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ELEKTRA #5
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Chuck Austen
Colors: Nathan Eyring
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Stuart Moore
Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN |
Bendis's first story arc ends with a whimper rather than the bang one might have expected. The emphasis here is the dysfunctional relationship that has formed between the title character and her father's killer, and as a result, the other plot elements seem to be glossed over. The art is both rich in atmosphere and stiff all at once, and it makes for a divisive read.
Saddam Abed Dasam has unleashed the power of the Zodiac Key, and Elektra, with the help of former SHIELD agent Stanley Dreyfuss (or a reasonable facsimile thereof), storms the Iraqi leader's palace, intent on preventing disaster and carrying out her mission. Possession of the incredible power of the key is thrown up in the air, and the ultimate caretaker of the weapon proves to be a surprise.
Eyring's deep, foreboding colors reinforce the art to a critical degree. He conveys the sense of the apocalyptic as the book opens. Austen's art captures the intensity of the characters, but motion is not his forte. There's a stiffness to the characters that kicks one out of the story. Furthermore, characters like Stanley and the Hydra agents don't quite look right. Their accessories -- helmets and glasses, for example -- don't seem to fit them.
The main plot -- Dasam's poewrplay with the Zodiac Key -- is resolved off-panel, and quite easily, so it would seem. The Stanley subplot simply... goes away. The conversation about ethics between Elektra and Nick Fury, though interesting, seems to come from out of nowhere. These story elements aren't executed nearly as well as what I normally expect from Bendis.
And then, he goes and surprises me. I don't claim to understand Elektra's reasoning in the closing scene, but I can't deny the palpable emotions at play. There's an odd logic at work in a situation that's turned completely on its ear. Though this was far from the strongest issue of Elektra to date, Bendis continues to pique my interest.
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