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ELEKTRA #3
Recommended (7/10)
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Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights imprint
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Chuck Austen
Colors: Nathan Eyring
Letters: Comicraft
Editors: Stuart Moore & Nanci Dakesian
Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN |
Coming as this does in the same week as Bendis's gritty Punisher tale over in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, and sharing much the same atmosphere, comparisons are perhaps inevitable. And while Elektra is certainly not a bad book, I can't help but
notice that Austen's artwork is often too dark and too stiff to make out, or
that for all the intriguing dialogue, Elektra just isn't as compelling as many
Bendis characters. There are some fantastic elements to this book, including a
darker version of SHIELD operations than I'm used to and a downright amazing
sequence between a HYDRA leader and Elektra, but overall the artwork is leaving
me cold, and it's starting to affect my enjoyment of the story as well.
The best moments in this series seem to come
from one-on-one conversations, not the action and espionage moments. The
memorable quote used on house ads came from Elektra's "bookend" conversation
with a potential victim, and this issue opens with a few more choice bits of
dialogue from Elektra on the art of the ninja that she studied as she talks to
her chosen victim once more. Perhaps the most impressive element of this issue,
though, is the conversation between a HYDRA leader and Elektra. The leader is a
lot of fun, charming and funny but definitely evil, and his arrogance and
matter-of-fact discussion of murder-for-hire is entertaining and creepy all at
the same time.
Unfortunately, a love for Bendis's dialogue has to carry you through a lot of the book, because Austen's artwork is often too dark to see anything distinct except for the conversations going on. Folks might complain about his work on U.S. War Machine,
but at least that book doesn't suffer from a lack of clarity. Austen is top
notch when dealing with certain things, such as the lighting effects of Elektra
being caught in car headlights or a stunning display of Baghdad at sundown, but
his characters don't have much in the way of expression and movement. The
opening conversation between John and Stanley is hard to follow at a distance,
and very jolting when it suddenly jumps to a more close-up view. The combat
between Elektra and the soldiers also has a very stiff and mechanical feel to
it, which is the opposite of the feel you want from someone as sleek and
dangerous as Elektra is supposed to be.
Despite some trouble with the artwork, I do
have to admit that it reads well enough for me to follow what's going on for the
most part. And what is going on is quite intriguing. In the midst of the very
interesting setup of espionage agencies working against each other in Iraq,
Elektra is suffering a very private crisis of faith, wondering whether or not
she should kill and developing a very odd romantic attachment to her SHIELD
liaison. The relationships in this book are twisted and strange, and if there's
one thing I do credit Austen's work with, it's maintaining that eerie, dreamlike
feeling that Bendis is setting up with his dialogue and plot machinations.
Overall, I'd have to say that while this isn't my favorite of either Bendis's or Austen's work at Marvel, I have an undeniable curiosity to see where it's going and respect for the style that the creators are attempting to give the book. I like Elektra... I just don't really love it, the way I expect
to love Bendis's efforts.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
