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Black Widow (2010)
Black Widow, Vol. 1: The Name of the Rose
The deadly super-spy from IRON MAN 2, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN and CAPTAIN AMERICA in her own action-packed tale! Natasha Romanoff is not a super hero. She's not psychic. She doesn't fly. And yet as the Black Widow, she manages to hold her own against a world of incredibly powerful enemies and allies. But now someone has tried to kill Natasha and almost succeeded.
144 pages, Paperback
First published December 22, 2010
174 people are currently reading
3761 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie M. Liu
320 books4,302 followersNew York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and she leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews
September 3, 2011
An excellent story that has quite a bit of emotion to it. It reads like a mystery/thriller, and gives you a few glimpses into the Black Widow's origin. There are also a few appearances from some of the Avengers, but they stay in the background. This is definitely Natasha's story, and she doesn't seem to need much help from any of her super-powered friends.
April 30, 2020
I love the idea of a spy thriller set in the background of the Marvel universe. Natasha receives a black rose setting off a chain of events that leave her framed for espionage. It visits a lot of her long past. (She ages very slowly like Captain America.) I also like how Liu dug up one of the old villains from The Champions team she was a part of in the 1970s.
March 11, 2017
What a fucking mess - I read this twice and I still don’t know what it’s about!
Natasha Romanova is Black Widow, a once-evil spy turned good superhero. Someone’s trying to kill her for reasons. Ok… She’s also done a Batman and has been collecting secret information on her superhero buddies – why? So she can sell it. Really? Or is she just being framed? No clue. Probably the latter though. She was also born in the 1920s – how is she still looking 30 then?! She also had a stillborn baby during WW2 or something – why was that detail important??? There’s a guy called Imus who can transfer his mind into robots to fight Natasha, no idea why, someone called Sumi and someone else called Maki are also “characters” apparently.
Yeah: an absolute fucking mess! But then Marjorie Liu never writes great comics. Daniel Acuna’s painted art is fantastic but damned if I know or care what Black Widow: The Name of the Rose was about!
Natasha Romanova is Black Widow, a once-evil spy turned good superhero. Someone’s trying to kill her for reasons. Ok… She’s also done a Batman and has been collecting secret information on her superhero buddies – why? So she can sell it. Really? Or is she just being framed? No clue. Probably the latter though. She was also born in the 1920s – how is she still looking 30 then?! She also had a stillborn baby during WW2 or something – why was that detail important??? There’s a guy called Imus who can transfer his mind into robots to fight Natasha, no idea why, someone called Sumi and someone else called Maki are also “characters” apparently.
Yeah: an absolute fucking mess! But then Marjorie Liu never writes great comics. Daniel Acuna’s painted art is fantastic but damned if I know or care what Black Widow: The Name of the Rose was about!
August 10, 2016
I'm embarrassed to say that I was, for all intents and purposes, absent the day they covered superheroes in my youth (also, I never learned cursive). I was one of those kids who wasn't allowed to have toy guns, and had to use a giant dolphin whose dorsal fin you could pull back to make it spit water instead of a Super Soaker. Yes, mine was quite the deprived childhood.
Given that last time I checked, Michelle Pfeifer was the hottest catwoman in town, and superheroes are always running around with double identities and such, I was surprised to find that I could, in fact, follow this story. As it were, I was probably more taken with the double, triple crossing story line as I still remain unclear on who exactly the "good guys" are. Actually, let me amend that, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this story has more depth of character than can be described using binary terms like good and bad.
Black Widow is super bad ass. She's by no means a damsel in distress, and has brains and brawn, and some deep dark secrets to boot. As mentioned, I don't really know enough of the background stories to be able to identify what would be spoiler-worthy, so I'll just keep the plot to myself.
The art itself was pretty amazing, and the way they do the ebook with each frame magnifying made the digital experience, at the very least, non-detrimental. The artists/authors seemed to have a sense of humor about the whole endeavor.
I loved the bro crowd's reaction when Black Widow absconds to the bathroom with her beefy beau:
There's a little girl on the train who looks like she's holding an Oscar*:
And last, but definitely not least as far as I'm concerned, Black Widow rides a kick ass dual sport!
So, in summation, yay for cool drawings, a story a superheroically-challenged reader can follow, and awesome motorcycles.
* Look at me being all spoiler-sensitive by blurring the dialogue.
Given that last time I checked, Michelle Pfeifer was the hottest catwoman in town, and superheroes are always running around with double identities and such, I was surprised to find that I could, in fact, follow this story. As it were, I was probably more taken with the double, triple crossing story line as I still remain unclear on who exactly the "good guys" are. Actually, let me amend that, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this story has more depth of character than can be described using binary terms like good and bad.
Black Widow is super bad ass. She's by no means a damsel in distress, and has brains and brawn, and some deep dark secrets to boot. As mentioned, I don't really know enough of the background stories to be able to identify what would be spoiler-worthy, so I'll just keep the plot to myself.
The art itself was pretty amazing, and the way they do the ebook with each frame magnifying made the digital experience, at the very least, non-detrimental. The artists/authors seemed to have a sense of humor about the whole endeavor.
I loved the bro crowd's reaction when Black Widow absconds to the bathroom with her beefy beau:
There's a little girl on the train who looks like she's holding an Oscar*:
And last, but definitely not least as far as I'm concerned, Black Widow rides a kick ass dual sport!
