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Comic Review:
Elektra #28
By Buck Weiss

10.08.03

Marvel Comics - Rob Rodi (w) Sean Chen (p) Sandu Florea (i)

Greg Rucka recently left his writing job on Elektra after taking Ms. Natchios and all of her wide-eyed followers on a ride that led her to pacifism and back. It was an enjoyable time, but when Rucka made his exit I had decided to go along. This, of course, was easier said than done. What made me come back to the book was the cover of issue 26. I picked it up from the shelf to get a better look at the John Woo-inspired shot of Elektra walking away from a kill as pigeons flew around her. The perfect mixture of death and beauty, that’s what Elektra is. I quickly grabbed it and the back issues that I missed and headed for the checkout. I couldn’t give her up that easy..she’ll be the death of me, that girl.

The story that Rodi was telling inside the cover was completely different from Rucka’s tales of self-realization and control. Rodi portrays an Elektra that is all assassin and he does it from the viewpoints of the people who know it best, her targets.

Issue 28 opens with three suits who believe that they are untouchable to those that oppose them. You know the guys I’m talking about: the people you want to kill everyday because they discuss you losing your job like their watching the bottom line. They sit, order their dinner, abuse the waitress, and discuss murder and third world civil war like their talking about a game of chess that only they know the outcome to. Yet, Chen and Rodi show that something isn’t right in evil businessman land. They do this by littering the pages with small shots of Elektra’s ribbons. She’s coming for them, but they nor the reader know when or why.

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As the story unfolds we find out that they were the ones behind Elektra’s recent string of jobs and that one of them had the nerve to order her taken out. Now we know the why and as the lights go off in the building they know the when.

I won’t ruin the how for you, but lets just say that Elektra does what she does best. Rodi is not particularly the deepest writer in the world; compared to Rucka his Elektra is nothing more than a force of nature, a killing angel with little remorse and a quick wit. But, for what it’s worth his action heavy writing is a breath of fresh air after the emotion stirring conflicts of Rucka’s time on the books. Elektra has made it through her crisis of being or not being the assassin and the answer: same as it ever was.

Chen’s art is nothing spectacular but in his favor his only memorable face is Elektra herself. So, if you’re in the mood for a good action book with great covers take a look into Elektra, just watch out for red ribbons and remember beautiful things can kill you.

Final Score: 3/5

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