Natasha Romanova: Black Widow Appreciation 2022

[Matternativ]

I see what you mean about fans complaining about the two of them not being in each other's solos, but I think it would be less of an issue if Marvel didn't insist on breaking up good couples all the time. I actually think that if Natasha and Bucky were together, it would be less "controversial" (so to speak) when one of them didn't show up in the other one's stories.

Take Marjorie Liu's run on Black Widow as an example — it's highly regarded as one of Natasha's best solo runs, it's written while she and Bucky are dating, and yet it's a story about Natasha herself, and Bucky barely shows up. And when he does she up, she doesn't rely on him to save her; he just adds an extra sprinkle of romance into a story that's already well-rounded. And you don't hear shippers complaining that he doesn't appear often enough.

He shows up just as often in the most recent books where they're not together (I think her only recent solo where he hasn't appeared was the Madripoor one by the Soska sisters), but it's not satisfying, because Marvel teases them still being in love but won't actually put them back together. I think the complaints are happening because fans are worried that Marvel is going to have them drift apart and not be in each other's lives anymore, so the fans feel like they need to be louder about it to remind Marvel that people still want them together. If they were together and things felt like they were stable, the fans wouldn't feel as pressing a need to see them in each other's solos all the time.

I could be wrong — that's just the impression I get.

Honestly be that as it may, I don't really care about the circumstances. All I can is that it's pretty annoying that whatever thread in a forum or on twitter (it's comparatively tame here) deals with Natasha also comes with the eventual chiming in of that relationship in particular.
Not saying fans of her other boats are not present and occasionally eyeroll-worthy but they seem a lot less "demanding" I think is a good term.

It's similar to Star Wars Sequel discourse. I love Rey, I like Kylo, I have approximately 9764 shipping accounts muted because when it's something you are really not into in the first place the last thing you want is a constant passive aggressive background noise about that very thing.

Anyway I feel like I've said enough considering that I initially didn't even feel like elaborating at all.
I'll probably not comment on it further since I see no point in doing so. Best case: We go on about that for a couple more posts but I don't see either changing their stance; Worst Case: I say something that bums some shippers out and that isn't exactly my intention.

Speaking of love interests: Back when Clint and Matt fought over who should be with Nat, completely ignoring that maybe she should have a say in that matter. No wonder Tasha was more concerned for her beautiful bay window than for these two jerks

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I remember that this one came up twice: One time when it actually happened and one time when DD recalled it with the latter portraying the "fight" as a one-sided affair in DD's favour or something because selective memory is a thing.

I haven't actually read either but that was a pretty funny article on here some years ago.
Couldn't find it now though sadly. Anyway I'm pretty sure the authors conclusion was similar to yours that poor Nat was right to worry more about the windows than the two jerks smashing them, haha.

[Witchfan]

No solicitation again this month. I guess BW #15 is the ending.

[chicago_bastard]

Thanks for nothing House of Idiots. Subscriptions cancelled, won't pay one more cent to that trash company. Alert me when the character is public domain.

[Galerion]

Thanks for nothing House of Idiots. Subscriptions cancelled, won't pay one more cent to that trash company. Alert me when the character is public domain.

You know with the amount of time I have spent on the internet Im not even able to tell anymore if such a statement is meant ironic or not. Considering it is you though I guess is meant ironic.

But hey at least she got to finish her arc and 15 issues isn't that bad. Books were already cancelled or relaunched with less

[SilverScarlet]

Kind of crappy that they make such a big deal about it being an Eisner winning title, then they don’t afford it the dignity of a measly Final Issue blurb!!

[chicago_bastard]

You know with the amount of time I have spent on the internet Im not even able to tell anymore if such a statement is meant ironic or not. Considering it is you though I guess is meant ironic.

But hey at least she got to finish her arc and 15 issues isn't that bad. Books were already cancelled or relaunched with less

It was a bit exaggerated. Guess after reading the discussions in a thread of a fellow female ex-Avenger in the last couple days some of the drama queen attitude may have rubbed off on me.

That said Marvel is really making it easy for me to abandon them as they concurrently cancelled my second favorite book, too, so it's true that they won't see money from me anytime soon as I doubt that Natasha will get a new series in the foreseeable future, if ever again, now that she's finished in the MCU.

[Sneakronicity]

The whole thing is so strange to me. I assume it must be cancelled; it's not in the solicits anymore, and KT has been asked repeatedly on twitter about it but has ignored every one while being quick to correct an article that stated she was finished with Captain Marvel. Why wouldn't Marvel let the creative team confirm cancellation? Like what purpose could there be for not telling people?

And then there was this on Elena Casagrande's insta just 6 days ago:
Screen Shot 2022-02-17 at 12.36.47 PM.jpg

I also asked around the same time about her caption of "last issue" on a post and she said that "last issue = most recent for me". So we have the writer blatantly ignoring the question, and the artist replying like the book will continue without flat out saying it. I'm just really confused about all of this.

