Long before she became an iconic Avenger, Natasha Romanoff debuted in the pages of Tales of Suspense #52 as the definitive comic book femme fatale.
Now, 60 years later, Marvel Comics is celebrating her incredible legacy - along with her frequent partner Hawkeye - in Black Widow & Hawkeye. Written by Stephanie Phillips (Contest of Chaos) and illustrated by Paolo Villanelli (Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest), the series promises fans a fresh, action-packed present-day adventure for the duo while also diving into their espionage and secretive pasts.
To mark the occasion, best-selling cover artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau has depicted Natasha in her original costume for an all-new variant cover for issue #1. Although Natasha is currently bonded to a symbiote, it's been confirmed today that we'll also see the hero depicted with her classic look within the pages of this comic.
However, the story will still play off recent developments, including what we've seen from "Widow" in Venom recently.
The eyes of a Hawk and the venom of a Widow! Even when Black Widow and Hawkeye had no one to trust, they still had each other - even though their paths sometimes diverged. So when Clint Barton is accused of a rogue assassination attempt that puts the U.S. and Madripoor at odds, a symbiote-equipped Natasha Romanoff thinks nothing of coming to his aid. But as echoes of their past ripple into the present, it will take all their faith in each other - and the lessons learned along the way - to protect their futures.
"I love getting the chance to dig deep with Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton to tell a fast-paced spy story that celebrates their 60th anniversary," Phillips previously shared. "Nothing is as it seems, and I'm having a ton of fun writing these characters. Not to mention they both look great for 60."
As has become the norm with many Marvel Comics titles, Black Widow & Hawkeye will be a limited series that runs for only four issues. There was a time when pretty much everything was an ongoing series, though that often led to cancellations which disappointed fans as sales steadily declined the longer a comic book run progressed.
You can take a closer look at Artgerm's eye-catching variant cover for Black Widow & Hawkeye #1 below.
BLACK WIDOW & HAWKEYE #1 (OF 4)
Written by STEPHANIE PHILLIPS
Art by PAOLO VILLANELLI
Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Variant Cover by STANLEY "ARTGERM" LAU
On Sale 3/13