So, in summation, yay for cool drawings, a story a superheroically-challenged reader can follow, and awesome motorcycles.
* Look at me being all spoiler-sensitive by blurring the dialogue.
March 5, 2013
Okay, I loved this. Probably the best Black Widow arc I've read. All my favorite Marvel characters tend to be the ones who have no/limited super powers. Of these, Natasha Romanoff's stories all seem rooted in themes of memory, loyalty, and perhaps most interestingly, agency. Every bit of control she has over her life, including her body and mind, have been hard-won. The problem I have with her portrayal most of the time (even in her own stories), is the fact that despite her rich history, she's so often portrayed as this kind of one-dimensional, icy femme-fatale. I was happy to see that her character was explored more deeply here.
Cutting here for some (super minor) spoilers.
Cutting here for some (super minor) spoilers.
March 29, 2017
5 stars!!! Yesss! Now this is a story about Natasha Romanova!
Okay, so, there are a lot of iterations of Black Widow. And by iterations, I don't mean comic runs, I mean versions. Poor woman suffers from a disease that plagues many female characters that have been around for a long, long time. Their personalities have been changed to suit whichever male characters they are featured beside. I don't appreciate the slut shaming Imus throws at her (he is a bad guy, but still) but I think it goes without saying they've paired Natasha with random male characters. There's a summary in the end of the first issue that delves into Natasha's relationships with Tony (he denied her, interestingly enough), Hawkeye, Daredevil, Hercules (okay...), Bucky (yesssss!!!) and part of this was because her bosses wanted her to steal info or tech from them. There are so many different ways Natasha has been written.
After the shallowness of Itsy Bitsy Spider, I needed this!
I adore Edmonson's run because you can tell that she has heart and there's a depth to her that I'm afraid we'll never get on film. She cares deeply for the few people she has kept around in her life (Clint, Bucky, her cat, and the other Avengers to an extent) but she notes that she will always be a little bit distant from everyone else. That series is very "here and now" and references her past but I never felt the weight of it.
This book really makes you feel the weight of Natasha's past. She has lived a life! She has been around since 1928 and where Itsy Bitsy Spider tried to hint at that subtly, this book succeeds in doing that with so much more grace. We get to meet people like Black Rose and an old woman that lived to see Natasha never age. We hear about Nikolai and more about Alexei. We run into Red Room ballerinas and Imus the Champion. You really get a feel for the kinds of people she grew up around.
I had no idea Logan helped train her for a while. He's so protective of her in this book and that was wonderful to see! It really gives me some perspective on why he was so protective and accepting towards Laura in X-23.
I adored seeing Tony and Clint be so protective of her and unwilling to believe she would be trying to hurt them. Tony outwardly says the whole thing is bullshit and sticks up for her. I've spoken about this before but I adore their relationship. I have since I read the 1998 Iron Man series and she basically saved his life on a mission. They have a relationship that began with lies and turned into one of the most supportive and trusting friendships. I love them together!
There's a bit of BuckyNat in this book. Not a lot but they go on a a date, have cute phone conversations and Bucky's the only one out of an international manhunt that can find her because he knows how she thinks.
Natasha. Natasha!!! She kicks ass in this book but more importantly, she has a heart in this book. Some comics, I feel like you only ever get cold, expressionless Nat. This book managed to get her right! She has a softness to her when she speaks about Nikolai, the baby she lost, and when she speaks to Logan and Bucky. She has loyalty to her friends and you see that when she attacks Lady Bullseye for trying to hurt Tony through Pepper. She also makes it clear that she has no problem being vicious and causing pain to her enemies. She is a very strong person and she's slightly unapologetic about the things she's had to do to survive. She's a very important female character and it's refreshing to read a book where she can have that softness to her and the writers don't turn her into mush. She feels 100% the calculated, brilliant spy we all know and love even with these insights into her past.
Totally recommending this! Why aren't you reading it yet?
Okay, so, there are a lot of iterations of Black Widow. And by iterations, I don't mean comic runs, I mean versions. Poor woman suffers from a disease that plagues many female characters that have been around for a long, long time. Their personalities have been changed to suit whichever male characters they are featured beside. I don't appreciate the slut shaming Imus throws at her (he is a bad guy, but still) but I think it goes without saying they've paired Natasha with random male characters. There's a summary in the end of the first issue that delves into Natasha's relationships with Tony (he denied her, interestingly enough), Hawkeye, Daredevil, Hercules (okay...), Bucky (yesssss!!!) and part of this was because her bosses wanted her to steal info or tech from them. There are so many different ways Natasha has been written.
After the shallowness of Itsy Bitsy Spider, I needed this!
I adore Edmonson's run because you can tell that she has heart and there's a depth to her that I'm afraid we'll never get on film. She cares deeply for the few people she has kept around in her life (Clint, Bucky, her cat, and the other Avengers to an extent) but she notes that she will always be a little bit distant from everyone else. That series is very "here and now" and references her past but I never felt the weight of it.
