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imjustadow's review
2.0
2.4
ehhhhhh idk man. the plot concept works, it's just weak in so many places it can't support the politically loaded subject matter it dumps at you - at many times through pages long tv news reports overlaid on another scene while a completely *different* tv station is being overlaid on the bottom of the page as well, leading to a very disjointed reading experience that is cooler in theory within the comic art form than it is pleasant in execution
ignoring all of *that*, elektra's powers are weird af, and honestly i'm liking that comic book herald's reading order starts you after a lot of the characters are established with backstory and a past. makes the flashbacks to their origins more pertinent to the plot, and i can learn about the marvel universe kinda back and forth, filling in the gaps as i go
ehhhhhh idk man. the plot concept works, it's just weak in so many places it can't support the politically loaded subject matter it dumps at you - at many times through pages long tv news reports overlaid on another scene while a completely *different* tv station is being overlaid on the bottom of the page as well, leading to a very disjointed reading experience that is cooler in theory within the comic art form than it is pleasant in execution
ignoring all of *that*, elektra's powers are weird af, and honestly i'm liking that comic book herald's reading order starts you after a lot of the characters are established with backstory and a past. makes the flashbacks to their origins more pertinent to the plot, and i can learn about the marvel universe kinda back and forth, filling in the gaps as i go
adperfectamconsilium's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was excited to read this. My expectations were high. Were they met?
Ummm...no. no, they were not 🙈.
This should have been terrific. Elektra is marvel's samurai ninja. A strong female character created by Frank Miller during his Daredevil run and then famously killed in a battle with Bullseye.
'This Blade I am holding... I have died at the end of it.'
Resurrected by shadowy ninja organisation The Hand.
Bendis should have been the ideal choice for the first story arc of this 2001/2002 series in the gritty Marvel Knights range as his own run on Daredevil was incredible.
We get a spy story with Nick Fury and SHIELD on one side, bringing in Elektra as a rogue operative on a mission in Iraq where Hydra are working with Saddam (ok, not that Saddam but a thinly disguised version).
The elements are in place but it's trying to be too worthy and political in the wake of 9/11 and apart from a few moments it's actually quite tedious.
A shock WTF ending to issue 1 was explained in the next issue but left me wondering what Elektra's powers actually are as it made little sense.
Some scenes have very little dialogue and issue 4 has far too much with double page spreads with tv news footage across the top, different news footage across the bottom, and action sandwiched in the middle.
Just not enjoyable to read.
The cover has great art but although the book promises interior art from artist extraordinaire Chuck Austen the only thing extraordinary is that he was given the job. Some scenes do look suitably moody for the story but mostly it's terrible facial expressions and poor anatomy and he seems to completely give up by issue 6 which is a separate story with no dialogue, and in an unexplained fight scene the poses and action is laughable.
Elektra suddenly looks like a stick figure gone wrong 😂. Has Chuck ever seen what people look like?🤣
It's an epic fail. Sorry to anyone that likes this run but it wasn't for me.
✨✨ 2 Stars and that's being generous.
Ummm...no. no, they were not 🙈.
This should have been terrific. Elektra is marvel's samurai ninja. A strong female character created by Frank Miller during his Daredevil run and then famously killed in a battle with Bullseye.
'This Blade I am holding... I have died at the end of it.'
Resurrected by shadowy ninja organisation The Hand.
Bendis should have been the ideal choice for the first story arc of this 2001/2002 series in the gritty Marvel Knights range as his own run on Daredevil was incredible.
We get a spy story with Nick Fury and SHIELD on one side, bringing in Elektra as a rogue operative on a mission in Iraq where Hydra are working with Saddam (ok, not that Saddam but a thinly disguised version).
The elements are in place but it's trying to be too worthy and political in the wake of 9/11 and apart from a few moments it's actually quite tedious.
A shock WTF ending to issue 1 was explained in the next issue but left me wondering what Elektra's powers actually are as it made little sense.
Some scenes have very little dialogue and issue 4 has far too much with double page spreads with tv news footage across the top, different news footage across the bottom, and action sandwiched in the middle.
Just not enjoyable to read.
