From the Bookshelf of I Read Comic Books…

Black Widow, Vol. 1: The Ties That Bind

Kelly Thompson (Writer),

Adam Hughes

Start date: September 1, 2021

Finish date: September 30, 2021

Discussion: BotM Discussions

Why we're reading this: As chosen by our group for September 2021's Book of the Month! Check out the podcast discussion for this …more
[close] As chosen by our group for September 2021's Book of the Month! Check out the podcast discussion for this month's book on September 26th on Patreon - https://patreon.com/ircbpodcast

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 98 topics — 1,552 comments total

BotM Discussions

September 2025 BotM: Magical Creatures!
By Erin · 7 posts · 20 views

last updated Sep 05, 2025 04:12PM

August 2025 BotM: The Dark Ages (Comics from 2000-2010)
By Erin · 11 posts · 30 views

last updated Aug 17, 2025 03:27PM

showing 4 of 4 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Mar 02, 2021 Logan rated it liked it

Pretty good first volume for this new series! I'm a big Kelly Thompson fan and I was excited to see what she would do with Black Widow. The story was a bit disappointing in the first few issues, as it just felt a bit underwhelming but the last two issues stuck the landing well! Interested to see where it goes next. Also the artwork is phenomenal! ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2021 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels

“Something is very wrong with Natasha: she’s…happy?!”

This thin graphic novel about Black Widow surprised me with how much I liked it, despite it being centered around the common trope of amnesia. Chosen as this month’s book club selection for the Goodreads group I Read Comic Books, I felt it was good timing as I’m planning to watch the new DVD release of Black Widow soon.

The story starts out with Natasha helping Captain America with a one-off mission in NYC, but then mysteriously being hit with “Something is very wrong with Natasha: she’s…happy?!”

This thin graphic novel about Black Widow surprised me with how much I liked it, despite it being centered around the common trope of amnesia. Chosen as this month’s book club selection for the Goodreads group I Read Comic Books, I felt it was good timing as I’m planning to watch the new DVD release of Black Widow soon.

The story starts out with Natasha helping Captain America with a one-off mission in NYC, but then mysteriously being hit with some tranquilizers and falling off a building. Three months later she is spotted in San Francisco, as an architect, with a husband and toddler son. She seems blissfully happy, and the boy truly seems to be hers. What?! How could she have a child over a year old in three months' time?

Clint (Hawkeye) and Bucky (Winter Soldier- why does he always wear a mask??) find her and are as confused as us readers. Do they intervene? Who is behind all of it? Unknown to them, Natasha’s sister Yelena has also found her and is trying to get to the bottom of it. A preposterous villain team has arranged it all (and how Natasha’s son came to be defies credibility, plus the question of her new husband’s past) but we need to have a suspension of disbelief and move on.

Natasha’s facade is showing some cracks as she steps in to help a woman in danger and discovers she has bad-ass skills and no memory of her past. Soon the villain team is after her so Natasha, Clint, Bucky and Yelena need to move quickly to save her husband James and son Stevie, as she rediscovers who she is. While this is supposed to be the first in a series, it feels like a stand-alone story, as the somewhat predictable ending seems to wrap up this chapter in Natasha’s life.

This book has an all-woman creative team which is appreciated and gives more weight to some of the emotional narrative threads. That Natasha has little time to grieve at the end and inappropriately has to comfort Clint and Bucky at the end, was intentional. Natasha carries the weight of the world on her shoulders and needs help in coping, not additional burdens, but isn’t that what women often do- carry not only their own problems but other's issues too? The art and coloring were excellent, with an illustration change during flashbacks. Little Stevie was adorable, and I believe that Natasha’s time with him will change her. For a story that was a bit formulaic, it worked for me.

This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2021/09/2... ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 09, 2021 Lenny rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021, holy-comics-batman

This wasn't my favorite book ever, but I do love seeing an all-women creative team for women characters. I'll read anything Thompson writes and Casagrande's artwork is just frickin' fantastic. I love how colorist Jordie Bellaire used a matte palette.

The story was off to me, though. An amnesia storyline is a little 'blah' already, and for Nat's "perfect life" to revolve around a husband and son - and not friends, or her sister Yelena - felt...uhh a little uncomfortable. Especially when it ends i ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2021 Canavan rated it liked it · review of another edition

✭✭✭

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 01, 2021 Jason rated it really liked it

Shelves: marvel, medium-graphic-novel, 2021-books, 2021

4.5
Really great story. And impressive character transformation.

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 31, 2021 Kris Ritchie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comics, books-with-strong-female-lead-s, marvelous-reads, that-art-tho

Kelly Thompson you magnificent brilliant b*tch.

I love your comics, and this Black Widow is no exception. She finds a way of giving us both the warmer, more open Natasha and the cold, assassin all in one arc.

Without giving too much away, this follows-up on Clint's and Bucky's search for Natasha post her 'death' and discovering that she is living happily with a husband...and son.

Also some fantastically gorgeous art, I particularly enjoyed scenes where Natasha worked her way across the room. ...more

Like · see review