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ELEKTRA #4
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Chuck Austen
Colors: Nathan Eyring
Letters: Comicraft
Editors: Nanci Dakesian & Stuart Moore
Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN |
Bendis turns his attention away from the espionage, ninjitsu and a daughter's grief to political matters, and it makes for the most riveting script of the series thus far. Over on his message board, the writer has been crowing that this issue of Elektra marks one of the longest scripts he's put together for a single issue of a comic book. After reading it, I can see it's no idle boast. This is a dense, and an intelligent, engaging one.
While Elektra faces off against the Silver Samurai -- Hydra's response to her SHIELD-sponsored involvement in the Iraqi situation -- former SHIELD director Sharon Carter is drawn into a televised political debate about the situation in Iraq and SHILED operations in general. Meanwhile, Iraqi leader Saddam Abed Dasam makes his move, and the SHIELD agent who recruited Elektra learns a horrifying secret.
Austen's figures continue to be a little stiff, but he and Eyring capture the dark mood of the story perfectly. The flow in the fight didn't quite click for me, but it really wasn't the fight I was interested in. The real story unfolds in the multiple television screens at the top and the bottom of the pages, and it works nicely as a storytelling device.
My favorite TV show right now is The West Wing, because I love the politics. Politics are spotlighted in fiction far too rarely, if you ask me, and Bendis handles the PR side of the topic wonderfully in this script. I love the battling agendas in the American broadcast sequence, and it contrasts nicely with the Iraqi newsdesk bits as well. It's well timed storytelling as well, as not since the Gulf War in 1991 has the self-serving and conflicting nature of politics and war been so relevant.
Just as there are entertaining contrasts in the book, there are also some well choreographed parallels. Just as Stanley runs out on SHIELD, betraying them in a way (or did SHIELD betray him?), Hydra can't seem to control their supposed underling, Saddam Abed Dasam.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
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