Edmondson, Nathan & Noto, Phil: Black Widow (2014-ongoing)

[coffeeandink]

I keep being lured into reading the current Black Widow series by its wonderful art, even though I know it's not going to make me happy. The problem is, Nathan Edmondson's Natasha Romanoff is not my Natasha Romanoff

Comments

[coffeeandink]

The number one resource for Black Widow comics is the Fuck Yeah, Black Widow tumblr. I recommend checking that out for recommendations of where to start. She is a lot more positive about the Edmondson & Noto series than I am! I would say the number one place to start is Liu and Acuña's Black Widow: The Name of the Rose, which is available in trade.

My next recommendation is not a dedicated Black Widow series, but I think it does really good Natasha: Kelly Sue de Connick's Avengers Assemble -- the first two issues are a great Natasha story and the final arc has Natasha (and other Avengers) mentoring Araña/Spidergirl, a young superhero. Not all of the issues have Natasha, though! If you do try it out, get Avengers Assemble: Science Bros and Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries of Jealousy, NOT the first Avengers Assemble volume by Brian Michael Bendis.

After that, I would recommend Devin Grayson and Greg Rucka's work, which has the opposite problem of the current run: really good writing but not always good art. They tend to concentrate on Yelena Belova, the second Black Widow, whose relationship with Natasha is envious, admiring, resentful, and condemning, and who Natasha keeps trying to save from being a supervillain. Itsy-Bitsy Spider is Yelena's origin story and Breakdown is about Natasha trying to save Yelena. The latter has a ridiculously convoluted plot, but good character work.

[tieleen]

Thank you so much! Some of these sound amazing. Happily, I'd give up good art for good writing in a heart beat, so the Yelena arcs are probably going to work well. :D