Black Widow comics: the reading guide for new collectors

Created in 1964 by Stan Lee (plot), Don Rico (script, writing as N. Korok) and Don Heck (art) — with a Jack Kirby cover — Natasha Romanoff is among the Marvel characters best served across multiple distinct editorial eras. Unlike many heroes, Black Widow accumulates genuinely strong runs in the Silver Age, Bronze Age, and Modern Age, each offering a different entry point depending on your budget and reading preferences.

This guide follows a simple logic: start with the most accessible modern runs and work back toward the Silver Age keys as your familiarity with the character deepens. Every figure here comes either from our live eBay estimator (for covered series) or from documented third-party sources (Heritage, sellmycomicbooks.com, GoCollect). Where no public record exists, we remain qualitative.

Where to start: the Daredevil co-starring era (1971–1975)

Daredevil #81 (November 1971, script by Gerry Conway, art by Gene Colan, inks by Jack Abel) marks Black Widow's arrival as a co-star. Natasha pulls a half-dead Daredevil from New York Harbor after a helicopter crash — a memorable first scene that establishes her competence and initiative before she even exchanges a word with Matt Murdock. From issue #92 onward (October 1972), the title is formally co-billed as Daredevil and the Black Widow, a rare editorial distinction for the era that ran through issue #107. The co-starring role continued through Daredevil #124 (August 1975). Gene Colan's cinematic pencil work — deep shadow play, dramatic overhead compositions — is arguably the finest visual interpretation of Natasha's physicality in the Bronze Age.

Our eBay estimator covers the Daredevil series. As of June 2026, Daredevil #81 shows a median of €9 and a high of €19 across 47 listings, and Daredevil #92 returns a median of €9 across 40 listings. These are very accessible entry prices for Bronze Age keys of this editorial significance.

Marvel Knights (1999): the first solo series — Grayson & Jones

Black Widow #1 (May 1999, Marvel Knights imprint) is the first solo series ever dedicated to the character — a notable fact given that Natasha had existed in print since 1964. Written by Devin Grayson with art by J.G. Jones, the three-issue mini-series introduces two characters central to the Black Widow mythology: Yelena Belova in her first appearance, and the Red Room in its first appearance. Yelena is introduced as a new Soviet Black Widow trained to replace Natasha — a dynamic that reappears directly in the 2021 MCU film, with Florence Pugh in the role. The mini-series was followed by a second Grayson run in 2001 and a Greg Rucka series shortly after. Our eBay estimator does not currently cover Black Widow #1 (1999); market values should be checked via GoCollect or PriceCharting.

The editorial high point: Waid & Samnee (2016–2017)

Black Widow #1 (2016, Marvel) is widely regarded as the definitive solo run for the character. Mark Waid scripting and Chris Samnee on art — the Eisner Award-winning team already acclaimed for their Daredevil run — bring a disciplined visual economy rarely seen in superhero comics: sparse dialogue, extended near-wordless action sequences, and a cinematic sense of pacing that owes as much to spy cinema as to genre convention. The twelve-issue series sends Natasha on the run after SHIELD classifies her as a traitor, forcing her to operate without her usual infrastructure. For readers coming to the comics from the MCU, the espionage-thriller tone translates directly. The 2016 run remains liquid and affordable on the back-issue market.

The modern runs: Thompson (2020) and beyond

Kelly Thompson launched a new Black Widow series in September 2020 with artist Elena Casagrande and colorist Jordie Bellaire. The run won the Eisner Award for Best New Series in 2021 — rare critical validation for a solo series featuring a female lead. Thompson opens with a retired Natasha living a quiet life before inevitably pulling her back into the world she tried to leave. The series ran through April 2022 and collects cleanly into a single trade paperback. It is the most recent coherent solo run and the most accessible starting point for a new reader with no prior Black Widow history.

The Silver Age keys: where to go when budget allows

Sources: sellmycomicbooks.com, Landry Pop Auctions, dalerobertscomics.com, ourquadcities.com (Metropolis Comics), mycomicscollection.com eBay estimator (Jun. 2026). Tales of Suspense #52 and #57 are not covered by the eBay estimator — all figures sourced exclusively from documented web sources.

Black Widow in the MCU: the Scarlett Johansson effect on key values

Scarlett Johansson has portrayed Natasha Romanoff since Iron Man 2 (2010), with major appearances through The Avengers (2012) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). The standalone Black Widow film (2021) grossed $379.8 million worldwide, making it one of the most commercially successful Marvel releases of the post-pandemic period. The MCU adaptation has sustained collector interest in the Silver Age keys, particularly Tales of Suspense #52, whose market remains active. Yelena Belova — introduced in the film — traces directly back to the 1999 Grayson/Jones mini-series, a direct line between the editorial page and the screen.