“Dead Reckoning”
Writer: Bob Rodi
Artists: Jon Proctor and Sandu Florea
Elektra #35 is more of a passage than a story. The reader is just passing through, eavesdropping on Elektra’s visit to her own grave site. Some time ago she was killed and resurrected, and here she ponders on what may have become of her during a brief existence in the afterlife. Proctor provides intense graphic variations, none of them pleasant, and then we are offered glimpses of Elektra’s youth, her first meeting with young Matt Murdock, the death of her father, her training as assassin, a confrontation with Daredevil, and one bloody escapade as professional assassin.
In one of those huge coincidences that kicks a comic book into gear about two-thirds of the way through, Murdock, as Daredevil, appears at the cemetery. Elektra barely speaks to him before dashing away, because theirs is a love that can never be acted on. Murdock gives chase but soon stops and she gets away. He’s left to brood alone as we are left alone, also, at Elektra’s grave site. As I stated, not much story.
The best part of the comic is the cover. Daredevil and Elektra are swinging off into the sunset, staring at each other, love in their eyes, both in full costume. It’s the happy ending for them that we’re never going to read.
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