When it comes to events, the spin-off comics are often of lesser quality. They tend to feel like cash-ins squeezing in characters or just milking the event. Devil’s Reign feels like the exception with the spin-offs often standing on their own without the event and each adding to their characters in some way. It doesn’t feel like side quests as much as it does fully formed storylines by themselves. Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3 wraps up Elektra’s journey setting up a lot to come and possibly spoiling Devil’s Reign.
It’s Elektra versus Kraven the Hunter as ghosts of Elektra’s past come to haunt her. Through the action, writer Chip Zdarsky delivers a rather haunting tale of a woman dealing with her past. She had a mission when it came to Matt Murdock, she was a tool of an organization. What is she now? What’s the path forward? There’s an interesting mix of reflection, regret, and acceptance. Zdarsky delivers a comic full of fights and action but also one that feels like its true focus is its main character front and center.
The only knock on the storytelling is it possibly spoils Devil’s Reign which comes out the following week and when you get to the end, it feels a bit like it loses its standalone nature. We’ll have to see about that spoiler but it’s the end that makes the comic feel like a piece of the bigger story arc still to come as opposed to a three issue series that can be read on its own. It almost pulls that off.
The art by Rafael De Latorre is fantastic. The fights feel brutal but have a flow about them. Federico Blee‘s colors add to the atmosphere. Clayton Cowles‘ lettering is the cherry on top. Visually the comic is an interesting one as the battle goes from brute strength to something more subtle and “quiet”. That change in fighting styles is nailed down in the art where punches give way to tactical attacks. It also perfectly fits the sadness that permeates the story Zdarsky has spun.
Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3 is a solid finale. It continues an event tie-in that has stood out and is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. It also has me wanting to go back and see what I missed in Elektra’s story but also excited about what’s to come.
Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Rafael De Latorre
Color: Federico Blee Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
Source: Graphic Policy
