Natasha Romanov: Black Widow Appreciation 2020

[Winterboy]

I don’t know tough choice, brother. You’d give Lark a bit of a scare! Certainly would put me to utter shame.

I really would like to see Lark and Gaudiano drawing Natasha again.

[Winterboy]

Speaking of artists, what are your favorite Natasha artists of all time?

Mine would be in no particular order:

John Romita sr. (for inventing Nat's definite look)
George Perez (because he's George Perez)
Daniel Acuna (maybe the best of the modern ones)
Butch Guice (love it how he incorporated her ballet background into her fighting style and thus made it look the most elegant, also drew a beautiful face)

No particular order.

Gene Colan
Frank Miller (Natasha vs Bullseye)
Jackson "Butch" Guice
Steve Epting
Daniel Acuna
Mike Deodato
Michael Lark

[Electricmastro]

Anyone know the first appearance of the gray suit and short hair? Certainly was a look! It may have been one of the runs by Miller in his DD, but I don’t know who came up with the design. I know she had it during Harris’ stint writing the Avengers.

Frank Miller and Klaus Janson seem to have been the artists who first drew her with the short hair, in Daredevil #187 (October, 1982).

[tliscord]

Ready?

Which Deodato works for you?

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And a bonus Wild Bill Everett rendition (my favorite)
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[Thirteen]

Anyone know the first appearance of the gray suit and short hair? Certainly was a look! It may have been one of the runs by Miller in his DD, but I don’t know who came up with the design. I know she had it during Harris’ stint writing the Avengers.

DAREDEVIL #187 (October 1982) according to a few sources...
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_1_187
https://www.writeups.org/black-widow...-comics-1980s/



And while the new look was technically on the cover of the following issue, #187 only showed Natasha’s body as a black silhouette.
The grey costume seems to have made its first full cover appearance months later in DD #201

[tliscord]

I searched Black Widow on Unlimited site and found some interesting things. DD issue 188 had splash page of the gray look (right after your observation in 187). That came out in November of 1982.

However Marvel Fanfare written and drawn by Macchio and Perez featured her older style and was published in September of ‘83!

Seems as if Macchio and Perez didn’t get the memo from Miller and Janson

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[tliscord]

By 1984, both Marvel Team Up and the Avengers had her shorter hair and new costume. In fact that Avengers issue 239 was the first meeting of Mockingbird and Nat to my knowledge. Love how Milgrom includes the long haired wig!

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Seems Stern and Milgrom were hedging a bit tossing out the gray for blue

[Thirteen]

By 1984, both Marvel Team Up and the Avengers had her shorter hair and new costume. In fact that Avengers issue 239 was the first meeting of Mockingbird and Nat to my knowledge. Love how Milgrom includes the long haired wig!

D42AF401-A1EF-43A8-B6A9-1393238E5E0B.jpg005CFE33-C46F-49EC-8682-5FE9B71A3B4C.jpg

Seems Stern and Milgrom were hedging a bit tossing out the gray for blue

That Avengers #239 panel detail speaks volumes for the ‘ol Marvel Bullpen covering its bases and each other’s backs. It’s unlike something we would see today in terms of a continuity touch.

[chicago_bastard]

Really tough choice. I love your picks. As a contemporary to Romita Sr I’d have to add Gene Colan, but in the same breath there is a Bill Everett depiction that is iconic too. If you find it admire it because it’s amazing.

Guice I’d never bet against. One of my favorites. In my mind he’s the closest to Colan’s work which for me remains unassailable! I do think Lui and Acuna’s brief run wears well and is a modern day classic that is completely under appreciated.

Perez may be the only one of your list I take exception to, but no denying his work is legendary.

Finally I did enjoy Samnee’s take which is weird considering his more cartoonish rendition flies in the face of Gene Colan, but then again what do I know

Thanks for the reply, guess I'll have to check out Colan and Everett. Have to admit I'm not too proficient in the old Daredevil stories. Apart from some exceptions like Claremont I'm not the biggest fan of how Natasha was portrayed in that pairing, I somehow enjoy the old stories with Spidey more.

[chicago_bastard]

No particular order.

Gene Colan
Frank Miller (Natasha vs Bullseye)
Jackson "Butch" Guice
Steve Epting
Daniel Acuna
Mike Deodato
Michael Lark

That's a cool list. Wasn't on my radar that Miller had already drawn Natasha in the 70s, I always associate him with her 80s look. So that infamous panel with the hairdryer is by him.

[chicago_bastard]

I searched Black Widow on Unlimited site and found some interesting things. DD issue 188 had splash page of the gray look (right after your observation in 187). That came out in November of 1982.

However Marvel Fanfare written and drawn by Macchio and Perez featured her older style and was published in September of ‘83!

Seems as if Macchio and Perez didn’t get the memo from Miller and Janson

16810F65-7076-420D-BAEF-09F5B0F76DA8.jpg8B17DB94-4B4B-44DE-896C-DA3FFAA7596F.jpg

63946F15-D529-4125-B1E9-11B39523355A.jpg

Some time ago I read in an article that Macchio and Perez had finished that story already in the late 70s or early 80s but at that time Marvel didn't have a book to put it in so it was shelved. When Marvel started the Fanfare series they decided to publish the story there, thus ignoring that Natasha had gotten a different look in the meantime.

[Winterboy]

Ready?

Which Deodato works for you?

I love both but my favorite Natasha is in Hickman's Avengers #11 and Infinity Wars #1.


Bad@#$ Superspy.
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[Winterboy]

INFINITY WARS.jpg

[Dermie]

Ready?

Which Deodato works for you?

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FCA0B14B-B637-4FCE-B4FF-A7A1A8A343BC.jpg

Deodato's work has come a long way since those 90s AVENGERS issues! In some panels of those issues, Tasha's breasts looked like they had been replaced with torpedoes that were going to fire out of her chest at any moment.

[Winterboy]

Deodato's work has come a long way since those 90s AVENGERS issues! In some panels of those issues, Tasha's breasts looked like they had been replaced with torpedoes that were going to fire out of her chest at any moment.

90s' comics.

Just take a look on Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri....just the same thing.