A comiXologist Recommends (The
Black Widow movie you always wanted – in a comic book)
Story by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid
Art by Chris Samnee, Colors by Matt Wilson
You know that adrenaline rush you feel at the movies when the protagonist has the thrilling chase scene, fighting through a building, leaping out of a window, pursued by agents, stealing a motorcycle, blowing stuff up, all with the finesse of a well choreographed ballet? That’s how you’ll feel after reading this heart-pounding, cinematic Black Widow book.
The premise in the first issue is simple, but it sets up what promises to be a deep, character driven intrigue. Natasha Romanoff has taken something important from SHIELD and Director Maria Hill cannot allow it. Catching the Black Widow, however, is not so simple. Light on plot and dialogue, the artwork for this action-packed extended chase actually tells us a lot about the new creative team’s take on Widow (new to the character, that is – you may recognize the Waid/Samnee/Wilson triumvirate from their recent Daredevil run). Their Natasha is resourceful, resilient, and maybe a little reckless. Her recklessness suggests that whatever all of this is about, it’s personal. Pity the agent who catches up with her…
Fans of the Black Widow have long made it known that what
they want is a Black Widow movie and when they want it is approximately five
years ago now. And while we’ll never
give up hope for a movie, this book is an excellent chance to continue
exploring the nuances of Natasha’s special skill set that makes her such a
captivating character. I highly
recommend reading this one in Guided View.
You can pretend you’re at the movies, plus it really enhances the action
and encourages close looking at the absolutely gorgeous artwork.
Tia Vasiliou is a Digital Editor at ComiXology. Her special skill set includes ballet and liking Bucky Barnes a whole lot, so I’m just saying… Has anyone ever actually seen her and Natasha Romanoff together in the same room…?
some Daredevil artwork by John Romita, Jr. and Al Williamson.
John Romita Jr. and Al Williamson, the perfect visual partnership, were perfectly paired with the material from this run, written by Ann Nocenti. As much as Frank Miller and Klaus Janson and others brought to the table before them, and as much as folks like Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev and Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have brought to it more recently, it’s really the Nocenti-Romita-Williamson run that represents not only the full potential of what a Daredevil story or superhero story can be, but what a fully creatively realized comic book can be.
(Source: ungoliantschilde, via samhumphries)
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A comiXologist recommends:
Archie #1
by: Emily Forster
Recently, we’ve seen bold new stories like Afterlife With Archie, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Archie Vs. Predator mash up the horror genre with the bubblegum world Riverdale. While I’m also a fan of these series (check them out!) what impresses me about Archie #1 is that it is equally bold in a way that can’t be described with one simple sentence. There’s no twist. It just does what every reboot aspires to do: it truly reinvents an old story without changing anything that made the original beloved in the first place.
Gossip is flying at Riverdale High following the breakup of Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper. Everyone is absolutely dying for details on the mysterious “lipstick incident” that triggered the split. The couple themselves seem resolved to move on and get past the drama, but their friends aren’t giving up on them so easily… and if you’ve ever read an Archie comic, you probably know without me telling you that plenty of hijinks ensue. But this isn’t just the latest twist in the road for Archie and the gang - it’s the beginning of Archie #1, kicking off a total relaunch of the series for the first time since the 1940s.
Writer Mark Waid has struck a perfect balance between preserving the goofy tone of classic Archie and gently pushing it into something a little more believable, with snappy dialogue that’s got just a touch of teenage angst mellowing out the silliness. No one says “gee,” but no one goes out of their way to drop obtrusively current slang either, maintaining the kind of timeless quality that is purely Archie while still grounding it in the present day. It is Fiona Staples’ art that takes this comic to another level, though. Her characters are so wonderfully observed and true to life that for the first time in many years, Archie and his friends feel like real teenagers again. Oh, and I have a crush on everyone. Especially Jughead.
It was also strikingly wonderful to read a first issue of Archie where characters who were introduced over the years to diversify the cast were there from the get-go, instantly lending a new authenticity to their friendships. The student body of Riverdale High feels more alive than ever before, and I can’t wait to see what they get up to this time around.
[Read Archie #1 on comiXology]
Emily Forster is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and a cartoonist. She likes comics about food and fights to the death.
Anonymous
Why hello there. I have finished watching Daredevil and it has taken over my soul. Do you have any advice on where to begin or what to read if I want to read the comics?
You can jump right in with the Mark Waid run, it’s a modern classic. Perfect for people new to comics and still continues to be amazing.
Daredevil: Yellow is a great standalone origin-story told over six issues.
Born Again is legendary but booyyyy howdy is dark, dense, and depressing. Quintessential Miller/Mazzucchelli. In it, Karen Page is a washed up junkie actress who sells out Daredevil’s secret identity to score another hit. The series deals with Kingpin systematically destroying Matt’s life. Rich in visual metaphor, mattfractionblog wrote a super interesting analysis of it which you can read here.
Feel free to reblog with your additions or comments.
Enjoy!
S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014-) #1
by Mark Waid & Carlos Pacheco
High-tech weapons. High-stakes missions. High-octane adventure! For the men and women of S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s just another day in the field! Special Agent Phil Coulson brings together the best and the brightest, the gifted and the elite, normal people and superhumans from across the Marvel Universe on an as-needed basis to confront, combat and curtail dangers beyond the scope of any conventional peace-keeping force! One mission. Unlimited budget. Unlimited imagination. Six periods. And a helper monkey. Welcome to Level Eight. Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Matt Murdock is back and hoping to resuscitate his law practice, he takes on a police-brutality case, but someone is trying to silence the victim. Then, Klaw, master of sound, makes his deadly return! And the blind literally lead the blind as a visually impaired client targeted for assassination holds the key to a global conspiracy.
The final #CreatorOfTheWeek of 2014 is the legendary Mark Waid!
Stay tuned for a discount code for one of his comics!
