Editor's Note: Dark Reign: Elektra #4 arrives in stores tomorrow, June 24.

When I first heard that a Dark Reign: Elektra miniseries was in the works, I can't deny that I was sceptical. Considering the way that the character had been abused in the run-up to Secret Invasion -- and my general indifference to the whole "Dark Reign" event -- I didn't expect the book to have anything to offer me. Well, thank goodness for Zeb Wells and Clay Mann, because they've taken a book with an uninspiring-sounding premise and a lead character who can be challenging to write, and have turned it into one of the best new books that Marvel has published in the last few months.

As other reviewers have noted, one of the greatest strengths of Zeb Wells's writing of this series has been in keeping Elektra virtually silent throughout. In doing so, he's helped to preserve a sense of mystique that might have been shattered by too much dialogue, opting to be so economical with her speech that the reader understands that every word counts. This helps to add emphasis to particularly important moments of the story -- and this issue, the central sequence is her rematch with her murderer, Bullseye.

The fact that Elektra is scared enough to be stopped in her tracks as she speaks Bullseye's name makes him seem more scary than any amount of graphic violence and sadism could manage, and enables Wells to move past the new "Dark Reign" accoutrements of Hawkeye's costume and bow-and-arrow. In doing so, he taps back into the Frank Miller-era characterisation of Bullseye in order to set up his rematch with Elektra, which will carry a lot of weight for anyone who's ever read the classic "Elektra Saga" (and if you haven't, stop reading this review and go and track down that story immediately).

Of course, if your lead character is going to remain silent for the majority of the issue, you have to make sure that your artist is able to convey your story visually. Luckily, Clay Mann is more than up to the task. The fight between Bullseye and Elektra is the centrepiece of the issue, and it's choreographed perfectly, with all of the characters' movements conveyed crisply and clearly to the reader.

There's a real elegance and efficiency to the characters' movements that helps to convey the idea that they're both highly-trained martial artists, and there's a well-judged sense of rhythm to their dance, which builds to a crescendo that references the classic showdown from Daredevil #181 -- but in a way that will have Elektra fans cheering in the aisles. Having enjoyed Mann's work in his brief stints on Daredevil, Immortal Iron Fist and Thor, it's nice to see him be given a full miniseries of his own to prove his chops as an artist.

The rest of the issue is slightly less interesting: the Skrull subplot doesn't seem to be going anywhere (although there is a hint that Wells might pin down the moment of Elektra's replacement by a Skrull with a little more accuracy than Bendis did), and the final page guest-appearance feels a little gratuitous and unnecessary. However, aside from these small weaknesses, this is a very enjoyable issue of a story that has succeeded in telling an Elektra story that feels true to Frank Miller's original conception of the character, whilst also incorporating the messy history of recent months in a relatively streamlined and unobtrusive manner.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---