Black Widow #1
Ross Hutchinson
Recap
…AND HELL FOLLOWED WITH HER. Natasha Romanoff was trained to kill. For years now she’s tried to overcome that programming, to side with the angels…to be a hero. And where’d that get her? Killed. By one of the few true friends she allowed herself to have. Now she’s back from the dead, angry as hell and finding those better angels harder and harder to hear. Jen and Sylvia Soska — the Twisted Twins of horror — join rising artist Flaviano to weave a web of vice, violence, and vengeance that will net Natasha the biggest bad men she’s ever faced…or put her back in the ground for good.
Review
I am a big fan of Black Widow and having her return to the 616 in her own solo title is a big deal for me. So when I heard the Soska sisters were going to be bringing her back in her own series I was understandably excited. Unfortunately, I think my excitement and enthusiasm may have inflated my expectations of issue one…
Here’s the thing it’s not a bad issue. There are several things I really like the foremost of which is Nat needing to go someplace and indulge some bloodlust. The Woman is a trained killer and I like the idea of her freshly returned after being killed in a horrible way (by a friend or rather the semblance of one no less) and having her go to Madripoor to indulge this is also an exciting premise. The fact that she uses Wolverine’s patch disguise is a funny touch. these are all things I liked about the issue.
That being said there are things that didn’t sit well with me and the first is Nat and Caps interaction which just didn’t feel right or natural. I am prepared to chalk that up to the sisters not having written the characters before. My biggest issue with the writing is it feels tentative and in all honesty a bit tame as if the writers are unsure and it feels like a cautious dip your toes in the water from the sisters when I was expecting a more violent introduction given the reputation and the Soska sisters background.
The art. Flaviano is new to me I am not familiar with any of the artist’s other work. paneling and layouts are good and convey swift motion when there is in the panel but overall I am going to need another issue before I am convinced that this is the right artist for this book. I have nothing against the cartoon style. Other artists use it to excellent effect in other titles I enjoy. Here I am not convinced it works… yet. The coloring by Veronica Gandini is good and so is the lettering. I like the use of use by Joe Caramanga of the “black widow” colored letterboxes for Nat’s internal monologue. I enjoy Clayton Crain’s art and his cover for issue one is no exception.
Final Thoughts
It's a mixed bag issue one with things to recommend it but also things that do not seem to fit. Overall a middling start to a series for a character who's previous two series I enjoyed immensely. I need to be sold a lot more on this creative team though and hopefully, the next issue will do that.
Black Widow #1: Return of the Nat
- Writing - 5/105/10
- Storyline - 6/106/10
- Art - 5/105/10
- Color - 6/106/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