This book really makes you feel the weight of Natasha's past. She has lived a life! She has been around since 1928 and where Itsy Bitsy Spider tried to hint at that subtly, this book succeeds in doing that with so much more grace. We get to meet people like Black Rose and an old woman that lived to see Natasha never age. We hear about Nikolai and more about Alexei. We run into Red Room ballerinas and Imus the Champion. You really get a feel for the kinds of people she grew up around.
I had no idea Logan helped train her for a while. He's so protective of her in this book and that was wonderful to see! It really gives me some perspective on why he was so protective and accepting towards Laura in X-23.
I adored seeing Tony and Clint be so protective of her and unwilling to believe she would be trying to hurt them. Tony outwardly says the whole thing is bullshit and sticks up for her. I've spoken about this before but I adore their relationship. I have since I read the 1998 Iron Man series and she basically saved his life on a mission. They have a relationship that began with lies and turned into one of the most supportive and trusting friendships. I love them together!
There's a bit of BuckyNat in this book. Not a lot but they go on a a date, have cute phone conversations and Bucky's the only one out of an international manhunt that can find her because he knows how she thinks.
Natasha. Natasha!!! She kicks ass in this book but more importantly, she has a heart in this book. Some comics, I feel like you only ever get cold, expressionless Nat. This book managed to get her right! She has a softness to her when she speaks about Nikolai, the baby she lost, and when she speaks to Logan and Bucky. She has loyalty to her friends and you see that when she attacks Lady Bullseye for trying to hurt Tony through Pepper. She also makes it clear that she has no problem being vicious and causing pain to her enemies. She is a very strong person and she's slightly unapologetic about the things she's had to do to survive. She's a very important female character and it's refreshing to read a book where she can have that softness to her and the writers don't turn her into mush. She feels 100% the calculated, brilliant spy we all know and love even with these insights into her past.
Totally recommending this! Why aren't you reading it yet?
May 24, 2022
I don’t think I’m ever just going to not love a black widow comic
June 19, 2015
I really enjoyed this one. It was actually a good story, and the threat level was convincing. Kind of a fun read, and the guest characters were used very well. They added to the story without taking over, something that's kind of hard to do when you're Captain America.
January 7, 2021
I love Black Widow! She’s one of my favorite avengers.
This collection was fast paced and interesting and a quick read!
Can’t wait for her solo movie this year 💯✊🏾
This collection was fast paced and interesting and a quick read!
Can’t wait for her solo movie this year 💯✊🏾
April 17, 2020
This was astonishingly good. I may have gone off Monstress a little but for a air tight five issues Liu spins a Black Widow yarn for the ages. Intrigue, action, heartbreak, and more intrigue.
Could not recommend more!
Could not recommend more!
February 10, 2017
4 Stars.
"The Black Widow is a legend. Some folks think you kill a legend, you'll become one, too. But that's not how it works. Legends aren't made so cheap. And legends always die hard."
First time reading a Black Widow story and first time exploring Marjorie Liu's work and I have to say I was blown away. I loved this comic. It was compelling, intense, emotional, clever and it was so fun to read. Yes, it is a marvel story, but honestly it didn't feel like I was reading about superheroes, it was mostly a spy thriller with one of the most complex and damaged, but incredibly strong and resilient lead character. Black Widow isn't a victim, she's a survivor of her past and even though her past is full of pain, she learned to love, to care. Natasha is compassionate and loyal.. but also ruthless and violent if she must be.
In this story someone is targeting Natasha. She receives a black rose, the symbol of one of her deepest secrets, as a threat and no one alive should know about her story, so she's looking for answers. When Natasha is attacked and left bleeding out in the middle of the street she must act quickly. There was something robbed from her that can risk every friendship, every person she cares about, but that's not the only problem, the existence of this thing is solely her fault and she's now wanted and called a traitor. With no one to fall back on, with her past threatened to being revealed and her friends being in danger, she must find this person and confront her deepest and darkest secrets.
This story has some amazing cameos and secondary characters, but it is always clear that this a Black Widow story. If you only know The Avengers because of the movies, you can still read this and enjoy it as much as I did. I particularly enjoyed the friendship between Wolverine and Natasha and her romantic moments with Bucky. Seeing these other characters and the perfect way Liu wrote them and add them to the story was so much fun. The characterization is on point, there are so many good lines and amazing dialogue. The story flows perfectly... I just loved this.
The artwork was okay, I really liked Natasha's design here. Acuña had no problem in making some characters look ugly or broken and the emotional scenes, just as the action scenes, work great. Still, it is not my favorite artwork style. It is a little too digital and I wish some of the background could've been more detailed and clear. But it's okay overall.
My main problem, although not really a problem, was the identity of the villain. I was not familiar with the character, so the final confrontation didn't have the excitement I was expecting. That being said, for a 5 issue story it is understandable and I was still so invested in Natasha's story and her actions.
Another thing I didn't particularly care for was the 8 page miniseries at the beginning of the volume. Meh. It was just meh.
I'm so glad to have read this story... also, can Marvel Studios please do a standalone Black Widow movie soon? And maybe use this book as the inspiration for the plot? Please? Pretty Please?Come on, Feige, you know it'd be amazing.
"The Black Widow is a legend. Some folks think you kill a legend, you'll become one, too. But that's not how it works. Legends aren't made so cheap. And legends always die hard."
