In “Black Widow” #10, Noto and Edmondson recall a time when Black Widow could care less about atonement.
Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Phil NotoMemory triggered by the voice of Isaiah’s kidnapper on her cell, Natasha remembers the kidnapper. Years ago, an KGB assassin, Black Widow transported the kidnapper–then an accountant working with terrorist organizations in Northern Pakistan–to a KGB’s safe-house but was almost stopped by Hawkeye (then her love/working for the Avengers).
Why did she have to win?
While this issue may sound like one of many vilifying stories of Black Widow — where she is EVIL and going against the good guy who also happens to be the heroic love of her life who is going to set the poor dame straight — it isn’t. Issue #10 separates itself from the watered down versions of Black Widow and that oversimplification of goodness in others by successfully showing us how loyalties can and will conflict.
The choice to go back in time is clever as it shows us that the loss of Isaiah isn’t able to be fully understood until we remember each calculation of movement that led (inadvertently) to his capture.
Hawkeye’s cameo in issue #10 only heightens our unveiling of Black Widow’s senses. Clint comes in not as a source of patronizing valor (though we did see that in Daredevil’s cameo issues ago and if it wasn’t for Daredevil usually telling everyone how to be righteous I’d be a bit more offended), but an opponent. Noto and Edmondson use Hawkeye as an antagonist to Natasha in order to showcase her level of craftsmanship even when she is romantically involved with her opponent. Juxtaposing her working abilities with Clint, panel to panel, causes readers to compare the two on the field. It becomes clear that the extent of Hawkeye’s skill is no match for Natasha tactically, as we hear unveiled to us in confidence.
Clint admits to the Avengers, “She knows–should know–I’m an avenger FIRST,” but admits to himself, “You can count on me. And so can she.” Despite what he “knows,” Clint cannot aim at her. Although we hear Natasha admit “I’m not your enemy, Clint,” we don’t see her forget her mission. We see her choices to foil his plans. We see, thanks to Noto, the clarity with which Natasha moves. We see many times how she could choose to kill Clint, but doesn’t. We see the complexity of her choice to honor both loyalties but stop her mission for no one.
Noto’s timing of action is pristine. He knows how long it takes a bullet to soar, and a body to hit the ground.
When the build up of minute action has us gasping, Noto breaks out of panels and spills across the page into daring dives and risk-taking feats. In another’s hands this break-out could be overdone, but Noto’s sprawls come as a relief. Bullets are not haphazardly drawn in panels but followed, zoomed into their very direct paths. Using panels to focus in on the minute elements of her craft — a hairsbreadth shot of a bullet carefully slicing through the string of Hawkeye’s arrow; a pull of the rope-like arrow to knock Hawkeye off balance; a steady aim — Noto once again lets us focus on Natasha’s razor-like focus.
Noto and Edmondson continue to create a Natasha that challenges old versions of her, and possesses more complexities. We readers need a Natasha who wins, and fails. We need one who faces consequences, but doesn’t have to defer to her male counter-part to clean up the mess she made or ask what it takes or doesn’t take to do the right thing. Natasha isn’t cruel, as even Isaiah’s kidnapper reveals to us in this issue — “she cares for other people a great deal.” If she didn’t, then her recollection of her sins wouldn’t be so crystal clear.
This Natasha is a shot to the heart; it’s messy to have loyalties. We can’t make everyone happy. When we try, we must compromise. When we compromise, we build up losses that have consequences. Call them “sins” like Edmondson, or call them miscalculations. We can’t predict when our loyalties will change what they want, or what we want will change, and therefore we can’t blame ourselves to know what we could have done.
Continued belowNatasha doesn’t lament the past, so much as learn from it.
In this issue we gather that this is the study of atonement. Soon we will see who she will solicit to join her team against her old friend, how “angry” this person might be, how “off-the-grid” and whether or not they are a certain someone who doesn’t play well on a team with other steel-clawed friends.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – gripping, and fast paced-read; a slice of intrigue to go with a black coffee and regret; a closer look into the thickly webbed and tangled heart of Black Widow.
