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Black Widow

Black Widow Movie Review: The Reboot Redefined

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The number one question I’ve had about Black Widow since its announcement as a belated Phase 4 MCU project is *why* finally getting to a Scarlett Johansson solo movie made since for this new era. After all, the narrative is set between 2016’s Captain America: Civil War and 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. So why wasn’t this movie planned for *that* time period, apart from Marvel Studios (specifically Ike Perlmutter’s) absolute terror of delivering a feature film with a woman lead?

Ultimately, regardless of the success of the film as Marvel’s mixture of The Americans, cold war spies, and classic Black Widow superhero intrigue, I’m going to fixate on the purpose (glorious or no) of Black Widow as a Phase 4 film. Delivering a massively belated ScarJo spy movie just because it’s better late than never simply rings hollow.

So does Black Widow deliver as a turning point for this post Avengers: Endgame MCU landscape? [Read more…] about Black Widow Movie Review: The Reboot Redefined

The Many Lives of Natasha Romanov in Kelly Thompson’s Black Widow

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Black Widow Issue #3
Kelly Thompson, Elena Casagrande, Jordie Bellaire

Natasha Romanoff gets a new perspective in Kelly Thompson, Elena Casagrande and team’s Black Widow and it’s not what you might have expected. Black Widow is given an entirely new life – complete with a newfound family and, of course, more than her share of villains who are amped to destroy her at any point. In Thompson’s take, Natasha delves deep into a life that is extremely domesticated, but her dark past comes in on schedule in order to shake things up. [Read more…] about The Many Lives of Natasha Romanov in Kelly Thompson’s Black Widow

Are Black Widow’s 1990’s Graphic Novels Worth It?

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When asked about great Black Widow stories, it’s easy for even a lot of her longtime fans to find themselves at a loss. Yes, there have been many great stories featuring Black Widow, but they tend to appear in fragments, across the greater Marvel Universe. Though Marvel has made it more of a point in recent years to write exciting new sagas for our beloved spy, it doesn’t change the fact that there were entire decades during which Natasha was more or less regulated to her position as a supporting character.

Still, even in relatively minor roles, Natasha is the kind of protagonist that makes a big splash. Her time as an elusive double agent is as much fun to read as her days with the Avengers, and she has remained fascinating over time precisely because of her mystery rather than in spite of it. We’re a lot happier now that there are whole series dedicated to the Widow’s lore, but we can’t deny that even on her worst day, she was always a heck of a lot of fun to read. Marvel is releasing a collection of some of her 1990s OGN team-ups and there’s no time like the present to revisit them. [Read more…] about Are Black Widow’s 1990’s Graphic Novels Worth It?

Black Widow’s Supporting Cast — Reading Recommendations & Origins!

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe has gone a long way to making a household name out of Black Widow a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff a.k.a Natalia Romanova a.k.a. Nancy Rushman a.k.a. Oktober (okay, maybe not all of these names are household just yet). Unlike associates of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, the characters in Nat’s orbit have yet to transcend in the way that Pepper Potts, Sharon Carter, Lady Sif, and even Happy Hogan have. That may change when Black Widow is finally released in theaters, hopefully sometime later this year. The delay of a major motion picture is hardly the most upsetting aspect of a global pandemic, but the removal of Black Widow from the release schedule at least gives intrepid readers the opportunity to better get to know the Marvel Comics characters that might soon make their big-screen debut. Read on to learn more about the people surrounding Natasha, and for a couple of suggestions for where to start your reading. [Read more…] about Black Widow’s Supporting Cast — Reading Recommendations & Origins!

The Road to MCU Phase 4! Reading Companion For Every Movie & Show!

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For the first time since Avengers: Endgame we know what the outline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will look like through 2021. In a blend of unmitigated excitement and reaction to 8 million requests for related reading orders (which I have for every Phase 4 movie outlined! Planning!), I’ve put together a reading companion for all of Phase 4.

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