First time reading a Black Widow story and first time exploring Marjorie Liu's work and I have to say I was blown away. I loved this comic. It was compelling, intense, emotional, clever and it was so fun to read. Yes, it is a marvel story, but honestly it didn't feel like I was reading about superheroes, it was mostly a spy thriller with one of the most complex and damaged, but incredibly strong and resilient lead character. Black Widow isn't a victim, she's a survivor of her past and even though her past is full of pain, she learned to love, to care. Natasha is compassionate and loyal.. but also ruthless and violent if she must be.
In this story someone is targeting Natasha. She receives a black rose, the symbol of one of her deepest secrets, as a threat and no one alive should know about her story, so she's looking for answers. When Natasha is attacked and left bleeding out in the middle of the street she must act quickly. There was something robbed from her that can risk every friendship, every person she cares about, but that's not the only problem, the existence of this thing is solely her fault and she's now wanted and called a traitor. With no one to fall back on, with her past threatened to being revealed and her friends being in danger, she must find this person and confront her deepest and darkest secrets.
This story has some amazing cameos and secondary characters, but it is always clear that this a Black Widow story. If you only know The Avengers because of the movies, you can still read this and enjoy it as much as I did. I particularly enjoyed the friendship between Wolverine and Natasha and her romantic moments with Bucky. Seeing these other characters and the perfect way Liu wrote them and add them to the story was so much fun. The characterization is on point, there are so many good lines and amazing dialogue. The story flows perfectly... I just loved this.
The artwork was okay, I really liked Natasha's design here. Acuña had no problem in making some characters look ugly or broken and the emotional scenes, just as the action scenes, work great. Still, it is not my favorite artwork style. It is a little too digital and I wish some of the background could've been more detailed and clear. But it's okay overall.
My main problem, although not really a problem, was the identity of the villain. I was not familiar with the character, so the final confrontation didn't have the excitement I was expecting. That being said, for a 5 issue story it is understandable and I was still so invested in Natasha's story and her actions.
Another thing I didn't particularly care for was the 8 page miniseries at the beginning of the volume. Meh. It was just meh.
I'm so glad to have read this story... also, can Marvel Studios please do a standalone Black Widow movie soon? And maybe use this book as the inspiration for the plot? Please? Pretty Please?
August 5, 2016
If there’s one thing the recent Captain America movie taught me, it’s that I am in need of a Black Widow movie. In the mean time, I will seek to satisfy this need with Black Widow comics. Unfortunately, The Name of the Rose let me down with a rather weak plot involving a mysterious enemy who learns one of Natasha’s biggest secrets: the fact that she is recording secrets on everyone, including her friends in the Avengers. The mystery enemy captures and dissects Natasha to acquire this information, leaving her severely wounded, with her only clue being a black rose.
I’m not really familiar with Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff, in the comics, so I’m not sure if the enemy she’s dealing with is a major part of her history. When the person is finally revealed, there is implication of a strong connection, but the connection itself is not displayed in a terribly convincing manner. There also seem to be several steps missing as Natasha goes on the hunt, luring out informants, visiting old contacts, and finding her prey. And finally, there is a big reveal about Natasha herself that is supposed to provide emotional punch, but instead just comes off as a whimper.
And while I am sure the Black Widow is in far better shape than I am, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief in regard to the serious wound she suffers at the hands of her enemy. I accept that she’s one tough cookie with mental resilience that can push her through physical pain and push her body well beyond its limits. But significant blood loss, is significant blood loss, yo.
The one really great thing about this, aside from the art, are Natasha’s friends. Wolverine, Captain America, Tony Stark, Hawkeye and one other, all play a part in her adventure, though they all ultimately know that Natasha is a woman who must deal with this situation on her own. Through them, aspects of Natasha are revealed, most notably her loyalty to the people she names a friend. She is a woman whose life is all about seduction and lies, which all of these men know intrinsically, yet, despite the revelation that she’s been collecting secrets even about them, they are willing to stand by her, or at the very least, give her the benefit of the doubt.
I’m not really familiar with Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff, in the comics, so I’m not sure if the enemy she’s dealing with is a major part of her history. When the person is finally revealed, there is implication of a strong connection, but the connection itself is not displayed in a terribly convincing manner. There also seem to be several steps missing as Natasha goes on the hunt, luring out informants, visiting old contacts, and finding her prey. And finally, there is a big reveal about Natasha herself that is supposed to provide emotional punch, but instead just comes off as a whimper.
And while I am sure the Black Widow is in far better shape than I am, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief in regard to the serious wound she suffers at the hands of her enemy. I accept that she’s one tough cookie with mental resilience that can push her through physical pain and push her body well beyond its limits. But significant blood loss, is significant blood loss, yo.
The one really great thing about this, aside from the art, are Natasha’s friends. Wolverine, Captain America, Tony Stark, Hawkeye and one other, all play a part in her adventure, though they all ultimately know that Natasha is a woman who must deal with this situation on her own. Through them, aspects of Natasha are revealed, most notably her loyalty to the people she names a friend. She is a woman whose life is all about seduction and lies, which all of these men know intrinsically, yet, despite the revelation that she’s been collecting secrets even about them, they are willing to stand by her, or at the very least, give her the benefit of the doubt.
October 1, 2011
Great mystery setup, and an incredibly low-key pervasive spies-not-capes milieu.
