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Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set
First appearing in Marvel Comics in the 1960s, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, was introduced to movie audiences in Iron Man 2 (2010). Her character has grown in popularity with subsequent Marvel films, and fans have been vocal about wanting to see Black Widow in a titular role. Romanoff has potent a strong female character who is not defined by her looks or her romantic relationships, with the skill set of a veteran spy first for the KGB, then for S.H.I.E.L.D. This collection of new essays is the first to examine Black Widow and her development, from Cold War era comics to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 16, 2017
At this point I think we all know that I love Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. But if I had to explain why it would be virtually impossible without including the words love of my life.
So this collection of essays explains many of the reasons why I love her and also why Black Widow is so important : not only to the Marvel Cinematic Universe but for the fans, the movie industry, feminists and the comic world.
Why there's no BW movie yet? Why is Natasha a fantastic female character and a vital member of the Avengers? How did she began as a villain and ended up being a hero?
The book answers all of this questions and gives you an in depth analysis on Natasha's character. Vital for Black Widow fans.
ARC provided by publisher.
July 2, 2021
"[T]he roots of authority tell us, after all, that if woman is man's property then he must have authored her, just as surely as they tell us that if he authored her she must be his property. As a creation 'penned' by man, moreover, woman has been 'penned up' or 'penned in.'" (Gilbert & Gubar, qtd in Benjamin; pg. 84)Most of the essays in Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero appear to have been written soon after the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), when it seemed highly unlikely that Black Widow would receive her own standalone movie in the near future. It's interesting then, to read these pieces in the context of the upcoming release of Black Widow. These essays are short and taken together, provide a comprehensive view of the character -- from the comics and the MCU films -- from a variety of disciplines (the essays focusing on linguistics and psychology in particular were an interesting departure from typical media studies).
As common in cultural studies, I had several points of disagreement with the essays, although this didn't diminish my overall appreciation of the book.
1. I would have liked to have seen more criticism of Black Widow's role in The Avengers (2012). Most of the essays here are comparing The Avengers to Black Widow's appearance in Iron Man 2 (2010). The Avengers is leagues ahead of Iron Man 2 in terms of feminist portrayals, but that doesn't mean The Avengers, or its director Joss Whedon, should get a free pass. There was a tendency throughout the book to put The Avengers on a bit of a pedestal, leading to missed opportunities for constructive criticism.
2. For instance, many of the essays describe the moment in The Avengers when Black Widow tricks Loki into revealing his plan as an example of Black Widow's empowerment. Black Widow is able to play off Loki's assumptions of her as an emotional woman to manipulate him into giving away his plan to get Banner to transform into the Hulk. While I agree with the analysis of Black Widow's skills in this scene, I'd like to note that despite Black Widow discovering this information, she's unable to stop Banner's transformation. Essentially, Black Widow's confrontation of Loki has almost no impact on the plot of the film, and I would have liked to see one of the authors address this point in considering how the film as a whole frames Black Widow's agency.
3. It started to irk me that several of the essays painted emotional attachment or vulnerability as a weakness or flaw in female characters, including Black Widow. Emotional vulnerability in Hollywood is often portrayed as a feminine, not masculine, character trait. However, it's simplistic to equate emotional vulnerability with weakness and therefore critique displays of emotion in female characters. We should be calling for more emotional male characters rather than less emotional female characters. [Pop Culture Detective has a great video essay on this type of empathetic masculinity in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).]
4. I had one specific disagreement with Lewis Call's essay over his claim that "Black Widow embodies the crucial third wave theory of intersectionality" (pg. 106), because Black Widow in the MCU still reads as a mainly white and heterosexual character. I did, however, appreciate Call's discussion of how dominance and submission play a role in Black Widow's relationship with the Hulk.
Points that especially stuck with me after reading:
1. Samira Nadkarni brings up Marvel Studio's announcement of a Captain Marvel movie as a response to calls for a standalone Black Widow movie. The assumption in this response was that the MCU could only support one female-led superhero movie, painting the conversation in term of "either or" rather than "both and." Nadkarni goes on to discuss how, given the socio-political relations between the US and Russia and Marvel Studio's inclination towards American "good war" imagery, Captain Marvel (an Air Force member) was a much safer bet to build a movie around, rather than Black Widow (an ex-Soviet spy).
