Black Widow: No Restraints Play (Black Widow (2019))

Black Widow’s brutally dark journey into a seedy underworld.Authors Jen and Sylvia Soska’s grimdark superhero comic book Black Widow: No Restraints Play (2019) has got to be the darkest comic I’ve read in a long time. I should put a trigger warning that this comic gets viciously sadistic and depicts child torture with horrifying implications. Regardless, Black Widow: No Restraints Play is incredibly entertaining, smart, and complex with plenty of twists and shocks.No wonder these writer ladies are called The Twisted Twins. Black Widow never had more brutal gore or nefarious crimes. I loved the bloody action sequences with a fearless Black Widow tearing through man after man with a need to relieve her anger with a ruthless catharsis. I was shocked at all the dismemberment and impalement that Black Widow accomplishes with a graceful finesse and sly cunning as she outfights and outsmarts her opponents.Jen and Sylvia Soska’s writing is surprisingly thoughtful and playful as Natasha Romanoff is reeling from being resurrected from the dead and furious about the abuse of children. No Restraints Play is certainly the bleakest Marvel comic I’ve ever read. Their words have a sleek wit and a real empathy for Natasha Romanoff’s pain. These sisters really understand the espionage and shadowy work of Black Widow as well as Natasha Romanoff’s complicated feelings from her sad past. It’s a truly dope Black Widow comic.Flaviano’s illustrations are really pretty and striking. The characters have a lush smoothness with a lot of detail and everyone looks unique. Veronica Gandini’s colors pop with a vibrant, modern aesthetic. I’d be fine if every Black Widow comic looked this gorgeous. No Restraints Play has several viscerally disturbing images that would be nothing without Flaviano.Overall, Black Widow: No Restraints Play is a fantastic Black Widow comic that’s worth checking out for something more mature from Marvel!

I enjoyed the story, but the problem with too many comic books these days is the infusion of personal politics. Be as subtle as you like over and over again, but this is truly my last Marvel Comic. I give it 3 stars for the art. The general message of the story is an honorable one, but the pathetic inferences to influence readers, as in other current media, is misplaced, misguided, and miss me with that.

Thus is hands down my favorite Black Widow comic. It is a thrilling tale that is full of twists and turns but also has a lot of heart. A must have for any collection. Also the artwork is beautiful

Bought it on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed it. Fairly dark subject matter but handled well. The art is meh, but didn't distract from the story. Sure, its predictable, but it was still entertaining.

I really liked this a lot, I'll most likely continue to the other volumes. This has a ramped up Female James Bond, with a Logan type attitude.

Skip this one. The writing is bland and uninspired. The characters and “twists” are predictable and one dimensional. And the art is nothing special.

The Soska sisters are extremely talented. Love this storyline.

There were so many different Twists.

A great comic. I was a little dubious and curious about this book. I am glad my curiosity won out. In Secret Empire Balck Widow was killed. I was not sure is the whole thing was to be reset or what but I was sure she would be back. This comic does not go into the detail of how she was brought back, it is mentioned in the recap, but does deal with some of the fall out of Secret Empire. Peoples perception of Cap (Steve Rogers), and Black Widow being technically dead working behind the scenes.For a book call "No Restraints Play", and such an excellent cover, I was a bit scared and disappointed in the art work at the beginning. I thought it was too colourful and happy-ish, but I am glad to say it was the perfect setup as it shows Nat as she is seen as the hero, where as, (like the writer say in the acknowledgments page), she works better from the shadows. The way they term is I "held back by the Avengers".Madripoor is the perfect back place for Nat to blow off some steam and be unleashed. If there was ever a crime that need vengeance it is this. The perfect criminals for her to be unleashed on. A great comic the fights in here are swift and brutal. I like how the artwork get subtly darker as the story goes along. There is an full page cover of each issue at the beginning of each chapter, and the variants of issue 1 in the cover gallery at the back.

Daring and intelligent read. Easy delivery.