I enjoy Liu's work here - slowly spooling out crumbs of the mysteries that led Black Widow into this intrigue. The characters and dialogue are coherent, distinct and (mostly) believable. The veiled threats and downplayed action are a refreshing change from the balls-to-the-wall stories that most of the Y-chromosome carriers in comicdom's stable seem inevitably to write. And after being reminded that Liu is also the writer of the execrable, angsty Daken stories, I'm doubly impressed.
I'm not sure about all-digital art - Acuna certainly has talent and it comes through to set the scenes & convey action, clearly done very well. But it still feels...artificial in a way, like I'm looking at it through cellophane, or like it's been washed in a watercolour effect. Maybe it's the deliberately irregular shaping of light effects that should be smoother. It's a style thing, I know, but I find it a little distracting.
I enjoy Liu's work here - slowly spooling out crumbs of the mysteries that led Black Widow into this intrigue. The characters and dialogue are coherent, distinct and (mostly) believable. The veiled threats and downplayed action are a refreshing change from the balls-to-the-wall stories that most of the Y-chromosome carriers in comicdom's stable seem inevitably to write. And after being reminded that Liu is also the writer of the execrable, angsty Daken stories, I'm doubly impressed.
I'm not sure about all-digital art - Acuna certainly has talent and it comes through to set the scenes & convey action, clearly done very well. But it still feels...artificial in a way, like I'm looking at it through cellophane, or like it's been washed in a watercolour effect. Maybe it's the deliberately irregular shaping of light effects that should be smoother. It's a style thing, I know, but I find it a little distracting.
July 7, 2015
Most definitely one of the BEST Black Widow comics out there; very honest and gritty and awesome! :)
May 20, 2015
5 Words: Comic, betrayal, danger, defence, anger.
I love black widow and all, but this was just a bit meh. The art was too sexualised, the plot too jumpy, and I just didn't get on with it so much.
I love black widow and all, but this was just a bit meh. The art was too sexualised, the plot too jumpy, and I just didn't get on with it so much.
May 17, 2016
The Black Widow receives a black rose!
No one should know what that means to her. Stunned, she reacts too slow after seeing the rose. Unable to move, paralyzed by a dart in the neck, her enemy slides the knife into her belly - and removes the secret technology she had been hiding from everyone, including the Avengers. She knows it will mean she will have to run from everyone and find the betrayer of her secret - if she doesn't bleed to death..
Very tough heroine, interesting story and great artwork!
No one should know what that means to her. Stunned, she reacts too slow after seeing the rose. Unable to move, paralyzed by a dart in the neck, her enemy slides the knife into her belly - and removes the secret technology she had been hiding from everyone, including the Avengers. She knows it will mean she will have to run from everyone and find the betrayer of her secret - if she doesn't bleed to death..
Very tough heroine, interesting story and great artwork!
May 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this version of the Black Widow (more spy, less superhero). I guess I never realized that Marvel has produced so many series starring the Black Widow. I am catching up on these collections thanks to Comixology Unlimited. While I enjoyed reading this collection and the storyline, I was not crazy about the art.
Looking forward to more Black Widow action:
Looking forward to more Black Widow action:
April 24, 2015
More like 2.5 stars. Just meh for me. An interesting look into Natasha's past, but I wasn't really a big fan of the art and I'm not the right audience for this story anyways -- I find stories about spies/assassins boring. But hey, it was a Kindle cheapie at the time and I like Nat in the Avengers movies. Won't be re-reading it though.
July 10, 2023
Bleh, they could have done justice with her character, idk but how many everyone called her “who!e” in this comic and whatelse, totally disappointing
March 13, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Marjorie M. Liu's novels, so I was excited to see how her writing would translate into comics. While I generally enjoyed Black Widow: The Name of the Rose, I was disappointed with the direction of the plot and kind of on the fence about how Liu chose to depict Natasha.
What I was most disappointed with was how easily I was able to predict what would happen throughout the story once Natasha was attacked on the street.
Despite this, the story managed to keep me engaged the entire time. I just wish that Liu had chosen to concentrate on a different motivator for Natasha and had dedicated more gravity/attention to the fact that she was suddenly enemy number one.
As for Liu's depiction of Black Widow, I'm honestly undecided. I liked the brief moments where she showed Natasha as cunning and merciless but sometimes the character just felt off for me. I did however enjoy the way she wrote Wolverine and the other few Avengers that we saw.
Also, Daniel Acuna's art work is just wonderful here. This was one of the most consistently well drawn volumes I've read in a while.
Overall, I enjoyed this enough that I'll eventually pick-up X-23, Vol. 1: The Killing Dream by Liu in the future.
What I was most disappointed with was how easily I was able to predict what would happen throughout the story once Natasha was attacked on the street.
Despite this, the story managed to keep me engaged the entire time. I just wish that Liu had chosen to concentrate on a different motivator for Natasha and had dedicated more gravity/attention to the fact that she was suddenly enemy number one.
As for Liu's depiction of Black Widow, I'm honestly undecided. I liked the brief moments where she showed Natasha as cunning and merciless but sometimes the character just felt off for me. I did however enjoy the way she wrote Wolverine and the other few Avengers that we saw.
Also, Daniel Acuna's art work is just wonderful here. This was one of the most consistently well drawn volumes I've read in a while.
