Yelena Belova is trying to fit in. As a costumed adventurer, as an American, as the girl next door. But a company called Armament is making it VERY hard for her. Your Major Spoilers review of White Widow #2 from Marvel Comics awaits!
WHITE WIDOW #2
Writer: Sarah Gailey
Artist: Alessandro Miracolo
Colorist: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Alanna Smith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 13, 2023
Previously in White Widow: Just as Yelena Belova begins to settle into life in suburbia as a consultant for honest, hardworking assassins, change comes in the form of Armament – a company whose endeavors seem to infiltrate every aspect of life in the tiny town of Idyllhaven. But what exactly is Armament’s interest in Idyllhaven – and what does it have to do with Yelena’s rogue mentees?
GUEST-STARRING WOLVERINE
This issue opens with a flashback to a few months ago as Yelena tried to finish an assassination contract on Wolverine, of all people, only to end up saving him from her competition. During the conversation, though, he mentions that she might make a good teacher, something the White Widow had never considered. Flash-forward to the present and the little town of Idyllhaven, where the Widow has set up shop as a freelance consultant for other assassins. She also finds herself trying to figure out what she likes and dislikes, going so far as to make a list on whiteboards in her apartment, keeping track. A trip to the farmer’s market leads her to interact with her new friends, Griffin and Sabine, asking the tech-savvy young Griffin to help dissect a bit of robot technology that she got from an attacker last issue. That assistance ends quickly when they discover that the Armament Company manufactured it, leading Sabine to pull Griffin away, since their high school is about to become an Armament charter school
And then, Black Mamba and Diamondback arrive at her door with Armament badges and equipment, ready to bring her in by any means necessary.
AS SEEN ON TV
The upshot of the first two issues of this series has been to officially finish the comic White Widow’s transformation into the MCU White Widow, as seen in the Hawkeye limited series on Disney+ back in 2021. That’s actually pretty cool, as long as you’re able to ignore most of her previous appearances (and, let’s be honest, most readers don’t remember ’em). The art in this issue ranges from “pretty okay” to “a little bit disturbing,” especially the final half-page splash of the White Widow in full costume and gear for the first time. The slowly building mystery of Armament doesn’t feel like much, to be honest, as the Marvel Universe is full of AIMs and Hydras and Secret Empires, but it does create nice, personal stakes for White Widow, as well as something to keep her involved with the people of Idyllhaven. All in all, though, there’s entertainment to be found in these pages, but nothing that stands out as game-changing.
BOTTOM LINE: A NICELY DONE COMIC BOOK
Though they’re once again behind the times, White Widow #2 gives would-be Yelena fans the recognizable character from TV and film, with a plot that serves to ground and center her, allowing for growth and character exploration, earning 3 out of 5 stars overall. If you’re bothered by comics where the cover art doesn’t match the interiors, though, this one has a real doozy of a switch-up, so be prepared for that.
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WHITE WIDOW #2
Yelena Belova has been ill-served by a lot of previous plotlines, but this one provides her a humanizing element, a new home and a new M.O., even if it reminds me of the setup for the Fraction/Aja 'Hawkeye' comic of a few years ago.
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Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.