The cover has great art but although the book promises interior art from artist extraordinaire Chuck Austen the only thing extraordinary is that he was given the job. Some scenes do look suitably moody for the story but mostly it's terrible facial expressions and poor anatomy and he seems to completely give up by issue 6 which is a separate story with no dialogue, and in an unexplained fight scene the poses and action is laughable.
Elektra suddenly looks like a stick figure gone wrong 😂. Has Chuck ever seen what people look like?🤣
It's an epic fail. Sorry to anyone that likes this run but it wasn't for me.
✨✨ 2 Stars and that's being generous.
bloodravenlib's review
3.0
This was pretty much a light read. The assassin known as Elektra is hired by Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a dangerous mission. She is to assassinate the leader of Iraq (basically it is Saddam Hussein, just different name) and to steal an artifact known as the Scorpio Key. Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nemesis organization has allied itself with Saddam, and they have an interest in the artifact as well. Elektra, however, will do things her way.
The story may seem a bit dated now given how events turned out in Iraq in real life. Having said that, it is still a pretty entertaining tale. I did like the art in this one; Elektra is drawn quite nicely. The plot, well, it is a basic superhero plot, so there is not much depth. But it is a nice entertaining tale for a quick read. If you like Elektra or she is a favorite of yours in the Marvel Universe, you will probably enjoy this book.
The story may seem a bit dated now given how events turned out in Iraq in real life. Having said that, it is still a pretty entertaining tale. I did like the art in this one; Elektra is drawn quite nicely. The plot, well, it is a basic superhero plot, so there is not much depth. But it is a nice entertaining tale for a quick read. If you like Elektra or she is a favorite of yours in the Marvel Universe, you will probably enjoy this book.
lberestecki's review
3.0
2.5
There was consistently either too much text, or almost no text - a happy medium would've been much more enjoyable. I liked the cover art, but the art in the actual stories wasn't my favorite. This isn't the best Bendis or the best Elektra.
There was consistently either too much text, or almost no text - a happy medium would've been much more enjoyable. I liked the cover art, but the art in the actual stories wasn't my favorite. This isn't the best Bendis or the best Elektra.
adhara13's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
captwinghead's review
1.0
This was laughably terrible! I mean, it got to the point where it was almost entertaining.
I feel like Bendis should ask Marvel to remove this from Marvel Unlimited because this is in the running for the worst comic I've ever read. I'm sure Austen is a sweet man with a family who loves him very much but this art was so terrible. I mean hilariously terrible. At times it looked like Elektra and this woman she's fighting were trying to discreetly take a whiz. If you don't believe me, take a look at some of this stuff:
Poor guy just doesn't seem to understand how to draw action sequences. Or how female bodies work. What intrigues a lot of people about Elektra, beyond her relationship with Matt, is her fighting prowess. She's a fantastic fighter so people pick up her comics expecting a lot of action. So, why hire an artist who's clearly ill equipped to be drawing action scenes? It was a match made in hell.
Bendis isn't getting off the hook here, either. This writing is so incredibly bland. Issue 7 doesn't even have speech. Ask me what this story was about? I can parrot the summary because none of the actual issues made any damn sense. Nothing was memorable. I think Fury hires Elektra to take out a terrorist in possession of the Scorpio Key. Hydra tries to recruit her for the same reason. It's not a premise that sounds boring on paper but somehow Bendis found a way.
Elektra has a damn personality but you wouldn't know if from reading this book. She doesn't seem to have many facial expressions throughout the 7 issues. I think I counted 3 and oh boy, were they comically drawn.
This was just a complete miss. I don't even understand objectively how someone could enjoy this series.
1 comedically terrible star.
I wish I could give negative stars for the pièce de résistance where they were too lazy to make up the rest of this fake obituary.
I feel like Bendis should ask Marvel to remove this from Marvel Unlimited because this is in the running for the worst comic I've ever read. I'm sure Austen is a sweet man with a family who loves him very much but this art was so terrible. I mean hilariously terrible. At times it looked like Elektra and this woman she's fighting were trying to discreetly take a whiz. If you don't believe me, take a look at some of this stuff:
Poor guy just doesn't seem to understand how to draw action sequences. Or how female bodies work. What intrigues a lot of people about Elektra, beyond her relationship with Matt, is her fighting prowess. She's a fantastic fighter so people pick up her comics expecting a lot of action. So, why hire an artist who's clearly ill equipped to be drawing action scenes? It was a match made in hell.
