"Black Widow: The Itsy-Bitsy Spider"

 

            The following is a review of the graphic novel “Black Widow: The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” as presented in Marvel Modern Era Epic Collection format.

            Super spy Natalia Romonova/Natasha Romanov/Black Widow was sent to Rhapastan by both the Russian and American governments to kill French scientist Doctor Didier Ines, who had invented a bio-toxin he called the Deathless Frenzy. While on her mission, she encountered Yelena Belova, a student from the Red Room, the agency that trained Natasha. Yelena claimed to be the Black Widow and Natasha’s superior. The two fought, but their fight was interrupted by Rhapastani soldiers. The Russian and American governments also argued over who should keep the bio-toxin upon Natasha’s completion of the mission. Natasha decided not to kill Ines and instead have him work on an antidote to his serum. Both the Russian and American governments decided to eliminate Natasha for her double-cross. Natasha brought Ines to Zurich to work on the antidote but was followed by Yelena. The two fought again, but Natasha was shot by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. Matt Murdock/Daredevil informed Yelena that the Rhapastan military intended to use the Deathless Frenzy. Yelena went to Rhapastan to prevent this but was captured. Natasha was able to rescue her and complete the mission.

            S.H.I.E.L.D. abducted Yelena and performed a facial swap between her and Natasha. Yelena was placed in New York City as Natasha where she was hired to kill Yelena Belova. “Natasha” gunned down “Yelena” at the Museum of Natural History, but “Yelena’s” death was fake. “Natasha” became a fugitive, and “Yelena” was hired by Russian General Stelyenko to obtain five nukes that had been cached in the Hudson Valley during the Cold War, but Stelyenko knew that the Black Widow he had hired was not really Yelena and ordered his men to kill her. After his men failed to kill “Yelena,” Stelyenko arrived at the scene where “Natasha” learned how Stelyenko planned to betray Yelena. The two took down Stelyenko, then Natasha had to save Yelena from herself before the two swapped faces again and went back to their own lives.

            Yelena was sent to investigate the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Starkovsky at a club. Starkovsky had trained Yelena and had been like a father to her. Her personnel files, which were top secret, had also gone missing, leaving the suspicion he was either selling or giving away information about the Black Widow. While on her mission, she found the murderer to be Petra, a woman who wanted to be the Black Widow herself.

            After retiring to Arizona, Natasha had a hit placed on her by the agency North Institute. She turned to her old contact Phil Dexter to identify the man who tried to kill her. Natasha learned of the murder of Stacy Matheson, a KGB deep-cover operative whose real name was Stefanya Melnikova and decided to attend her funeral and ordered Phil to come along for the ride. While at a gas station, Natasha rescued Sally Anne Carter from motorists. After the funeral, Natasha and Phil investigated Stacy’s house and found a hormone called Medusagen and military-issue medications. Natasha called Stacy’s friend Sergeant Will Forester to find out how Stacy was getting the medications, but a shootout killed Forester before Natasha could get the information she was looking for. Natasha learned the man who tried to kill her wore a ring that came from the Red Room. Meanwhile, North Agents Hunter and Kestrel were trying to track down Natasha and Phil. From Martin Ferris, Natasha learned of a liaison between the cosmetics company Gynacon and the Red Room and that she had to go to Moscow. While there, Natasha learned of her conditioning, and that some of her memories were false. Natasha met Lyudmila Kudrin, the woman in charge of the Red Room. Hunter and Kestrel found Phil and Sally Anne and shot them. Natasha returned to America with Lyudmila. She learned about North and went after the people who were following her, killing Hunter, and having a final faceoff with Vassily Ulyanov and Ian McMasters, the CEO of Gynacon, from whom she learned Sally Anne was alive and Natasha made it her mission to find the girl.

            Natasha traveled to Cuba to find Sally Anne. She hooked up with Yelena to get in. Kestrel wanted revenge for Hunter’s murder and recruited Ferris in her vendetta. Natasha sent Daredevil a tape to inform him she was fighting crime, which made the blind vigilante turn to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury for assistance in aiding his ex, which led them to Cuba. Meanwhile, Sally Anne woke up in a concentration camp for young girls in Cuba. Natasha attempted to come to her rescue but was herself held captive and tortured by Kestrel and Ferris. Natasha then had to escape with Sally Anne, along with the help of Daredevil and Yelena.

            Okay, so now that we have the synopsis out of the way, let’s get to my own personal part of this review. I will say that I found this book to be highly disappointing. When I bought this book, I looked at the size of it and saw how big it was and thought that so much would happen in it, but the stories were pretty stale and never went very far. The dialogue and action just never really progressed as a story. Yes, there was a lot, but it just never went anywhere. I found it to be relatively boring. And as far as the art goes, I found it to be mostly unenjoyable. The first three issues had art that I enjoyed, but after that, I just really wasn’t visually pleased. All in all, this book was just not a book that I liked.

            Next, we’re going to talk about accessibility. Now, I’ve said this about three dozen times already, but I know I always have to say it again for my new readers, so I’m going to do it. When I say accessibility, I mean just how easy it is for a person who has little to no experience with the subject matter to just pick up this book and fully comprehend everything they are reading. I will say that this book is highly accessible. It’s marketed as Vol. 1, and it honestly has no direct tie ins with any other stories and is completely standalone and self-contained, so I think even someone who has never touched a Marvel Comic Book before could just pick this us, read it, and follow the storylines with no real confusion.

            Next up, we’re going to get to the most important part of a Tim Cubbin review: the numeric score. I score on an extremely basic scale: one to ten, one being the worst and that this is absolute garbage, ten being this is one of the best books I have ever read. Obviously this book is not going to get a very good score from me based on the fact that I found the stories to be bland and the art to be unenjoyable. So, if I had to put this all in a blender and turn it on and churn out a numeric score, it would have to be a three. There was some enjoyability to this book, but honestly not much.

            We’re going to finish off on if I give this book a recommendation personally and regardless of that, to whom do I recommend this book? This book does not get the Tim Cubbin recommendation, and I honestly really don’t think I can recommend this book to too many people other than people who really are fans of Yelena Belova and want to read her earliest stories. Otherwise, in good faith, I can’t tell anyone to read this.

            Okay, I think we’ve said all that needs be said at this point. I will say that I have literally authored dozens of reviews just like this, and there are sure to be plenty more coming soon. Expect another one coming up in the next couple of weeks. I’ve also written short stories, essays, poetry, articles, and editorials, so there’s plenty more to see on this blog if you liked this post. Keep checking back for more, and if you come back again, you are THE BEST! I appreciate your support. Until next time, Tim Cubbin… out!