Comic Review – “Ultimate Elektra Vol. 1: Devil’s Due”

This should appear as a trade paperback just in time
for the movie.

General Information

Title: Ultimate Elektra Vol. 1: Devil’s Due

Author: Mike Carey

Illustrator(s): Salvador Larocca

Original Publication Date: These issues shipped in
the latter half of
2004.

ISBN: 0-7851-1504-8

Cover Price: $11.99 US

Buy from: Amazon.com
or Amazon.ca

Past comic reviews can be found here.

Premise

Elektra and Matt still don’t get along very well, but
they can
collaborate long enough to deal with her father’s new
business
partners.

High Point

Elektra’s way out. It says a lot about her
character.

Low Point

When I pick up a miniseries, I want it to actually
have a significant
impact on things. In the Ultimate Universe, I want
it to be either
expanding an existing character or team, or to be
creating a new
team. The Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra
miniseries
established the origins of these characters. This
one doesn’t seem to
do anything significant in the long term until the
last four pages,
which really makes it feel like something that was
made simply to have
more Elektra-branded product on shelves before the
movie hits in
January.

The Scores

This isn’t very original. Take the
characters from the first
series, add in the existing Kingpin and the movie
version of Bullseye,
and you’ve got this. We’ve seen it all before. I
give it 2 out of 6.

The artwork by Larocca is the best reason to
pick this up.
If the art’s all you’re looking for and you already
have Ultimate
Daredevil and Elektra
, you can pick this up with
confidence. If
you don’t already have Ultimate Daredevil and
Elektra
, get it
instead of this; you’ll get the same quality art, and
a better quality
story. I give the artwork here 5 out of 6.

The story is a series of backstabbing and
combat that is
entirely predictable. I give it 3 out of 6.



The characterization is a competant exposure
of the
characters we saw the first time around, deviating
only in the last
few pages of the last issue for some real development
on the part of
Elektra. I give it 4 out of 6.

The emotional response was pretty bland. I
think this is the
first time I saw Ultimate Daredevil and didn’t love
everything about
him. I give it 3 out of 6.

The flow is well done, moving the story and
much of the action along
smoothly. I give it 4 out of 6.

Overall, it’s not terrible, but I see no
particular reason to
add this story to the Ultimate universe. What’s the
point? If you
don’t have Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra,
get that instead.
If you do have it, just read it again. I give
Ultimate
Eletra Vol. 1: Devil’s Due
3 out of 6.

In total, Ultimate Elektra Vol. 1: Devil’s
Due
receives 24
out of 42.