Review - Black Widow: Homecoming

When Natasha Romanoff’s self-imposed retirement is rudely interrupted by an assassination attempt, the spy turned superhero joins forces with an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operative to investigate. This leads them to the death of a women’s rights activist whose true identity was that of a former graduate of the Red Room. With all roads leading back to Russia, Natasha must venture back home to find the truth about why someone is hunting down the women who were part of the program that turned her into the Black Widow.

Black Widow: Homecoming collects Black Widow (vol 3) #1-6, written by Richard K. Morgan and with art by Goran Parlov and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Homecoming is a sleek and sophisticated mini-series that untangles the web of mystery surrounding Black Widow and examines the harsh realities of what it’s like to be a female operative in a man’s world. It begins with a startling simple premise that is quite grim in execution – the graduates of the Red Room, the program that turned Natasha Romanoff into the world’s deadliest spy, are being systematically hunted down by some unknown force. After surviving the attempt made on her life, Natasha seeks out the help of former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Dexter to help her find the truth behind the assassination attempt. As the investigation unfolds, Natasha is forced to confront memories from her past and learns that much of what she remembers is a lie.

Richard K. Morgan’s approach to the character is really intriguing. He writes her as a cynical warhorse with very little sentimentality, but who is enjoying her retirement by rock climbing and reading books. When she’s forced to go back into the field, she seems to do so begrudgingly. Whether intentional or not, Morgan seems to take aim at the consequences of patriarchal power structures through Black Widow. Throughout the mini-series, she is constantly confronted with men who use their positions of power to either illicit sex or inflict violence (or a combination of the two). Early on, for example, Natasha rescues a woman who is at risk of being assaulted by a group of men at a truck stop. We also learn some grim details about the Red Room/Black Widow program, such as the government’s discomfort with female operatives and how far they were willing to go to ensure their effectiveness and complacency. There are more subtle critiques as well, such as when Natasha critiques fashion and bemoans how perfume is the go-to present men give women instead of something more useful (there’s some irony here given the way that scent and pheromones come into play later).

Bill Siekiewicz, a legend in his own right, receives top billing as the artist for the first issue and is singularly credited in some summaries of the series. His rough and highly stylized aesthetic is prominently featured across all six issues, creating an undeniably psychedelic signature Siekiewicz reading experience. That said, Goran Parlov also receives credit as a penciller for the series. His style is arguably antithetical to the dominating look of the series and is more traditional in that sense, so I suppose it is admirable that his contributions were able to closely mimic Siekiewicz’s work enough to create a sense of consistency. That said, the art may be a deterrent for some. It’s rough and looks unpolished, so it may be a challenge to adjust to for people looking for a more traditional comic style. Others may find it to be perfectly suitable to the narrative, as it is moody and atmospheric. One of the things that I felt the art did effectively was capture Natasha’s various expressions, which helped me to understand her feelings throughout.

Black Widow: Homecoming is truly an engrossing thriller with some bite to it and that never wavers from its character-focused storytelling. It wasn’t a disposable tale of espionage as many Black Widow-centric stories tend to be. It felt like it mattered as it directly affected the character and added layers to her origins. I also appreciated that Homecoming had something to say beyond the usual intrigue of international espionage. It truly feels like a prestige graphic novel, but doesn’t seem to have gotten the same praise or attention Black Widow’s male contemporaries would. Regardless, it’s worth a read.

RATING: A