Black Widow, the former Russian superspy turned Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, is an under-utilized character in the Marvel universe -- in part, I think, because creators can't settle on an origin story for her, nor can they decide if she should operate with or without gadgets. Heck, they aren't even sure what her name is.

Black Widow & the Marvel Girls, a recent attempt to situate Natasha Romanoff (Natalia Romanova?) within the confines of the greater Marvel world, flops.

Told in four unrelated chapters, the book (originally published in 2009 as a four-issue miniseries) pairs the Widow with other Marvel characters, seemingly for no other reason than they are women. In the first chapter, as Natasha completes a ridiculously easy assassination, she recalls the time during her childhood spy training when the Enchantress, an Asgardian goddess, popped into her life and pumped up her abilities for no reason other than boredom. In the second, Natasha is left behind with the Wasp, a fellow Avenger, in a scenario apparently designed scripted to make us believe that the Widow is uber-competent and the Wasp is a useless boob.

Next, Black Widow's efforts to tail the new Ms. Marvel leads to a team-up against a Nazi sleeper agent. And, finally, the Widow and partner Storm get involved in a gang war with a passel of underworld goons.

I have enjoyed the Black Widow in many of her various presentations, and I long for the day she is put to good use by Marvel. This book, however, earns only a half-hearted yawn. C'mon, Marvel, you knew her appearance in Iron Man 2 movie was going to ramp up interest in the character among fans; you had plenty of time to invest in quality storytelling, not rushed, inadequate crap.