While the biggest headline news of this last week of October 2019 is unquestionably the arrival of easy pre-orders for the first pair of Hasbro Marvel Legends 2020 figures, that doesn’t mean that other companies have been quietly idling! Sideshow in particular has been active this week with their Sideshow Spooktacular event, where they launched LE 150 Shadowland Daredevil and X-Force Psylocke statues that each sold out in an hour or so, and also launched a statue many have been waiting for: the Avengers Assemble Sideshow Exclusive Black Widow statue is now up for order!

I let myself get sidetracked with a whole bunch of things this week, so it’s time to play the catch-up game. First up on the list is a statue for a line that many though would be DOA after the first 4 pieces, but has kept on ticking nonetheless—the 1:5 scale Avengers Assemble series!

This range began with what I still consider to be perhaps the best classic comic book Iron Man statue ever made, but I don’t think it’s quite reached the same heights with recent additions like Hulk, Wasp and Black Panther. But in my opinion, this latest entry gives the line a little kick-start—in the form of Natasha Romanoff!

Black Widow’s popularity has exploded beyond anyone’s wildest imaginations following Scarlett Johansson’s depiction of her across many movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And with the hype beginning to build for next year’s Black Widow movie, the time was ripe for Sideshow Collectibles to give us a new comic book-styled statue of the character. Let’s have a look…

The default head on this Black Widow statue is a solid winner, in my opinion. The expression on Natasha’s face is dead-on what it would be: not a flirty grin or smile, but a serious, no-nonsense look of focus with her sniper rifle prepared. This is a woman who’s come to efficiently kill—not trade quips with her enemies.

The way that the Avengers Assemble Black Widow is poised gives off a powerful feeling because of how her knees are bent, even if she’s not in a full-on action pose. This is probably the best pose possible for the character, as she’s not too stationary and not too dynamic. She’ll fit in well with most of the existing lineup of posed Avengers Assemble statues in that regard.

The base is effective and complements the pose well, without distracting from the main event here: the figure itself. The destroyed pillar and debris look suitably detailed and facilitate the pose without being overpowering. Can’t ask for much more that that in a basic statue.

And as we’ve come to expect in all but the rarest instances (such as the new Premium Format Cyclops), there’s a Sideshow Exclusive version of this sculpture available. And thankfully, it’s another good one: an interchangeable second head for Natasha with short hair.

I love me some 90s short-haired Black Widow—especially after using that version for years in Marvel Puzzle Quest—so I really dig that this is being done. The short hair gives her a more deadly and professional look, and also sets her further apart from the MCU Scarlett Johansson iteration of the character. I wouldn’t say this is “EX or bust” for everyone, but for me the EX head would be a must.

While we’ve reached the sad day where almost every new Sideshow Collectibles Premium Format Figure that goes up for sale is crossing the $600 mark, this 1:5 line is staying quasi-accessible to fans who don’t quite have that much moolah to burn on a statue (not to mention spatially conservative for those who don’t live in a mansion).

The $420 MSRP ($430 for the EX) on this 14.5” Black Widow still ain’t CHEAP (at all), but it’s at least a cost that doesn’t price out as much of the market as the ones today’s 1:4 statues carry. And given the quality of Sideshow’s statues compared to some of the value companies out there, I actually think the price for this piece is at least in the basic ballpark of reasonable.

The Sideshow Collectibles Exclusive Black Widow Avengers Assemble statue is now up for order, and is scheduled to ship out in Q3 2020. This line hasn’t had an entry yet that sold out prior to shipping, so you’ve got some time to ponder this piece unless you want to get onto the lengthiest payment plan.

What are your thoughts on the latest addition to the 1/5 Avengers Assemble statue series, Marvel collectors? Is Black Widow on your list of possible pick-ups for next year, and if this line keeps on going, who would you like to see captured next (Vision or Ant-Man, anyone)?