasn't even very good. A bit thin and sparse.

I agree, little emotional connection for me too, as I'm sure for others. Thompson may have hoped their chosen names might engender more sympathy. I think it's interesting she didn't chose say Ivan, or even Clint, and I am relieved neither was "Nicky". Also not sure the end game for this supposed "cabal" of Widow antagonists. Was the elaborate brainwashing and set up a permanent solution to the BW for them? Hard to imagine they thought this wouldn't have eventually been uncovered despite going to great extremes to "introduce" James and Stevie, and creating an enormous fabricated backstory. To what end?

I assume the child was some type of accelerated in vitro fertilization but who or what James may be is a mystery to me. Clone? Of whom? Or someone off the street that just happens to bear resemblance to Bucky?

Have to say the flashback scenes by Gomez were amazing!

Finally, I'm still not loving the Bucky/Clint team up, for some reason. Didn't feel it worked with Tales of Suspense, and I'm slightly bored with it here, even slightly irritated. But we've already touched upon Marvel's struggle writing the Winter Soldier well in earlier posts. Clint alone may have been a better choice. Yes, and maybe if James had been truly Bucky brainwashed (cause that's his never ending story anyway), I might have found the plot more immediate and accessible.

Seems like they just took some random good looking "james" that looked like Bucky from the street.

Thompson really need to give a good reason for all this work the villains are having with Black Widow. brainwash, give her a fake family, develop a kid (this should be extremey hard and expensive to do).
The endgame must be something big hat they couldn't get without the fake life, maybe some secret that could help them take oer the world. Something really big
This is really a comlicated AF game they are playing with Natasha