Black Widow

I’m a little worried that I’m reading with an eye towards the finish line right now.  I think it started when I updated my database with all of my ratings.  After that, I knew exactly how many comics were left to read, and I’ve been watching that number tick down every day.  “How many more comics can I read today to get closer to zero?”  “Ugh, reading this trade only counts as one issue.  So little progress today!”  It’s not like I’m eager for this to be done, I’ve really had a blast this whole time.  But there’s something about a countdown that gets into my head.  Anyway, I need to make sure this doesn’t affect my enjoyment.  

Black Widow 1-15

The first five issues of this are as amazing as I remember.  Both Kelly Thompson and Black Widow’s enemies realize that they’ll never be able to kill Natasha.  So what can they do instead?  The answer is brilliant and cruel beyond compare: Make her sublimely happy, then rip it all away from her.  So they brainwash her and some random guy to be the perfect husband.  They create a darling baby boy for the happy couple.  (DNA and everything.)  Then bad things start to happen.  

It’s amazing and soul crushing and so well done.  Probably the best thing of Thompson’s that I’ve read.  Plus it’s got Elena Casagrande on art.  I’d never heard of her before this, but I sure as heck know her now.  By the way, most of my notes for this run consist of “ducks, fight, ducks, fight, baby, fight.”  It’s an accurate representation of the best parts of this series.

Adam Hughes' covers are gorgeous as usual.

It's so unfair.

I love the hood addition.

Unfortunately, the subsequent two arcs aren’t nearly as good.  It’s the interactions between Natasha’s posse (mostly female, just like Thompson’s Captain Marvel crew), Natasha’s inability to process the emotional chasm left by her son’s departure, and Casagrande’s stunning art (when it’s not a fill-in penciller) that hold them up, because the plot’s pretty scattershot.  

Regardless, this version of Widow (volume nine!) ended prematurely.  I prefer it to Captain Marvel, as good as it is.   

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy (Pretty good for 6-10, Nice for 11-15)