Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra

Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra #1

by Greg Rucka (Writer), Salvador Larrocca, David W. Mack

Wide-eyed Elektra Natchios arrives at Columbia University with a fourth-degree black belt in karate, but her first brush with a campus menace named Trey is nothing compared to the romantic free-fall she plunges into when she meets Matthew Murdock, a blind pre-law student... who is more than he appears.

Collecting: Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra 1-4 & Daredevil 9

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Comic Book

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

Greg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collects the Ultimate Universe Elektra - Daredevil backstory, how they met as young people, why their lives crossed, how they felt about one another, and why ultimately things didn't work out. A much fresher interpretation of this story, but nothing will be able to overshadow Frank Miller's rendition, but this ain't too bad. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.

2017 and 2011 read

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad retelling of Daredevil's origins as well as Elektra.

The story is altered but in some ways similar to other stories. Elektra is going to college and meets a few friends and then of course the Hunk known as Matthew Murdock. Once her friend is attacked by another student she goes after him. At first trying to just scare him. So he begins to attack back. This is when Matt puts on the famous black suit and goes out at night too. Of course the two paths mix and love/fight begins!

Good: The art is pretty solid. I also enjoyed the way the dialog flowed, very natural, and easy. The Elektra/Matt love felt pretty well done and the interesting subject matter of rich/coverup/rape all worked well enough.

Bad: Nothing special or outstanding. You've probably read this before or something very similar. Also the friend subplots were kind of eh.

Overall this was a fun little book. Nothing special but not horrible. Just decent. A 2.5 out of 5.

[Sud666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the Ultimates version of the Elektra/Daredevil story. It deserves a resounding "meh". Some of the things we are used to from the original story are there-but with slight tweaks.

Elektra, daughter of a laundry owner (not a tycoon as in the normal universe) comes to Columbia and then meets Matt Murdock. Her roommate gets raped by a rich kid on campus and this begins her descent into becoming the assassin we all know. In this storyline she was trained by some 8o yr old grandmother operating a dojo on the corner of some nasty New York neighborhood (no really) and goes off to threaten the rapist. But all she does it motivate him to burn down her father's laundry and try to attack her friend again. Elektra decides to kill him but is stopped by Matt. She drops out of Columbia and sends him roses as a goodbye. There. That took 4 issues of vapid storytelling to develop.

Some of the Ultimates changes are plain stupid- an 80 yr old grandmother as sensei? Yeah sure its a good place to learn some martial arts...but not REAL martial arts. Not the kind that made Elektra into one of the finest killers in Marvel (where the normal story has her being trained by Stick I'm pretty sure). Also her father being a laundrymat owner is stupid too- Elektra's father was a multi-millionaire Greek tycoon who was assassinated -thats what drives her to train so hard (plus her shared tragedy bonds her to Matt who suffered a similar fate) and she uses her father's money to get trained by the best. This version of Elektra is not convincing- trained by an 80 yr old grandma with a street corner dojo and being motivated by her roomie being raped and her father's laundry being burned don't really have the same powerful motivation as a dead father and it wipes away one of the key reasons for the Matt-Elektra understanding.
Elektra's "girl power" squad of hanger-ons and their insipid conversation fills up a lot of the story much to my regret. The last part (issue 4) was the best. Matt and Elektra spar over her attempt to kill the rapist rich kid and they have a decent (best dialogue in the story) conversation about the difference between law and justice. Elektra walks off in a huff and leaves Columbia, sending Matt some roses as a goodbye. That's it. The only thing Ultimate about this was that it was Ultimately boring and could have been told in one issue.

I like the Ultimates universe but this storyline was not very good. The artwork though is solid and I have no complaints. Let's hope this one was just a slipup...Mr. Rucka...not that great a job on this story. Too cheesy and stupid.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good redevelopment of the title characters in the Ultimate line of Marvel comics. But, unlike FF or Spider-Man, there is way too much gravitas and destiny in these two -- you know, from the first introduction of a plot element, how it is going to turn out.

Sigh, the challenges of reading too many comic books.