2. I appreciated Heather Porter's proposal of the Complete Female Character as a replacement for the Bechdel Test (which requires that a movie have two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man) and for the Strong Female Character trope (which can reduce female empowerment to "she can fight like a man"). Instead, the Complete Female Character is "a named, speaking character with a backstory, [who] possesses skills and traits, agency, flaws, and emotional resonance" (pg. 26). Although Porter herself concedes these criteria are "soft definitions" she argues that "hard and fast rules" don't apply to real-life women, and thus we shouldn't expect them to apply to on-screen women either (pg. 35).
3. I was shocked (but really should not have been) by Porter's quoting of a former female employee of Marvel regarding the insulting lack of merchandise for Black Widow compared to her male superhero colleagues:
"while working at Marvel postacquisition, I saw a deck circulated by Disney's Brand Marketing team... unlike the actual demos, the desired demographics had no females in it whatsoever... Disney bought Marvel and Lucas Film because they wanted to access the male market. To achieve this goal, they allocate less to Marvel's female demo, and even less to a unisex one." (pg. 24)According to this testimony, Disney executives knew girls and women were watching Marvel movies, but they didn't want them to. In their minds, they already had the Disney Princess collection for female audiences, so they wanted to build Marvel (and Star Wars) for an explicitly male audience. That is so messed up.
TLDR; I am really excited for the looooong-anticipated release of Black Widow this month, and you should read this book if you're a fan of Marvel, Joss Whedon, and/or feminist theory.
[S]tories -- whatever their form -- are more than just a pastime we use for entertainment purposes. They reside at the heart of who we are as human beings. They are the mythologies we live and die by; they define us and mold us. As we create them, they create us. Storytelling, therefore, is powerful and is power." (Cochran, pg. 161)
January 14, 2017
Black widow deserves her own movie. Her character is so underutilized.
This collection of essays devoted to the origins of Natasha right on up to present movie versions is filled with little known info about the super spy. It's written with both affection for and annoyance at the way Marvel is wishy washy with the way they have allowed the character to develop.
If you or someone you know is a fan of Black Widow they will love this ode to her.
Net Galley provided me with an advance copy for an honest review.
This collection of essays devoted to the origins of Natasha right on up to present movie versions is filled with little known info about the super spy. It's written with both affection for and annoyance at the way Marvel is wishy washy with the way they have allowed the character to develop.
If you or someone you know is a fan of Black Widow they will love this ode to her.
Net Galley provided me with an advance copy for an honest review.
March 3, 2017
Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set
is a collection of nine essays about the titular Marvel Avenger Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, touching on her printed comic (although not animated) incarnations, but focusing primarily on the character as portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
Now since this is all – stylistically and even technically – scholarly writing, parts of it may fly a little over some of our heads (like it did mine!) when they examine the subject matter through the rigorous academic lens of disciplines such as psychology, sociology, or others with which we might not be particularly familiar. Some of the authors do their best to include general introductions to their subject areas, while others seem to assume a certain level of discipline-specific knowledge already and therefore might also reference many likely-unfamiliar outside sources. But all of them provide extensive bibliographies, so there's a great opportunity here to delve deeper into an academic realm you might not have thought you were interested in but for the fact that someone made it applicable to the Avengers! Any variation in overall accessibility from article to article is based only on the content choices made by the individual authors, not due to any unevenness in quality; because of the scholarly slant of the anthology, there is a very consistent level of solid writing throughout.
But remember that regardless of their research and writing credentials, these authors are still, at their core, just superhero fans like the rest of us. As such, they have varying opinions, different issues they think are important, and – just as we might with any other fellow analytical fan – we may find ourselves wondering if they're sometimes not reading just a little bit too much meaning into some detail or another. But that's what gives this collection its vibrancy and interest – even though there is necessarily a small amount of repetition/overlap, the editor does a great job of covering lots of aspects of the character and her relevance to issues of the day. Within the essays, you'll find many divergent and sometimes interlacing topics examined, including:
• in-depth analysis of Black Widow's past that has only been hinted at so far in the movies;
• an overview of the mind control and "brainwashing" techniques she was subjected to and the actual science behind them;
• a retrospective of her fashion and costuming over decades of her comic book appearances;
• an assessment of her romantic, personal, and professional relationships and how they've shaped her actions, personality, and very psyche;
• a breakdown of the verbal and physical aspects of her "very specific skill set" referred to in the title;
• her "masculine" vs." "feminine" characteristics (and what those terms even mean anymore);
• the evolution of Scarlett Johansson's (and her stunt doubles') scripted combat style;
• fan involvement and activism through vidding and social media appeal campaigns;
• comprehensive investigation and assessment of the character's overarching meaning and symbolism in the context of the greater oeuvre of Joss Whedon (a.k.a. "the Whedonverse"), American cinema in general, as well as through the sequential waves of historical feminism.
