In the years between the fall of the Nazis and the rise of al-Qaeda, the most popular and feared bad guys in popular fiction were the Soviets. The word alone is enough to conjure images of oppression, nuclear paranoia, power-hungry generals and, best of all, Cold War spies.

Marvel Comics writer Richard K. Morgan revives the thrilling days of the superspy in Homecoming, a spotlight miniseries featuring the enchanting Natasha Romanova, a Soviet defector and the former Avenger known as Black Widow. Natasha believes her days of covert operations are behind her, but the past comes calling in the skin of an assassin. She's not the only one targeted, either -- it seems she was one of many female spies involved in the U.S.S.R.'s top secret program -- but she may be the only one to survive a new wave of killings. Is it all a big coincidence, or is someone in the Russian government trying to erase evidence of a botched investment?

Have a guess. Go on, I bet you can figure it out.

Black Widow is one of Marvel's most enticing characters. Beautiful and owning an impressive wardrobe of sleek, black and form-fitting attire, she relies primarily on her own skills to fight the good fight. No super powers here, and even her signature weapon, stinger bracelets, have been discarded in recent years.

The art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Gorlan Parlov is moody, depicting Natasha as a believable mix of soft curves and hard edges, equally comfortable in the guises of ruthless killer and compassionate savior.

A strong character, Natasha has been underused over the years, and her personality has been inconsistent from writer to writer. (The sex-kitten Natasha, as briefly seen in Kevin Smith's Daredevil reboot, is a hoot -- but it's not really a hero you can respect.) This book by Morgan goes far to right some wrongs and give the character her due. Hopefully, this exceptional miniseries can be parlayed into something a little more permanent for Black Widow on the Marvel schedule.