BLACK WIDOW DEADLY ORIGIN #1 (OF 4)

Review by: akamuu

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Avg Rating: 3.6
 
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Size: pages
Price: 3.99

John Paul Leon is clearly the star of this first issue of The Black Widow.  While the team of Raney on pencils and Hannah on colors for the majority of the book do a moderate to good job with their storytelling, Leon’s pop art style of flashbacks, well, pops.  Great layouts, perfect color balance, and several different styles of pencils that work harmoniously.

This story has a chunk of origin in it, most of which I was already familiar with.  And, sadly, Cornell just appears to be repeating it, not adding his own twist on it.  My main problem with the story: if this is taking place now (and that seems to be the case), and they found Natalia Romanoff in 1928 (the date given at the beginning of the flashback), then that means The Black Widow is 81 years old.  And, if so, she has an amazing plastic surgeon.  She looks about seventeen at the beginning of this book.

Story: 3 - Good
Art: 5 - Excellent

Comments

  1. I heard Cornell talk about this in an interview somewhere — this isn’t a mistake. She’s supposed to be that old. Not sure if it’s a super-power thing or a super-secret formula or whatever, but I assume it will be addressed in the series. Also not sure if this is a new twist or something established elsewhere that Cornell is just playing with.

  2. @daccamp: Sweet.  Then I look forward to the explanation.  The story only got a three because it didn’t give me any new information, not because it was substandard writing.  If he’s got a twist lined up, I’m excited.

  3. @akamuu

    Her age is explained in this issue, James Barnes giver her a chemical that heals Ivan and increases their life spans….its in the part where they are in Berlin, right before it goes back to present time.

  4. I read the issue and totally missed that. Huh. I know the scene you’re talking about, too. I guess I was reading half-heartedly? (issue didn’t blow me away.)

  5. @akamuu The Widow really is that old, mate. It is briefly explained in this issue, showing her being offer the chemical which starts all that, but she really is that old – and doesn’t age quite like normal people do.

    It has all been established before. Her roots in Communist Russia are all very important to the character, and they will not be abandonned any time soon.

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