Last month’s Elektra was much slower than usual, which really brought down the pacing and story progression. However, it still had fantastic artwork by Michael Del Mundo — which made reading the comic still an amazing experience overall.
Will things get going in issue #4? Is it good?
Elektra #4 (Marvel Comics)
As both Elektra and Bloody Lips drown and are on the verge of death, they experience visions of the past and their loved ones. Elektra sees her mother and Bloody Lips sees his family. Will this vision be integral to Elektra escaping death once again?
Captivating artwork.
Story-wise, I wouldn’t say Elektra #4 advanced very far in the grand scheme of things outside of the second half. Instead, it delved more into the backstory and personalities of the characters. While we already know a bit of Elektra’s backstory, we get to see more of how she’s able to deal with the past and how she justifies her actions.
We also get Bloody Lips backstory as well. Both stories run concurrently against one another, showing the characters’ similarities and stark differences. The approach taken to show each characters’ history was rather fascinating and I have to laud writer W. Haden Blackman.
The rest of the writing within in the comic is good as well. The dialogue and narration are well-handled, though I have heard the whole spiel about dying in other stories. The pacing is great; slow and methodical during the first half and fast and action packed during the climax. The ending is slightly abrupt however and feels like it could have used an extra page for emphasis. The only thing I feel a bit confused on is with Bloody Lips’ powers: they seem almost limitless but the book also suggests there’s a time limit for them as well.
Michael Del Mundo’s artwork is absolutely gorgeous and downright phenomenal. The layouts and presentation are amazing, especially during the entire opening scene that lays out the characters’ stories. The characters are well depicted, the effects of how the water and sunlight look on people is beautiful, the colors really bring the art to life, and it’s easy to get lost in each page’s compelling imagery. The only disappointing bit is that the action isn’t all that impressive in comparison to previous issues, but that doesn’t really take much away — it still looks amazing on almost every level.
Is It Good?
Elektra #4 is another solid issue for the series. The story doesn’t advance too much, but the handling of the characters and their backstories is able to overcome that. Combined with some of the best artwork in the business, Elektra continues to utterly shine. A must read.
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