Aaaaaah. Neal Adams. What a great run of artists we have had for Amazing Adventures–both halves, Widow and Inhumans. I just wish the stories were better.
After the doings of the last arc, Black Bolt locked Maximus in a chamber that looks remarkably like a coffin. Gorgon and Karnak, who are apparently anti-death penalty, open the container just to make sure Maximus is still breathing.
These two are always causing problems. They’re my favorite Inhumans. I love their relationship and their contrary power sets-Gorgon is big and strong and breaks everything, Karnak is lithe and touches only one pressure point.
From there, Maximus escapes (naturally) and The Inhumans go on a world-wide manhunt, including landing at muscle beach in Los Angeles. The overmuscled body builders think it’s an invasion and fight The Inhumans, and Medusa beats one up with her hair.
By all accounts, that’s awesome.
Thor guest stars, and The Avengers make an appearance.
And goshdang it’s great to see Neal Adams draw them.
Only Thor can go after The Inhumans. Again, it’s great to see Neal draw him. And it’s even better to see Gorgon kick him.
Paul Levitz writes in again for issue #5.
On the Black Widow side of this book, we start with a gratuitous shower scene.
And it is Christmas time.
She spends these issues in street-level adventures beating up bad people and some of them die and so she wonders if she’s truly a “black widow.”
But the whole concept doesn’t make sense. First off, she’s a spy and assassin who still runs missions for SHIELD. Surely she understands the need to kill. But at a more symbolic level, she doesn’t marry any of these people (hence, no “widow”) and she doesn’t eat them for food, either literally or figuratively (so she’s nothing like the spider).
Ivan likes to make bad spider jokes.
And of course, it’s not just thugs. There has to be a Russia connection, which comes in the form of a villain that is stupid.
Also the art is by Don Heck, this ending the string of all-star pencilers for this comic.
This is Black Widow’s last story in Amazing Adventures. After thus, it becomes an Inhumans book for two issues and then a Beast solo book.
Inhumans: Roy Thomas and Neal Adams. B-, elevated significantly by the art.
Black Widow: Roy Thomas (#5-6), Gerry Conway (#7), Roy and Gerry (#8), Gene Colan (#5) and Don Heck (#6-8). C-