Elektra #2 Spoilers and Discussion -

[tsaimelemoni]

Welcome to round two folks!

Summary:

Arcade wants Elektra to come to him, so he sets a plan in motion while he has Screwball kidnap a magician. Screwball thinks this is a waste of her time and 'upgrades'.

As Elektra decides that she's gotten too involved for someone who is supposed to be laying low, Murder bots - courtesy of Arcade, of course - crash through her door. Elektra quickly dismantles them, saving Lauren again in the process.

Elektra asks Lauren to leave, to get out of danger while Elektra gets to work. Lauren enthusiastically embraces Elektra and thanks her (did anyone else find this exchange a little clunky and ... off? At least on Lauren's end?).

While Elektra goes hunting, we finally discover one use for her new bangle: it's a grappling hook! Yay! Elektra murders a whole mess of gangsters.

This somehow leads her to Arcade's HQ, where he uses a hologram to distract her and then subdue her with knockout gas. When she wakes, she's chained to a wall with some others, including the magician Screwball kidnapped earlier. Just after being released, they find themselves in the midst of Arcade's new Murderworld, where they'll be hunted by Screwball and other misfits with energy weapons (a whip, Wolverine claws,a good ole fashioned gun, etc.).

Next issue, we see who makes it through level one!

Thoughts:

Art is still good. Action is nicely kinetic and clear. Writing is good too, even if it didn't quite 'sound' like Elektra during her opening thought bubbles. I'm glad though, that like last run, the writer won't be hiding her thoughts from the reader.

My only issue is that, without going back to issue one, did we know there were kidnappings going on? I don't remember it being brought up, and it's mentioned here like we should know it is. Yes, it's in the solicits, but that's not the same. This is not a major issue. Also, I thought Arcade's musings about the audience wanting familiarity and the expected, while amusing and largely true, was just a tad on the nose. Props for using that slight meta commentary while doing something new with Elektra, though.

Overall, a good issue and I can't wait to see Elektra fight her way through Murderworld!

[Mike_Murdock]

I like Elektra and I like Arcade. So this is fun for the most part. I'm not convinced of the tone, but the two characters do have very different tones. The cartoonish censorship of very graphic violence was a bit odd. I'm not sure how to feel about that. The rest was quite good. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

[Aliltron]

I really enjoyed it. It's such a different story from what I was expecting for Elektra but I'm so intrigued by it. Probably because it's so different. I'm very excited for the next issue. Also I LOVE the Elizabeth Torque covers for this book. Wouldn't mind if she did interiors at some point for an issue or two. Looking forward to more!

[Tien Long]

Really enjoyed this month's issue. I got the sense that the series had a different tone from past ones. There was certainly this superhero, action vibe, which is in contrast to the kinda "out there" stuff from the Blackman/Del Mundo run. And I dug it! I liked seeing Elektra engage in some superhero fights. Her fights against Arcade's robots showed her improvisational/Jason Bourne skills while her taking down those henchmen in the dark showed off those ninja skills. Again, I like her new Strider Hiryu-esque design which evokes that super ninja aura. Plus, her going into one of Arcade's Murderworld scenarios is as classic Marvel as you can get.

So, I definitely enjoyed this issue and am looking forward to the next one.

[Michael Watkins]

I like Screwball and Arcade. but the book isn't in the budget, right now.

[Garbledarber]

I'm not convinced of the tone, but the two characters do have very different tones.

That's my favourite thing about this arc! The juxtaposition between one of Marvel's deadliest undead assassins, and probably it's campiest assassin. I think it's a really fun concept, and that's not something I was necessarily expecting from an Elektra comic.

I do think the author needs a little time to get Elektra's voice just right, but I'm glad we're getting her thoughts and I'm definitely willing to stick around for a little while. The art has just been stellar as well.

[vitaminbee]

I didn't mind this issue. It's nice to see Elektra in a book where it's not brooding over her past so much. I still wish there were some tweaks to the costume as all the accessories are so baggy/loose.

[scouse mouse]

Read the issue. Decent enough issue though I echo some of the thoughts that her voice isn't quite right. Especially the internal thoughts. Art is good, not as detailed as issue 1. It's enjoyable, but not as good the last ongoing.