Black Widow (2005)

The most refreshing part of writer Richard K. Morgan's take on ex-spy Natasha Romanova isn't the terrific art by comics titan Bill Sienkiewicz (Elektra: Assassin). No, it's that there's not a costume in sight. This is a book about a very deadly girl on the run, hunting for the reason why she's on a hitman's list and evading a past she thought she left behind. Smarter, funnier, and sexier than it has any right to be — the folks at Marvel would do well to stretch themselves like this more often.