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MANILA, PHILIPPINES — After a long wait, the world finally saw the latest MCU offering, Black Widow. In the interim, we were fortunate enough to have her comic book counterpart thrill us with her ongoing spy drama, and here’s why it’s a must-read title.
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- Artist Elena Casagrande. Her action sequences are a thing of beauty. They are tapestries of balletic choreography that demonstrate the deadly grace of Black Widow. They are two-page spreads that are segmented into panels, tracing Natasha’s movements as she dispatches her enemies with ease. Once you see these pages you’ll be hooked.
- Writer Kelly Thompson. Thompson is well-known for her character driven stories, and she really takes a deep dive into fleshing Natasha out. She reveals a Black Widow who only looks coldhearted on the surface because she’s holding so much love within. A vulnerability she knows her enemies will exploit.
- Uncharted Territory. Thompson and Casagrande put Natasha through the proverbial emotional wringer like never before. After a successful mission, she goes missing and is accidentally discovered by Hawkeye, living a brand new life, married with a kid! Has she left the superhero life for real? Has she lost her memory or is she under deep cover? Either way, friends and foes alike want answers. This all leads to some epic spy intrigue and tragic consequences for Natasha…
- The Supporting Cast. The gang’s all here! Fresh from their MCU debut, fellow Black Widow Yelena Bolova and Red Guardian appear. Even ex-BFs Hawkeye and Winter Soldier all come to Natasha’s aid. Too bad Natasha has built up quite the rogues gallery that includes Viper, Arcade, Snapdragon, and Weeping Lion. It’s a fun set up – Hawkeye and Winter Soldier partner up, taking potshots at one another as they try to solve the mystery. The villains think they have the Widow where they want her but are too afraid to strike for fear of Natasha’s wrath.
- The Covers! Legendary Good Girl artist Adam Hughes is on cover duties and they are a sight to behold! Just check out this one from an opponent’s POV as they fight Natasha. Even the covers draw you in!
JV Tanjuatco, comic book writer/editor/publisher, founded Comic Book Lab, a business that creates comics for clients. Projects have included the comic book titles Mythopolis and War of Whispers (co-created and co-written by him), and Stay: 21 Comic Stories authored by Palanca Award winner Angelo R. Lacuesta and illustrated by a stellar line-up of artists including Trese’s Kajo Baldisimo. Other notable clients include WHO, USAID Philippines, Sun Life, and Manulife. He has also written articles/reviews for Spot.ph and Ain’t It Cool.
