It’s a fast finish—maybe too fast—but Rucka’s pacing the series more and more like a TV show. The entire issue is the last few minutes of a longer episode, which probably frustrated when reading the series split over three months but not much in a shorter period.

Unfortunately, from the first page, it’s clear Kordey is hurrying along. Maybe it’s because a lot of the issue is bright. He’s letting the colorist fill in the darks here, whereas before he was making sure they were there. It still works, just because Rucka knows how to craft an espionage story. This issue is the finale and has the big moment for Yelena, but it’s the least about her. Like Rucka also knows he can’t push the situation in an action comic.

Spider‘s a strong approach to the character. It’s a shame Rucka and Kordey didn’t get a follow-up.

Something tells me Marvel won’t be trading Pale Little Spider if Disney ever makes a Black Widow movie. Jaded as I am, I never thought it’d be an S&M-themed Black Widow comic, regardless of it released via MAX.

What’s immediately striking about it is Greg Rucka’s writing. He’s doing a police procedural (in Russia). It opens with regular detectives, then it turns to Black Widow II (you know, the blond one) doing the investigating. The series plays to Rucka’s strengths—though I had no idea S&M was one of them.

It helps he’s got Igor Kordey, of course. Kordey is able to show the entire thing as ugly, whether it’s something simple like the crime scene, the autopsy or the investigators themselves. Disney also wouldn’t want this one traded because Yelena (blond Black Widow) is an ugly little troll under Kordey’s pencil.

Little Spider‘s shocking and good.