| Widowmaker | |
|---|---|
 Cover of Widowmaker #1 (December 2010) byJae Lee. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Bi-weekly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | December 2010 – January 2011 |
| No. of issues | 4 |
| Main character(s) | Black Widow Hawkeye Mockingbird |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Jim McCann Duane Swierczynski David Lopez Manuel Garcia |
| Written by | Jim McCann Duane Swierczynski |
| Penciller(s) | David Lopez Manuel Garcia |
| Inker(s) | Alvaro Lopez Lorenzo Ruggiero |
| Letterer(s) | Cory Petit Nate Piekos |
| Colorist(s) | Nathan Fairbairn Jim Charalampidis |
| Editor(s) | Rachel Pinnelas Charlie Beckerman Bill Rosemann Ralph Macchio |
Widowmaker is a four issuecomic booklimited series published byMarvel Comics starringsuperheroesBlack Widow,Hawkeye andMockingbird.Widowmaker continues the storyline staged inHawkeye & Mockingbird #6 byHawkeye & Mockingbird creatorsJim McCann andDavid Lopez and theBlack Widow creative team of writerDuane Swierczynski and artistManuel Garcia.[1]
In July 2010, Marvel Comics announced thatHawkeye & Mockingbird writerJim McCann andBlack Widow writerDuane Swierczynski will be collaborating onWidow Maker, a four-part crossover that will take place inHawkeye & Mockingbird #7-8 andBlack Widow #9-10 starting in December 2010 and running through January 2011. The idea for a crossover was originally incepted when the writers found out that their respective titles would be launching around the same time. McCann explained, "It's a logical crossover; there is a shared history between Hawkeye and Black Widow, the books operate in the world of super hero super spies, and the fans have been asking for this since the books were announced. So, give them what they want!"[2] When coming up with ways that Black Widow, Hawkeye and Mockingbird could all interact, McCann threw out the idea of revealing the origins ofRonin and introducing a new Ronin. In the comic book the new Ronin surrounds himself with theDark Ocean Society, of which McCann did extensive research stating, "I actually did a lot of research for this in Japanese spy craft and secret societies. The Dark Ocean Society in Japanese is actually called Genyōsha, but we couldn't call it that in Marvel because we have something calledGenosha and it might confuse everybody". McCann also researchedJapan–Russia relations for the comic book's setting on thedisputed Kuril Islands revealing that the week thatWidowmaker #1 came out, talks broke down between Russia and Japan over the real life Kuril Islands.[3]
In November 2010 it was reported thatWidowmaker will instead be solicited as a stand-alone miniseries starting in December 2010, following the cancellation ofHawkeye & Mockingbird in issue number six. The report also came with an announcement thatWidowmaker will be followed up by another four issue miniseries,Hawkeye: Blindspot.[4][5]
The death of a JapaneseS.H.I.E.L.D. agent at theUnited Nations Headquarters in New York City leadsHawkeye,Mockingbird andDominic Fortune toSakha, Russia where they meet up with theBlack Widow who is investigating the mass murder ofK.G.B. recruits inside theRed Room. Surveillance video reveals the killings are carried out by theDark Ocean Society led by a newRonin, the guise once used by Hawkeye. However, before their investigation is completed the group is attacked by theSupreme Soviets and are forced to split up. Hawkeye and Black Widow travel toSapporo, Japan, the base of operations of the Dark Ocean Society and Mockingbird and Dominic Fortune head to the tip of theKamchatka Peninsula following mass Russian troop movements. The group reunites on thedisputed Kuril Islands and discover that the identity of the new Ronin is Alexei Shostakov, the originalRed Guardian and Black Widow's ex-husband. Shostakov reveals he intends to force a war between Russia and Japan that will restore Russia's former glory. A battle ensues as Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Black Widow and Dominic Fortune take on a combination of the Dark Ocean Society and the Supreme Soviets. During the battle Hawkeye receives a critical blow to the head, Black Widow however manages to take down Shostakov with the help of the Supreme Soviet member,Fantasma.[6]
The first issue of Widowmaker was received with mostly positive reviews. Doug Zawisza ofComic Book Resources gave it 4.5 stars (out of 5) stating, "McCann assembles this story as though it were a big budget, high-stakes adventure film frozen onto the printed page" and "Such a fabulous, high-strung adventure tale deserves equally fabulous art, and David López, Alvaro López, and Nathan Fairbairn certainly deliver".[7] Jesse Schedeen ofIGN gave it an 8.0 (out of 10) remarking, "All in all, Widowmaker has all the makings of a fun and frantic adventure that won't be bogged down by pointless tie-ins. It's a breath of fresh air in that regard".[8] Jennifer Smith ofNewsarama stated, "McCann's writing sparkles with wit, pathos, and the weight of Marvel history" and "David Lopez' gorgeous art is only getting better and better, making action scenes compelling even when their motivations were unclear".[9]
| Characters | |
|---|---|
| Supporting characters | |
| Teams | |
| Enemies | |
| Publications | |
| In other media | |
| Alternative versions | |
| Hawkeyes | |
|---|---|
| Affiliations | |
| Supporting characters | |
| Enemies | |
| Publications | |
| In other media | |
| Related articles | |
