Elektra #1
Date: 30 Mar 2009
Everyone's favourite partially-dressed ninja is back. Fresh from her central role in Secret Invasion, Elektra stars in her own five-shot. Unfortunately, it's the most mediocre comic I've read in a long time. Taken into protective custody by S.H.I.E.L.D., tortured by H.A.M.M.E.R. at Norman Osborn's orders (he wants to know what the Skrulls did to her), Elektra breaks free, kills her tormentors and prepares to escape from a H.A.M.M.E.R helicarrier.That's it. The plot – such as it is – is telegraphed from page seven. At no point is there any tension; you never believe for a moment that the Marvel Universe's most deadly assassin isn't going to escape. A character with such rich background and writing pedigree deserves better than this.
I have no incentive to get the other four comics because I'm convinced I already know exactly what's going to happen. She'll kill a pile of guards and a couple of minor villains-turned-H.A.M.M.E.R.-employees, take a shot at Norman Osborn before Sentry intervenes (giving Norman yet another opportunity for a monologue), escape from Sentry, and then finally receive some sort of revelation about what the Skrulls did to her (which a future writer will either fill in the details or completely ignore). If I'm wrong about any significant detail, I will apologise to the writer and make a donation to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, but someone will have to keep me informed because I won't be reading it.
PS: I know Frank Miller gave her that costume, but it's not the eighties any more and that red silk bottom floss can't be comfortable when she's doing those high kicks. Time for a re-design?
