Panini Comics publishes the fourth volume in the Marvel Gold line of Daredevil, where we can see an original Black Widow in all her glory among many other things
Gerry Conway and Gene Colan They are the main people responsible for the fourth volume of the line Marvel Gold which collects the classic adventures of Fearless man. We are now entering the decade of the seventies with a stage in which the emergence of the series of the Black Widowa character who will not be relegated to being just another cameo of the Marvel Universe who stops by to say hello for a couple of numbers, but his importance in the future of the series will be capital.
Matt Murdock, Karen Page and their fun adventures
During the first issues contained in this volume we are going to find really inconsequential episodes in which we are presented with villains lacking charisma and plots that today one would say have been written by a listless artificial intelligence. We are going to encounter absolutely nondescript villains like the Leopard Men, Zodiac, Turallahe Bullhe Condor and the Ram among several others, and with special guests such as Hombre de Hierro, Nick Fury, Spiderman, Owl, Scorpion, Mr. Hyde, namor either Madame Mask.
There will also be crazy numbers, those so typical of DC Comics of the Silver Age, like the one where everyone in New York City goes blind. But it will probably be the heavy romantic relationship between Matt Murdock and Karen Page What happens in the background is what weighs most on these first bars. It is true that comics Marvel Comics They have always relied heavily on human relationships to create the heroes with feet of clay that populate their mythology, but this does not always work…
Black Widow arrives
During the most interesting story arc so far in the volume, the one in which a mysterious villain known as Mr. Kline makes life impossible for our protagonist, that will be when we have interesting news in the series.
When the character of the Black Widow It made its entry into the series after barely seven years of publishing life. Created by Stan Lee, Don Rico and Don Heck, Natalia Alianovna “Natasha” Romanova (known worldwide today thanks to its representation in the MCU in charge of Scarlett Johansson) was a Russian spy who would end up defecting from her homeland to the United States and working for S.H.I.E.L.D..
Here he will arrive with his classic dark blue full-length suit, with a bright yellow belt that he would already like. batman and wristbands of the same color that turn out to be deadly weapons. Despite the typical initial friction, Natasha and Daredevil will soon begin a romantic relationship that will strengthen when she discovers the secret of her secret identity.
This is how we will leave Karen behind to change New York for San Francisco, a city in which the new superhero couple (accompanied by Natasha’s driver, her personal Alfred Pennyworth) will have fresh adventures but whose background was never interesting enough to leave a mark on the history of the Man Without Fear, being the saga of Project Four The most remarkable.
For Gene Colan fans
Although the scripts of the comics included here, whether Conway or anyone else is behind (although it improves slightly when Steve Gerber comes into action, already in the last bars of the volume), they vary between a poor level and an acceptable level (perhaps the plot of the robot sent from the future is notably above the rest), in the graphic section Colan’s followers go to enjoy a lot (especially when it is Tom Palmer his inker), since he is the main person responsible for the drawing and works at the level he is used to.
However, if you had to choose a number that stands out above the rest, you would have to look at the one titled The accused widow! where is Alan Weissinked by Bill Everett, the person responsible for the drawing. And this would be due to the magnificent work that this couple does with the character of Natasha, elevating her beauty and her charisma to levels that at that time in superhero comics only a handful of artists like the great John Romita Sr. they had achieved with female characters.
Despite the eye shadow that appears and disappears at will, the figure and face of the Black Widow is to delight. The depth of her gaze, the expressiveness of her features and the gracefulness of her movements are aspects of the drawing that are not usually found at this level in comics of the time. But that doesn’t mean that in the rest of her abundant appearances in the hands of Colan the Black Widow doesn’t also shine…
The fourth volume of the Marvel Gold line of Daredevil published by Panini Comics in hardcover contains 744 color pages with a size of 17 x 26 cm. and includes the translation of the American edition of issues #70 to #102 of the regular series of Daredevil, issue #35 and issue #36 of the regular series The Invincible Iron Manissue #40 of the regular series Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner and issue #111 of the regular series The Avengers 111, in addition to articles written by Raimon Fonseca and by Gerry Conway, all issue covers included and a succulent extras section at the end. The recommended retail price is €60 and it went on sale in May 2024.
Marvel Gold. Daredevil 4 – A woman called… Black Widow
The stage that changed everything for the Man Without Fear.
Daredevil and Black Widow become partners. Together, they will face Gladiator, The Purple Man, Electro, Mr. Fear and many more, while swapping New York for San Francisco. But with Natasha in Matt’s life and incorporating her name into the masthead, what will become of Karen Page?
Authors: Gerry Conway, Allyn Brodsky, Gary Friedrich, Steve Gerber, Steve Englehart, Chris Claremont, Gene Colan, Don Heck, Alan Weiss, Barry Smith, Sam Kweskin, Rich Buckler, Syd Shores, Mike Esposito, Tom Palmer, Jack Abel, Bill Everett, Ernie Chua, John Tartaglione, Frank Giacoia, George Roussos, Stan Goldberg and Dave Hunt
