I’m a little low on time this week, so I’m this might be more of a comic recommendation and less of a review.
This week the only thing I picked up was Last Days of Black Widow by Nathan Edmondson, Phil Noto and VC’s Clayton Cowles. I’ve been following the series since it began, and I’ve really loved the art as well as the portrayal of Natasha balancing both her life as a spy and a superhero.
In issue 19, we’re starting to see the effects of Secret Wars effect her corner of the universe. This is touched on, but then rest of the story is a flashback into one of Natasha’s missions for the Red Room.
Personally, I love anything that shows us more about Natasha’s past, since it’s often been written about in very different ways and sometimes even conflicting stories. A lot of the fans chalk this up to the possibility that Natasha doesn’t have her own history straight. This story does a great job of showing Natasha’s past, without stepping on previously narratives.
Noto again does a great job with the art. I especially liked the contrast between the first panel on page 1 and the first panel on page 2. On the first page, we have the modern Natasha, ready to face down danger. Her hair is whipping in the wind, the shot is very dynamic. She looks at directly at us and says “I can’t save them all.” but she still looks determined to try. On the next page where we start to flash back to the past, the shot is framed similarly, but Natasha is turned away from us. Her hair seems to be carefully combed under her beret. Snow falls on Russian in the background.
The first panel seems full of movement and action that is about to happen, but the second panel is still and Natasha is a passive participant. I thought it was amazing way to visually tell the difference between the two states Natasha is in, in respective parts of her life.
I’m a big fan of spy stories and Black Widow, so this comic series continues to be a favorite of mine.
The Taming of the Muse 