My personal favorite essay is Lewis Call's – colorful and provocative not because he is one of the few defenders of Natasha's burgeoning relationship with Bruce Banner (an unpopular-amongst-feminists view that I also happen to share), but because he argues that its context is within a consensual dominance/submission relationship (!?). (Kinky sexual dynamics: "What, you didn't see that coming?") I can't say I entirely agree with him in this reading of their relationship, but he certainly made a compelling (not to mention titillating) case, and I didn't entirely disagree with him either!
I have two primary complaints about the collection as a whole. First, I really wish that the essays within had been written after the release of the movie "Captain America: Civil War", as Natasha and her interpersonal relationships developed and evolved a great deal during the events of that film. As the publication date of this book is nearly a year after the movie's premiere, this decision mystifies me, as it necessarily makes the book a bit out of date the moment it goes on sale. Second, while I am delighted with the liberal use of reference notes, I wish (as I always do!) that they were page-bottom footnotes as opposed to maddeningly-page-flipping chapter-end notes! (N.B. Since I read a pre-release copy, there is no guarantee that it will be actually published in its current, inconvenient state, but my understanding is that generally ARCs are very nearly in their final form and a major formatting change like that would be unlikely. I will however, be providing the this feedback directly to the publisher in the section provided on NetGalley for that purpose.)
In conclusion, Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set is definitely not going to appeal at all to the the casual reader unfamiliar with the character or the MCU, and in fact will likely be found dry and esoteric to all but the most rabid Black Widow fangirls and -boys. However, for those of us in that subset, it is a detail-rich, thought-provoking, necessary indulgence!
3.5 stars.
I received an electronic advance reader's copy (ARC) of this book via NetGalley, courtesy of publisher McFarland & Company, in exchange for my honest feedback and review.
Now since this is all – stylistically and even technically – scholarly writing, parts of it may fly a little over some of our heads (like it did mine!) when they examine the subject matter through the rigorous academic lens of disciplines such as psychology, sociology, or others with which we might not be particularly familiar. Some of the authors do their best to include general introductions to their subject areas, while others seem to assume a certain level of discipline-specific knowledge already and therefore might also reference many likely-unfamiliar outside sources. But all of them provide extensive bibliographies, so there's a great opportunity here to delve deeper into an academic realm you might not have thought you were interested in but for the fact that someone made it applicable to the Avengers! Any variation in overall accessibility from article to article is based only on the content choices made by the individual authors, not due to any unevenness in quality; because of the scholarly slant of the anthology, there is a very consistent level of solid writing throughout.
But remember that regardless of their research and writing credentials, these authors are still, at their core, just superhero fans like the rest of us. As such, they have varying opinions, different issues they think are important, and – just as we might with any other fellow analytical fan – we may find ourselves wondering if they're sometimes not reading just a little bit too much meaning into some detail or another. But that's what gives this collection its vibrancy and interest – even though there is necessarily a small amount of repetition/overlap, the editor does a great job of covering lots of aspects of the character and her relevance to issues of the day. Within the essays, you'll find many divergent and sometimes interlacing topics examined, including:
• in-depth analysis of Black Widow's past that has only been hinted at so far in the movies;
• an overview of the mind control and "brainwashing" techniques she was subjected to and the actual science behind them;
• a retrospective of her fashion and costuming over decades of her comic book appearances;
• an assessment of her romantic, personal, and professional relationships and how they've shaped her actions, personality, and very psyche;
• a breakdown of the verbal and physical aspects of her "very specific skill set" referred to in the title;
• her "masculine" vs." "feminine" characteristics (and what those terms even mean anymore);
• the evolution of Scarlett Johansson's (and her stunt doubles') scripted combat style;
• fan involvement and activism through vidding and social media appeal campaigns;
• comprehensive investigation and assessment of the character's overarching meaning and symbolism in the context of the greater oeuvre of Joss Whedon (a.k.a. "the Whedonverse"), American cinema in general, as well as through the sequential waves of historical feminism.
