Read All the Comics!: Edmondson/Noto Black Widow

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Edmondson/Noto Black Widow

Black Widow Vol. 6 1-14

Even better than yesterday’s batch!

Nathan Edmondson’s iteration of Black Widow is a spy for hire, flying around the world to earn her paychecks. Her lawyer/manager, Isaiah, plays Joan Cusack to her John (watch Grosse Point Blank), and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty when necessary.

Isaiah wraps up Edmondson’s take on Natasha as he’s feeding her cat: “Just like Natasha. You only act like you can do it alone…” And while Natasha certainly performs Bondian feats of espionage, Edmondson also writes her as someone who’s well aware of her shortcomings. It’s a nice balanced take that I’m enjoying.

But let’s not kid ourselves. It’s Phil Noto’s art that shines here. It is absolutely gorgeous in ways that I didn’t not previously appreciate, and what follows will be a bunch of art while I rave about it.

I have never ever paid attention to a character’s hair to the extent that I have today. Natasha’s appears in a variety of styles, but each with a deliberate purpose. I first noticed this in the first issue, when she takes out her ponytail after infiltrating a building. It’s a small detail, but one that adds a great deal of realism to the scene. (Though it does make me wonder why she wouldn’t prefer to leave it up when she’s about to engage in hand-to-hand combat.)

This happens throughout the run. Her hair’s up in a bun as she goes through her morning ablutions, tied back as she washes the dishes, down when she’s in an evening gown. It’s a very human point of detail in a superhuman universe. I love it.

I’m blown away by the body language here:

So natural and casual.

Other notes:

Issue ten has an amazing ranged duel between Widow and Hawkeye. They’re not trying to kill each other, but they’re working at cross purposes, It makes for an entertaining action sequence where they’re trying to stall, not injure the other. The marksmanship is impossible, but I don’t care.