Natasha has been in San Francisco for a little while, but she’s still learning her way around. She’s a super-spy who has a hell of a lot of incentive not to trust anyone, but she’s learning. And she’s finding a little bit more about the underworld of San Francisco in Black Widow #11. Writer Kelly Thompson continues a journey into a whole new era in Natasa’s life that is brought to the page by Rafael De Latorre with the aid of colorist Jordie Bellaire. Thompson and company continue to establish a captivating ensemble of characters in their own little corner of the Marvel Universe with a uniquely clever chapter.

Anya and Lucy are sparring at the Web in San Francisco. Anya’s a web-slinger still getting into the swing of things. Lucy’s got electrical powers that can’t seem to turn off. The Web is the Widows’ place; Anya and Lucy are sparring on the outside. Black Widow and Yelena are sparring in a completely different way. The Black Widow is out getting information that she can’t trust anyone else with...but she’s going to need to trust Yelena if she’s going to face a strange pair of twins with strange powers who hang out at a high-end circus. Information can sometimes come in the most peculiar forms...

Thompson has found a fascinating momentum for Natasha and Yelena in this installment beautifully balanced against a similar dynamic between novices Anya and Lucy. The four-part hero ensemble is a great deal of fun. The two pairs balance each other out brilliantly. Thomspon is also filling in some of the shadows in Marvel San Francisco. Given how little tends to go on there, she’s got an open canvas to work with. She’s setting up a really fun super-powered underworld for the region.

Once again, De Latorre gives the setting a firm sense of atmosphere. There are some beautiful architectural renderings in the background. The Web feels solid enough that it would be surprising if De Latorre didn’t know the space’s square footage and the precise location of every electrical outlet in the place. Not as much can be said for the red-curtained stage on which Natasha and Yelena fight a dangerous pair of superhuman twins. Still, the action is delivered to the page quite well, and once again, Bellaire manages some gorgeous chromatic articulation in and around some very heavy De Latorre inking. 

Thompson/De Latorre and Bellaire form an outstanding team. That team is bringing an enjoyable team to page and panel in a dazzlingly composed quartet of heroes who find a relatively unexplored home in San Francisco. The whims of marketing, editorial, and sales have a tendency to tangle things up over time, but for the time being, Black Widow has definitely found a state of grace that seems to be working. It’s fun. It’s stylish. And with any luck, it’ll maintain its footing for at least another year or so.

Grade:  A