My personal favorite essay is Lewis Call's – colorful and provocative not because he is one of the few defenders of Natasha's burgeoning relationship with Bruce Banner (an unpopular-amongst-feminists view that I also happen to share), but because he argues that its context is within a consensual dominance/submission relationship (!?). (Kinky sexual dynamics: "What, you didn't see that coming?") I can't say I entirely agree with him in this reading of their relationship, but he certainly made a compelling (not to mention titillating) case, and I didn't entirely disagree with him either!
I have two primary complaints about the collection as a whole. First, I really wish that the essays within had been written after the release of the movie "Captain America: Civil War", as Natasha and her interpersonal relationships developed and evolved a great deal during the events of that film. As the publication date of this book is nearly a year after the movie's premiere, this decision mystifies me, as it necessarily makes the book a bit out of date the moment it goes on sale. Second, while I am delighted with the liberal use of reference notes, I wish (as I always do!) that they were page-bottom footnotes as opposed to maddeningly-page-flipping chapter-end notes! (N.B. Since I read a pre-release copy, there is no guarantee that it will be actually published in its current, inconvenient state, but my understanding is that generally ARCs are very nearly in their final form and a major formatting change like that would be unlikely. I will however, be providing the this feedback directly to the publisher in the section provided on NetGalley for that purpose.)
In conclusion, Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set is definitely not going to appeal at all to the the casual reader unfamiliar with the character or the MCU, and in fact will likely be found dry and esoteric to all but the most rabid Black Widow fangirls and -boys. However, for those of us in that subset, it is a detail-rich, thought-provoking, necessary indulgence!
3.5 stars.
I received an electronic advance reader's copy (ARC) of this book via NetGalley, courtesy of publisher McFarland & Company, in exchange for my honest feedback and review.
December 27, 2016
I love the character of Black Widow in MCU and I think she deserves much better from Marvel, so I was curious about this book of essays on the character. The essays talk about her development not just in MCU but also in Marvels’ comic books. They touch on various topics: Black widow as a feminist icon, they way she uses language, what does it mean to write a ‘strong female character’, fanworks involving Black Widow etc.
Aside from the movies, I’ve only encountered Black Widow in the Ultimate Marvel Universe comic books, but the essays talk about the way she’s written since the character first appeared in 1964. It’s obvious that her characterization today is better than it was back then, but it’s nowhere near perfect – her writers still make some bad choices that are in no way progressive (Age of Ultron!!!). Also, the writers of some of those essays seem to adore Joss Whedon a bit too much.
My favorite essays were ‘Black Widow’s use of language in The Avengers’ and ‘Brainwashing and Mind control in the Whedon and Marvel universes’. Reading this book made me want a Black Widow solo movie more than ever before.
Aside from the movies, I’ve only encountered Black Widow in the Ultimate Marvel Universe comic books, but the essays talk about the way she’s written since the character first appeared in 1964. It’s obvious that her characterization today is better than it was back then, but it’s nowhere near perfect – her writers still make some bad choices that are in no way progressive (Age of Ultron!!!). Also, the writers of some of those essays seem to adore Joss Whedon a bit too much.
My favorite essays were ‘Black Widow’s use of language in The Avengers’ and ‘Brainwashing and Mind control in the Whedon and Marvel universes’. Reading this book made me want a Black Widow solo movie more than ever before.
February 4, 2017
This collection of essays was pretty great. I really enjoyed the various takes on Black Widow and the way she is presented, all concluding of course that we want more. Just reading and now writing about the disregard the studio is giving to such an engaging character is infuriating. I would love to see a Black Widow origin story. If they can make shitty movies about wolverine, then they should be able to make a great one about Black Widow.
November 14, 2017
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and MacFarland & Company in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This collection on Black Widow (Natasha Romanov) and women’s equality is an interesting and informative read. The only draw back is that many of the authors analyze the same scenes in each of the movies Black Widow appears in and so it can feel a little like deja vu reading the almost fact same lines in each essay.
This collection on Black Widow (Natasha Romanov) and women’s equality is an interesting and informative read. The only draw back is that many of the authors analyze the same scenes in each of the movies Black Widow appears in and so it can feel a little like deja vu reading the almost fact same lines in each essay.
March 23, 2018
This was a very interesting literary analysis of the character of Black Widow. The essays were well done and there was lots of fodder for Joss Whedon’s fan base. This is a good book to look at for Marvel fans and literary analysis fans.