Overall, I enjoyed this enough that I'll eventually pick-up X-23, Vol. 1: The Killing Dream by Liu in the future.
August 1, 2021
Excellent! Buenisimo! Ottimo! How do you say awesome in Russian?
Now this is a story about Natalia Romanova! Seriously though, other Marvel characters make cameos, but this is solely about Natasha and I like it that way.
We get to see her in Black Widow action but also get insight into her past and how it has shaped her. She is not just a femme fatale with an icy exterior who uses her sexuality to lure men in and kill them, as she (like many others) is often portrayed. Did not appreciate the slut shaming, Imus. Honestly, at this point, sexuality is no longer a secret weapon and I'm amazed men keep falling for it. Eh, not really, mean are stupid haha.
Okay, back to "The Name of the Rose." You really get to see Nat's heart here in her interactions with Bucky (my OTP!!!) and Logan, and in Clint and Tony's reluctance to believe she has betrayed them., in her past relationship with Nikolai and the baby she lost, as well as with the old woman and her mother. She has clearly built strong bonds with these people (some more so than others) and yet is still capable to be ruthless with her enemies.
Side note: I'm refraining from going off about the cute moments between her and James. I just love that he offers to help her but knows when to step aside and let her do what she needs to.
This is the Black Widow I needed in my life! Take note male writers! Now I just need to find this in an hardback cover.
Now this is a story about Natalia Romanova! Seriously though, other Marvel characters make cameos, but this is solely about Natasha and I like it that way.
We get to see her in Black Widow action but also get insight into her past and how it has shaped her. She is not just a femme fatale with an icy exterior who uses her sexuality to lure men in and kill them, as she (like many others) is often portrayed. Did not appreciate the slut shaming, Imus. Honestly, at this point, sexuality is no longer a secret weapon and I'm amazed men keep falling for it. Eh, not really, mean are stupid haha.
Okay, back to "The Name of the Rose." You really get to see Nat's heart here in her interactions with Bucky (my OTP!!!) and Logan, and in Clint and Tony's reluctance to believe she has betrayed them., in her past relationship with Nikolai and the baby she lost, as well as with the old woman and her mother. She has clearly built strong bonds with these people (some more so than others) and yet is still capable to be ruthless with her enemies.
Side note: I'm refraining from going off about the cute moments between her and James. I just love that he offers to help her but knows when to step aside and let her do what she needs to.
This is the Black Widow I needed in my life! Take note male writers! Now I just need to find this in an hardback cover.
September 8, 2024
I never thought I would like Black Widow but this comic showed me how badass and interesting of a character she can be. The comic is dark and very plot driven which was a welcomed surprise; loved the thriller aspects. I am definitely more interesting in the character and her roots after this volume, great work.
May 23, 2024
'Get up. Or surrender.'
'Say please.'
If Marjorie Liu writes a Marvel character, I will read the hell out of it. First Laura Kinney and now Natasha Romanoff, she just gets them and I can't get enough.
I won't say much about the plot itself, but it's definitely very spy thriller x past come back to haunt and and gave me intense Laura Kinney vibes what with Natasha setting off to solve the mystery of her attacker despite being injured and everything. Throw in some Avengers (had to say Hawkeye's costume was laughable) and X-Man cameos (X-Man because it's really only Logan LOL) and characters like Elektra (god, the cover of issue #3 just hits) and Lady Bullseye (petty but hot, TBH) dropping in for more than a ~visit and you have a classic story on your hands. Plus, Natasha's dynamic with Black Rose and her way of dealing with Imus are both so well-written, I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
There is some surprising stuff, though like I had no idea Logan was a mentor to Natasha at one point. His protective behavior towards Natasha reminded me of his and Laura's relationship and how far they've come. 🥹 However, I was so not expecting to either have James be Natasha's love interest in this, or the fact that he's now Captain America? Uhh. It was actually nice, though? There's also a summary of Natasha's life basically and boy, is it a lot. Talk about messy love interests.
Anyway, the art is great actually! I love how some panels bring out Natasha's fierceness so well and then her vulnerability is on full display in others. Admittedly, this is my first Natasha comic but I can imagine other writers preferring one over the other when she clearly is and can be both.
'Say please.'
If Marjorie Liu writes a Marvel character, I will read the hell out of it. First Laura Kinney and now Natasha Romanoff, she just gets them and I can't get enough.
I won't say much about the plot itself, but it's definitely very spy thriller x past come back to haunt and and gave me intense Laura Kinney vibes what with Natasha setting off to solve the mystery of her attacker despite being injured and everything. Throw in some Avengers (had to say Hawkeye's costume was laughable) and X-Man cameos (X-Man because it's really only Logan LOL) and characters like Elektra (god, the cover of issue #3 just hits) and Lady Bullseye (petty but hot, TBH) dropping in for more than a ~visit and you have a classic story on your hands. Plus, Natasha's dynamic with Black Rose and her way of dealing with Imus are both so well-written, I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
There is some surprising stuff, though like I had no idea Logan was a mentor to Natasha at one point. His protective behavior towards Natasha reminded me of his and Laura's relationship and how far they've come. 🥹 However, I was so not expecting to either have James be Natasha's love interest in this, or the fact that he's now Captain America? Uhh. It was actually nice, though? There's also a summary of Natasha's life basically and boy, is it a lot. Talk about messy love interests.
