Natasha Romanova: Black Widow Appreciation 2022

[chicago_bastard]

So issue#15 is the final issue of this volume of Black Widow, right?

Yeah. I mean still nobody confirmed it officially (at least to my knowledge) but it's obvious.

Meanwhile Marvel published an interview with KT on her BW run: https://www.marvel.com/articles/comi...ator-interview

A bit tone-deaf to do that just when you cancelled the book in question but I guess that's Marvel for you.

[Sneakronicity]

This just strengthens my belief that there's something more to it. If it was cancelled, then what is the advantage of not announcing it? Especially since it's far from last minute. And the fact that KT blatantly ignores every question about it when she's usually very quick to clear any issues up is so strange to me. I feel like it has to be getting rolled into something else or something. There's gotta be more to it than just a cancellation.

[chicago_bastard]

This just strengthens my belief that there's something more to it. If it was cancelled, then what is the advantage of not announcing it? Especially since it's far from last minute. And the fact that KT blatantly ignores every question about it when she's usually very quick to clear any issues up is so strange to me. I feel like it has to be getting rolled into something else or something. There's gotta be more to it than just a cancellation.

You are likely making yourself prone to disappointment.

On another note it looks like you were right with your assumption that Casagrande was struggling with the deadlines. KT confirms they made #13 with a guest artist due to that and in #15 art duties are shared between her and Pimentel.

[Sneakronicity]

You are likely making yourself prone to disappointment.

On another note it looks like you were right with your assumption that Casagrande was struggling with the deadlines. KT confirms they made #13 with a guest artist due to that and in #15 art duties are shared between her and Pimentel.

Oh most likely, setting myself up for disappointment is what I do. It just doesn't make sense to me that Casagrande would basically tell people on insta that they weren't stopping, while Thompson ignored every question about it while being quick to correct someone who mistakenly reported she was finishing with Captain Marvel. Hopefully we'll find out the deal rather soonish after the issue drops tomorrow!

[Thirteen]

Another view of Black Widow 2099

[chicago_bastard]

That hair doesn't obey the laws of physics at all.

[Arachne]

I think she's falling/jumping, not just hanging there. Her hair and cape(!?) would look like that in that case. (Why would a Black Widow wear a cape?)

[Matternativ]

Alright so as always since the end of comixology in favour of its severely lacking replacement the one upside is that I get new comics at midnight local time rather than an hour or two into my work day.

Black Widow #15
spoilers:

- Well, called it! Regeneration NPC to the rescue. - And it really is the last issue which neither Marvel nor the creative team have been all that willing to confirm until now. Why? F*ck if I know, there's no special announcement that says "see you in six months" or "secret Avengers replacement comic coming soon" yet somehow the goodbye text is still worded weirdly vague with "for now" and "until then" stuff. - As for the issue itself: It was serviceable but I know Thompson can do better. I think this was clearly only meant to be the end of an arc and not the end of the whole run. Only the very last page has "ending vibes" to me and Natasha's team really has just formed. I consider myself a Black Widow and Kelly Thompson fan and I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this run (the art for one) but some story beats that weren't really my jam, the waiting times between some of the issues and the odd secrecy towards the end give the whole thing a bit of a sour aftertaste. I enjoyed it, I wish it would go on but I can't say it really had any chance to be as good as Thompson's Captain Marvel book for example. It's probably still my favourite since Edmondson/Noto but I haven't been a huge fan of everything else since.

end of spoilers

[chicago_bastard]

Will only be able to read the new issue in a couple hours, just chiming in to say that KT has now confirmed it's the final issue in her newsletter.

[chicago_bastard]

Alright so as always since the end of comixology in favour of its severely lacking replacement the one upside is that I get new comics at midnight local time rather than an hour or two into my work day.