[Matěj Komiksumec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimátní pojetí DD s Elektrou nakonec dopadlo dost dobře. Než Daredevil je to spíš "Ultimate Elektra s trochou Daredevila" což nevadí, příběh Elektry mě hodně baví, škoda, že Matt Murdock dostává toho prostoru výrazně méně, konec mohl být mnohem emotivnější. A tady narážím na můj problém s příběhem, Elektry přechod od zamilovaný studentky k vražedkyni je tu prostě na sílu i když její pohnutky chápu.
Co ale nechápu je kresba s barvama, Larroca je člověk kterého nemůžu vystát a nerozumím tomu jak je možné, že v Marvelu má pořád nějakou práci, barvy jsou strašně digitální a třeba ve tmě působí dost komicky.
Ale jinak mě tenhle převyprávěný origin bavil, mít číslo-dvě navíc by mu hodně slušelo.

[Sicily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved elektra but she is too good for Matt in this volume. because he is a liar and goody two shoes. She was right some people need to die and the law is crap.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

i believe elektra should be allowed to do whatever she wants

[Rituraj Kashyap · Rating 3 out of 5]

A re-read, and it's still 3 stars for me. This is the weakest Rucka book I have read. Considering the fact that the Ultimate Comics line was started to introduce the younger generations to the Marvel heroes, Daredevil does not even get a proper introduction.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elektra's mentor is a old lady named Stone.
I see what you did there.

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Why would I be angry at you, Matt? It's not like you've lied to me or anything, right?"

[Jacob A. Mirallegro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a low 4 stars because while I did like it, I thought some of the dialog was kinda clunky and the art wasn't fantastic. However it had a really good to it vibe and it felt like Man Without Fear (the Frank Miller/John Ramita Jr. comic) but from Elektra's perspective. Elektra's character history was also simplified which helped with the realism and modern approach. I did not expect the use of rape culture to be the main narrative conflict but it made the story really powerful. This also inherently showed Daredevil's moral beliefs to an extreme and for an ~origin story this was really effective.

[Shane Stanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimate year 1: ultimate origins

Read for women taking their safety into their own hands, a bit of a one dimensional villain who serves primarily for everyone else to find their stories, and to relive your freshman year of college. Essential reading for DD/Electra shippers.

CW: rape, sexual assault, abusive parenting

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good origin graphic novel. However, I felt that the impetus to cause Elektra to cross to the darkside was kind of weak. I do think that Trey was a piece of dog poo, but I don't think he was deserving of Elektra being willing to compromise her morals, leave her family and friends behind, and forsake her love for Matt to see justice done on him. I wanted to see a more compelling reason than what I was given. At the end of the day, Trey is a lame, bullying toad. Just a chip off the old block like his father, who thinks he can buy his way out of justice.

I really liked Matt,and I liked seeing Elektra as the wide-eyed innocent (sort of), but there was too quick a jump to ruthless, cold-blood, would-be assassin. That transition does not occur overnight (unless there are seeds there, which we don't see in this story).

Another pet peeve I have is her friend, Pheobe. Why does the Black female friend always have to be a smart aleck with a bit of an attitude? Phoebe was a cool character and all, and I get that Mr. Rucka (the writer) probably didn't mean any offense, but I am so tired of seeing African American characters represented as stereotypes. Phoebe easily could have been the gentler, kinder friend. She could have been nerdy, an artist who's a bit kooky but has a great sense of humor. No, she's the tough chick. I guess he should get brownie points for having her hail from Austin, Texas. But she could have been from the Bronx for what we see of her smart alecky demeanor (with a musical bent for a little variety). Maybe I'm just being uptight about that....

Last pet peeve. We don't really get to see Matt much outside of the Elektra storyline. It's assumed that we know his backstory, which is not a safe assumption.

Pretty good, overall. I'd like to see where this arc goes. I want to see more darkside Elektra. (evil grin)

[Christopher Mclean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it goes against popular opinion but I'm a quite a fan of Daredevil, in the comic format and on both the big and small screen. So having recently fallen in love with the Ultimate line I was keen to see how his little corner of the Marvel universe would be treated.

Fortunately I was not disappointed, this volume introduces both Matt and Elektra and does a reasonable job of establishing their relationship and their differences.

Daredevil & Elektra sees both characters meeting and starting a relationship while at university. Unfortunately things take a turn for the worse as the two have a falling out over how to deal with a rich-boy, rapist who assaults their friend but avoids justice through his fathers connections.

My only complaint here is that this volume was a little too short to fully establish the characters, then show their motivation as they split down their divergent paths to delivering justice.

