Black Widow hits 50 issues and barrels into "new deadly era"

Black Widow #10
(Image credit: Adam Hughes (Marvel Comics))

On August 18, Marvel Comics' Black Widow comic book series will celebrate 50 issues. Seems like a good time for Natasha to celebrate, right? Well, about that…

"Things are looking grim for the Black Widow as Apogee and his superhuman forces them back into a corner!," reads Marvel's description of Black Widow #10 (the fourth volume of the series). "With Lucy's powers still a possible death sentence and the Widows on the run, who will save San Francisco from Apogee...and who will save the Olio from themselves?"

As revealed in Marvel Comics' August 2021 solicitations, Black Widow #10 will be the final part of the recently launched 'I Am the Black Widow' story arc, which Marvel has said by the end of it she will be launched "into a deadly new era."

How can someone introduced as an assassin get even more deadly? Well, we recently saw her settle down with a family and have that all taken away by Apogee, so don't think there's not some surprises left for her from writer Kelly Thompson and artist Elena Casagrande.

(Image credit: Adam Hughes (Marvel Comics))

Speaking of surprises, you might be wondering how the math works for Black Widow #10 to also be the series' fiftieth issue. Marvel frequently counts issues over several volumes, and in Black Widow case she's had four - volume 1 in 2010, volume 2 in 2014 - 2015, volume 3 in 2016 - 2017, and the current volume which launched in 2020. Between all those issues, it adds up to 50 by the time Black Widow #10 rolls around. 

(And for completists, this wouldn't count the 1971 Black Widow solo series that went by the name Amazing Adventures).

Black Widow #10 goes on sale on August 18. In addition to the primary cover by Adam Hughes, there are variants planned from Mark Brooks and a 'Marvel Games' themed one from the mobile game company NetEase.

A collection of this arc is coming out October 19, titled Black Widow by Kelly Thompson Vol. 2: I Am The Black Widow.

You've got a mission: read all the best Black Widow comics. 

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)