Bendis isn't getting off the hook here, either. This writing is so incredibly bland. Issue 7 doesn't even have speech. Ask me what this story was about? I can parrot the summary because none of the actual issues made any damn sense. Nothing was memorable. I think Fury hires Elektra to take out a terrorist in possession of the Scorpio Key. Hydra tries to recruit her for the same reason. It's not a premise that sounds boring on paper but somehow Bendis found a way.
Elektra has a damn personality but you wouldn't know if from reading this book. She doesn't seem to have many facial expressions throughout the 7 issues. I think I counted 3 and oh boy, were they comically drawn.
This was just a complete miss. I don't even understand objectively how someone could enjoy this series.
1 comedically terrible star.
I wish I could give negative stars for the pièce de résistance where they were too lazy to make up the rest of this fake obituary.
wyvernfriend's review
4.0
Elektra the assassin tells her story of recovering the Scorpio Key from Sadaam Hussein and her involvement with Nick Fury over this. She decides that Fury shouldn't have the key but that it should be in the hands of another.
I did enjoy this story and it had a nice balance between the macinations of Fury and Elektra's determination to stay neutral. Some of the pictures are a little too fanboyish but overall it's not a bad read. Elektra has potential to be a strong female character but she's occasionally stymied by her image and how she's portrayed.
I did enjoy this story and it had a nice balance between the macinations of Fury and Elektra's determination to stay neutral. Some of the pictures are a little too fanboyish but overall it's not a bad read. Elektra has potential to be a strong female character but she's occasionally stymied by her image and how she's portrayed.
kamaria's review
1.0
I'm not a fan of Chuck Austen's art. The cel-shaded look of early 2000s is not good-looking, and definitely too static for an action comic, which is what this story tries to be.
The Scorpio Key tells how Nick Fury hires Elektra to get the powerful McGuffin Key for him from the hands of awful political leader / dictator of Iraq, Saddam. Um what. I found the story extremely distasteful, especially considering that it was written around the time when the actual war of the US against Iraq was being promoted by Bush as a necessity. This read as terrible propaganda. And misrepresented Iraqi people, separating them in victims in need of a white American savior, or brutal fundamentalists.
And then, as befits the Marvel Knights era, the treatment of Elektra is very sad. What could we do with a cool ninja assassin? Treat her as less because she is a woman. Let's tell the story from the POV of a male and let every male say how much ass she kicks. That will surely show how cool she is. And let's treat her characteristic outfit as a sexual tease, instead of an empowering outfit (albeit useless, in my opinion, but I guess Elektra has her reasons).To all of that, add insult to injury: Nick Fury manipulates Elektra by using a negotiator built upon the image of Matt Murdock, with whom she had a romantic relationship before her untimely death .
If you can get past that, the story is still not good. The dialogue is stilted and boring, the development of the plot relies on action scenes that haven't been built up enough. It's hard to care what happens to the people fighting.
The Scorpio Key tells how Nick Fury hires Elektra to get the powerful McGuffin Key for him from the hands of awful political leader / dictator of Iraq, Saddam. Um what. I found the story extremely distasteful, especially considering that it was written around the time when the actual war of the US against Iraq was being promoted by Bush as a necessity. This read as terrible propaganda. And misrepresented Iraqi people, separating them in victims in need of a white American savior, or brutal fundamentalists.
And then, as befits the Marvel Knights era, the treatment of Elektra is very sad. What could we do with a cool ninja assassin? Treat her as less because she is a woman. Let's tell the story from the POV of a male and let every male say how much ass she kicks. That will surely show how cool she is. And let's treat her characteristic outfit as a sexual tease, instead of an empowering outfit (albeit useless, in my opinion, but I guess Elektra has her reasons).
If you can get past that, the story is still not good. The dialogue is stilted and boring, the development of the plot relies on action scenes that haven't been built up enough. It's hard to care what happens to the people fighting.
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