[salomé · Rating 4 out of 5]

[relecture]

Je comprends pas pourquoi les notes sont si basses alors que c’est une origin story décente pour les personnages. On est du point de vue d’Elektra et je trouve que ses motivations et sa vision des choses sont bien amenés. L’approche est plus réaliste, cette fois ce n’est pas son père qui meurt dans des conditions atroces mais son amie qui subit un viol par un gosse de riche qui arrive à s’en sortir en toute impunité. Et on comprend que c’est comme ça qu’elle deviendra l’assassin qu’on connaît.
Pour moi, les motivations d’Elektra sont crédibles et c’est assez pour perdre foi en la justice et avoir envie de tuer des gens (des hommes) si vous voulez mon avis.

L’approche féministe assumée est très agréable particulièrement pour un livre datant de 2003.

Matt en revanche est plutôt détestable. Il lui cache ses abilités jusqu’au dernier chapitre et veut nous faire croire que justice sera rendue au tribunal ??? matt assieds toi car j’ai quelque chose à t’annoncer en fait….

[Gloria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to only read comics occasionally. But I wanted to get a better take on the Daredevil/Elektra relationship than the one offered in the so-so movie. Therefore, I picked up this trade paperback when I stopped by BN one day. Overall, I was most impressed with the art. The covers shown here are fantastic, giving the impression of a powerful couple. The interior art is simple, fitting in perfect with the young college setting. I liked that quick action shots were emphasized through blurring the moving figures. The story seemed a little to pat and formulaic next to this art. Elektra and Matt Murdock are students at Columbia University who learn a few tough lessons about cruelty, violence, and love. The sweetness of their ultimately doomed romance is appealing. I just wish we could have had more explanations and more detail.

[Reenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still love this one - there's a lot that is admittedly pretty lame about it, but overall, as a study of character (Elektra), Rucka has done a really good job. She might make some decisions that most of us would consider wrong, but you know exactly why she does them, and you can appreciate her logic, even if you don't applaud it.

Also, she looks hot with leather and spiky knives - that never hurts!

[Ondra Král · Rating 4 out of 5]

Příjemnej romanťák, čtyři sešity jsou pro to tak akorát. Chybělo mi tu víc prostoru pro Matta a jeho pojetí spravedlnosti - díky tomu mohlo být závěrečné rozhodnutí zajímavější.

[twinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

SOOO MUCH FEMINISM ITS AMAZING!! LOVE ELEKTRA. SHE IS SOOO BADASS. ALSO MY HEART BROKE FOR MY LOVES <3

[Jeffrey Greek · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was the point of this?

[Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, there are two Greg Ruckas.

There is the Greg Rucka, who along with J.H. Williams III, wrote the Detective Comics feature that ended up turning into the brilliant Batwoman series (without Rucka) until DC Comics decided to ruin everything. And then there is the Star Wars: Shattered Empire Greg Rucka, who basically wrote a story to let us know that Poe Dameron has parents. (To be fair, this tongue-in-cheek review had a lot more to do with all of the secrecy surrounding The Force Awakens at the time.) Since these are primarily the only exposure I've had to Greg Rucka, I wasn't sure what to think I was going to get when I read Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra.

As with both Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men , Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra serves as a place where the Daredevil continuity could be reset for the Marvel Ultimate Universe, Rucka is presented with new possibilities with where to start. Since in Frank Miller's classic Daredevil run, Elektra was presented as a woman from Matt Murdoch's pre-Daredevil past, Rucka decides to remain somewhat faithful to that Miller story arc in what effectively could be identified as Ultimate Daredevil Begins for lack of a better title. However, unlike Miller's original arc, what spurs Elektra into action this time around is the implied sexual assault of a roommate and this brings her into direct conflict with the proto-Daredevil.

While comic books don't always try to explore the deeper meaning of life, in this case, one could argue that it is debate of whether laws are just or right, a theme that has been explored since The Oresteia which drives the action here. It is the fundamental difference of opinion on how the law works in relation to the roommate's assault and the fallout that lead to the conflict between Elektra, who believes the law has let her and her friends down, and Daredevil, who believes that without law essentially society will collapse. Rucka does not give his own thoughts on which thought is the "right" one, but it does give one something to think about.

