The Search Continues in Black Widow: Bad Blood Episode 4

Natasha’s harrowing adventure continues in Black Widow: Bad Blood Episode 4. Her story has been every bit as dramatic as one might expect, blending the intrigue of her career with the action of Marvel comics.

Last we saw, Natasha was desperately trying to make contact with an old ally – one who very likely had been targeted by the same enemies she now hunted. But in this world of superheroes and villains, nothing ever quite goes as planned.

Black Widow: Bad Blood is part of a series produced by Serial Box (now Realm). Each week the platform will be dropping a new episode, which can either be read or listened to. This is the second Marvel series that Serial Box has launched, and it’s already proving to be an amazing experience.

The Search For Allies

Black Widow: Bad Blood Episode 4 was written by Margaret Dunlap and steadily builds tension. Black Widow’s adventure so far has been a series of ups and downs as she digs for answers.

‘Sleep When I’m Dead’ is arguably my favorite so far, finding that perfect balance between tension and providing insight. It’s also wonderfully refreshing to see Natasha in her natural setting. That is to say, see her hunting for information while tracking a potential ally.

This episode obviously provided a lot of insight into how Black Widow thinks and acts. But it also brought with it many surprises, from revelations about her history to insight into another hero. It makes for a fascinating read-through and through.

What I’ve come to love so much about this series already is how it has captured Natasha’s voice. It really feels like she is narrating the tale. The tale itself is leaning towards her abilities in all of the perfect ways, including finding a mess that she couldn’t turn away from.

Narration

Black Widow: Bad Blood Episode 4, like the rest of the series thus far, was narrated by Sarah Natochenny. She’s done a delightful job of delving into Romanoff’s character, lending her voice to bring the character to life.

She’s really captured all of the details and nuance that go into a character like Natasha. There’s this sense of depth to her reading, which is further fleshed out by the careful writing. More than that, the sound effects help to set the scene – making the adventure feel so alive and real.

Normally with Serial Box (now Realm) series, I read the episode first and then will listen to it later. But with this series, I’ve found that I enjoy the audio version so much that I’ve been diving right into that first. I hope that says something about the quality of the narration.

Conclusion

Black Widow: Bad Blood Episode 4 was a thrilling addition to this intriguing tale. I love the chance to see the world through Natasha’s eyes and tell you with complete honestly that I look forward to each new episode as they arrive.

This series may only be four episodes in, yet I can’t help but hope that there will be more than one season of it. Additionally, it’s making me even more excited for the future Marvel series coming out on Serial Box. Jessica Jones is due next, and that is only a month out at this point. Consider that one added to my TBR list.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.