Black Widow: Forever Red

Gr 8 Up—Beautiful Creatures (Little, Brown, 2010) coauthor Stohl and Marvel team up for a brand new Black Widow story with two original main characters. Once a lethal assassin for Russia, Natasha Romanov (aka Black Widow) strives to atone for her past mistakes. Working with S.H.I.E.L.D, Natasha is ready to kill her former teacher, Ivan Somodorov, but does not count on rescuing a little girl from a planned explosion at his lab. Without realizing it, Natasha and Ava are caught in Ivan's latest experiment, which gives Ava access to Natasha's abilities. Years later, their lives converge when Ava meets Alex, a boy she has been having dreams about, and is reunited with Natasha, who turns their normal lives upside down. Natasha reluctantly involves Ava and Alex in her mission to kill Ivan and save the world, but the cost may be too high. Black Widow: Forever Red can be enjoyed without prior knowledge, and for those who are familiar with Black Widow, Natasha's history is expanded in new ways.