During one of the “on again” phases of their romantic relationship, Daredevil confesses that Black Widow is the best liar he’s ever known. Matt Murdock’s super senses can usually tell when a person’s heartbeat gives away their deception, but Natasha Romanov is a mystery, even to him. And to a man who can hear a heartbeat change pace, that's really saying something.
Daredevil #61 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev begins an arc just after Matt has gotten out of a marriage. Milla Donovan is leaving after finding out that the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is far more emotionally unstable than she anticipated. But Murdock is having trouble letting go, so when Black Widow shows up at his door asking for a break from a difficult life of covert operations, his heart goes willingly along with the story. Especially because, as he mentions when he sees her, her heartbeat never troubles him with her true feelings.
It turns out that Black Widow was being dishonest and she wasn’t just coming to see Matt because she was having trouble on the road. Madame Hydra was captured in Bulgaria, but to guarantee her extradition, the local government is demanding Natasha Romanov in trade, for crimes she committed there. Daredevil was a little miffed at the truth and the assassins, but he’s still grateful for Natasha’s company. Along with the divorce, he’s had a rough year overthrowing the Kingpin, and revealing that he was Daredevil. Focusing on someone else’s problems for a change was a welcome change of pace.
In the end, Red Guardian was behind the whole caper, angry at Widow because of their past, but this story told a more emotional tale about the crossing of two people with troubled love lives. In Natasha’s case, it’s difficult for her to ever imagine a life where she’s not a murder weapon. Every one of her emotions has been trained in that direction, and there’s only a small voice that says her life is worth more. For Matt, he has too much anger and guilt inside of him to feel like he deserves love. Earlier in this run, Ben Ulrich comments that he probably never got over the death of Karen Page. The Man Without Fear is probably nursing some other mis-healed grief too.
Tragically, Daredevil and Black Widow don’t have the answers for each other, romantically. Both too lost, one doesn’t complement the other, so all they can do is cling together in a downward spiral. But, when you’re in a downward spiral, holding onto someone is better than nothing. When these two get together, lies and all, the characters can make a change, or at least adapt to a new moment in their lives. Sometimes all it takes is some spontaneity.