Monday, March 14, 2016

Black Widow #1


The first issue of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's new Black Widow series sets the stage with Natasha Romanova being chased out of S.H.I.E.L.D. Heavy on action but light on dialogue, Black Widow #1 doesn't tell us what the Black Widow has stolen from the Marvel Universe's premiere spy agency but it does demonstrate how determined Maria Hill's agents are to get it back.

Certainly not an Avengers' comic, Black Widow #1 is a well-paced collaboration between Waid's storytelling and Samnee's art. The entire issue is one extended chase sequence featuring the Avenger's escape first from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s facility and the following pursuit. The mystery works in the issue's favor, but I'll be curious to see how the story moves forward once some of these initial questions are answered.

As good as the comic is getting me interested in a stand-alone Black Widow comic, it's impossible not to compare it to Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's Velvet (about the world's best female spy on the run from her own organization) which likely inspired it. Under that high standard Black Widow #1 isn't great, but it's still quite good. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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