Restoring Justice: A Review of ‘Black Widow’

After eleven years of waiting, my favorite superhero finally got her own film, and you know what? I […]

A Hell of a Reunion: First look at “Black Widow”

by The Collected Mutineer Collective fam, the time has finally come. Nearly a decade after making her debut […]

Cosplay How-To: Widow’s Bites 2.0

Well, Collectors, if you’ve made it to this page, it’s probably because you, like myself, went through my […]

The Beginning of the End: An “Avengers: Age of Ultron” Review

As Marvel’s Phase 2 comes to an end this year, Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron sets off the summer blockbusters as one has come to expect from the franchise. There are CGI sequences, political commentary, superhero banter, and fiery explosions all set to a swelling score on an international backdrop. While we see familiar themes and characters throughout the film, it is the new faces, questions and challenges set forth for the Avengers that ultimately allow for a narrative shift that has me looking forward to Phase 3.

Some (vague) spoilers ahead, Sweetie!

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Let’s Talk About What’s In Store for Natasha Romanoff

Natasha Romanoff, perhaps better known as the Black Widow, is everything I ever wanted in a comic book heroine. If you don’t know much about her, here’s a quick bio:

Born in Stalingrad, Natasha was trained by Russian Intelligence operatives and became a sleeper agent for the Black Widow Program (one of her instructors was none other than Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier). Eventually she was influenced enough by Hawkeye to rebel against her superiors, and began freelance work for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury until teaming up with the Avengers.

Now, since Scarlett Johansson has taken on the role of the assassin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, interest in the character has grown exponentially. So much so, in fact, that the Black Widow got her own comic series which launched in January 2014.

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Cosplay How-To: Widow’s Bites

If you follow The Collective (@nerdwrldprblms) or my own acct (@dearcollectress) on Twitter, you’ve probably seen my increasing number of tweets about the Diva’s and my Avengers cosplay, which we first did for WonderCon.

The Collectiva Diva and I have fallen in love with cosplay (OK so maybe I was already in love and I gripped Diva tight and pulled her into the rabbit hole with me), but as struggling bloggers and writers with full-time jobs in the academic world, it’s hard to find the time (and money) to make a costume. Most of you can probably relate. So I decided that I would make my costume as inexpensive and DIY as possible, so I could share my knowledge with the cosplayers on a budget.

When I went to WonderCon, I had my Widow’s Bites made as per Kit Quinn’s tutorial on YouTube, but I quickly discovered a flaw in that design–when the bandolier bullets aren’t securely fastened to something, they come undone and fall off your wrist! So before I put the catsuit on again, I made some adjustments to the bracelets, and they are now perfectly secure and more comfortable!

Here’s a short tutorial on how I made my Widow’s Bites (pictured below.)

Update: there is now a tutorial for Widow’s Bites 2.0.