Anyway, the art is great actually! I love how some panels bring out Natasha's fierceness so well and then her vulnerability is on full display in others. Admittedly, this is my first Natasha comic but I can imagine other writers preferring one over the other when she clearly is and can be both.
March 13, 2023
I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.
I feel like I've read this story before but nevertheless, it's a great read for any Natasha Romanoff fans. Natasha knows how quickly bonds can break and friends can become enemies, and this book is no exception. We follow Natasha as she begins to unravel a conspiracy that is threatening her peace. She has gotten comfortable. She's happy. That is never a good thing for Natasha Romanoff to be. She should never get comfortable because just like in this story, she is reminded at how quickly that can change.
Point #1: Cap!Bucky, my beloved.
Point #2: BuckyNat, my beloved.
Point #3: I really can't fault this book too much so I'm just sharing random points now.
I feel like I've read this story before but nevertheless, it's a great read for any Natasha Romanoff fans. Natasha knows how quickly bonds can break and friends can become enemies, and this book is no exception. We follow Natasha as she begins to unravel a conspiracy that is threatening her peace. She has gotten comfortable. She's happy. That is never a good thing for Natasha Romanoff to be. She should never get comfortable because just like in this story, she is reminded at how quickly that can change.
Point #1: Cap!Bucky, my beloved.
Point #2: BuckyNat, my beloved.
Point #3: I really can't fault this book too much so I'm just sharing random points now.
January 11, 2022
This was lit. This was a spy thriller and I was eating that UP. We learn more about Natasha's past as she's on the run from multiple different sides. She's so badass and sassy, I loved her portrayal and it was just so *chef's kiss*. I did want more Bucky but this really is Black Widow's story and I did like how we see a bunch of different super friends.
June 21, 2022
Art by Daniel Acuna makes this an enjoyable ride. Worth the read just for the art.
June 20, 2023
So Many Feels
The Black Rose was intense. It was good, but definitely intense. The gamut of emotions and glimpses into different parts of Widow’s history was interesting to me since I’ve not read a lot of comics. The art and writing were also incredible, in my opinion.
The Black Rose was intense. It was good, but definitely intense. The gamut of emotions and glimpses into different parts of Widow’s history was interesting to me since I’ve not read a lot of comics. The art and writing were also incredible, in my opinion.
September 2, 2014
Después de un intento de asesinato contra Natasha Romanova que casi tiene éxito, Natasha emprenderá una odisea en búsqueda del culpable, la persona que está intentando sacar a la luz unos de sus más oscuros secretos mientras la aleja –o lo intenta- de sus mejores amigos e incluso de su pareja amorosa, James Buchanan Barnes.
En The Name of the Rose Natasha tendrá que afrontar uno de sus miedos –uno de pocos- y es que descubran cosas oscuras que hizo en el pasado, porque aunque ahora sea una persona diferente y trabaje para personas diferentes, su pasado siempre la ha atormentado. No se puede librar de sus recuerdos.
La relación que tiene con James me gusta mucho, aunque no he tenido la oportunidad de leerlos en numerosas ocasiones. Pero lo que sí puedo decir es que he notado que se complementan, los dos hicieron cosas en el pasado de las que ahora se arrepienten, no se consideran buenos pero de alguna manera se sienten bien y comprendidos el uno con el otro.
Me ha gustado bastante, el dibujo, los colores, los diálogos y la historia en sí, llena de mentiras y espionaje. Me gustó que aparecieran personajes como Logan Howlett, Tony Stark y Elektra. El personaje de Natasha siempre será uno de mis favoritos, es una mujer fuerte, dañada incluso, con un pasado y una vida difícil, una mujer que no se da por vencida y que tiene muy claro lo que quiere y como pretende conseguirlo.
I gave up one country for another. One country for an ideal. I didn’t think of it that way at the time.
Call me crazy.
But I just wanted to be free.
En The Name of the Rose Natasha tendrá que afrontar uno de sus miedos –uno de pocos- y es que descubran cosas oscuras que hizo en el pasado, porque aunque ahora sea una persona diferente y trabaje para personas diferentes, su pasado siempre la ha atormentado. No se puede librar de sus recuerdos.
I have hunted for less.
I have killed for less.
But never with as much pleasure.
La relación que tiene con James me gusta mucho, aunque no he tenido la oportunidad de leerlos en numerosas ocasiones. Pero lo que sí puedo decir es que he notado que se complementan, los dos hicieron cosas en el pasado de las que ahora se arrepienten, no se consideran buenos pero de alguna manera se sienten bien y comprendidos el uno con el otro.
-And if I offered myself up would you take my help?
-James—
-I know you don’t need me. But, please, Natasha. Whatever else we are… let me be your friend.
-You’re a good man.
-Not really, no. But you’re the only one who understands that.
Me ha gustado bastante, el dibujo, los colores, los diálogos y la historia en sí, llena de mentiras y espionaje. Me gustó que aparecieran personajes como Logan Howlett, Tony Stark y Elektra. El personaje de Natasha siempre será uno de mis favoritos, es una mujer fuerte, dañada incluso, con un pasado y una vida difícil, una mujer que no se da por vencida y que tiene muy claro lo que quiere y como pretende conseguirlo.
