Because I Care
Written By: Chris Samnee, Mark Waid
Art By: Chris Samnee, Matthew Wilson
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 29, 2017
Publisher: Marvel
Art By: Chris Samnee, Matthew Wilson
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 29, 2017
Publisher: Marvel
*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*
Well, we’ve finally come to a close on Chris Samnee and Mark
Waid’s run on Black Widow. This team has really found something special in their
work. They have been able to create stories that are not only entertaining and
deep but also do it with incredible art to perfectly illustrate the scenes they
lay out. They’ve been so consistent that many consider their run on Daredevil
to be one of the best runs ever and this run with Black Widow will most likely
be considered one of the best for years to come. (Then again, who knows when we
will get another Black Widow book). However, we’ve got this final issue to wrap
everything up so let’s just dive right in.
Our issue begins where we left off with Natasha struggling
to hold the garrote wire that Recluse currently has around her neck. Recluse’s
girls are set to initiate the self-destruct sequence at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters
which would kill thousands of their agents around the world. Recluse tells Natasha
that she can only stop her by killing one of her girls. If any of them are off
by a second, the sequence will not commence and S.H.I.E.L.D. will survive.
However, Natasha refuses to kill one of the girls and instead ams her weapon at
the clock they are watching, destroying it. Recluse realizes that her plan has
been foiled and Black Widow takes the opportunity to free herself and initiate
the emergency flood system.
The water hits Recluse hard and she seems to be knocked out
for the moment as Black Widow pulls herself out of the water. Waiting for her
at the top are Recluse’s agents. Black Widow attempts to reason with the girls,
saying that Recluse doesn’t care for them. She knew that her plan wouldn’t fail
if Natasha had killed one of the girls because she could simply replace them
but she still egged Natasha on to kill one. This is when Recluse jumps out from
the water and slams her weapon into the platform, just missing Black Widow. She
attempts to get the girls on her side as well. The girls decide that they have
to figure it out on their own and they release the platform that both are
standing on, dropping them into the water.
Black Widow and Recluse trade blows as the platform floats
down the current. It isn’t long until Natasha has the upper hand and has stolen
Recluse’s weapon. However, instead of using it to kill her, Natasha uses it as
a handle and is able to leave the platform before it plummets into the drain. Despite
her victory, Natasha is clearly losing her strength and is injured from combat
as she makes her way out of the area. However, she loses what strength she
still has just as she reaches the final door. Luckily, the Dark Room agents
pull her out.
Somehow though, Recluse was able to survive the drop and she
confronts Natasha once again. This time
they only argue though as it becomes clear to the Dark Room agents that Natasha
is the one that is right in this situation. They turn their back on Recluse and
leave her to be alone as they follow Black Widow out of building. They enter
the frozen land to be greeted by Maria Hill. This is when I should tell you
that this story takes place before the events of Civil War II. Maria Hill talks
with Natasha and tells her that her name has been cleared of charges, which
allows her to return to work at S.H.I.E.L.D. The two then receive a call from
none other than Tony Stark. Tony has set up homes for all of the orphans that
were working for the Dark Room. Without Recluse controlling them, they will be
able to live normal lives with their new families. Natasha is reminded that
while she is used to doing thing alone, she has people who look out for her
always. This is where the issue leaves us.
It’s truly saddening that this series has come to a close
but better to leave when you’re on top I guess. This book was something special
and really showed an incredible understanding of this character. This issue really
just saw the pay off for everything that this book set up. We see the final confrontation
between Natasha and Recluse and we see Natasha able to save other children from
the fate that she could not escape until she was older. The art was absolutely
beautiful and the dialogue was so smooth. Granted, it wasn’t perfect. There
were a couple convenient plot points and loop holes but overall I didn’t care
about those problems when I was reading this book. If anyone considers
themselves a Black Widow fan, this is a book that is required reading.
Bits and Pieces
We finally get a finale to this epic Black Widow story and
once again Chris Samnee and Mark Waid hit it out of the park with this book. It
was an incredibly satisfying ending and gave me nearly everything I could want
from a comic book. Granted, there were a couple plot points that could have
been done better but the book ultimately has been one of my favorites for the
past year. I hope Chris Samnee and Mark Waid come up with a new project because
when these two are together, incredible comics are made.
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