Today in Comics History, December 31, New Year's Eve: Captain America is beginning to slightly regret becoming evil and killing all those people

from Black Widow (2019 series) #1 (March 2019), script by Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska, pencils and inks by Flaviano, colors by Veronica Gandini, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, December 24, Christmas Eve: Black Widow continues to successfully elude Hawkeye, who's having his own Disney+ adventure across town

from "...And to All a Good Night" in Amazing Adventures (1970 series) #5 (Marvel, March 1971), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Bill Everett, letters by Artie Simek

Today in Comics History, September 3, 1945: Why, Ms. Johansson, you're absolutely glowing

from "Honeymoon in Hell" in Marvel #3 (February 2021), by Ryan Heshka

Stuff Bully Got: A clever spy and a cleverer valet

A couple cool books I bought for myself at Housing Works Bookstore and Café today!


This Black Widow book is great; I've never seen it before. It's a history of the character in comics with lots of illos and it's very attractively designed.





And of course I already have the stories in this Wodehouse collection already, but not in this edition! I am an obsessive little bull when I'm collecting Mr. P.G. Wodehouse.


To sum up: buy more books!

365 Days of Defiance, Day 163: Breakfast for Everyone

Previously on 365 Days of Defiance: kids, Black Widow, defiance. And now, the exciting conclusion:


Panels from the Black Widow story "Deadlock" in Amazing Adventures #4 (January 1971), script by Mimi Gold, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Bill Everett, letters by Jean Izzo
Remember: Black Widow was able to get the police to agree to hold off for ten minutes! For proper verisimilitude, why don't you wait exactly ten minutes until reading the exciting conclusion? Here, I'll help: that's exactly twenty plays of the Countdown clock. Play the following that many times! Tense, ain't it!



I hope you were able to ignore Jimmy Carr doing silly things during that.

Ten minutes later:
Hooray! The kids of the neighborhood will get subsidized breakfast! Breakfast! It's part of this nutritious...breakfast.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 162: They're the Kids in America

Young teen gangs! Is there anything they can't do? Remember: they were responsible for the formation of The Avengers! But we won't hold that against 'em.


Panels from the Black Widow story "The Widow and the Militants!" in Amazing Adventures #3 (November 1970), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Bill Everett, letters by Artie Simek
These teen titans marvelous minors have squatted in a building owned by a corrupt politician, in order to turn it into a food center for the poverty-stricken neighborhood. And despite threats from all directions, they're going to stand their ground!


Defiance! It smells like Teen Spirit! But will Nastasha, who has her hands pretty full right at the moment, rush to help bless the beasts and the children? We'll find out next issue, next post, next Bull-Channel, tomorrow!

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 106: And that's why Scarlett Johansson wound up suing the Bugle for invasion of privacy

Panels from Amazing Adventures (1970 series) #3 (November 1970), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Bill Everett, letters by Artie Simek

Thor has zero time for sign language

Panel from Marvel Future Fight one-shot promo comic (2015), script by Peter David, pencils and inks by Todd Nauck, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, letters by Joe Sabino

Teniversary Countdown #2: The Thing and Black Widow cosplay John Steed and Emma Peel

Panels from Marvel Two-in-One #10 (July 1975), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by Bob Brown, inks and colors by Klaus Janson, letters by John Costanza
No, not that Avengers. This Avengers:

Missing in Action (Figures): Black Widow

Check out Luke Brown's fine article over at Comics Alliance on the upcoming Funko assortment of Avengers: Age of Ultron toys. Luke, as befits the Force-sense of his Star Wars namesake, cannily points out the complete absence of a Funko figure portraying Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers founding member Black Widow in the set.


Um, hello, Funko? Who doesn't want a super-deformed big-eyed Scarlett Johansson sitting on their desk? As proof of concept, here's Skottie Young's take on the idea of Mini-Natasha. CUTE!


Variant cover of Black Widow (2014 series) #1 (March 2014), art by Skottie Young
(Fairness in disclosure: Yes, Funko did issue a Natasha figure to coincide with last year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Sundance Kid movie, but that's long since vanished from the shelves. I know the character is going to be in Avengers 2...why omit her this time?)

Anyway, my point...and I do have one: I'm reminded of my recent visit to The Disney Store, which, among the Mickeys and Elsas and Lightning McQueens and Pocahonti, carries a small variety of Marvel superhero clothing and toys, especially those directly connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You know, like the movie that starred these guys?:


That's one of several dozen figurine playsets the Disney Store sells, ranging from their classic movies to modern Pixar films. Please note there are exactly five figures in this set, and one of 'em ain't Black Widow. Really, guys? I know it's "traditionally" boys who buy action figure sets, but A) do you think they're going to avoid a set like this because it has one woman in it, and B) this is the ferschluggin' Disney Store. With all those members of the Princess Pantheon, young girls are your target market. Is it maybe because you can only fit five figures in the case? Hmmmmm?


Nope. Not only does the Incredibles figure set fit its the entire team in the same size box, plus the baby, and Frozone, not to mention the villainous Syndrome. Admittedly, I did not weigh these two sets, and maybe Hulk weighs too much for them to have profitably added a sixth figure to the Avengers set. But seriously, Disney Store? Do you want to make the point that action women aren't collectible or fun to play with? What's next, a Star Wars set minus Princess Leia?