January 30, 2017
My daughters and I are huge fans of the Black Widow thanks to Marvel introducing a female character in their movies which are so full of testosterone you wonder how they don’t kill each other. Scarlett Johansson did such a great job she became a larger than life hero for my oldest daughter whose Autism sometimes makes her wish super heroes were real to protect her from those who treat her differently. Any time I can find something Black Widow related I jump at the chance to share it with her because there are so few really strong female role models.
Reading this book made me want to sign every petition possible or protest outside Marvel Studios until Whedon makes a Black Widow movie. Her fans deserve it. She has such a rich history there is plenty of material to work with not to mention DC is coming out with a female centered movie (Wonder Woman, remember her?) so why can’t Marvel create one particularly? Johansson has ALREADY established the character in multiple movies.
These essays show her character’s intelligence, high skill level, strength but best of all her humanity because she wasn’t enhanced with special powers, magic or high tech suits of armor. She’s just a badass who through hard work, and some probable psych trauma with deep need of therapy, found a way to fight back through the injustices of the world. Something we could very much use in reality right now. She shows that women can be strong, intelligent and deserving of a place in this male dominated world.
I like how each of the essays examined a different aspect of her character so you get this incredible depth of understanding you don’t normally see in the movies or comics individually. Not to mention they show how the perception of who she is and her place in the Marvel world has changed with time and social constructs.
This is the perfect book to give Black Widow fans and women in general to remind us we have everything we need to be smart and strong inside of us.
Thank you to Netgalley and McFarland & Co for allowing me to review this book.
Reading this book made me want to sign every petition possible or protest outside Marvel Studios until Whedon makes a Black Widow movie. Her fans deserve it. She has such a rich history there is plenty of material to work with not to mention DC is coming out with a female centered movie (Wonder Woman, remember her?) so why can’t Marvel create one particularly? Johansson has ALREADY established the character in multiple movies.
These essays show her character’s intelligence, high skill level, strength but best of all her humanity because she wasn’t enhanced with special powers, magic or high tech suits of armor. She’s just a badass who through hard work, and some probable psych trauma with deep need of therapy, found a way to fight back through the injustices of the world. Something we could very much use in reality right now. She shows that women can be strong, intelligent and deserving of a place in this male dominated world.
I like how each of the essays examined a different aspect of her character so you get this incredible depth of understanding you don’t normally see in the movies or comics individually. Not to mention they show how the perception of who she is and her place in the Marvel world has changed with time and social constructs.
This is the perfect book to give Black Widow fans and women in general to remind us we have everything we need to be smart and strong inside of us.
Thank you to Netgalley and McFarland & Co for allowing me to review this book.
February 3, 2017
Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set
by Sherry Ginn (editor)
I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review
Fascinating! Fun! And educational about the red-headed spy and superhero.
For fans, you will find out things you never knew or considered about Natasha Romanoff, particulaly if you are like me and didn't read comics before the late 70's. Natasha is special among superheroines in that her skill set is both physical (she can out fight any man using whushu and gymnasitcs) and mental (she can seduce and/or interrogate anyone while making the victim believe they are in charge.)
The book was published prior to Captain American: Civil War and the May 6, 2016 Kevin Feige announcement that Black Widow will be starring in her own movie. So, the repeated theme of the utter unfairness of her not getting a movie even with fan support and creations may seem a little dated.
But the discussions of those creations through vidding make one of the best discussions of what makes speech and who is in charge of content that I've read. Vidding seems to bring out the best in future film makers and Widow fans, but many forget that her skill set isn't just butt-kicking, she also uses the mental skills of seduction, infiltration and interrogation
Many of the other chapters also deal with the rest of what would best be called the Whedon 'Verse. For instance, a chaper discussing how widow uses linguistics to control a situation also focuses on Buffy Summers (the Vamper Slayer). Essays on the mindcontrol Widow suffered in the Red Room, brings in the suffering and problems of River Tam of Firely/Serenity. Even in her own book, Black Widow can't be the only star!
It was interesting to see speech and linguistics expanded to not only the discussion between vidders and the studio or how Widow manages the people around her but to also include her costume and colors. As a red head, I was particulaly fascinated that it means I have a bit of magic.
Chapters on her relationships are often contradictory. One chapter presents her as often no more than a side-kick or a girlfriend. Often her boyfriends in this chapter are abusive, including the Man With No Fear and no sight, Daredevil who both verbally denegrates her even though she is his equal, he often treats her like an object for others to appreciate (even though he can't see her) and more than one slaps or hits her. A second chapter covering her relationship with Bruce Banner/Hulk presents it, and I believe correctly as a D/S relationship with Natasha being Dominant to whom Bruce willingly submts in order to control his other half. Her strong feminine side allows him to release the anger with in him.
