by Randy Lander

ELEKTRA #4 Recommended (8/10) Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights imprint Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Chuck Austen Colors: Nathan Eyring Letters: Comicraft Editor: Stuart Moore Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN There are three threads running through this issue, an observation of one story through three different point-of-views: Elektra's hands-on look, the American media and the Iraqi media. It's an interesting examination of media bias that is particularly timely given the war in Afghanistan, and more to the point it takes some of the burden off of Austen's sometimes-stiff artwork and places it heavily on Bendis's sense of dialogue, which rarely falters. Elektra's part in this story is pretty minimal, and honestly somewhat inconsequential, but the events going on have me very interested to see how it all turns out. Some may have a bit of difficulty in reading the format that Bendis and Austen use for this issue. Quite honestly, I read each strip as three separate stories and then went back through myself. However, while the separation of stories makes for a bit of confusion, it also represents the real-time intersecting nature of the different stories. It's very interesting to see Elektra fighting for her life even as American and Iraqi media give their own spin on events happening at exactly the same time. One of the complaints that I (and others) have had about the artwork in this book is that it looks a little stiff, particularly in action scenes. I've also complained that it is a bit dark. Both of those complaints apply to Elektra's portion of the action this issue, as her fight with the Silver Samurai is singularly unimpressive. However, as it serves mostly as backdrop, it's not that big of a deal, especially when Austen's work fits the small screen sequence of television storytelling going on in the rest of the issue. Elektra has generally been used for ninja and crime stories, so I was surprised to see Bendis bringing in elements of espionage when the book began. I think it was a wise choice, because although Elektra herself sometimes seems almost peripheral to the action, I am fascinated by Bendis's views of how SHIELD and Hydra really operate. Tying the story in to barely-fictional leader Saddam Damadan was another interesting choice, and this issue Bendis and Austen play with televised speakers the way Frank Miller did so effectively in Dark Knight Returns. It's accurate enough to work, but also being done with a definite eye towards parodying real media, and it makes for some fascinating storytelling. I don't know that I'd call Elektra a particular favorite of mine, because it hasn't clicked with me the way Bendis's work has on Powers or Alias or the way Austen's has on US War Machine. However, they have taken a character who for many could only be done well by Frank Miller and turned in an intriguing and solid espionage/action story. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.