Natasha Romanov: Black Widow Appreciation 2020

[responsarbre]

I like the internal monologue, it's been too many stories lately that try to be cagey with what Natasha is thinking. Still a little scared that Natasha will sound like every other Capable Lady Hero that Thompson's been writing, though.

[Sneakronicity]

I've grown so tired of Natasha shutting people out and acting cold towards people she's supposed to care about, so it's nice to see her acknowledge that these relationships are important to her, that she has friends that she loves and wants in her life. I haven't read Thompson's Captain Marvel, but I did enjoy how she wrote Rogue so here's hoping she writes Natasha well.

[Matternativ]

I like the internal monologue, it's been too many stories lately that try to be cagey with what Natasha is thinking. Still a little scared that Natasha will sound like every other Capable Lady Hero that Thompson's been writing, though.

That's not an issue I noticed in the books I've personally read of her tbh.
But she's writing a lot so maybe that comes up in some books.

Anyway: from this preview at least it seems very "Natasha" to me so far.
Pretty hyped for issue #1 for sure.

[Frontier]

I thought her Widow was just "okay" in that Captain Marvel arc during War of the Realms, but the preview sounded good to me too.

[Matternativ]

I thought her Widow was just "okay" in that Captain Marvel arc during War of the Realms, but the preview sounded good to me too.

I haven't read anything Captain Marvel related but I'm curious about that future story with Nat's daughter and everything so I will get around to it eventually.

[OOTCS]

I really hope this whole "Natasha calls Bucky 'Bucky' instead of 'James' now" thing is leading up to a big payoff. Otherwise, what, every single person at Marvel collectively forgot one very specific piece of canon all at once? It's already been established (in the Houser/Mooney miniseries) that she remembers their history again.

[Frontier]

I really hope this whole "Natasha calls Bucky 'Bucky' instead of 'James' now" thing is leading up to a big payoff. Otherwise, what, every single person at Marvel collectively forgot one very specific piece of canon all at once? It's already been established (in the Houser/Mooney miniseries) that she remembers their history again.

To be honest I just chalk it up to either indifference or just not looking that deeply into their history.

[OOTCS]

To be honest I just chalk it up to either indifference or just not looking that deeply into their history.

If it were happening only sometimes, I would think so too, but it's been consistent for a while now (possibly ever since her resurrection, maybe there were one or two instances of her calling him James in Tales of Suspense?), across multiple writers.

[responsarbre]

Natasha calling people by their formal names instead of nicknames is a fun specific bit of characterization I love, but I think writers have collectively all forgotten this. She doesn't call Daredevil "Matthew" anymore (even before she forgot his identity) and she hasn't been calling Bucky "James" either.

In general, I think this is because writers have stopped giving her the old-world, elegant, ~worldly vibe that she used to have, and prefer to give her a "gritty badass" characterization instead.

[Frontier]

Natasha calling people by their formal names instead of nicknames is a fun specific bit of characterization I love, but I think writers have collectively all forgotten this. She doesn't call Daredevil "Matthew" anymore (even before she forgot his identity) and she hasn't been calling Bucky "James" either.

In general, I think this is because writers have stopped giving her the old-world, elegant, ~worldly vibe that she used to have, and prefer to give her a "gritty badass" characterization instead.

She feels more like your average sassy, quippy, female Superhero at times. I'm tempted to think the movie was somewhat responsible for this.

[Matternativ]

Personally I was under the impression she's been pushed too far in the cold/unapproachable corner for a while now and I'd be down with a bit more sass and superheroics.

[Frontier]

Personally I was under the impression she's been pushed too far in the cold/unapproachable corner for a while now and I'd be down with a bit more sass and superheroics.

I think she can be humorous but with a bit more of a subdued, dry, wit. Not saying she should be cold or unapproachable but that's just how I feel her character is.

[Matternativ]

I think she can be humorous but with a bit more of a subdued, dry, wit. Not saying she should be cold or unapproachable but that's just how I feel her character is.

Yeah no, I get it. She's not the Wasp or Spider-Woman.
I just can not think of any examples of her being like them.
At least not recently.
Between Web of Black Widow, that Punisher-lite Black Widow mini and those three Rosenberg books that featured her (tbf I haven't looked deeply into Punisher because it's a punisher book) we haven't seen her being all that sociable, much less Janet/Jess/whoever kinds of sassy.

I feel like maybe you are projecting a little since Thompson will write the next book and she usually goes for a more human/fun approach than some of her peers.

The MCU (and likely the game version) of her is a bit "warmer" in comparison to her recent comic appearances but I really don't mind that. She's still the teams most grounded no nonsense (or subdued as you call it) character alongside the Winter Soldier and Black Panther.

[Frontier]

Yeah no, I get it. She's not the Wasp or Spider-Woman.
I just can not think of any examples of her being like them.
At least not recently.
Between Web of Black Widow, that Punisher-lite Black Widow mini and those three Rosenberg books that featured her (tbf I haven't looked deeply into Punisher because it's a punisher book) we haven't seen her being all that sociable, much less Janet/Jess/whoever kinds of sassy.

I feel like maybe you are projecting a little since Thompson will write the next book and she usually goes for a more human/fun approach than some of her peers.

The MCU (and likely the game version) of her is a bit "warmer" in comparison to her recent comic appearances but I really don't mind that. She's still the teams most grounded no nonsense (or subdued as you call it) character alongside the Winter Soldier and Black Panther.

Admittedly I'm kind of going off of what little of Thompson's Widow I've read and her use in some guest appearances but I'm perfectly content to see what Thompson goes for in the solo book.

I like Johansson's Widow but she's never been my ideal take on Natasha, and Laura Bailey (who's voiced her in the cartoons and games) has never really wowed me in the role either. Vanessa Marshall is more of my go-to for Widow's voice. I'm fine with a warm Widow though.

[Matternativ]

Admittedly I'm kind of going off of what little of Thompson's Widow I've read and her use in some guest appearances but I'm perfectly content to see what Thompson goes for in the solo book.

I like Johansson's Widow but she's never been my ideal take on Natasha, and Laura Bailey (who's voiced her in the cartoons and games) has never really wowed me in the role either. Vanessa Marshall is more of my go-to for Widow's voice. I'm fine with a warm Widow though.

Honestly I'm just hyped for something that isn't a red Room story yet again to the point where I would read that book even if the supposed retirement was real and we just get a fun slice of life story out of this for some raisin.