Black Widow

October 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-Natasha Romanoff and Ava Orlova (aka Black Widow and Red Widow, respectively) may have defeated Ivan Somodorov in Black Widow: Forever Red, but Russia's Red Room is still thriving, threatening the Widows and the world. Natasha and Ava, who is now enrolled in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s training program, are grieving the death of Alex, Natasha's long-lost brother and Ava's boyfriend. When S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network is hacked and a new villain appears with a dangerous mind-control drug, the teens must once again save the world from the Red Room. This volume builds on the complex relationship between Natasha and Ava, who are not only connected by their love for Alex and their Red Room past but also by their quantum entanglement link. Despite their similarities, Ava, who has the ability to express emotion, contrasts with Natasha, who has been taught-and forced-to keep her emotions in check. Alex's presence in Ava's mind grows as the story progresses, though readers will hope that the reason for this plot point will be explained in the next series entry. Tony Stark continues to provide invaluable help to the Widows and is joined by Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel), who will be starring in her own upcoming young adult novel. Action-packed, with international travel, political intrigue, and strong female protagonists, this title will not disappoint fans and will leave readers eager for the next installment. VERDICT Purchase where the first novel and superhero prequels are popular.-Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2016
Grades 8-11 Avengers fans who want more backstory and text than one usually finds in the graphic novels about the always-fascinating Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) will be thrilled to find this sequel to Black Widow: Forever Red (2015), though even a passing knowledge of Avengers lore should be enough for this title to stand alone. The complicated and prickly relationship between Black Widow and her protege Red Widow (Ava Orlova) forms the story's heart, and each Widow has demons she must face and conquer. There are plot twists galore, plenty of fun gadgets, and lots of Tony Stark (aka Iron Man)and that means plenty of Iron Man ego and banter. Exotic locales include Rio de Janeiro and a Christmas parade in Manhattan being threatened by a terrorist attack. Action-packed narrative chapters are supplemented by transcripts of a grueling interview of Black Widow and confidential e-mails between S.H.I.E.L.D. members. The brushstrokes that define these characters are pretty broad, but it suits the material.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Unsurprisingly, given our comics-crazy culture, Forever Red was an instant best-seller. No reason to think we'll see a downturn with this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
Black Widow, along with her sidekick "sister" Ana (whom she met in Black Widow: Forever Red), returns to protect S.H.I.E.L.D. while battling the evil Red Room and the mind-control drug it has created. There is plenty of action, seemingly to get readers quickly to the next installment. Marvel superfans may be irked by deviations from the Marvel universe; casual readers should be entertained.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)