Unfortunately what doesn't work so well here is everything else. Like Mark Millar on Ultimate X-Men , Rucka seems to rely on the fact that readers will come in knowing the Daredevil source material from the Marvel 616 continuity when it comes to knowing who these characters actually are as opposed to shadows of their pre-existing counterparts. But this ultimately defeats the purpose of the Ultimate Marvel universe, which was set up to start these characters from scratch. Readers of Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man know that such things were possible, but apparently unlike Bendis, neither Millar or Rucka could execute it properly.

In the end, what disappoints about this book is that it doesn't bring anything new to the table when it comes to Daredevil or Elektra. This may be a function of this book being a four issue limited series (after all Bendis and Millar were both given monthly series to work on) but that is likely a lame excuse. Perhaps I am being unfair by having high expectations for this book, but given that Daredevil and Elektra are iconic characters at this point, I don't think that attitude is particularly unfair.

[Adamsloj]

Nie czytałem wcześniej żadnego komiksu z tymi bohaterami. Samych bohaterów znam praktycznie wyłącznie z filmów. Nie przeszkadza to w lekturze, choć pewnie na start można by polecić coś innego, to w końcu to początek Ultimate Marvel z początku lat 2000. One miały być na start, a ja stwierdziłem, że sięgnę do całego Ultimate Universe. Tego oryginalnego.

Po Spider-manie i jego tem-upach „Daredevil i Elektra” pisani są w zupełnie innym tonie. Dodatkowo ten komiks mógłby się nazywać po prostu Elektra, bo tak naprawdę jest o niej. Nie wiem zatem, co będzie w kolejnej serii zatytułowanej tylko jej imieniem.

Elektra trafia na uniwersytet i bardzo boleśnie przekonuje się, że prawo nie zawsze działa. W przeciwieństwie do „Spider-Mana/Black Cat” tu jestem pewny, że ten delikatny temat został dobrze poprowadzony. Choć krzywda nie dzieje się samej Elektrze, a jej przyjaciółce, to nadal kieruje ją na drogę eskalacji. A jak wiadomo, świat wokół Śmiałka z Diabelskiej Kuchni zawsze jest mroczny.

Wraz z eskalacją dramat osobisty niszczy lub nadszarpuje różne relacje. Prawo to nie jedyna rzecz, która zdradza i rani Elektrę. Ostatecznie wbrew opiniom, że w Ultimate Marvelu warto czytać tylko komiksy Bendisa i Hickmana, muszę się nie zgodzić. Greg Rucka pisze naprawdę porządny komiks, a widząc pozytywne opinie o jego runach Wonder Women – można chyb stwierdzić, że po prostu potrafi on pisać kobiety.

Jednak ironiczne jest to, że najciekawszym komiksem w wydaniu zbiorczym niestety jest dodatek. Dodatek spoza Ultimate Marvela i od innego aurora (David Mack), który w niezwykle satysfakcjonujący sposób przedstawia Daredevila i Echo. W poruszający sposób zostaje także wykorzystana synestezja (odczuwanie jednym zmysłem innych) i strona graficzna komiksu (prawdopodobnie zasługa Joe Quesady). Pewnie mógłbym napisać więcej, ale nie chce, żeby jeden zeszyt (lub jego fragment, nie jestem pewny) zdominował pozostałe kilka.

Jeśli chcecie typowy Daredevilowy komiks, to tytuł z Ziemi-1610 może się spodobać. Ciężkie tematy wokół prawa? Jest. Matt Murdok magnes na kobiety? Jest. Btw. Nie wiedziałem, że był kiedyś z Black Widow. Ostatecznie nie wiem, czy "Ultimate Deredevil i Elektra" wypadnie tak pozytywnie, gdy przeczytam już bardziej klasyczne opowieści o Daredevilu, ale na razie jest dobrze.

[MatiBracchitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este cómic es el inicio de Daredevil y Elektra en el universo Ultimate. La historia es simple: Elektra y Matt están en la universidad, una de las amigas de ella sufre un ataque sexual por parte del hijo de un multimillonario que logra evitar cualquier tipo de consecuencia lo que provocará que Elektra busque justicia por su propia mano, mientras que Matt intentará hacer todo lo posible para llevar al culpable ante un juzgado y evitar que Elektra logre su cometido.
Escrito por el sensacional Greg Rucka e ilustrado por el hábil Salvador Larroca. Es la segunda o tercera vez que leo este cómic y no me decidía si merecía cuatro o cinco estrellas. La primera vez que lo leí, me encantó. Y esta vez igual. Incluso, poniéndome más crítico e intentando analizar un poco más que en la primera lectura, encontré ciertos elementos de composición, ambientación y detalles de época que me encantaron.
Punto aparte para la construcción de personajes femeninos fuertes e independientes. Eso me encantó, y creo que el hecho de que todo esté en un nivel tan de "calle" logra mantener la esencia del Daredevil que tanto atrae.
Es verdad que hay unas pequeñas cositas que parecen restarle a esta obra: El cliché del "niño malo rico", la disyuntiva final que Elektra le plantea a Matt, el power-up de Daredevil desde el primer enfrentamiento con Elektra hasta su incursión a la habitación del antagonista, etc. Pero son simples detalles que apenas se notan y para nada arruinan la experiencia de lectura.
Es líneas generales es un cómic muy bien escrito, con personajes tridimensionales, una historia realista, una ilustración ágil y perfecta para el tono del guion y sobre todo completamente atrapante. Es de esos cómics que uno empieza y no quiere parar hasta terminarlo, algo que cada vez me sucede menos y por lo tanto, en estas pocas ocasiones, valoro muchisimo más.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two stories.
In the Ultimate Universe, university students Elektra Natchios and Matt Murdock meet for the first time and romance blooms between them. However, tensions arise over their differing methods when confronting a remorseless abuser.
Then, in the original Marvel Universe, the assassination of a key witness puts Daredevil on the path to confronting the Kingpin and his newest enforcer, Echo.

I'm not sure that 'Daredevil and Elektra: The College Years' (don't worry, that's not really the title) was the right way to introduce these characters to the Ultimate Universe, but I do respect that they get equalling billing on the cover and, for the most part, this is actually Elektra's story. The truth is though, that this doesn't really do anything groundbreaking with the familiar characters.

I will applaud Rucka's story, however, for calling out the real-world injustice of rich white boys who get away with raping and abusing women because their daddy's rich and powerful. The injustice of it in this story hits very hard and is just a fraction of the real injustice that woman have to deal with in the real world.
Interestingly, whilst usually I'm on the side of the 'killing people is wrong' heroes, here's I was definitely on Elektra's side when she decides to kill this guy who won't stop and keeps getting away with it.

The back-up story here is just a single comic issue long and doesn't really have anything of particular interest beyond introducing us to Echo (you should watch the 'Echo' TV show; it's much better than the pathetic racist/sexist/ableist frothing fanboys would have you believe).
As well as not doing much, I really didn't like the visual style of the story, with a mixture of caption boxes and words build into the artwork, which comes across as confusing and very messy.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Colin Rapp-Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra is the ultimate universes origin story for the titular characters. This trade really functions as part 1 of 2 in the origin story, with part 2 being collected in the Ultimate Elektra TPB. It's unclear to my why this wasn't published as one continuous run under the Daredevil & Elektra title. Greg Rucka doesn't write the Ultimate Elektra series, Mike Carey takes over, however Larroca stays on the art and the story is a direct continuation of the story told here in this volume. I only realized all this once I started the Ultimate Elektra trade.

The volume works well as a stand-alone piece. It's short, only 4 single issues collected, and tells the story of how Matt & Elektra met at Columbia. Heavy subject matter such as rape and the failure of the criminal justice system to protect women fuel the story. Rucka handles the sensitive material with class and respect, thankfully. It ends up being great groundwork for the split between these two characters and how they'll seek justice in an unjust world.

As an origin for the Matt & Elektra it leaves something to be desired. The Ultimate Elektra trade is necessary reading for understanding how these two characters, though mainly Elektra, end up as their costumed selves. The Elektra Natchios we end with here is still unrecognizable from the cut-throat assassin we'll meet later in Ultimate Spider-Man.

The art by Larroca has a charm to it and the coloring compliments the tone of the series well.

When drawn from certain angles the characters looked wonky.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nie była to zła lektura tyle, że... Zbędna. To wszystko już gdzieś było. Rozpoczęcie studiów. Poznanie Matta. Początek tej trudnej miłości. I jaka była ta tragedia, która sprawia, że coś się pomiędzy nimi psuje. Nie ma tu miejsca na jakiekolwiek zaskoczenie. To rzemieślnicza robota na zamówienie. Nic więcej.

