Tag Archives: Black Widow

Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War Review (SPOILER FREE)

It’s all lead to this. Ten years in the making, Earth’s mightiest heroes have finally gathered together to face the MCU’s greatest villain, Thanos. The ultimate architect of the threats faced by the Avengers, the Mad Titan goes on a bloody warpath of destruction across the MCU in the recently released film, Avengers: Infinity War. Here’s the synopsis:

Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet — the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.

To say this film both amazed and stunned me would be a gross understatement. My first reaction of course was this:

After my initial shock wore off, I realized I had just seen the best MCU film to date. While films like Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, Captain America Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming all have blown me away with incredible storytelling over the years, this film did something truly unique, and that’s bring a huge, cosmic and company wide comic book event to the big screen. We’ve seen individual stories emerge beautifully over the years in the superhero film realm, but Infinity War took a massive story like Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity and combined both big events into the stuff comic books are made of.

I have to tread carefully, as I promised not to spoil anything for you guys. I highly recommend you see this film, and if you guys want me to make a separate post talking about the film’s shocking moments and what my theories for the future of the MCU are, then leave a comment down below letting me know. However for the context of this review, I can say that the film was beautifully made. The visual effects of course were brilliant, and getting to see so many heroes and characters interact for the first time was amazing to see. The best scenes featured interactions between the likes of Dr. Strange and Iron Man, Thor and Rocket Raccon, and Scarlett Witch and Vision. These characters stole the show as far as I’m concerned, as did Gamora, who had the biggest connection to Thanos throughout this entire film.

The performances given by these actors was incredible. Not only did we get the amazing humor we’ve come to expect from these films, but the MCU finally delved into darker storytelling and showed a very visceral, real comic book war unfold. The emotions were running high throughout the entire film, from the movie’s opening scene to the closing credits. Joe and Anthony Russo did a brilliant job directing and bringing this story together, proving they have a profound command on the MCU and it’s overall direction. The film did a great job of connecting to big Marvel Comics moments, left plenty of Easter eggs and theories running to keep fans guessing until the next film, and provided one of the biggest shocks in superhero film history. With only Ant Man & The Wasp and Captain Marvel set to premiere before the big Avengers 4 film, fans will be eagerly anticipating the untitled Avengers movie in hopes of seeing how the first book of the MCU franchise ends.

I loved this movie. I look back at my time watching this movie, and I can’t find one flaw in it. The villain was fully flushed out, and Josh Brolin did an amazing job of providing an incredible performance as the MCU’s greatest villain to date. The acting and directing was superb, and the overall story was able to do something very few superhero films can do, and that’s shock the audience. If you guys haven’t yet, be sure to see Avengers: Infinity War today!

Black Widow: Forever Red By Margaret Stohl Review:

The Marvel Universe has expanded into the YA book genre with Margaret Stohl’s “Black Widow: Forever Red.” The story does a masterful job of
delving into the mysterious history of everyone’s favorite assassin turned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Natasha Romanoff. After a mission to stop the
man who broke, trained and turned her into a weapon ends with a young girl saved and the man supposedly killed, Natasha finds herself inexplicably
connected to the young girl she rescued. However, because she was trained to be an agent and not an open person who makes personal relationships,
Black Widow disappears from young Ava Orlova’s life, leaving her in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Years later, Ava is trying to fit in as a normal
teenager in Brooklyn, but her experiences and connections to her past has left her unable to let people past her own barriers.

Soon however, life get’s complicated for Ava. Children across Easter Europe have gone missing, and when Red Room technology is rumored to be
involved in the abductions, Black Widow fears her old teacher and tormentor may have survived their last encounter, and Ava might be the only
one who can stop him. Reemerging into the teen’s life, Black Widow and Ava must unravel the mystery and their pasts that remain in the dark
from even themselves, and will end up discovering a bigger mystery involving the dark-eyed teenage boy who walks through Ava’s dreams, sporting
an hourglass tattoo.

The mystery of this book’s story makes it one of the most thrilling political YA novels I’ve ever read. The way this book blends the thriller,
Cold War-era political mystery and YA romance genres is brilliant, and getting to learn more about this bad ass and strong character Natasha
Romanoff makes it addicting to read. Getting a chance to peel back the layers of the Black Widow’s history and mixing it with the governmental
politics of S.H.I.E.L.D. was a stellar storytelling technique, and fans of the Marvel universe will love the surprise characters involved in
the story, and the intimate look at a brand new character like Ava Orlova. The novel is filled with tons of action, romance and a fast-paced
plot that will leave you craving more by the last page. With a sequel in the works, Black Widow: Forever Red is a strong first entry in Margaret
Stohl’s Black Widow series, and Marvel has done an excellent job of entering the world of storytelling through novels. Pick up your copies today!