The long-awaited Black Widow movie is scheduled to be released on July 9, 2021 after numerous delays. It will be only the second female-driven Marvel movie, following a long history of what many fans feel is the character being snubbed. In addition to sexist treatment in the films, Black Widow has been heavily absent from merchandise and promotional material featuring all the other male Avengers. The character deserves more respect than she gets, and hopefully this movie will help show studios that female-driven superhero movies shouldn't be a rare novelty act. If you've always wanted to get into reading Black Widow comics, the new movie coming out is a great time! It can be intimidating figuring out where to start with a character who's been around since 1964, so I'm here to help. Here is my guide on the best place to break into Black Widow comics as a beginner.
A Brief Overview of Black Widow
Black Widow, known alternately as Natasha Romanoff or Natalia Romanova, was created in 1964 by the creative team of Stan Lee & Don Rico & Don Heck. Her debut appearance in Tales of Suspense #52 cast her as a non-costumed Russian spy villain for popular hero Iron Man. The character would later be upgraded with a specialized costume, plus super-spy gadgets and weapons. Eventually Black Widow defected from the Russian government and ended her career as a villain, joining the Avengers. She would go on to become one of Marvel's most prolific characters, also joining groups like the Champions and S.H.I.E.L.D..
The second Black Widow is Yelena Belova, a post-Soviet super-spy trained by her superiors to kill Natasha Romanoff. Belova was originally depicted as more of a ruthless amoral assassin than her predecessor, although she has since reformed and become more heroic.
Recommended Reading
* Black Widow: The Name of the Rose - This 2010 comic written by Marjorie Liu is a perfect jumping-on point, designed for new readers to the character. Liu delivers great espionage action with an emotionally grounded story that gives insight to Natasha as a character.
* Black Widow: The Finely Woven Thread - This comic by writer Nathan Edmondson beginning in 2014 is the longest-running Black Widow solo series to date! That's not saying much at only 20 issues, but it's a good manageable read. Edmondson places a greater emphasis on the many different roles that Black Widow plays as a spy/superhero, and the complications that causes for her personal life.
* Black Widow: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted - I have to admit this is my favorite title on the list, mostly because the creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee always blow them away. It doesn't break a lot of new ground, but this book is an excellent entry point to what makes Black Widow great as a character.
* Marvel Knights: Black Widow - I'd be remiss to not include something with Yelena Belova, who seems to be the future Black Widow for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This collection of short miniseries' by writers Devin Grayson and Greg Rucka, beginning in 1999, are an attempt at a grittier take on the world of Black Widow than had been seen previously. This is not the first appearance of Belova who actually debuted in an Inhumans comic, but it does establish her relationship with Romanoff.
I hope you enjoy these comics! You know I want to hear about it if you find yourself reading them and loving them, I always enjoy talking to new people about comics. I also want to know if people disagree or have other opinions. Tell me how you got into Black Widow first and what you think is the best path for new readers!
Comentários