Alternating essays also discuss her sterilization – the Graduation Ceremony – at the Red Room. One puts forth that it takes away her feminity and reduces her to the typical woman wanting a baby. A second essay, the same essay that cover the D/S portion of the Widow/Hulk dynamic points out that in the discussion that reveals this topic was brought up by Banner who not only can't have children, he can't have sex and therefore the relationship that Natasha wants with him is mathematic impossible.
My absolutely favorite essay is Heather M. Porters “In Search of the Complete Female Character in The Marcel Cinematic Universe. She replaces the over used and misunderstood term “Strong female character” who is often seen as having masculine traits and is incomplete as she had few female traits or friends with the term CFC or Complete Female Character. A CFC is a well rounded character, with a complete history, a complete future, talents that can come from bot her masculine and her feminine side. In other, words, Black Widow and many of Joss Whedon's other female heroines.
This book is for fans who just want to know more about one of the most interesting Avengers. It is also for intellectuals who are interested in linguistics, literature, film studies or even the meaning of fashion. In fact, I will be referring it to one of the most influential Professors of my college career to add to his linquistics and other studies as alternate reading.
As this is an ARC, I am going to assume the typos, the strange mix of capitalization and the smashing of words together will be fixed.
https://www.amazon.com/Marvels-Black-...
5 out of 5
by Sherry Ginn (editor)
I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review
Fascinating! Fun! And educational about the red-headed spy and superhero.
For fans, you will find out things you never knew or considered about Natasha Romanoff, particulaly if you are like me and didn't read comics before the late 70's. Natasha is special among superheroines in that her skill set is both physical (she can out fight any man using whushu and gymnasitcs) and mental (she can seduce and/or interrogate anyone while making the victim believe they are in charge.)
The book was published prior to Captain American: Civil War and the May 6, 2016 Kevin Feige announcement that Black Widow will be starring in her own movie. So, the repeated theme of the utter unfairness of her not getting a movie even with fan support and creations may seem a little dated.
But the discussions of those creations through vidding make one of the best discussions of what makes speech and who is in charge of content that I've read. Vidding seems to bring out the best in future film makers and Widow fans, but many forget that her skill set isn't just butt-kicking, she also uses the mental skills of seduction, infiltration and interrogation
Many of the other chapters also deal with the rest of what would best be called the Whedon 'Verse. For instance, a chaper discussing how widow uses linguistics to control a situation also focuses on Buffy Summers (the Vamper Slayer). Essays on the mindcontrol Widow suffered in the Red Room, brings in the suffering and problems of River Tam of Firely/Serenity. Even in her own book, Black Widow can't be the only star!
It was interesting to see speech and linguistics expanded to not only the discussion between vidders and the studio or how Widow manages the people around her but to also include her costume and colors. As a red head, I was particulaly fascinated that it means I have a bit of magic.
Chapters on her relationships are often contradictory. One chapter presents her as often no more than a side-kick or a girlfriend. Often her boyfriends in this chapter are abusive, including the Man With No Fear and no sight, Daredevil who both verbally denegrates her even though she is his equal, he often treats her like an object for others to appreciate (even though he can't see her) and more than one slaps or hits her. A second chapter covering her relationship with Bruce Banner/Hulk presents it, and I believe correctly as a D/S relationship with Natasha being Dominant to whom Bruce willingly submts in order to control his other half. Her strong feminine side allows him to release the anger with in him.
Alternating essays also discuss her sterilization – the Graduation Ceremony – at the Red Room. One puts forth that it takes away her feminity and reduces her to the typical woman wanting a baby. A second essay, the same essay that cover the D/S portion of the Widow/Hulk dynamic points out that in the discussion that reveals this topic was brought up by Banner who not only can't have children, he can't have sex and therefore the relationship that Natasha wants with him is mathematic impossible.
My absolutely favorite essay is Heather M. Porters “In Search of the Complete Female Character in The Marcel Cinematic Universe. She replaces the over used and misunderstood term “Strong female character” who is often seen as having masculine traits and is incomplete as she had few female traits or friends with the term CFC or Complete Female Character. A CFC is a well rounded character, with a complete history, a complete future, talents that can come from bot her masculine and her feminine side. In other, words, Black Widow and many of Joss Whedon's other female heroines.
