Black Widow #1

       Black Widow. The Soviet spy who defected to the American way. Natasha Romanoff is one of those classic Marvel characters who has gradually evolved from a villain to a well respected hero, along the lines of Hawkeye. That being said, Natasha isn't as light as Hawkeye, still showing shades of grey with her spy work on the side. This series looks to highlight this aspect of Black Widow. The super-spy that is supposed to be the best of the best. To be honest, I never really cared. I'm not a huge fan of the character except for a few key uses (Ed Brubakers Captain America mainly) but with the team of Marjorie Liu and Daniel Acuña I figure it's worth a look. So let's dig into Black Widow issue number one. 
 
       The issue opens up with a man named the Black Rose. Black Rose is a former associate of the Black Widow and after "greeting" each other, Black Widow asks if Black Rose knows anything about a black rose she received. When he says he knows nothing, the two talk and Widow leaves, only to be attacked and sedated. While in her sedated state, Natasha is cut open and has something removed from her body, but what it is isn't known. After her body is recovered, Natasha is given surgery under the Avengers watch and she makes a full recovery. While she sleeps, Wolverine goes off to hunt for the person who did this to her, eventually finding him. It is then that we learn that he is just a small part of a much larger force... 
 
       Marjorie Liu does a good job with writing duties here. Seeing how I don't care much for the character, the fact that I mostly enjoyed this comic says a lot. Parts of it were a little confusing the first time around, but as I've now read this like three times I understand what she was doing, it just could have been a bit clearer when dealing with Natasha being assaulted. I liked the handling of Black Widows supporting cast as well, with Liu handling Bucky, Iron Man, and Wolverine particularly well. The character who stole the show for me though was Black Rose, who handled himself with a very powerful "Speak quietly but carry a big stick" mentality that came across incredibly well. He's a character I wouldn't mind sticking around with Black Widow, as his past with Natasha and knowledge of the spy game is very believable.  

            Daniel Acuña was the real reason I picked up this issue. I'm not the biggest fan of his art, but his recent work on the X-Men titles has impressed me, particularly his recent arc with Mike Carey on X-Men Legacy. Black Widow is a book much more suited to his style though, and this issue great benefits from that. The tone of the book is very dark but never murky and I feel as though this story is perfectly noir based on art alone. While I find his interpretation of Tony Stark annoying (It bugged me in his X-Men work too), his Wolverine and Black Widow look incredible. The way Acuña colors the book allows for a great understanding of the various states of everyones health with Black Widows "surgery" stealing the show. Plus, Black Rose looks sick, 'nuff said. 
 
       Overall, this really isn't a half bad start to the series. My only real gripe is that things aren't crystal clear and that nothing of consequence seems to happen. This almost feels like a zero issue in that sense. Plus, gorgeous covers by Travel Forman, Jelena Djurdjevic, and Daniel Acuña (With a very bland photo cover as well)  and a great detailing of Black Widows past in the back make this issue a 4 out of 5.