Gene in January, Day FourteenDaredevil #82, page 18 by Gene Colan and Jack
Abelhttps://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1694670
By 1971, the Marvel Expansion of 1968 had experienced its artistic successes
and commercial failures. Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, Nick Fury, Captain
Marvel and X-Men were either cancelled or on hiatus. Although inconceivable by
today's standards, Daredevil and Iron-man were both low-selling books and
reportedly were also considered for cancellation. In November 1971 there was an
announcement in the Bullpen Bulletins Page that as of next month Daredevil and
Iron Man were going to be combined into one split book.
That didn't happen, and instead the Black Widow, whose brief solo series in
Amazing Adventures concluded after eight issues in September 1971, was added to
the Daredevil book. I've always been curious if including Natasha had the
sales-boosting effect Marvel hoped for. Either way, the decision represented an
artistic success, as now we have many more examples of Gene Colan's beguiling
Black Widow than we would have, had he been limited to only the three issues he
drew of her Amazing Adventures run.
Pax,Sean
