I haven’t read a lot by Kelly Thompson, but I really enjoyed her continuation of Jessica Jones after Brian Bendis stepped down, and her rep for stuff like Deadpool, Captain Marvel and The X-Men is as solid as can be. The perfect writer to relaunch Black Widow? Let’s take a look…

The first five issues are collected here, telling a self contained story without a cliffhanger, though I don’t doubt it may be referenced in future issues. It tells of Natalie Grey, a happily engaged suburbanite with a small child. Hang on… that’s Natasha Romanov! What the heck has been done to her? Well, that’s the story, see. Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes catch sight of her in the background of a news report and track her down, as Natasha has been missing for a few months. This is NOT what they expected to find, and there’s a lot of fun and excitement as they, and we, find out just what is going on and who is responsible.

The first thing that stand out about this book is the striking art from Elena Casagrande, who also provides some gorgeous covers (especially issue 5). It’s full of energy throughout, and there’s a nice touch when a flashback sequence is rendered in more vivid colours and a slightly altered style. As for the writing, this is a book that you’ll likely read cover to cover in a single sitting, as it’s quite riveting. Thompson spins a great yarn, with humour, drama and emotion in full evidence throughout, not to mention a nice twist at the end. I like that the heroes involved don’t pull any punches, either, and whilst not gory, the violence is deadly.

It’s been a few years since I caught up with Natasha Romanov, and this book reminded me of how great a character she is when in the right hands. If you’re of a similar opinion, then this is a no brainer purchase.