Edmondson/Noto Black Widow

Black Widow vol 6 15-20

I went ahead and picked up the rest of the Edmondson/Noto run on Black Widow, having enjoyed the issues that I already had so much.  

Things get a little bit weird.  Chaos, the clandestine group that Natasha’s been investigating, turns out to be from the far future.  They offer her a role in their organization, promising her a life of contentment in exchange for the occasional mission.  She naturally refuses, fights against the odds and future technology, blah blah blah.  It’s an odd decision for Edmondson to cross what’s been a down-to-earth spy title with such a hard-core sci-fi premise.  Surely there exists a less fantastical way to tempt Widow with a chance at peace and absolution for her past.  

Edmondson does a much better job of depicting this past.  He tells the story of Natasha’s first kill, when she was just a child in the Red Room.  And while it could be argued as a case of self-defense, the same can’t be said about the second flashback tale.  It’s her first mission after graduating from the Red Room, and she’s ordered to meet up with her fellow classmate, Marina, and eliminate a Cuban family.  To my mild surprise, she executes each of her orders with no compunction, even when they extend to the murder of Marina, her boyfriend, and their cat.  Their CAT!  Clearly this was not the story of how Natasha split from the Red Room.  

It raises the complicated question of just how much of one’s past can be forgiven.  It’s easy in the abstract to accept Natasha as an Avenger when the comics show all the good she does in the present day.  It’s much harder when you read stories like this one.  As Loki asks her in the Avenger movie, “Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?”  Just how much should it take?

I listened to a Polygon podcast this week about The Last Jedi that follows this to a hilarious extreme.  The casters talk about how Darth Vader’s redemption only works because he dies immediately after.  Otherwise, what would have realistically happened?  “Leia, come meet Dad!  He helped build the Death Star that destroyed your entire planet, wiped out the Jedi Order, force choked Mom, and tortured you a couple of years ago.  But he just turned back to the Light side and killed the Emperor.  All is forgiven, happy ending!”  Same applies to Kylo Ren.  “Hi Mom!  I killed Dad and many many other people.  But I’ve forsaken all of that now.  What’s for dinner?”

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Nice