The Good

This book continues to flesh out who Black Widow is as she moves forward in her mission against the evil organization known as Chaos. Last issue it appeared she was close to getting the answers she needed but things took a slight detour when she was overwhelmed by invisible fighters. It just may be that Natasha didn't know as much about Chaos as she thought. As she struggles to make sense of where she is now and what’s going one, Nathan Edmondson also sends us back to see some events from Natasha’s youth.

We’ve seen different bits of Natasha’s past and her connection to the Red Room. What we see here is a mix of innocence with a disturbing nature as to what’s about to happen. It’s almost a rare treat to see Natasha in this stage and you really feel for the character for what she’s about to lose. I never really thought about it more but I'd love to see more of Natasha's formative years in the Red Room.

As if the story wasn’t compelling enough, we get the amazing art of Phil Noto to move the story while giving us incredible visuals. You can almost get lost while reading this book because you’ll find yourself getting sucked into what’s happening on the pages. As you go through the issue, you’ll find yourself start going slower because you won’t want the issue to end. Noto’s depiction of Natasha in the flashback gave the story a separate feel while also capturing Natasha’s essence, even if it was before she became the character we know today.

The Bad

It might not be a bad thing but seeing the flashbacks almost pulled me out of the present day portion of the story. I found myself wanting to see more and not thinking about her present day predicament. I wasn't really clear about the connection between the two portions. Maybe I just missed something or it'll be explained in the next issue.

The Verdict

Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto continue to impress. Black Widow's tale against Chaos takes a strange turn. Before that can be fully explored, we get a flashback into Natasha's youth. We're familiar with her past but it was a nice treat seeing her before she was completely affected by her time in the Red Room. With Secret Wars coming up, the future of this series is uncertain. Let's hope there's plenty more Black Widow adventures by Edmondson and Noto to come. I can't get enough of this book.

Another very good issue. Edmondson and Noto are a wonderful team. I really hope they get their story in before they start roping it in to Secret Wars related. Itd be a shame for this story to be hastily wrapped up after all the ground work that has been laid down.

I would LOVE to see Del Mundo drawing the next installment of Black Widow...

Black Widow never disappoints me, another superb issue.

The parallels of the past and present stories are amazing. Both feature someone who could be the best at what they do, but someone or something is getting in the way. The character that Black Widow is talking to in the present is trying to get her to realize that she should get rid of all the things that restrict her potential.

I'm trying to stay vague enough to avoid spoilers, so I hope that made sense.

This was boring.

Really really really hope this title stays put after Secret Wars and that Edmondson and Noto stay on the title as well, cause honestly this book might have started out overrated but now its just plain masterful work, issue after issue

The top of my pile whenever it comes out. If secret wars ruins this I will not be happy

Still one of my favorite books to read each month! Hope is continues for a long time.