I know, I know, the first rule of business: "never assume ill-intent when profitability is probably the real reason." But like Funko, for Disney to omit featuring a truly kick-ass hero like Black Widow is dangerously setting a trend for toys and collectibles.

I'm reminded of this politically incorrect but still funny cartoon by B. Kliban.


Cartoon from Two Guys Fooling Around With the Moon and Other Drawings (March 1982), by B. Kliban

Psylocke Psaturday: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Madripoor

Welcome to Madripoor!


from Marvel Atlas #1 (January 2008), art by Klaus Janson
Yes, Madripoor! The island nation so full of vice they named it twice! (Truth in disclosure: they did not name it twice.) In the Marvel Universe you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy, except perhaps for that T.G.I. Friday's in downtown Doomstadt, Latveria. Madripoor, home of the world's weirdest hot air balloons!:


from Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Wolverine one-shot (December 2004)

Black Widow Wishes You a Merry Christmas

Panels from "...And To All a Good Night" in Amazing Adventures #5 (March 1971), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Bill Everett, letters by Artie Simek

Today in Comics History, October 24, 1945: And she'll have UN UN UN 'til her daddy takes the General Assembly away

Today in Comics History (as we like to say around here)...well, something something this!


from Four Color #1349 [Yogi Bear Visits the U.N.] (Dell, January 1962), script by Paul S. Newman, pencils and inks by Fred Fredericks
Yep, it's United Nations Day! Founded on this date in 1945, the UN has been in a lotta comic books. (Almost as many as Wolverine!) In the absence of any other material tonight, let's front-load this puppet-town cow blog with a whole Dag Hammarskjöldfull of appearances by everyone's slim, tall building on the east side of Manhattan to celebrate United Nations Day! It also happens to be the same date from 1260, when Saif ad-Din Qutuz, third Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, is assassinated by Baibars, a fellow Mamluk leader, who seizes power for himself. But I can't find any of my comic books about that.

Let's UN-wind by kicking off a series of DC comic book PSAs telling us how nifty the United Nations is!

Bear Attack! Month 2014, Day 7: In Russia, bear is loaded for you

from the untitled Black Widow + Fantomex story in A+X #10 (Marvel, September 2013), script by B. Clay Moore, pencils and inks by Kris Anka, colors by James Campbell, letters by Clayton Cowles

Today in Comics History, June 6, 1970: Once again, Peter Parker doesn't get a byline for his photographs

from "The Widow and the Militants" in Amazing Adventures (1970 series) #3 (Marvel, November 1970), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Bill Everett, letters by Artie Simek

I sure hope J. Jonah Jameson fired somebody over that typo

So, within the first two minutes of the new Marvel Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher direct-to-DVD animated movie, we see a newspaper website displayed on a computer monitor:


Oh, for Pete's sake, movie. If you're going to take time to show us exposition on a screen, at least ensure it makes grammatical sense, huh? Also...


I'm pretty sure he doesn't have that symbol trademarked. And if he does, he's got a better lawyer than Matt Murdock.

Black Widow has somethink to tell you, dahlink

It may not look like it, but yes, that's actually Hawkeye and Black Widow in the panels below. This is the period of the Avengers when Clint had become Goliath and Natasha had become Super-Cocktail-Waitress-Woman. Anyway, the Black Widow has something to say, and by George, she's gonna say it!


Panels from Avengers v.1 #76 (May 1970), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Tom Palmer, letters by Sam Rosen
Yes, yes, but what is she going to say? For the benefits of those of you who are missing the next page in your Avengers comic book, here's a few of my suggestions as to Natasha Romanoff's very difficult, very next words!


Maybe she needs to speak the ultimate truth at the heart of the Marvel Universe:


Perhaps she's about to break the hearts of Hawkeye and most of the male population with a startling announcement!


Or perhaps just possibly she's hinting at the very first Marvel/DC crossover event.


Hey, why don't you try one? Go ahead, it'll be fine! I'll hold your ice cream cone while you're working on it. (Extra bonus points for mentioning "moose and squirrel!")

Kick in the Crotch Month, Day 1: Attack of the world's tiniest foot

As Dean Martin (sorta) sang:

How lucky can one guy be
I kissed her and she kissed me
Like the fella once said
Ain't that a kick in the crotch?

Yes, it's Kick in the Crotch Month! Join us every day all through May when we celebrate yet another one of comics' lowest blows! (Readers of a nervous disposition may wish to wear an athletic protector.)


Page from Black Widow (2010 series) #1 (June 2010); script by Marjorie Liu; pencils, inks, and colors by Daniel Acuña letters by Nate Piekos

No, Bandette, no!

Perhaps not the best way to crop that business card image, Marvel

Panels from Avengers Assemble #14AU (June 2013), script by Al Ewing, pencils by Butch Guice, inks by Tom Palmer, colors by Frank D'Armata, letters by Clayton Cowles

Today in Comics History, April 6, 1990: Scarlett Johansson is completely unaware that Darkseid is sneaking up on her

from Black Widow: The Coldest War graphic novel (April 1990); script by Gerry Conway; pencils by George Freeman; inks by Ernie Colon, Mark Farmer, George Freeman, Mark Harris, Val Mayerik, and Joe Rubinstein; colors by Lovern Kindzierski, letters by Ron Muns