To czym się różni odsłona Elektry i Murdocka w ramach serii Ultimate jest otoczką "towarzyską" wokół studiów. Poznajemy dwie przyjaciółki panny Natchios, z których jedna zostaje skrzywdzona na tle seksualnym przez niejakiego Trey'a. Lwia cześć czterech zeszytów składa się właśnie na rozwiązanie tego problemu, gdyż studencik ma mocne plecy pod postacią ojca polityka i dobranie się do niego w standardowy, prawny sposób wydaje się być niemożliwym...

Widzimy tu początki działalności Matta jako zamaskowanego bohatera, a i Elektra sięga po swoje rozpoznawcze dwie sztuki broni, tzw, Sai. Do tego tomu dodano także jeden zeszyt z głównej serii Daredevil Man Without Fear, ale był to chyba najsłabszy zeszyt z tej drugiej serii.

Tym bardziej, że graficznie też było tylko poprawnie, co widać po poszczególnych postaciach. Nieoczekiwanie był tutaj za to inny plus. Okładki. Rucka sięgnął po znaną historię, ale nie odważył się wprowadzić więcej zmian, przez co podczas lektury towarzyszyło mi ciągle wrażenie deja vu. A to się nie rozwija, zostaje w tyle. Taka nowalijka, trochę przebrzmiała. 2/5

[Nickolas Wingholt · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a tale about how these two met in college and fell in love, it's not bad. Not great, but cute for the most part and you do cheer for them. But as an origin story, as a significant event that is supposed to explain how both of these characters tick, it really falls flat.

There is a definite emphasis on Elektra with some obvious feminist beats. You'll find harrowing perspectives on sexual assault, self-defense, abuse, wealth, and privilege. This arc tries to get you to sympathize with Elektra and believe that systems of law and justice don't work when they can be bought by the rich and the powerful. What really makes it fall short is that Elektra's response to everything makes it seem more like impatience and immaturity. By contrast, Daredevil (if you can call him that at this point) has this really blind (yup) devotion to the law, but is already skipping across rooftops at night to dole out vigilante justice. I would have loved to take a side with either one of them in the end, but neither of their moral arguments were convincing - or even sufficiently explored, for that matter.

These issues had a lot of potential, but I honestly wouldn't recommend them to anyone unless they are reading through the entire Ultimate imprint and want a full picture of these two minor characters. The art was really good. 1st time read. 2/5.

[Stoffia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession: Je n'aime pas tellement Elektra. Celle de Frank Miller. Je trouve qu'elle n'est pas grand chose de plus qu'un archetype.

Je sais, honte à moi.

Mais ici, je l'adore!

L'histoire ici est un "rape and revenge" qui va un peu plus loin que des scènes de violence cathartique à la Tarantino. Le violeur est un fils de riche qui réussit à se sortir des conséquences grâce à l'influence de son père et à récidiver. Il va même jusqu'à poursuivre ses victimes pour diffamation.

C'est une "origin story" pour la relation Elektra et Daredevil. Ils sont encore étudiants ici. L'enjeu du comic est donc la question de savoir s'il faut faire confiance au droit (Daredevil), ou prendre l'affaire entre ses mains (Elektra).

C'est court, efficace et sans grandes maladresses. Étonnant pour un truc écrit par un homme de comic avant Me Too.

Les dialogues sont bien écrit et beaucoup de scènes sont drôles, tristes et touchantes.

[Chris Borror · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 128 page volume collects Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra #1-4.

This is the Ultimate Universe version of how Matt and Elektra met and fell in love. The art is absolutely fantastic throughout, and the story is pretty good as well. The final issue is the best of the bunch with Matt and Elektra debating the whole law vs justice argument.

Some people hate the changes made to the characters here, but that’s the point. The Ultimate Universe is supposed to be different than the main Marvel Universe. If you’re not ok with that, then maybe don’t read comics that take place in an alternate universe lol.

[Brendan Mckillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I picked this up because I am a fan of Greg Rucka’s writing and the character of Daredevil. Unfortunately, while the story did posses the earmarks of a good Rucka tale, including strong female characters, it lacked a meaningful sense of purpose. The story relied a little too easily on cliched villains and situations. I was hoping for something new or different. And frankly, I was hoping for a little more Matt Mudorck in a book called Daredevil and Elektra.

It was an all-right read, and a quick one at that. But ultimately not one I probably needed to spend time with.