An all-new miniseries about the one and only Black Widow launches this Wednesday, in WEB OF BLACK WIDOW #1. This one is for all of the long-standing fans of this conflicted heroine.
***SPOILERS***
Web of Black Widow #1 is the first part in a five-issue miniseries, all focused on one of the most complicated and conflicted heroes in the Marvel Universe. We are, of course, talking about Black Widow.
This miniseries follows several major events to happen in the world, including Civil War II and Infinity Wars. But don’t worry – fans that skipped that should be able to follow along without much of a problem. Just know that somebody is digging up Natasha’s past – and she’s understandably unhappy about it. The other detail worth knowing is that Natasha is still struggling with some events of her past, most specifically her death and resurrection.
Jody Hauser was the author for this issue, and you can tell she’s trying to do right by our character. Here we delve into Black Widow’s past, but it’s done uniquely. The whole issue is a series of mirrors – the present reflecting the past in ways that Natasha can’t deny. The real question is, what’s it all leading to?
It was an interesting – and smart – call to include Black Widow’s struggle with the events that have happened to her relatively recently. Even in the comic book world, it can’t be easy to get over one’s death, regardless of how impermanent it ended up being. In a way, this struggle reminded us of Natasha’s humanity. It was poignant and respectful. And for that we’re grateful. It’s certainly a nice touch for any fans that are still grieving after the events of the latest movies.
Web of Black Widow #1 had some brilliant artwork backing up an intriguing plot. The style leaned more towards elegant and dark, but if that description doesn’t entirely fit Black Widow, then we don’t know what does.
The panels making direct comparisons between the past and the present were exceptionally well done. It would have been easy to go overboard on these scenes, but our artists toed the line – making the point clear, while still holding something back.
Speaking of our artists; Stephen Mooney was the lead artist for this issue, with Triona Farrell providing the colors. And finally, VC’s Cory Petit did the lettering. Here’s hoping this team stays on for the next four issues as well.
This issue was a solid start to a new miniseries about one of the classics. It’s always nice to see somebody like Black Widow getting her own storyline – too frequently we see her relegated as a supporting character to other arcs and events.
Having this plot be both exciting and respectful was an excellent touch. It’s sure to draw out the fans of our beloved Black Widow. Leaving many wondering what she’ll do next.
