Created by Stan "The Man" Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck, Natasha first started weaving her webs in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964). She first appeared as an antagonist of Iron Man, a Russian spy.
Natasha would eventually defect to the United States, and over the next five decades, she would prove her heroic nature by serving with the spy organization SHIELD, and superhero teams the Champions and the Avengers.
Natasha would reach a whole new level of popularity and mainstream attention thanks to Scarlett Johanssen portrayal of the character in several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact there has been a long demand for Natasha to get a solo film of her own, something I think would make a great film for fans of the spy genre.
Natasha has had her fair share of solo adventures over the years. She's had numerous mini-series, features in other comics, and even currently has her own ongoing series.
I had obtained the trade paperback Black Widow: Web of Intrigue, which collected some of her solo adventures, and I thought it would be fun to look over one of them. So, let's take a look at Marvel Fanfare #10!
I love this cover. Well, I admit, I am a sucker for George Perez's artwork, and he never fails at putting out a well-drawn cover. It's Natasha about to shoot you with her Widow's Bite, and she's holding some mook who looks like he got his face blasted off. The web in the background is really nice. It's a simple cover that explains what you're going to see: Black Widow kicking some butt.
"Widow"
Writer: Ralph Macchio
Penciler: George Perez (Also co-plotter), Bob Layton, Luke McDonnell
Inker: Brett Breeding
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Al Milgrom
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
The story begins with Nick Fury Sr. walking through what looks like a technological wonderland, described as a "computerized fortress", the Manhattan headquarters of SHIELD.
I have to admit, I love this page. The sheer amount of insane details in this page makes it a feast for the eyes.
Nick Fury is heading for a meeting with Sam "Happy Sam" Sawyer. Back in WWII, the two served together and were old friends. Sawyer is in charge of a case involving the Black Widow, and Fury is none too happy with him using the Widow for this case. Sam thinks that he has no faith in Natasha, and arranges a little test to reassure him of her talents.
A futuristic helicopter flies towards the Waldorf Towers in Midtown Manhattan, where Natasha is residing.
Again, I love George Perez's artwork here. Look at the panels! So much detail in such thin panels. I also like that the thin panels do give a sense of claustrophobia, like there's danger coming. My only complaint about this scene is that thanks to the scene before with Happy Sam, we don't really get the idea that Natasha is in danger. We know it's a SHIELD test, so we figure she'll ace it.
Natasha tosses a mirror at one of the men, and hits the lights.
One of the men manages to get the lights back on, but finds some of the other men have been beaten down, but the exits are still guarded, so Natasha has to be in the building. Another man notices something by the door, and goes to check it, only to see an angry Black Widow standing at the door.
I can't help but wonder how she managed to get her suit and gear on so fast. Maybe that's what the man had spotted before Natasha blasted his face off. Seriously, look, his face is on fire. If he's not dead, he's not going to be able to show his face in public any time soon.
Fury explains he wants Widow off the case because it would be a personal one for her. He then goes on to talk about Ivan Petrovitch, a character who has been linked to Natasha for many years. He was her father figure, chauffeur, best friend, and a badass in his own right.
Fury then goes on to recount Natasha's early history, including how she became the Black Widow.
Back at the hotel, Natasha is fighting off her attackers, only to be ambushed by an airship. The airship's attacks force Nat to the edge, giving her no choice but to fight back, blasting at the ship with her Widow's Bite bracelets. The airship blasts the ledge, knocking Natasha senseless and causing her to plummet to the ground.
The second chapter of the story starts with Natasha on her way to becoming sidewalk pizza. There is an artist change here as the penciling duties switch from George Perez to Bob Layton and Luke McDonnell. It's a bit of shame, actually. Nothing against Layton or McDonnell, they're great artists themselves (and I love Layton's Iron Man work), but it would've been nice to have had kept one artist for the whole comic for the sake of consistency.
Luckily, Natasha is able to save her by somersaulting, blasting a hole in a convenient water tower with her Widow's Bite, and then diving into the drink. She returns to her apartment and grills one of the men who attacked her. Meanwhile, Nick Fury Sr. continues recounting Natasha's history, up to her early days as a spy and her first appearances as the Black Widow.
This page is Layton and McDonnell clearly trying to imitate Perez's layout style. It's not bad, it's well-drawn, but it does make me wish that Perez did the art duties for the whole issue.
Nick Fury goes on talking about her days in the Avengers, her decision to retire from the spy business and live as a socialite. She would eventually decide that life wasn't for her, and then she went back to action, creating her iconic look, the red hair, black bodysuit, and golden belt and bracelets. Yeah, we're just recapping Natasha's history up to this point. That's pretty much what's happening here.
Anyway Fury recounts her time adventuring with Daredevil and then her time in LA and being in the Champions. A furious Widow storms into the room, demanding to know why SHIELD sent goons after her. Happy Sam explains it was to test Natasha's fitness for the mission, and Fury reiterates that he does not want her on it because of it being personal for her. Fury then reveals to Natasha that they want her to go after a missing man, fearing he may have defected to the Soviet Union. That man?
...Ivan Petrovitch.
This comic, is it good? I have to admit, I have a hard time trying to judge this thing. The problem is that it's not much on its own. It's just a recap of Natasha's history until 1983. That's really it. The artwork is very nice, but it's inconsistent due to the fact that two artists with different styles were doing this book. I'm guessing the reason why Perez couldn't pencil the whole book was he was also doing New Teen Titans at the time (This was 1983), so maybe he couldn't do the whole issue.
If you find this comic in the back issue bins, I would not recommend getting it on its own. If you do find this issue, try and pick up the other issues of Marvel Fanfare that continue the story with it. (Issues #11, 12, and 13) or even better, hunt down the trade paperback Black Widow: Web of Intrigue. It collects the storyline, and a couple other solo Black Widow stories.
Next time, I intend to take a look at the first issue of a mini-series, a superhero deconstruction that ended up sadly becoming rather forgotten thanks to another famous deconstruction that has been weaving its way into the DC Universe. Join me as we travel to Earth-712, and witness the beginnings of the downfall of the Squadron Supreme...
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