There's so much to be said about this issue of Daredevil, because it fits perfectly in with writer Chip Zdarsky's vision for Matt Murdock and the people in his life. Zdarsky's Daredevil started by introducing fans to a few brand new characters--most importantly, an anti-super-hero Detective Cole North, and the uber-rich, uber-connected, therefore uber-untouchable Stromwyn siblings--a pair of aging aristocrats, unwilling to let go of their tired legacy of personal power. Their new target for takeover and over-haul is Hell's Kitchen, making them an enemy of the Man Without Fear.
Interestingly, and fitting perfectly in the scenario, another character who found himself on the Stromwyn's hit list was the Kitchen's new Mayor, Wilson Fisk. While Detective North aligned with Mayor Fisk's agenda to take down masked vigilantes, all three players end up relying on each other to survive the Stromwyn takeover, in some ways more literally than others. Already, in this run of Daredevil, we've seen Matt wrestle with his religion and it's system of black-and-white good and evil, leading him to put down the mask. It's a classic theme of Daredevil for Matt to question the validity of his actions as a vigilante, just as his relationship with Peter Parker is a strong art of his character. Daredevil and Spider-Man used to team up and hero around New York together, spread across years of shared history. They're both street-level city super-heroes with hefty consciences, with powers that they came upon by freak incidents, and even have a number of the same rogues. Bringing back Spider-Man and their relationship was one of my favorite parts of the entire Daredevil run, so far, not only because of their history, but because of how Zdarsky writes about Spider-Man. Murdock is a guy who can sense just about everything about a person: their scent, their blood-pressure, heart-rate, if they're sweating, or their hair stands up on the back of their neck. It would make sense, then, that Matt would "see" Peter's Spider-Man as something much, much more than human. Zdarsky wrote Matt's inner thoughts to be keenly aware of Parker's presence the intense physical signs of his Amazing powers, and be just a little bit in awe of him. There is even a scene, later, where Spider-Man slips through Detective North's under-cover plant street robbery trap, and then whisks the massive Detective off for a quick, private conversation on the roof. When North first sees the web-slinger, his thoughts are the most realistic reaction to witnessing Spider-Man I've ever heard. The awe, shock, and mild disbelief at seeing a person do what Spider-Man does would be, realistically, incredible, and that's exactly how Zdarsky writes Detective North in that moment. Other classic and new-age Daredevil friends, enemies, and girlfriends have been making their appearances throughout the series, including Foggy Nelson, a number of the Daredevil rogue's gallery, Typhoid Mary, Kirsten McDuffie, and notably, Elektra. She appeared a few times earlier on in the series, speaking with Daredevil on some rooftop or another, when Daredevil's mental narration let us know she still doesn't know he's Matt Murdock (thanks to the events of a previous series). She even helped Daredevil in his attempts to take down the Stromwyn's, then additionally stole billions of dollars from the siblings, without his knowledge. Matt was furious with her, but he had other problems. It's Daredevil, not Matt Murdock, who decided to turn himself in for manslaughter--the accidental murder that kicked off his quest for inner peace. As insane as the plan sounds, Foggy Nelson was able to swing a deal with a judge: try him as Daredevil, keep his identity secret, just tell the judge. Of course, after seeing known lawyer Murdock under the mask, things will for sure be different for Matt after this phase, no matter how his time in jail goes. Because, without a doubt, he will be serving time. The last string left for Matt to tie up was the fate of Hell's Kitchen versus the Stromwyn's. In a city planning auction that would ultimately sell the Kitchen to a private buyer, it turned out to be none other than Elektra who outbid the elite, evil-doing twins. She used the money she stole from their own accounts to secure the future of Hell's Kitchen, while Daredevil is in prison. With this knowledge, Daredevil plead guilty to his accusations, earning him a two-year prison sentence. At this point, we're caught up to this week's issue, #25. Daredevil is in prison, orange mask an all. He's visited by the woman of the hour, who made his imprisonment possible--Elektra. Daredevil and she have a complicated relationship. Students together, fighters together, lovers at most times, Elektra has spent most their relationship knowing the secret identity of Daredevil. So it's more satisfying than shocking when she addresses him, in his cell, as Matt Murdock. They speak as old friends, no doubt feeling the weight of their shared history between them. At some point in their conversation, I figured out what Zdarsky is doing, and got excited. Matt tells Elektra about how she made him safe with not being able to protect the city, because the Stromyn's power was cut short. But when she starts talking about the Hand, and a plan to finally beat them, Matt worries to her that she's going to go back to her old ways; too violent, too cold, too brutal. He sends her off thinking about herself, their relationship, and what her goal with taking Hell's Kitchen was. In the final scene, a the Kitchen is split between mourning and celebrating the loss of their protector, Daredevil. The mourners for their hero and the loss of his protection, and celebrators for the supposed opened avenues of criminality. One such of the latter group is surprised when they're stopped mid-crime by Daredevil! But this isn't Matt's Devil, this is Elektra, taking up the mask of her friend to prove to him, and herself, she can properly protect his city, as he would. After the initial overjoyment at this no-doubt very temporary change cooled, I found myself wondering what Elekra's creator, Frank Miller, would think of this new phase for his character. Elektra was created in the early eighties, a ninja compatriot to fight sometimes alongside and sometimes against Daredevil. She is a foil for his character, not sharing in his Catholic sense of guilt and responsibility. Miller loved her so much, that he killed her off in the series before he left from writing Daredevil, so no other writer would do something to ruin his idea of her. Of course, since that time, she's been brought back and written by many authors, though I can't speak to how closely most of them stuck to Miller's original vision. Now, I hope that Miller would be at least intrigued by the idea of Elektra taking up the Daredevil mantle, even if it's just for a short while. Then, of course, there is the other side of the plot, which Elektra spoke to Matt about--becoming their King and Queen of the Fist. At the very end of the issue, we learn what Elektra knows, but didn't tell Matt. They can beat the Hand by becoming these rulers, but that would mean one of them having to die. It's long been established that when it comes to ninja assassin group the Hand and all it's subsidiaries, death isn't always the final journey. Elektra, herself, has been brought back from the dead, so technically there are options for bringing Matt back, if that's how this really ends up. It would make sense that Elektra would choose Matt as the one to partner with her on that journey, as he is well-known for his tenancies to self-sacrifice for those he loves. Whatever the case may end up being, Daredevil Elektra is something I never even considered, and am absolutely thrilled with having. Zdarsky continues to keep me interested in a title and character I have little connection to, and not for the first time. I'm excited to see where he brings these characters in 2021! All of this review failed to mention the amazing, stunning art of Marco Checchetto, the main artists on Zdarsky's run. While Checchetto's pages are filled with detailed panels, pleasing line-work, and eye catching facial hair, my favorite thing to see him draw is Elektra's hair. He draws her hair like an inky black wasteland under it's headband, covering it in thin, wispy locks and hairs flying around her face. The effect reminds me a lot of Esmeralda from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame--flirty, thick, and wild. Checchetto did more than that on this week's Daredevil, though, giving her hair not only beauty, but history. In the flashbacks with former trainer Stick, Elektra's luxurious locks are notably more tame, trapped down under a whole-head bandanna. The change in her hair styling gives her hair depth, making it more than just an accessory, but part of her costume. This is a point further proven by the style of outfit Elektra chooses to wear as Daredevil, which features the classic red horned mask, wrapped in red scarf, her inky black curls popping out the back in a pony-tail. It may be a tiny fragment of the whole comic's art, but it gives enormous characterization to Elektra as a vigilante and a woman.
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