This book is for fans who just want to know more about one of the most interesting Avengers. It is also for intellectuals who are interested in linguistics, literature, film studies or even the meaning of fashion. In fact, I will be referring it to one of the most influential Professors of my college career to add to his linquistics and other studies as alternate reading.
As this is an ARC, I am going to assume the typos, the strange mix of capitalization and the smashing of words together will be fixed.
https://www.amazon.com/Marvels-Black-...
5 out of 5
April 9, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher McFarland in exchange for an honest review.
This collection of ten scientific articles explores a wide arrangement of aspects concerning everyone's favorite Avenger. The contributors and topics range from feminism and gender studies to media and television studies to TV and movie production to fandom studies to linguistics to psychology and sociology.
Reading this collection, you can find out why Black Widow is considered more as a character with agency and choice making clever use of manipulative language, rather than an agent following orders and using seduction. You can explore the importance of complete, rounded female characters over merely passing the Bechdel test or having powerful women. Fan-trailers are analysed as an important part of the overall experience. Black Widow's comic book costumes and relationships are discussed, as are gender roles in "The Avengers". One article goes deep into psychology and Joss Whedon's other material to write about brainwashing as a plot point. Maybe my favorite section explores Hulk-Widow, defending even the cringe-worthy sterilization dialogue in "Age of Ultron" with very good arguments. Black Widow's fighting style, her musical theme and her role in "Age of Ultron" is also analysed in depth. As you can see - there is something for everyone in here.
Reading this collection made me want to re-watch the entire MCU canon, paying close attention to all details. I loved that it was highly scientific, yet the topic was obviously geeky - which meant I understood all of the references and examples. The one negative issue I had was the repetitiveness - especially the interrogation scenes from "The Avengers", featuring the Russians and Loki respectively, were analysed and referenced over and over again. However, since it would probably be rare for someone to read an entire non-fiction book cover to cover, that could be excused. Other than that, I highly recommend this book for scholars and casually reading fans alike.
This collection of ten scientific articles explores a wide arrangement of aspects concerning everyone's favorite Avenger. The contributors and topics range from feminism and gender studies to media and television studies to TV and movie production to fandom studies to linguistics to psychology and sociology.
Reading this collection, you can find out why Black Widow is considered more as a character with agency and choice making clever use of manipulative language, rather than an agent following orders and using seduction. You can explore the importance of complete, rounded female characters over merely passing the Bechdel test or having powerful women. Fan-trailers are analysed as an important part of the overall experience. Black Widow's comic book costumes and relationships are discussed, as are gender roles in "The Avengers". One article goes deep into psychology and Joss Whedon's other material to write about brainwashing as a plot point. Maybe my favorite section explores Hulk-Widow, defending even the cringe-worthy sterilization dialogue in "Age of Ultron" with very good arguments. Black Widow's fighting style, her musical theme and her role in "Age of Ultron" is also analysed in depth. As you can see - there is something for everyone in here.
Reading this collection made me want to re-watch the entire MCU canon, paying close attention to all details. I loved that it was highly scientific, yet the topic was obviously geeky - which meant I understood all of the references and examples. The one negative issue I had was the repetitiveness - especially the interrogation scenes from "The Avengers", featuring the Russians and Loki respectively, were analysed and referenced over and over again. However, since it would probably be rare for someone to read an entire non-fiction book cover to cover, that could be excused. Other than that, I highly recommend this book for scholars and casually reading fans alike.
April 10, 2017
This book proves that comic book nerds exist on a deeper more analytical level of knowledge than expected. First we get a brief history of Black Widow in comics then the presence of Black Widow in the MCU movies is explored in depth. Any comic book fan should pick this up and enjoy the history of a Marvel Character that also shows how Marvel treats all its characters. Any Human should pick this up and see how the battle of the sexes continues.
April 15, 2017
3.7
Well, it was surprisingly an interesting read and I really enjoyed this collection of essays about Natasha and the way she was presented, made me wish for a Black Widow origin story movie and I am not even a fan of this character. Good job.
*Digital review copy provided by NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review or rating.
Well, it was surprisingly an interesting read and I really enjoyed this collection of essays about Natasha and the way she was presented, made me wish for a Black Widow origin story movie and I am not even a fan of this character. Good job.
*Digital review copy provided by NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review or rating.
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