Tell yourself that everything you love will stay with you, forever.
Even though it won't.
Not even a little.
March 2, 2014
I don't know, maybe I'm reading this wrong. I don't get it. I actually had to read this twice to try and understand it. And even now, I still don't really understand what happened.
This is my first venture into Black Widow, other than the movie universe. Needless to say, I was very confused. She was born in 1928, apparently? Never knew that. The stuff with her baby was confusing - not that crucial, but it was still something that stood out to me. The old woman, I felt, was supposed to be a very significant character to Natasha - her niece or something? - but they never really addressed who she was. Also, it took me a few minutes to realize this was the time frame when James "Bucky" Barnes was Captain America, not Steve Rogers. So, I was very confused reading this the first time.
The prologue thing was not needed at all. I don't know why they put it in there. Plus, McKelvie's art really gets under my skin, so when I first opened the book, I groaned. Luckily, it was only for the prologue.
Acuna's art, I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, it was beautiful. On the other, the guy just can't draw kicks at all. They were the stupidest looking thing I've ever seen. Panels where any girl was kicking looked more like a sex panel than a fight scene, in my opinion.
The plot was decent, but it was a bit... convoluted in my opinion. I still don't get what the deal with the rose and ribbon was. Who the heck is this Imus guy? Maybe it's because I'm Black Widow illiterate that all of this went over my head?
The thing that really irked me though, was all of Natasha's topless and nude scenes. Seriously? She really was naked a lot. The rest of the time she was covered very well, trench-coat. So that was relieving; no awful, revealing cat-suit. But did she really need to be exposed so often? Yes, Natasha is sexy, but there's got to be a point, right?
Overall, disappointed. The reviews for this are wonderful though, so I'm not sure what I'm missing. Maybe I'm reading it wrong because I know so little about Natasha Romanova.
This is my first venture into Black Widow, other than the movie universe. Needless to say, I was very confused. She was born in 1928, apparently? Never knew that. The stuff with her baby was confusing - not that crucial, but it was still something that stood out to me. The old woman, I felt, was supposed to be a very significant character to Natasha - her niece or something? - but they never really addressed who she was. Also, it took me a few minutes to realize this was the time frame when James "Bucky" Barnes was Captain America, not Steve Rogers. So, I was very confused reading this the first time.
The prologue thing was not needed at all. I don't know why they put it in there. Plus, McKelvie's art really gets under my skin, so when I first opened the book, I groaned. Luckily, it was only for the prologue.
Acuna's art, I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, it was beautiful. On the other, the guy just can't draw kicks at all. They were the stupidest looking thing I've ever seen. Panels where any girl was kicking looked more like a sex panel than a fight scene, in my opinion.
The plot was decent, but it was a bit... convoluted in my opinion. I still don't get what the deal with the rose and ribbon was. Who the heck is this Imus guy? Maybe it's because I'm Black Widow illiterate that all of this went over my head?
The thing that really irked me though, was all of Natasha's topless and nude scenes. Seriously? She really was naked a lot. The rest of the time she was covered very well, trench-coat. So that was relieving; no awful, revealing cat-suit. But did she really need to be exposed so often? Yes, Natasha is sexy, but there's got to be a point, right?
Overall, disappointed. The reviews for this are wonderful though, so I'm not sure what I'm missing. Maybe I'm reading it wrong because I know so little about Natasha Romanova.
May 20, 2020
While the story is clearly centered on Natasha, it includes several superheroes that do so little you wonder why they're even there. They are fighters and fixers that could probably very easily solve Natasha's problem, but pass through the story without doing much more than raising the value of the comic.
A lot of effort is put into making the story and dialogue be as mysterious as possible to match the Jason Bourne-type spy setting. The fights are deadly, but never revealed to the public, the dialogue hides the characters' true meaning, forcing the reader to constantly surmise the underlying meaning, and the ones responsible for Natasha's predicament are kept in the shadows until the very end, just like Natasha's allegiances. It's almost annoyingly well done, if you like this type of story.
Natasha is attacked by skilled spies in broad daylight. They drug her and take something from her body, then leave her to be picked up by paramedics. She goes through surgery, but the anesthetic doesn't have the desired effect, so she feels everything while trying desperately to not reveal that she is conscious.
The item taken from her is a chip that recorded vast amounts of data from all the superheroes Natasha has encountered. The US government believes that she intends to sell the recorded data on the black market.
A lot of effort is put into making the story and dialogue be as mysterious as possible to match the Jason Bourne-type spy setting. The fights are deadly, but never revealed to the public, the dialogue hides the characters' true meaning, forcing the reader to constantly surmise the underlying meaning, and the ones responsible for Natasha's predicament are kept in the shadows until the very end, just like Natasha's allegiances. It's almost annoyingly well done, if you like this type of story.
Natasha is attacked by skilled spies in broad daylight. They drug her and take something from her body, then leave her to be picked up by paramedics. She goes through surgery, but the anesthetic doesn't have the desired effect, so she feels everything while trying desperately to not reveal that she is conscious.
The item taken from her is a chip that recorded vast amounts of data from all the superheroes Natasha has encountered. The US government believes that she intends to sell the recorded data on the black market.
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