[chicago_bastard]

The whole thing is so strange to me. I assume it must be cancelled; it's not in the solicits anymore, and KT has been asked repeatedly on twitter about it but has ignored every one while being quick to correct an article that stated she was finished with Captain Marvel. Why wouldn't Marvel let the creative team confirm cancellation? Like what purpose could there be for not telling people?

The last issues of a series that got cancelled tend to drop harshly in sales so maybe Marvel wants to assure that at least the sales for #14 aren't hampered by a confirmed cancellation. That's the only explanation I can think of.

[Galerion]

Do we know what caused the huge gap between issue 12 and 13?

[chicago_bastard]

Do we know what caused the huge gap between issue 12 and 13?

I believe the paper shortage crisis that affected most if not all books at the time.

[Matternativ]

The last issues of a series that got cancelled tend to drop harshly in sales so maybe Marvel wants to assure that at least the sales for #14 aren't hampered by a confirmed cancellation. That's the only explanation I can think of.

It's a longshot but maybe they are still debating about launching it into a teambook kinda like they did when Kate Bishops solo was followed up by West Coast Avengers, both by Thompson.
(Ironically West Coast Avengers didn't go on long at all after the fact.)

But even then not confirming the cancellation of the lead-up run would seem odd since you'd think they would like to give it a positive spin and call it a "transformation".

[chicago_bastard]

It's a longshot but maybe they are still debating about launching it into a teambook kinda like they did when Kate Bishops solo was followed up by West Coast Avengers, both by Thompson.
(Ironically West Coast Avengers didn't go on long at all after the fact.)

But even then not confirming the cancellation of the lead-up run would seem odd since you'd think they would like to give it a positive spin and call it a "transformation".

Clinging to the tiny hope it may not be the end? Why not, here's my "absolutely probable" take on the situation:

KT is hyping the new villain as the biggest badass whom Nat can't hope to defeat. And she doesn't, #15 ends with the big shocker: Living Blade stabs his sword through Nat's heart. Fade to black. Of course the death would have no impact at all if readers already knew through solicits that Nat will appear again very much alive, therefore KT requested a hiatus from her editor so that readers would actually believe Nat might really have died and that's why her series ends. Later we get a July solicit for BW #16 teasing Nat's mysterious survival due to some convoluted comic shenanigans (my bet would be the good old it was an LMD trope).

No, I didn't write that with a straight face.

[Agent Z]

Speaking of love interests: Back when Clint and Matt fought over who should be with Nat, completely ignoring that maybe she should have a say in that matter. No wonder Tasha was more concerned for her beautiful bay window than for these two jerks

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Where's this from?

[Digifiend]

Where's this from?

I would guess an issue of Daredevil? Nat was his co-star for a while, even had her name in the book's title, back in the 70s.

It's a longshot but maybe they are still debating about launching it into a teambook kinda like they did when Kate Bishops solo was followed up by West Coast Avengers, both by Thompson.
(Ironically West Coast Avengers didn't go on long at all after the fact.)

But even then not confirming the cancellation of the lead-up run would seem odd since you'd think they would like to give it a positive spin and call it a "transformation".

WCA did last a year.

What name could be used for a team that includes two Black Widows and Spider-Girl? I suppose they could use the name of one of Anya's old teams, the Web Warriors, but that only works if everyone else is spider themed.

[Matternativ]

Clinging to the tiny hope it may not be the end? Why not, here's my "absolutely probable" take on the situation:

KT is hyping the new villain as the biggest badass whom Nat can't hope to defeat. And she doesn't, #15 ends with the big shocker: Living Blade stabs his sword through Nat's heart. Fade to black. Of course the death would have no impact at all if readers already knew through solicits that Nat will appear again very much alive, therefore KT requested a hiatus from her editor so that readers would actually believe Nat might really have died and that's why her series ends. Later we get a July solicit for BW #16 teasing Nat's mysterious survival due to some convoluted comic shenanigans (my bet would be the good old it was an LMD trope).

No, I didn't write that with a straight face.

I mean that would be all kinds of dope actually so yeah I'll take that too, haha.

I would guess an issue of Daredevil? Nat was his co-star for a while, even had her name in the book's title, back in the 70s.


WCA did last a year.

What name could be used for a team that includes two Black Widows and Spider-Girl? I suppose they could use the name of one of Anya's old teams, the Web Warriors, but that only works if everyone else is spider themed.

I'm not sure it would necessarily stay spider themed and they'd probably throw one or two more well known characters in for them sales.
Kate, Bucky and Clint already guested in her book so they would make some sense although the latter is gonna be off on his own teambook come may so Kate more likely on the archer front, Thompson loves her and yes she's in the process of moving back to NYC in her (also cancelled? Don't recall seeing it on the solicits) Solo but plans change haha.

Alternatively there's always Jessica Drew who is close friends with Nat and without a solo soon as well because we can't have nice things.