Black Widow #15
spoilers:

- Well, called it! Regeneration NPC to the rescue. - And it really is the last issue which neither Marvel nor the creative team have been all that willing to confirm until now. Why? F*ck if I know, there's no special announcement that says "see you in six months" or "secret Avengers replacement comic coming soon" yet somehow the goodbye text is still worded weirdly vague with "for now" and "until then" stuff. - As for the issue itself: It was serviceable but I know Thompson can do better. I think this was clearly only meant to be the end of an arc and not the end of the whole run. Only the very last page has "ending vibes" to me and Natasha's team really has just formed. I consider myself a Black Widow and Kelly Thompson fan and I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this run (the art for one) but some story beats that weren't really my jam, the waiting times between some of the issues and the odd secrecy towards the end give the whole thing a bit of a sour aftertaste. I enjoyed it, I wish it would go on but I can't say it really had any chance to be as good as Thompson's Captain Marvel book for example. It's probably still my favourite since Edmondson/Noto but I haven't been a huge fan of everything else since.

end of spoilers

That was the most dutybound and lackluster goodbye text I've seen in a while, could have been copy pasted from any book. As for the "for now" part, it seems KT is wrangling with Marvel to maybe get a follow-up mini-series in which she can pick up from this run like Jed MacKay does with Black Cat. Too little, too late, for me at least.

While I had my issues with the first arc the run definitely grew on me and the third arc was really good with #14 as the standout issue of the series.

[Matternativ]

Oh indeed I think it's save to say the team is genuinely kinda upset about how this ended.
I remember having a really bad feeling when Thompson tweeted something about being pissed over bad news earlier this year. Twice.

News she didn't want(?) to get into then either.

Anyway I'd be happy to see whatever continuation the team would cook up but I'm not getting my hopes up I'll ever see it.


Edit: Casagrande has chimed in on twitter.

"We're working and hoping to give to Nat and her company a worthy goodbye with a final story soon."

So whatever this would end up being it would probably be more of an epilogue rather than anything else.

[chicago_bastard]

Oh indeed I think it's save to say the team is genuinely kinda upset about how this ended.
I remember having a really bad feeling when Thompson tweeted something about being pissed over bad news earlier this year. Twice.

News she didn't want(?) to get into then either.

Anyway I'd be happy to see whatever continuation the team would cook up but I'm not getting my hopes up I'll ever see it.


Edit: Casagrande has chimed in on twitter.



So whatever this would end up being it would probably be more of an epilogue rather than anything else.

Yeah so much was clear that if it happened it would only be a mini. I don't see the narrative need for an epilogue as all loose ends are wrapped up more or less, even Apogee.

Wondering if Elena's struggles to meet the deadlines had something to do with the book's cancellation. We have confirmation by Kelly that they had to plan #13 with a guest artist because Elena would not have been able to do the whole arc. Then it's important to remember that #11 was already pencilled by De Latorre, not her.

So in the seven months from August to April Elena managed to pencil not even three full issues as she had assistance by Pimentel for #15. And still the book suffered from delays. I could see Marvel not being too happy with an ongoing that has constant delays due to the artist not meeting the deadlines even though art duties for two of the five issues were already handed to other pencillers.

Maybe that's the reason they were having heated discussions behind the scenes (KT mentioned stuff behind the scenes she can't talk about). If it were a normal cancellation due to sales numbers I don't see much reason to quarrel, but if Marvel actually put the blame for the cancellation on the delays and therefore on the team I could see why the creatives are upset right now.

A good chunk of speculation of course but all that secrecy and vague statements make one think this has more to it.

[Matternativ]

Hmm, I guess that is certainly a possibility. But since we know so little it's , as you say, just pure speculation.

[Captain Craig]

I'm going to miss this run. My second favorite run after the Edmondson run during "Marvel Now"

The "Team Widow" aka Birds of Prey inspired homage was quite enjoyable.
Seeing Anya with a place of purpose was good. I guess if Lucy is to grow as a character it will be elsewhere. There is the chance she was wholly created to serve a purpose in this book that she falls into Limbo or is unceremoniously killed off by some writer in the years ahead.

So Starfish was the the powered character that acted as our problem solver. Bravo.

I suppose if the cycle holds BW will sit fallow for a few years, get a mini-series in a crossover or some such, before getting another solo title shot.

**SIGH**

[Matternativ]

If we are seeing Lucy again then probably in another Thompson book. She creates supporting cast characters fairly frequently and has brought them back in the past when it made sense but I don't know any instances of other writers actually doing anything with them.

Oddly enough I think if someone has a chance to appear elsewhere it would be the Living Blade because Henchman with a sword who is better than you is fairly easy to incorporate and he has the bragging rights of having taken out the black widow on multiple occasions.