With Black Widow finally set to star in her own solo MCU movie this year, super-spy-turned-assassin Natasha Romanoff has never had a bigger spotlight. What better time for Marvel Comics to launch a new ongoing Black Widow series. We can exclusively reveal that Marvel will be debuting a new volume of Black Widow in April, written by Kelly Thompson (Captain Marvel) and drawn by Elena Casagrande (Catwoman) and with cover art from Adam Hughes.

Black Widow #1 cover by Adam Hughes. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)

Red Guardian's Connection to Black Widow (and Captain America) 10 IMAGES

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Marvel's solicitation for Black Widow #1 teases:Bestselling Eisner-nominated writer Kelly Thompson (CAPTAIN MARVEL; DEADPOOL) and rising star artist Elena Casagrande (CATWOMAN) launch a new BLACK WIDOW series that changes everything! Natasha Romanoff has been a spy almost as long as she’s been alive. And she’s never stopped running, whether she was working for the good guys…or the bad. But Natasha’s world is about to be upended. Beyond San Francisco’s Golden Gate lies a mystery that only the Marvel Universe’s greatest spy can solve. Don’t miss the heartbreaking thrill ride of 2020!While Natasha has remained active in the Marvel Universe in recent years, even following her apparent death in 2017's Secret Empire, it's been a while since she's starred in an extended solo series. We were able to chat with Thompson via email to learn more about this new book and whetehr Thompson feels she's cracked the code for an ongoing Black Widow comic.Thompson told us, "I think Black Widow is an incredibly rich character in that she works well in a lot of different genres, but that can also make her a little tricky – if you try to do too much with her instead of committing to a clear vision I think you can run into trouble. I’m very interested in the duality of Natasha… so look for that to be a recurring theme in this first arc as she struggles against that and leans into it."While the Marvel Universe will be a very busy place in 2020, especially with the buildup to the Empyre crossover this spring , Thompson says Black Widow is designed to be an accessible, standalone book. "We have some high profile guest stars (and of course some impressive villains) but this story has to stand on its own for a lot of reasons that will become clear immediately in issue one… which starts off feeling like a classic Natasha story and then quickly becomes quite unlike any story we’ve ever seen for her before."According to Thompson, that theme of duality extends to the book's visual style. Thompson teases "something we never get to see with Natasha… a softer side is maybe the best way to describe it? Elena is a super talent, but I think this is her strongest work to date. It’s incredibly bold and confident…which is exactly what a Nat book demands."Marvel is mostly keeping the plot of Black Widow under wraps for now, though they did indicate the first major story arc involves a group of villains forming an alliance with the shared goal of destroying Natasha Romanoff. However, Thompson says not to expect a story in the vein of Batman: Knightfall or Spider-Man: The Gauntlet, nor will all the villains be traditional Black Widow antagonists."What I can say is that while a couple of them are the villains you might expect in a Black Widow story, there are some curve balls in there too. I can also tease that the villains have a very unique approach to trying to take Nat out. And, as villains are wont to do, ultimately not all of them agree."The new series will draw at least some inspiration from the upcoming movie, as both Russian super-soldier Red Guardian and Natasha's fellow Red Room recruit Yelena Belova will play a role in the book. Thompson admitted she was initially reluctant abut including Red Guardian, but the combination of editor Sarah Brunstead and seeing David Harbour in costume changed her mind.Thompson said, "Red Guardian and Yelena were characters I was on the fence about using, in part because while The Red Room and all of Black Widow’s history will always be important, I was interested in moving away from that stuff. Not because I don’t like it but just because I feel we’ve already seen it before. But I found a way that really made sense to include Red Guardian and Yelena that excited me… so that felt like the best of both worlds. Especially when it comes to Yelena I’m pumped about that development (and not just because I think actress Florence Pugh is incredible!)."While many Black Widow stories have dealt with Natasha's shadowy past and her often less than trustworthy memories, Thompson is adamant the new series will look forward, not back, as it chronicles this hero's journey."We’ve all seen it before a bunch of times – in great stories and less great stories – I see no need to go there again. This story does play with memory and the very fabric of who Natasha is… but I think we’re doing it in a twisty new way that’s going to be a real emotional (and physical) journey for her and at the end of our first arc expect to see her left in a very different state than where she began…and I believe a bit of a different role than we’ve ever seen for Natasha before. It’s risky but I’m excited and with the incredible team we have on board I’m feeling confident we can pull it off. This is a story I’ve had in mind for Nat for years – it’s the kind of story - as fan - that I’ve always wanted to see."Black Widow #1 will hit stores in April 2020.For more big comic book news, find out the best-selling comics of the 2010 decade , see why DC is teasing the final battle battle between Batman and the Joker and learn why Empyre could offer a glimpse of the MCU's future

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter