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Title: Elektra: Relentless (Elektra) by Robert Rodi, John Misesgaes ISBN: 0-7851-1222-7 Publisher: Marvel Comics Pub. Date: 01 February, 2004 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.25 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Great writing overshadowed by some very lacking art
Comment: Don't let the eye popping cover art fool you, the art contained in Elektra: The Scorpion Key is very lacking to say the least. Chuck Austen (current writer of Uncanny X-Men, and writer/artist for U.S. War Machine) has never been anywhere near solid as an artist before he became an exclusive writer, and it shows here in this book collecting the first few issues of Elektra relaunched under the Marvel Knights banner. Brian Michael Bendis (Daredevil, Alias, Ultimate Spider-Man) has a very well crafted story here, but the disfigured art drags it down. Were it not for Bendis' stellar (as usual) writing, this book wouldn't be worth reading, but if you can get past Austen's art, this is worth reading for Elektra and Daredevil readers.
Rating: 3
Summary: Good, but something's wrong
Comment: This is a little bit of a departure for the character, as I suspect will be for the rest of the series. And to be quite honest, I'm not sure if she is the right character under the supposed description. Elektra kills, yes, but with good reason. According to Locke and the other characters that surround her, she kills relentlessly even if the person is not the intended target. That's not the Elektra Frank Miller created and crafted. Certainly not the Elektra Brian Michael Bendis provided depth for. This is also part of the problem towards the end of the story when Elektra makes a major confrontation with Locke.
I found this characterization of Elektra to be quite out of character. First time readers probably won't understand this as they have not read any of the previous stories from Miller and the story Bendis wrote that kicked off the Marvel Knights portion of the series. They will think of her the way the characters throughout describe her. And to be quite honest, that's not fair.
Aside from the characterization problem I had, Rucka provides some nice action at the mid point when Elektra is left in a desert and then picks off mercenaries who want to kill her. For those who don't know, Rucka has a martial arts background and uses some of that knowledge to make this scene wonderfully awesome. The illustrations by Carlo Pagulayan improve a little bit from how Chuck Austen illustrated under Bendis' writing. However, it would have been so much better had cover painter Greg Horn create the interiors. Oh well, at least Carlo did a nice job.
This edition includes a story from an issue of Marvel Knights: Double-Shot called "Trust". Rucka does much better with this story and the interiors are painted by Horn. If anything, this was a pleasure to read through and showed exactly the kind of hired assassin Elektra is. Stealthy and creative, using a murder weapon that no one would ever think of. Perhaps Rucka should look back on this story and milk the characterizations as opposed to the Elektra he used in the main story.
"Introspect" is a fine read, but I just can't get over the major characterization change that really doesn't fit her. I'm not sure if long time fans of the character will agree, but I will stand by my decision on this. First time readers will probably not understand what I'm talking about unless they read Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 and the first six issues of the Marvel Knights edition of Elektra as written by Brian Michael Bendis. I have faith that the Rucka stories further down are better, but he appears to be off on a rather questionable start.
Rating: 4
Summary: Solid work from Greg Rucka
Comment: I'm a big fan of Greg Rucka. I read virtually everything he writes. The introspective and attentive nature of his works appeals to me. That being said, I found this Elektra trade to be extremely entertaining, although not as good as his work on Whiteout or Queen and Country. I was somewhat let down by the inconsistent art, but in the world of serial comics, you can't always do anything about that. Those who dismiss the work as trite or "out of character", in only my humble opinion, only want characters to "be" a certain way, and don't allow for the changes and doubts that people, and characters, go through. The idea that someone, at a low point in their life, would begin to question their actions or purpose, is a concept almost all can relate to.
Rucka's writing is excellent. The art is also good, if somewhat inconsistent. 4 stars.
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Title: Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra by Greg Rucka, Salvador Larrocca, David Mack, Joe Quesada ISBN: 0785110763 Publisher: Marvel Entertainment Group Pub. Date: 01 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $11.99 |
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Title: Ultimate X-men Vol. 7: Blockbuster by Brian Michael Bendis, David Finch ISBN: 0785112197 Publisher: Marvel Comics Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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Title: Daredevil: The Man Without Fear! (Daredevil) by Brian Michael Bendis ISBN: 0785111069 Publisher: Marvel Comics Pub. Date: 01 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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Title: Elektra & Wolverine: The Redeemer by Greg Rucka, Yoshitaka Amano ISBN: 0785109110 Publisher: Marvel Entertainment Group Pub. Date: 10 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Daredevil, the Man Without Fear!: Hardcore (Daredevil) by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev ISBN: 0785111689 Publisher: Marvel Comics Pub. Date: 01 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.99 |
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