Overall this Eisner award winning series delivers another phenomenal issue that makes this the definitive Black Widow series. All Black Widow series going forward will be looking to this run as its blueprint. Read Full Review

Casagrande and De Latorre bring beautiful imagery throughout this issue. The action is beautifully done and dazzles the eye. The character moments are visually engaging and wonderfully detailed. Read Full Review

So, when all brought together, Black Widow #9delivers another great performance from this award-winning team. It delivers everything I have come to expect and sets up the next issue for big things of its own. Read Full Review

With a quick wit, sleek art, and compelling characters, Kelly Thompson, Elena Casagrande, and Rafael De La Torre have made this book the one I look forward to reading most every time it comes out. Kellys got a real knack when it comes to creating a group of characters to care about. Natashas had several books over the years, but Kelly Elena, and Rafael have struck just the right elements that make this run one to look out for. Read Full Review

Kelly Thompson, Elena Casagrande and Rafael De LaTorre once again show why their work on Black Widow is some of the best being produced at Marvel. Black Widow #9 is strongly paced with a mix of fun action and great character work for the entire cast of this series. The ending leads to even greater anticipation for how this storyline around the Apogee will all turn out. Read Full Review

Thompson and Casagrande are delivering a lot of story in this issue, but the balance between detail and action is a bit difficult to come to terms with. It's hard to feel much of what Natasha is fighting for as so little of her current life has really been brought to the page. Granted, it IS only starting to assert itself. Still, the breakneck pace of the action compromises the power of what's going on...and it's causing issues that might be serious further down the line if some level of stability isn't brought to the page. Read Full Review

Not a lot of surprises here, but a solid middle issue setting up the conclusion. All of this, of course, leads into the next issue's end of the arc in which the Widow will finally square off against Apogee (which might be harder than she planned as the villain goes full Hulk in front of her). Read Full Review

Everybody could use a little help this time around. It's also what raises the tension as every costly decision is like a countdown and one wrong move can mean tragedy. Just ask Yelena who if not for Lucy would've been dead. And that's a problem considering Lucy's powers are killing her.

I like how Olio comes in from all of this. Somebody who like Yelena trusted his keen instincts but still has a chance of failure. It's what allows him to learn from his mistakes and try to make something good out of everything.

Yelena lives and serum genius Craig is easily swayed to the side of the angels. The Widows and the Spider attack Apogee, kicking off a showdown. Both the plot and the art are a little thin. I'd characterize the visuals as "strong rough draft" rather than "polished and perfected." (At least the collaboration remains smooth; it may be rough, but it's consistent.) And there's plenty of exquisite character work, both comedic and insightful, to push this issue closer to great than merely good. Close … but not quite.

High paced action and my favorite person to ever wear a Spider this side of Eddie Brock, Black Widow No.9 is featuring a Widow story that is just getting better and better.
I am glad I stuck with the series, because the Arcade storyline dragged , and it seems as if the farther Natasha gets away from her family life the better the story gets.
The banter between Yelena & Natasha is spoke on and played up, but not to a level of annoyance. This was my first time reading this book in color, and I am glad to see the variety of ethnic backgrounds featured in the book, non-stereotypical, and as quirky as possible.
And once more the decision to put Anya in this book is absolutely fantastic. I have an attachment to her character since I was a kid and she's been done justice here in these pages by Thompson.
Casagrande's art is still simple pencils with eerie eyes that look like they never blink, but the simplicity of her art makes it to where each character flows in splash page action sequences that look like they belong in multiple panels, but are instead told on one page in a way I have never seen drawn do effortlessly and cohesively before.
And that's the beauty of this latest arc of Widow, there isn't too much traction on this road despite the rocky start.
-
@C33VictoryRulez more

It is a great pity that the film was not given the dedication like the comic.