Iron Man 2: Dissecting the Black Widow

Iron Man 2 has been out for a while so moviegoers have had a chance to watch it and form their opinions.  I imagine non-comic fans were plenty pleased by Scarlett Johansson and her portrayal of Black Widow.  But what of true comic book fans?  Would they buy Scarlett's portrayal of the Russian super(hero) spy?  I was very happy with it, for the most part.  The costume was an excellent "real world" depiction of the comics, displaying equal parts utility and sex appeal.  There was also one fantastic fight scene where Black Widow engages a dozen henchmen.  Natasha Romanova's knack for espionage is also showcased as she spies on Stark on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Now you might ask, with all these positives what could possibly have gone wrong?  Well, seeing as I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, my gripes are little more than nitpicking.  For starters I wanted more display of a Russian background apart from Black Widow's name.  I have no problem with Scarlett speaking with a clean American accent - any self-respecting spy would pull that off in real life - but it wouldn't have hurt to throw in line or two spoken in Russian.  At one point Black Widow mentions her ability to speak Latin.  Latin?!  This was a totally wasted opportunity!  My only other gripe is Scarlett's youthful appearance.  When I think of Black Widow I conjure a more mature-looking woman like Olga Kurylenko from Quantum of Solace.  Still, Scarlett's performance did make me a believer that she'd be perfect as the second modern Black Widow Yelena Belova from the comics!
 

Psylocke Polystone Statue (Sideshow Collectibles)

Do you have $264.99 to burn?  Well, here's a great way to spend it: Psylocke!  I've mentioned before how Betsy Braddock is my favorite X-Man (by far), so you can imagine my delight at Sideshow Collectibles making a polystone statue of her.  The statue is gorgeous with great attention to detail from the hair to the katana to the environment and, of course, the costume!  This statue surpasses all others I have seen on the market, including a noteworthy Psylocke effort by Bowen Designs (also sold on the Sideshow Collectibles website).  Is the $265 price tag (not to mention shipping) a bit much?  Definitely.  But for die-hard Psylocke fans who can set aside the green, it is well worth it in my opinion.
 

Black Scorpion Collection

Femme fatales were a big part of my childhood and one of them was Roger Corman's Black Scorpion.  The seductive crimefighter was played by Joan Severance in movies Black Scorpion and Black Scorpion II: Aftershock.  Michelle Lintel donned the mask in Black Scorpion: The Television Series which aired 22 episodes on the then Sci Fi Channel.  It's hard to pick a favorite Black Scorpion, but Joan did go topless in the movies so that may be my tie-breaker!  At the same time, one cannot discount Lintel's martial arts authenticity and equally alluring look.  The movies and TV series featured some mighty fine girl on girl action with the heroine squaring off against female villains.  Sadly, it's getting harder to find this campy crusader on DVD since no more units are being produced.  It should also come as no surprise that the TV series collection is often ridiculously priced!  However, one can find them for free on the Internet (if you look hard enough) or ripped onto DVD at comic book conventions for affordable prices.