Along Comes a Spider

I know the Marvel movie and comics universes are separate, but I would pay money to see a movie version of the Molot Boga and Damon Dran story. Sure, after 2 volumes I don’t know where the Chaos story is going, but there’s an interesting movie in there. There’s enough that we don’t know about Natasha’s life, that a non-Avengers Black Widow movie would be viable. I’d love to see more of the Natasha/Tori Raven relationship.

The Finely Woven Thread made me feel like Marvel does know what to do with Natasha on her own. Tightly Tangled Thread made me rethink that position.

In The Finely Woven Thread, Natasha dwells a lot on her isolation and her craft. I loved it, but it reminded me a bit of the Electra Movie (super spy/assassin alone and isolated by choice, her only contact a man of business) and a little of Burn Notice (when you’re a spy…). I was fine with that, because we are still establishing Natasha, and the artwork was so freaking beautiful.

I found Tightly Tangled Thread problematic in a lot of ways. What was the point of Daredevil and The Punisher? Daredevil seemed to show up in order to moralize and show Natasha to be more comfortable with the gray areas. The Punisher made it look like Natasha doesn’t know when someone doesn’t have the information she wants. In Tightly Tangled Thread, Natasha comes off as barely competent and losing her grip on right and wrong. I was annoyed.

Phil Noto’s artwork is dreamy and beautifully rendered. Noto’s artwork, and the hope that Edmondson will get it together are the main reasons I’m interested in continuing the Black Widow series.

I’ve been reading a lot of comic books with female leads. I haven’t read enough to draw conclusions, just to note that Alias Jessica Jones and Black Widow are of the loner variety of hero – capable professionals, but not good at emotional connections. In contrast, Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl are team builders. At the end of the first Volume I was fine with the tired old cliche of the hero who thinks they’re too dangerous to form attachments. At the end of Volume 2, it felt too much like tired storytelling. She can be primarily a pragmatic solo operative without being a cold-hearted loner who actually cares a lot.

In one final complaint. This shit is unnecessary.