I’ve finally read the Hawkeye comics by Matt Fraction and David Aja. It was about time! Now I understand why everybody’s fond of this series… don’t even know if they released more than the two first issues in France but I’m gonna keep searching.
Another great thing about Black Widow is how the book immediately sets up a few parallels with Hawkeye- very smartly and appropriately given the connection between the two characters, who have been tied together since their first appearances in 1964. Both books have similar ‘day off’ intros- “This is what he does when he’s not being an Avenger” for Clint, and “On her own time, she uses her skill set to atone for her past” for Natasha.
Of course, for Clint, what he does with his free time is bum around his apartment and antagonize local organized crime. What Natasha does with her free time is fly around the world doing secret missions to raise money for her charitable trusts. Clint doesn’t know what to do with himself when he’s not being an Avenger, while Natasha knows exactly what to do and how she’s going to do it. And while Clint’s struggles in Hawkeye stem in part from his failures to deal with his past and his many issues (namely, his undefined relationship with Jessica Drew; his fucked-up relationship with his brother; and his failed mentorship of Kate Bishop), Natasha’s adventures in Black Widow are her explicit way of atonement for her assassin-baggage.
You can see this difference in their apartments too- while Clint’s place is a pizza-box-strewn mess where he drinks coffee from the pot, Natasha’s apartment is completely bare and undecorated, with a refrigerator likely completely empty except for the red wine she drinks on the balcony. Clint’s home is a refuge where he avoids the world while detritus piles up around him, while Natasha’s home is barely a presence in her life.
And most importantly, of course, they have different relationships with their pets. The end of Hawkeye #1 is Clint’s desperate attempt to rescue a dog who he immediately adopts into his home. The end of Black Widow #1 is Natasha telling the stray cat she feeds not to get too close to her. Clint names his dog “Lucky”, and Natasha names her cat “Liho”, “an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune.” (Also, Liho the Wine Cat- let’s get on it.)
Not to conclude that “Clint is lame and Natasha rules”, because they both have their issues. I’m willing to bet that being a roving killer-of-evildoers isn’t the healthiest way for Natasha to deal with her past (or even the most efficient way to make money- set her up with a consulting gig, Tony Stark). Both of their lives are wrecks. They’re partners (professional and once romantic- remember Clint called her his “work-wife”) with a deep connection and I love seeing it expressed in this series.
Black Widow #1, January 2014. w: Nathan Edmonson. a: Phil Noto.
PS: For some background on this series, as well as a great Black Widow and Hawkeye adventure, I can’t recommend Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Avengers Assemble#12-13 enough. It’s a fantastic arc with nice character stuff for Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Spider-Woman, and directly ties into the premise of this series with Natasha’s attempt to atone for a previous assassination. Plus Pizza Dog shows up at the end.
