Advance Review: Daredevil Woman Without Fear #1 (of 3)

One of , for me at least, surprise hits of the last year or so was Elektra taking on the role of Daredevil. Following the main Daredevil book, along with the impact of Devil’s Reign, this new mini series gets to embed Elektra into the side of the angels.

New York Mayor Wilson Fisk has had enough of the vigilante curse that seems to haunt his city. For years he has been collecting information about the heroes of NYC, which are going to some very shady people. Fisk has also gone as far as to deputise the villain populace of NYC; a kind of re-done Thunderbolts. Now, as the heroes converge at Avengers Mansion, Elektra has to deal with a figure from her past as well as deal with the worlds greatest (and most returned from the dead) hunter!

Chip Zdarsky continues to grab my attention with his writing. Yes, this is another addition to the already convoluted origins of Elektra, but Zdarsky manages to add something that doesn’t detract from what we already know about Elektra. The moments with matt are well thought out with a mix of need and passion coupled with the failing need to be careful. This history elements work for the most part, with the narrative hitting a recurring beat that sets up the ace of the book very well indeed.

Rafael De Latorre is an artist who has had some success recently, though I have to admit I am not hat familiar with his work. I also have to admit that I love the art in this book; there is nothing that I would change about it at all! The conversation bits work well with decent camera angles, the chase scene works well as does the historical elements, though I did get a little confused about the cars! De Latorre does well going back in time an d still managing to make Elektra look like Elektra, making her recognisable throughout her own history. The colors provided by Federico Blee looks great from the heavy shading of the darkness of dealing with Fisk to the almost ephemeral softer hues of past days. Vc’s Clayton Cowles supplies the letters with a looser font than you may have expected. This shows the flexibility of one of the busiest and productive letterers in the business. As you would expect there are a range of covers; cover A from Chris Bachalo is gorgeous, though I doo have a soft spot for John Romita JR.

This book continues to build on Daredevil’s and Elektra’s return to grace, demonstrating excellent storytelling through effective monologues and art that radiates quality in a variety of environs. Hands down a great book!

Writing -5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Chip Zdarsky
Art by; Rafael De Latorre
Colors by; Federico Blee
Letters by; VC’s Clayton Cowles
Covers by; Chris Bachalo & John Romita JR.
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network